Checking-In On Peeps - Post Here To Say Hello!

[Kiki]

I just started a new flock this spring. so I had no chickens to brag about!

What breeds do you have now?

 

[morgirl]

What breeds do you have now?

2 Iowa blue roosters (out of 6 Iowa blue chicks ALL 4 that survived were boys!. 1 bielefelder, 2 fabulous frizzle, 2 lav. orpingtons, 1 laced Wyandotte. I wanted to have Iowa blues because I am originally from Iowa......gonna have to find some pullets again I guess.

 

[ronott1]

I just started a new flock this spring. so I had no chickens to brag about!

Congratulations on the new flock!

 

[ronott1]

Hi all-thanks for reaching out! I didn't realize how long its been altho I do cruise by now & then usually looking for an emergency solution. I have one again,today but,this probably isn't the right place to write about it. We have about 20 chickens 6 of them roosters. Nobody wants roosters even 'tho they are such characters. (Or they want to eat them!)We have 6 cats (people keep dropping them off!) and a large collieXmirima.I am really into gardening especially flowers.I am grateful for sites like this one. They have taught me everything I know about chickens and goats!

Thanks for the update!

Rehoming roosters can be a challenge.

 

[ronott1]

Thanks Nifty for touching base! I have been absent a while bc we had a great racoon massacre last summer. I think I posted some but replies were a little discouraging. Every coup and run are different. I was made to feel a little guilt and was not starting a new flock yet. I bought a new incubator and plan to hatch soon, so I do plan to return to the forum. Happy Chicks!

I am sorry for the raccoon attack! They can be bad here in some areas too. I sold some older hens to a Family that had been fine from raccoons for more than a year and then left the top open one night. They lost three of their five hens!

 

[ronott1]

2 Iowa blue roosters (out of 6 Iowa blue chicks ALL 4 that survived were boys!. 1 bielefelder, 2 fabulous frizzle, 2 lav. orpingtons, 1 laced Wyandotte. I wanted to have Iowa blues because I am originally from Iowa......gonna have to find some pullets again I guess.

I hope you find the Iowa Blues!

 

[Marie Helen]

Hi. Sorry only just seen your message, and that's because I was looking for some answers. Until recently all has been well. Heidi (indoor girl) had her fourth implant 3 weeks ago and is now moulting, has a lot of new feathers coming. She's fine but obviously doesn't want so many cuddles at the moment. Greta (outside girl) had her first implant last Friday, and I've been waiting for her moult. Today, she's been very quiet - not like her, and hasn't eaten much as far as I can tell, even though she's scratched around, and was wolfing her lunchtime treat. Tonight when I got home she was in the coop and didn't come out when I went into the run. After trying to coax her, I lifted her out and we had a cuddle when she went to sleep. Suddenly she pooped clear water, then went back to sleep on my lap. After a while she woke up and jumped down. Had a little slow walk around and was pecking at the dirt, then water pooped again. She had a drink of fresh water I'd taken up then put herself to bed without having any supper. I'm dreading the morning. Not sure if its the heat (she has 2 fans on high up to try to help), the implant or something else going on. Sorry for the long message.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi. Sorry only just seen your message, and that's because I was looking for some answers. Until recently all has been well. Heidi (indoor girl) had her fourth implant 3 weeks ago and is now moulting, has a lot of new feathers coming. She's fine but obviously doesn't want so many cuddles at the moment. Greta (outside girl) had her first implant last Friday, and I've been waiting for her moult. Today, she's been very quiet - not like her, and hasn't eaten much as far as I can tell, even though she's scratched around, and was wolfing her lunchtime treat. Tonight when I got home she was in the coop and didn't come out when I went into the run. After trying to coax her, I lifted her out and we had a cuddle when she went to sleep. Suddenly she pooped clear water, then went back to sleep on my lap. After a while she woke up and jumped down. Had a little slow walk around and was pecking at the dirt, then water pooped again. She had a drink of fresh water I'd taken up then put herself to bed without having any supper. I'm dreading the morning. Not sure if its the heat (she has 2 fans on high up to try to help), the implant or something else going on. Sorry for the long message.

Hi Marie Helen,

I'm so sorry to hear about Greta. When you talk implants, are you meaning the hormonal ones to make them stop laying eggs?

I don't know anything about those, and in case Greta's condition is related to it, you could try post it in our Emergency Forum to see if anyone has any experience with those, or her condition in general. In the meantime, probiotics might help with the watery poop but I doubt that will be the total answer to her problems.

I sure hope she gets better!

 

[esturtz27]

Consider getting a RESCUE. All the dogs in our family circle are rescues.
This is the latest. I could tell you more of the story,,, but it is a tearjerker.
Sweetest pet ever, and gentle. just over 2 years old now.
View attachment 3898712

I have owned many rescues and worked for help the animals a no kill shelter in Indiana. I'm choosing the breed of dog I want for very specific traits. That is my choice. Ethical breeders do exist and that is the only type i would purchase from. Dogs do not end up in shelters because of ethical breeders they end up in shelters because of puppy mills and back yard breeders. My breeder does one litter a year, breeds for temperament and health of the breed. I've worked for the aspca, got my first puppy from the Micheal Vick rescue case, I've seen the tortures people put on animals. I am getting an English springer spaniel for its very specific working traits and trainability. Sadly with a shelter puppy...as I've had 4 my mother 3 and my sister goodness 5 or 6...you are not guaranteed they won't be reactive.

 

[Bspoon]

Hello! Just came on with an issue and saw this message; thanks for checking in.
We have 4 chickens from our original 6, and they are 4 years old now. 3 of them are 'lap' chickens, sweet snugglers. We got 6 new girls in May 2023. They are now well-integrated into our little flock.

Here is the issue: everyone was behaving perfectly until a couple months ago when we noticed a decrease in egg production, and then realized there was yolk smeared on the eggs we did get. We know we have egg eating going on. We tried putting fake eggs in the nest and retrieving the eggs more frequently, and it was better, but then we went away for two weeks and had someone visiting to care for them once per day. Since we've been home, a couple of them have been aggressively seeking eggs to eat to the point that they stalk any chicken in the nesting box, making loud noises and pacing. They have even gone so far as to climb into the nesting boxes with the laying hen, and placing their heads close to the laying end!!! Yikes!

This week we reconfigured our nest boxes into roll away types. We are very happy with the new design, but our chickens are NOT! They are not laying much at all now, just about 3 per day. Our older chickens are especially unhappy, and miss making a fluffy nest with wood chips. A couple of our chickens have made dirt nests in their run, under the coop or sand nests inside the coop and laid eggs there.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had this issue, and if we can expect the 'egg strike' to end on it's own. Should we just leave them to figure it out, or has anyone found a way to make roll away nest boxes appealing, more 'nest' like somehow?