samsr, how much bigger? Sounds like this one is going a great job so far!
Colorado
- Thread starter tsgreer
- Start date
Last weekend I hatched some of Mayah's eggs, the ones that are black are available if anyone is interested (I think there were 4? I am in a hotel and am having a senior moment), I decided to keep the lighter colored ones and grow them out a bit to see what they look like, but kept the first black one I hatched and it's a nice chick, pea comb, feathered legs so probably at least part Marans.
This coming weekend I am hatching more of the mixes from the production flock out on the Mesa (Eastern Pueblo County) - last time they were a nice mix of red, blond, and black chicks, and the first person who came to look at them bought all of them so I don't have any a few weeks old to tell you how they feather out LOL - his flock is production Reds, Barred Rocks, and Leghorns, and possibly one or two other breeds, the eggs are mainly shades of brown ranging from medium to very dark. Very robust chicks, I must say.
Having added the new male RIR to my flock last Saturday, I will start checking for fertility when I get home tomorrow, and if he is doing his job I'll start setting those this weekend, he will cover 2 RIR, 2 hatchery Speckled Sussex, and a SLW.
The chicks that hatched weekend before last will stay awhile, they were shipped eggs and I intend to keep most of the Silkies and probably most of the Ameraucanas and EEs at least for the time being. The Ams are Lavender over Black, and all the EEs hatched out black as well, and now I'm kicking myself for not marking them, and for not separating those eggs so when they hatched I would know which were which to mark in the first place. Live and learn.
I am so adoring chicks, and so sad to be away for a couple of nights. Can't wait to get home tomorrow night!
I need more coops LOL.
This coming weekend I am hatching more of the mixes from the production flock out on the Mesa (Eastern Pueblo County) - last time they were a nice mix of red, blond, and black chicks, and the first person who came to look at them bought all of them so I don't have any a few weeks old to tell you how they feather out LOL - his flock is production Reds, Barred Rocks, and Leghorns, and possibly one or two other breeds, the eggs are mainly shades of brown ranging from medium to very dark. Very robust chicks, I must say.
Having added the new male RIR to my flock last Saturday, I will start checking for fertility when I get home tomorrow, and if he is doing his job I'll start setting those this weekend, he will cover 2 RIR, 2 hatchery Speckled Sussex, and a SLW.
The chicks that hatched weekend before last will stay awhile, they were shipped eggs and I intend to keep most of the Silkies and probably most of the Ameraucanas and EEs at least for the time being. The Ams are Lavender over Black, and all the EEs hatched out black as well, and now I'm kicking myself for not marking them, and for not separating those eggs so when they hatched I would know which were which to mark in the first place. Live and learn.
I am so adoring chicks, and so sad to be away for a couple of nights. Can't wait to get home tomorrow night!
I need more coops LOL.
Has anyone heard of Summer Rose Farms in Strasburg? Are they still selling hatching eggs? I could call but figured I'd ask here first. I'm dieing for EE, Ameracauna or Olive Eggers to hatch. I emailed them twice and haven't heard anything. Mostly wondering if anyone had had experience and if they're still selling. Thanks
I have not heard of them, sorry. I PMd our fellow Colorado forum member who mentioned having OE eggs earlier, Euarto Gullible (sp?) maybe try there? I know Mayah (coloradogal) has hatching eggs - all mixes, but always a few Olive eggs in there, as well as some lovely dark browns and blues. Her flock is nicely mixed, Marans, Colloncas, Silkies, EEs, Cochins, Dom, etc. I had one hatch of her eggs that were mainly black, but this last hatch was a few black and some yellows and blues that are pretty neat looking, should be fun to see what they grow up to be
I love hatching purebreds but also find hatching the mixes is really fun as well.
I'm in AZ today and got a call from my daughter that another hen got attacked in our backyard. She said she went out to give them some apple and there were feathers all over the yard. My husband found a similar scene last summer. We assumed it was our dogs that did it before but we've questioned that since then because the dogs don't show interest in them at all. Today she said one dog was laying inside and the other was up on the deck sunning herself when she went out there. The chicken was hiding between a pot and the fence. She has very similar injuries to our other chicken - tail missing, puncture wounds under the wings, and skin on the neck/breast missing. This time she has the skin over her crop missing. She is still eating/drinking and seems to be doing well. She's inside where it's warm and quiet. Hopefully she'll make a full recovery like our other one did. Her injuries outside of the crop seem less serious than our other one.
I think our dogs are actually saving the chickens. I think they see the ruckus and run down to see what's going on and scare the hawk off. They leave the chicken alone after that. I think if it was the dogs we'd have a dead chicken. I just can't see them "playing" with the chicken then stopping all of the sudden and walking away calmly. The only way they'd stop is if their toy stopped moving.
