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

[rowerjen]

Thanks Bee ! What I'm very proud of is that these girls are not dumb blondes. Since I hatched them, I had to play Ma Hen and teach them about Hawks and eagles. I'd give the warning cry, and run into the coop. I've just taught the latest batch who are outside tone out of the 12 was retarded, and went to a nice safe home. Investigating little chicken minds is fun. Get into Mother's daylilies, and it WILL rain. It takes about twice, and they learn. They have 3 minutes after I say, "get in house !", or it will rain too. Very obedient kids!

Aha! Now I know how to protect my hostas!

 

[galanie]

This "oops" rooster I have now has me vexed, though. I can't figure out what he's doing exactly, but he'll give a low call that has them ALL running like mad for cover. Not often, but I've seen it and I haven't heard it enough to know just what the heck he's saying! I know the "predator" call that sounds close to "I laid an egg" but he's doing something different. And it sends all them scurrying. RIGHT NOW thankyouverymuch with no questions. Even the hens that ignore him. And since they're 2 to 3 years older than him, there's more that ignore him than he'd like. And every time, he's absolutely on it. There is for sure a threat, he doesn't cry wolf.

 

[Bobby Basham]

Lou Rawls and Barry White??? Come to my house in Tucson and you'll find about 3,000 LP's, 45's, 78's, 8-tracks, cassettes, reel-to-reels, covering the whole gammet from Bach to Motown and Barry White. Please, I'm not spam and a country boy back in the 50's and 60's from western Pennsylvania, and will disclose that later. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

 

[bobbi-j]

Back from dumpster diving for pumpkins! LOL! I got some for the chickens after I spotted
'em on my walk; it was past dark so I came back for the stroller as it was a big one that
I spotted & I did not want to lug it home. Grabbed a bag and snagged two of 'em so the chickens will be happy with that and the rest of grand daughters left over ppj sand.

I've been trying to figure out what is a roo and what is a hen of my Mornas X they all fight like roos, with hackels up one had a comb and is definately a roo and one other tail feathers look like a roo only need one hoping the other two are hens.

What breed dual purpose for meat & eggs [not banty] goes broody the most do you think?

[Please forgive my typos.]

I just offered to take my niece-in-law's pumpkins off her hands when she's tired of them decorating her front porch. She was worried about how long they could sit before they "went bad". I assured her that mushy ones are just fine. Around here, we usually don't get enough of a thaw in Jan. or Feb. to feed them. They're frozen solid!

 

[thedragonlady]

This "oops" rooster I have now has me vexed, though. I can't figure out what he's doing exactly, but he'll give a low call that has them ALL running like mad for cover. Not often, but I've seen it and I haven't heard it enough to know just what the heck he's saying! I know the "predator" call that sounds close to "I laid an egg" but he's doing something different. And it sends all them scurrying. RIGHT NOW thankyouverymuch with no questions. Even the hens that ignore him. And since they're 2 to 3 years older than him, there's more that ignore him than he'd like. And every time, he's absolutely on it. There is for sure a threat, he doesn't cry wolf.

You have some unbleliever retards, Sarah. Hang out in the yard with a hose on JET. If he gives that call, make it rain HARD on the tardy ones. Some are slow to learn consequences. If they're lucky; they live, otherwise they are eventually hawk fodder.

 

[Beekissed]

I got to looking at the thread and I think this is the slowest it's been for a long while. I think we've either run out of newbies or they've run out of questions.

 

[normanack]

I got to looking at the thread and I think this is the slowest it's been for a long while.  I think we've either run out of newbies or they've run out of questions. 

 

I'll hit you all up with some coop pictures tomorrow. Need suggestions for moving the furniture around for maximum chicken comfort.

 

[Mountain Momma]

This "oops" rooster I have now has me vexed, though. I can't figure out what he's doing exactly, but he'll give a low call that has them ALL running like mad for cover. Not often, but I've seen it and I haven't heard it enough to know just what the heck he's saying! I know the "predator" call that sounds close to "I laid an egg" but he's doing something different. And it sends all them scurrying. RIGHT NOW thankyouverymuch with no questions. Even the hens that ignore him. And since they're 2 to 3 years older than him, there's more that ignore him than he'd like. And every time, he's absolutely on it. There is for sure a threat, he doesn't cry wolf.

Mine have done that a few times too. All the hens and even the turkey race to the coop and the boys are ubba alert and pace by the exterior door. Might be a fire drill because ive never noticed a predator when they do this.
Today the roos were stalking a mouse in the coop. I thought it was strange they were both inside cause they always are the last to go in. I was turning the litter and bam I saw a mouse quick as lightening burrow into the coop ground cover. I tried to stab it with the pitch fork but all my skills have sung their final song and now I am just a clumsy echo of my former self. The chickens were hovering next to the wall in a thin file line to get past the crazy lady with all the feed.lol.
Its 43 degrees outside. I think the chickens are eating more food than they used to, or else they used to get more bugs than they are now but it seems like they are hungry in the evening so I have been giving them cracked corn.
L

 

[Beekissed]

That should be fun! I just got done doing that for the last time this winter....third time's the charm.

I'm very pleased now with the level of ventilation, snugness, light and floor space. The chickens seem to like it also.

 

[galanie]

You have some unbleliever retards, Sarah. Hang out in the yard with a hose on JET. If he gives that call, make it rain HARD on the tardy ones. Some are slow to learn consequences. If they're lucky; they live, otherwise they are eventually hawk fodder.

No, I think I must have said that wrong. When that roo does whatever he does, there are no unbelievers. None. They ALL take cover NOW NOW NOW. All o them. Even the ones that otherwise ignore him. I just haven't heard that low call enough to know what he's doing . I know a predator call but obviously that's not the one he's doing. It's almost inaudible. But trust me, they ALL, with no exceptions, RUN for cover when he does that. None of my former roos did the same thing and got the same results. None.