Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[therapydoglady]

Have had chickens less than a week, and we've already had a mishap...one of the porcelain d'Uccles had a toenail and part of a toe ripped off this morning. I washed it with hot soapy water (thank goodness for the water heater in the milk house!) and packed it with styptic powder. Will go back now that it is lighter outside to investigate what and where this happened to prevent a repeat performance. However, this will disqualify him for show, won't it? Guess he'd better hurry and makes some babies, huh?

Brie

 

[galanie]

Whew!  I made a flying trip to (almost) San Angelo to meet a Mr.Welling.   He is the one that Bryan got the chickens from.  He is a very nice man with a wonderfully wry sense of humor, and a body that is turning against him faster than he can grasp the concept.  Anyway, he is getting out of the chicken business, and I bought another pair of sebrights, a pair of Mille Fleur d' Uccles, a pair of porcelain d' Uccles (gorgeous!), a cabinet style incubator and some transport cages.  

He also took the time to show me how to give a chicken a bath!  I never would have thought to give a chicken a bath, but he informed me that if we didn't, our birds would certainly lose to one who did, even if ours were superior birds!  Who'd have thunk it???  Anyway, I took him to lunch and we lingered a long while, he telling me chicken secrets, me taking notes in a notebook.  It was a wonderful day.  When I got in the pickup to leave, he asked me to hang on a minute, and disappeared into his well appointed chicken shed and brought out a battered old 3 ring binder, and handed it to me to give to my kids.  It was hand written notes he'd jotted down over the years.  I cried halfway home!  He is a very nice man, and I'm sure we will take him to many lunches as we are that way often.

When I got home, I replaced the roosts in the d' Uccles pen with 2X4 roosts, and started another cattle panel pen for the porcelains.  We will go work some more on it this evening after homework is finished and checked.  I haven't told the kids yet...they wouldn't be able do concentrate!

I'm sure I will be asking bunches of questions when it comes time to plug the incubator in...I think you can put something like 200 eggs in it.  A cabinet type with a glass door and several trays w/ and automatic turner.  I'm excited!  I think I may have chicken fever worse than the kids, tho I have not selected my special breed...I like them all!  Brie

That is a great story! You are so blessed to have such help and mentors. I'd have cried over the notebook too!

 

[loanwizard]

I have had a rough week. I had to let an employee of 3 years go yesterday, of which I only have 4, which are all like family.

But... I am glad to come here, a home away from home, and relax with old friends.... operative word being old

I incubate most of mine and can honestly say that my old styrofoam incubators don't keep my chicks wet and bedraggled looking. After about an hour or so, they are fluffballs. That said, I also have humidity issues so that may be a reason why. I don't have issues with them in the brooder like that either. Rarely do I have them piled under the red heat lamp.

I had my very first broodies.... no longer a broody virgin, about 2 weeks ago and 1 week ago respectively. The first broody hatched 3 out of about 9 eggs. She has 2 left. The other hatched 1 of 7 and has zero left. I may try a broody again in the future and even have a broody box and pen ready. These were in general population.

Any advise in step by step to improve hatch rates of broodies and the safety of their offspring?

Incidentally, this guy, who normally is the cold hearted one that is left to do the killing when warranted, watched the dog bring up 2 baby bunnies up the driveway, and found another in amongst the chickens, is now feeding baby bunnies with a syringe and changing the hot water in a ziplock. Found them yesterday morning, and they still seem pretty strong this morning. I know it is a low percentage proposition raising baby bunnies, but anybody have any experience and tips for that?

From my understanding, mama bunny only feeds 1 time per day and has a lot of collostrum in her milk. I don't have that luxury so I am attempting to feed 3 times a day, 2% milk with water, nuked to warm temp, keeping them warm in a pet carrier in an old tshirt over the water bag.

 

[Mskayladog]

When I first got the chicks and started reading here, I cleaned all the poo off the chickens butt if they happened to have any on it...do I really have to do that..won't it fall off soon or later if it's just a bit off poo. They are pullets now not chicks.

 

[fowlman01]

I just wanted to thank all the OTC's for your honest, straightforward advice. You guys also gave me the courage to try new things with my minor carpenter skills. I made a pop door the other day with spare lumber & somehow it actually works !!


The handle was from the pop door on the doll house coop. I lost the screw that attached the handle & had a zip toe instead to hold it together. That didnt work either so string it is for now.

Girls tried the door out right away & I feel better with just a small door for them for entry into secure run when I am not home.

Keep the wisdom coming........I have learned a lot but have so much MORE to learn

String was one of the first tools.

Walt

 

[fowlman01]

Ihttp://www.backyardchickens.com/t/605260/chickens-for-10-20-years-or-more-pull-up-a-rockin-chair-and-lay-some-wisdom-on-us/6790#post_9633848

Walt

 

[deek]

I was on The Chicken Whisperer on Tuesday....about 30 minutes into the broadcast. Words of Wisdom from Walt.....lol

http://blogtalk.vo.llnwd.net/o23/show/3/712/show_3712129.mp3

Walt

Couldn't get the link to work. I would have liked to have seen it.
Dee

 

[normanack]

Incidentally, this guy, who normally is the cold hearted one that is left to do the killing when warranted, watched the dog bring up 2 baby bunnies up the driveway, and found another in amongst the chickens, is now feeding baby bunnies with a syringe and changing the hot water in a ziplock. Found them yesterday morning, and they still seem pretty strong this morning. I know it is a low percentage proposition raising baby bunnies, but anybody have any experience and tips for that?

I'm not a rabbit expert, but my old dog used to bring us baby bunnies in his mouth, gentle as could be. We took them to a wildlife rehabilitator who did a lot of rabbits.

She recommended looking for the nest and putting the baby back in it. Apparently the mama will park her babies almost any old place, where they just sit quietly waiting for her to come back. So if you come across a parked baby, her advice was to leave it be. If the dog has moved it, search for the nest first. Much easier to search for a nest than to raise a baby bunny, or to drive it two hours to the nearest rehabilitator. I don't think I would do that again . . .

 

[Beekissed]

When I first got the chicks and started reading here, I cleaned all the poo off the chickens butt if they happened to have any on it...do I really have to do that..won't it fall off soon or later if it's just a bit off poo. They are pullets now not chicks.

I don't know that I've ever cleaned the poo off a chicken's butt. Totally not necessary and there shouldn't be much, if any, poo clinging to their butts in the first place.....that's why they groom. Provide plenty of dusting areas, enough room on the roosts for their nightly grooming rituals and leave em' be. If they persist in having a lot of fecal debris around their bottoms, something is wrong with their bowel health or their diet is irregular.

 

[fowlman01]

Couldn't get the link to work. I would have liked to have seen it.
Dee

It is sound only. It is a radio program and I noticed that it is 30 minutes into it, not 5 miin.

w.