Yesterday and the day before my husband and I both saw shadows fly by the windows while we were inside but we run out and see nothing. We usually have a lot of crows in the area so we assumed that's all it was. Guess not!
So, the girls are locked up in their chain link area that has netting over the top. I have heard of hawks getting through the netting though and we have a few small holes. I'm hoping it's enough to discourage them though.
They won't be allowed outside anymore unless we are outside with them. I always loved hawks but now I'm starting to view them differently!
I think our dogs are actually saving the chickens. I think they see the ruckus and run down to see what's going on and scare the hawk off. They leave the chicken alone after that. I think if it was the dogs we'd have a dead chicken. I just can't see them "playing" with the chicken then stopping all of the sudden and walking away calmly. The only way they'd stop is if their toy stopped moving.
Yesterday and the day before my husband and I both saw shadows fly by the windows while we were inside but we run out and see nothing. We usually have a lot of crows in the area so we assumed that's all it was. Guess not!
So, the girls are locked up in their chain link area that has netting over the top. I have heard of hawks getting through the netting though and we have a few small holes. I'm hoping it's enough to discourage them though.
They won't be allowed outside anymore unless we are outside with them. I always loved hawks but now I'm starting to view them differently!
trsturself,
I lost 3 chickens to the big hawks while they were passing through this year. I used to love hawks too. Now, they are coyotes with wings.
A few weeks ago, I went out to my coop at first light, opened the door and a tiny hawk, I believe it was a sharp-shinned hawk, flew out of my coop right by my face. Talk about a surprise. I quickly did a head count and looked the birds over and everybody was OK. I think the hawk got stuck in there, and spent the night with the chickens. If so...I'm sure the chickens had some mighty bad dreams. I saw that hawk 2 more times the next day, in a tree and on a neighbor's fence.
A couple days later, while I was gone, my neighbor told me he saw that same tiny hawk land on my chain link fence, and watched my alpha rooster violently charge the fence and batter it and the hawk took off. That's my boy. That little hawk hasn't been around since. I'm hatching extra birds this year with the knowledge I'll lose a few more to the big hawks passing through. I live on a migratory bird path, and on some days for a couple weeks in September, you can see dozens of them in a single day. It makes for a lot of anxious sky-watching.
I lost 3 chickens to the big hawks while they were passing through this year. I used to love hawks too. Now, they are coyotes with wings.
A few weeks ago, I went out to my coop at first light, opened the door and a tiny hawk, I believe it was a sharp-shinned hawk, flew out of my coop right by my face. Talk about a surprise. I quickly did a head count and looked the birds over and everybody was OK. I think the hawk got stuck in there, and spent the night with the chickens. If so...I'm sure the chickens had some mighty bad dreams. I saw that hawk 2 more times the next day, in a tree and on a neighbor's fence.
A couple days later, while I was gone, my neighbor told me he saw that same tiny hawk land on my chain link fence, and watched my alpha rooster violently charge the fence and batter it and the hawk took off. That's my boy. That little hawk hasn't been around since. I'm hatching extra birds this year with the knowledge I'll lose a few more to the big hawks passing through. I live on a migratory bird path, and on some days for a couple weeks in September, you can see dozens of them in a single day. It makes for a lot of anxious sky-watching.
My daughter heard something one day and ran out and saw a hawk on one of our small young birds. She scared it off but it just flew into a tree right above the girls. We look multiple times a day and haven't seen hawks in awhile, but then just the other day I saw 2 circling while we were driving and near our house.
Whatever it is hopefully can't get to them in their enclosed area.
Whatever it is hopefully can't get to them in their enclosed area.
trsurself, it sounds like you have taken the appropriate steps. We lost a bird last year to a neighbor's dog, it was Bob's favorite, and since then we don't let them out unless we're there. Since Bob retired this past year they still get out every decent day, so that's nice for them, and for me!
Luckily I work from home a lot and my daughter is usually home since we home school (though she has a lot of activities and friends so she's not home as much as the chickens would like). My husband is on workmans comp right now so he might be home for awhile to let them out while I'm travelling. At least they have about 200+sqft to wander. The garden really is their favorite though even when it's empty.
I am having Ameraucana envy! If you decide you have a pullet that you happen to want to sell (I can dream right?) I would love a real Ameraucana. I was hoping to buy some lavender Ameraucana eggs this year and give them to my always broody hen but after hearing about a poor hatch rate on shipped eggs I can't justify the cost. I did break down and put a hold on some EEs from Elizabeth to fill my blue/green egg void. I wish there was a breeder in CO.
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