Chicken math prevailed!

[MissMarple]

MissMarple, wing clipping scared me too, but my Easter Egger roo demanded it. It's no big deal at all. You just clip off the flight feathers, you don't damage the wing at all. Some clip both wings, some only do one to leave the bird off-balance, I have tried both methods and noticed no appreciable difference. But it is NOT foolproof! I still have the occasional escape, so I have opted to stick mainly to heavy stay-at-home giants!

Hope you and your family feel better soon!

Thank you so much!! It took us what feels like forever but all of us, minus Chicken Man, are finally over it!!! That was the sickest I have been in years!!! Never felt so bad!!! Like having the flu, a sinus infection and bronchitis all rolled into one but minus any fever! My poor kids!!! I had no idea they felt so bad!!!

I keep going back and forth about clipping. Whether in our yard it should be done or safety's sake or not. As of right now, they're not really getting anywhere I couldn't get them down from as they aren't flying very high. I just don't know if that will change. Most everyone is a heavy breed, minus a few. If I decide to, would it be a bad idea to do it at pullet stage? I think they're around 8 weeks old or so now. That was something else I was wondering about, too; one wing versus both wings and if it caused them any issues from feeling off-balanced. I love this place because I love reading about people's experiences with things rather than reading just some article or something about something.

 

[MissMarple]

Well chicken math prevailed. Ran by a TSC and just wanted to "look" at the chicks. The manager from the other store I frequent was there and made me a deal! Granted I had to go to the other store, but the first one didn't have what I needed anyway. Now 62 chicks later... We have RIR, white Longhorns, and Orpingtons! Supposedly all pullets. Time will tell about that. Figure I can sell some as they get older. They are a little over a week old.View attachment 1893014

We'll be starting another chicken tractor this weekend. Can't believe a few are flying already! View attachment 1893015
Feeling a little crazy now. View attachment 1893014 View attachment 1893015

Oh. My. Gosh! Holy crow, that's a LOT of chicks! Serious chicken math!!!!

 

[MissMarple]

View attachment 1899523 View attachment 1899524 View attachment 1899525my jersey giant babies arrived. one has splay leg, hence the brace

 

[MissMarple]

Our TSC requires 4 or more. Still no chicks for me, because no fence yet. Withdrawal is hell.

Sad!! Here's hoping a fence comes soon!!!

 

[MissMarple]

Lucky for me I have been inoculated from this disease. I got married to a woman that can count. If she notices my chickies going from 6 to 8 to 10 she gives me a shot....to the head with a frying pan View attachment 1902490. I have learned if I check with her first and follow what ever instruction she gives then I do not get the shot.

Haha!! I'm screwed now. We have to do headcounts multiple times a day after losing one so if there were to be more than 23 in the coop, Chicken Man would know I'd done some chicken math behind his back. I'm satisfied, for now, with my 29. For now.

 

[MissMarple]

Ssshhhh.....my better half almost heard, and she knows you will actually refrain from buying more. Don't want her to know it works. We will end up cookin with mess kits. Is that what the eye in cast iron handles is for? I always thought it was for hanging on a nail, but it might be for a pad lock.

My wife uses in the eye in handle for a heavy leather wrist lanyard.

Y'all......

 

[VictoriaTemple]

I keep going back and forth about clipping. Whether in our yard it should be done or safety's sake or not. As of right now, they're not really getting anywhere I couldn't get them down from as they aren't flying very high. I just don't know if that will change. Most everyone is a heavy breed, minus a few. If I decide to, would it be a bad idea to do it at pullet stage? I think they're around 8 weeks old or so now. That was something else I was wondering about, too; one wing versus both wings and if it caused them any issues from feeling off-balanced. I love this place because I love reading about people's experiences with things rather than reading just some article or something about something.

Pullet stage is perfect. The primaries (longest shelf of flight feathers nearer to the top of the wing) are the ones you cut, if they aren't in yet I don't know what you'd be clipping. I need to have a "pinion party" soon, probably right before we move into our new coop and yard ( which might be as early as Sunday, YAY!!) I'm clipping everybody except for my big Jersey Giant, Hero, because I just don't trust them in a new environment. Oh, and my Cochin hen Megiddo too, she is too heavy to fly now. So...fluffy. Like Gabriel Iglesias - fluffy.

So sorry to hear about poor Nevermore.I hope Jesus is with you and comforts you through your loss. I don't know what I would do if I lost one of mine.

 

[MissMarple]

Pullet stage is perfect. The primaries (longest shelf of flight feathers nearer to the top of the wing) are the ones you cut, if they aren't in yet I don't know what you'd be clipping. I need to have a "pinion party" soon, probably right before we move into our new coop and yard ( which might be as early as Sunday, YAY!!) I'm clipping everybody except for my big Jersey Giant, Hero, because I just don't trust them in a new environment. Oh, and my Cochin hen Megiddo too, she is too heavy to fly now. So...fluffy. Like Gabriel Iglesias - fluffy.

So sorry to hear about poor Nevermore.I hope Jesus is with you and comforts you through your loss. I don't know what I would do if I lost one of mine.

Wonderful! My little goofballs fly at each other or up onto the playpen we have set up to somewhat reign them in for now until we trap the predator that could be hiding in our yard at any point. They're never unsupervised outside the coop/tractor. We have such a weird setup right now but it's worked well, so far. They'll have been outside for a week as of tomorrow. All their primaries are in, even the youngest ones of the bunch that are outside but those are my leghorns, my one remaining Sex Link (that I didn't know was a Sex Link until her orange hackles started growing in) and two black, still undetermined breed chicks. They don't fly much, if at all, and can't get far in the air as it is. But I definitely feel more comfortable about clipping now, so thank you!!

First night out, one was injured by morning. Looked like she stuck her head through the chicken wire and caught herself; somewhat of a tear from about her ear to the back of her head. Cleaned her up and applied antibiotic cream to prevent infection (multiple times) and worried over her endlessly as she just didn't seem to be acting right. Thought I had all the ends bent to where that couldn't happen. Sally made sure I was wrong. My little patchwork chicken. She's fully recovered and new feathers where she pulled out a couple are growing back in nicely. A couple days after Sally hurt herself, there went Nevermore. I'm so worried about losing somebody to heat stress right now, it's unreal. Box fan, electrolytes in the water, ice and frozen treats to try to help keep everybody cool.

Thank you so much! I sure do miss her seeing her run around and come up to perch on my knee. She had an attitude that was unmatched but she just melted around me. She was very much loved.

 

[MissMarple]

Also....... Roger, our Cornish cockerel, is being a boss and protecting all his ladies so well that he's been given a stay of execution. Chicken Man doesn't have the heart to cull him yet. He is so ridiculously big and he just waddles everywhere but he's up and moving around a LOT and is being extremely protective of the entire flock. Chicken Man has gone as far as to say that if he hung around a year, he'd be okay with it. The man was so set on culling him early and now he just doesn't want to. Pictures for reference/handsomeness. He's grown a lot in the last week and this was the day they went outside. I was in the middle of predator proofing while they were getting accustomed to life outdoors.

 

[Duck_life]

Oooo!!! All kinds of breeds! Fun!!!!



Hahahah.... I saw you ordered your Jersey Giants!!! Did you end up with chicks from the farm swap? Have I not gotten that far yet and there's a yes in my future???? The excitement!



You got them, right??? I'm not any further than this yet.... I'm hoping I see a post that says you got them after this.... hahaha.. I wasn't here to be an enabler!!!!

Haha ya i brought home 4 because "they were too cute not to"