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

[christyg]

Good!    Would hate to think I had scared anyone off.......   


Nahhhh!  Just kiddin'!  I don't mind scaring folks off. 

 

I ain't. Scared. Ok, a teeny bit.
Ha ha.
I don't ask any Q because everyone will say, hey dumbo we covered that 6 different times, just read those 1100+ pages.

Lord do I read and fast too. Still working on it.

 

[Beekissed]

I ain't. Scared. Ok, a teeny bit.

Ha ha.
I don't ask any Q because everyone will say, hey dumbo we covered that 6 different times, just read those 1100+ pages.
Lord do I read and fast too. Still working on it.

Thanks for reading along, Christy! I'm so glad you have found things of use in these threads and don't be a bit scared to ask questions. We only recommend folks to go back and read if they start complaining because we haven't answered their questions promptly enough...then I get a mite testy and tell them to occupy their time of waiting for a response by reading the thread.

That's not meant for everyone...just the folks who complain.

 

[Ridgerunner]

heres a newbie question for the OT's, i run 2 flocks separately ,LS & BA's.
whenever a hen/pullet lays an egg ,does the egg song -why do the roosters ,particularly the LS start up copying as if they were the one that laid the egg?

 

I'll give my take on it. Not all of the hens do it for sure but it seems the same ones normally do. And, yes, I've seen the rooster or another hen take it up.

What I've heard is that it it a call to find the flock. The flock has moved while they are on the nest and they want to know where the flock is. I have no idea how true that is.

What I have observed with mine is that when the hen gives that call, the rooster usually comes running. He usually mates with the hen that laid the egg and is giving the call. Then they join the rest of the flock. Maybe there is an element in it that tells the rooster which hen is laying and needs to be fertilized?

I can start rumors too. I kind of suspect there is more than one reason.

 

[smyers32]

I don't know the reasons for it, but of my 3 hens laying, the 2 buffs are silent on the nest and the blue hen VERY LOUDLY announces when she OR any other hen is laying and she always gets the rooster bawking and pacing the coop as well. Although he didn't join in until he starting mating. And the noisy blue hen is his favorite, I see him mount her more than anyone and they roost together.

On the topic of barebacked hens and Bee's poor luck with BOs. I'm not discounting her opinion in anyway and haven't had my chickens long enough to probably even make a statement on the topic....but my hens don't have any feather loss from breeding, I've never seen one just squat for the roo either. He has to grab their hackles and jump on, they squawk when he nabs them but once he's on they don't fight and he's done so quick that I'm surprised I'm even getting fertilized eggs! (they are all fertile though). It's all very quick and business-like. The hens just shake it off and go about their foraging. Different strains of blonde hussies I guess! Mine are much closer to the hatchery type than to Dragonlady's buxom gals. Maybe I can nab some from her next year...

 

[jockeyeba]

Seems weird to have no newbies asking questions on this thread.  Did I scare them off or did we just work our way through the whole newbie population and our job is done? 

 

Bee I've got a question: I have 3 -7 week old chicks & the Bantam died yesterday, I think she got too cold. The AG cross isn't acting real spry today, I just picked it up & it has a hard lump on the front of its neck right below its head, that seems to high to be the crop?, I guess it will probably be dead by tomorrow The 3rd one is a Speckled Sussex & seems OK so far

 

[Mountain Momma]

lol
I call it a song now that I have been coming on here. I also think of it as a celebration or a hens bragging rights. All my hens make the announcement after laying. The cockerel sometimes joins in, but not always. He is pretty young and his mind is on breeding and food.


I have hen or cockerel question about this chick

One of my Cornish x crosses. This chick is about 12 weeks old.

About half of my chickens do it and the top roo joins in. I thought they just wanted me to know that she is laying and wont need to be culled. lol.

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

I just re-read the whole section of the thread (10-15 pages back or so) about treating those little red mites on the broody silkie. I spotted a tiny white creepy crawly on my broody and have a few questions...

What, exactly, am I looking for when I'm trying to spot "mites or lice"?
Where, exactly, do I look?
Is there a different treatment plan depending on the specific type of bug?


I've been periodically checking my birds' vent areas since getting them, and have never once found anything that seemed to be abnormal. Just chicken skin and feathers. I plan to dust them all with wood ashes - cant hurt, right? - this weekend. I have some NuStock, and can get some Neem oil to spray on roosts, etc now and 7 days from now. Missing anything?

I have the creepy crawlies just thinking about bugs...

Thanks!!

 

[galanie]

I'll give my take on it. Not all of the hens do it for sure but it seems the same ones normally do. And, yes, I've seen the rooster or another hen take it up.
What I've heard is that it it a call to find the flock. The flock has moved while they are on the nest and they want to know where the flock is. I have no idea how true that is.
What I have observed with mine is that when the hen gives that call, the rooster usually comes running. He usually mates with the hen that laid the egg and is giving the call. Then they join the rest of the flock. Maybe there is an element in it that tells the rooster which hen is laying and needs to be fertilized?
I can start rumors too. I kind of suspect there is more than one reason.

On this one, I'm going to 100% disagree. I've heard the scared sounding call of "I've lost the flock" and it's nothing like the "egg song." As Fred said, the egg song sounds identical to "predator warning." "I've lost the flock" is clearly distress. It just sounds.. sad and alone. I can't describe it any other way. It's not loud and sure like the egg song is. Doesn't matter the hen, it sounds the same. I've gone out and brought the girl emitting such a call to the rest of the flock and I know for SURE that's what I heard.
Yesterday I heard it from a pullet I've never heard such a thing from. But still knew exactly what she was saying.

 

[armorfirelady]

heres a newbie question for the OT's, i run 2 flocks separately ,LS & BA's.
whenever a hen/pullet lays an egg ,does the egg song -why do the roosters ,particularly the LS start up copying as if they were the one that laid the egg?

I am a newbie but maybe its them just yelling like humans do with labor pains?

 

[galanie]

I am a newbie but maybe its them just yelling like humans do with labor pains?  

LOL!! I have thought for a long time that this is the reason it sounds just like "predator call." Because "Dang that hurt!"