Colorado

[dennarahl]

That's great! It's so nice when they can let themselves in and out. Then you can just relax and watch them.
I've got a question for everyone. This morning our youngest pullet, maybe 13-14 weeks old, was singing a LOUD egg song! We searched all over for an egg and found nothing, but just in case we uncovered the nest boxes and filled them with duff. Does the song mean eggs? She has gotten pretty big lately, but not 'wide' in the hips like the older girls. Her face and comb are still yellow too. I expected it to be one of the other girls singing when we heard it but it was definitely her, just strutting around singing her little heart out. The others were standing around petrified because they had never heard it before
No other egg-type behaviors except this song, except pink faces on most of the girls and the light brahma doing a pseudo-squat the other day. We're out of eggs so maybe she is just waiting for us to go buy some...

My big rooster sings an egg song when I scare him.

I'd definitely guess that she's just talking for the sake of it. None of my girls laid until their comb got really red. With all of them it happened really quick over a couple of days.

 

[coloradogal]

Sorry Wendell.

On another topic... anyone use Sweet PDZ? Curious as to thoughts on why or why not?

Going to go buy a bag of DE tomorrow after work.


Mo

It really depends on what you are using it for. They both have different things they are good at. The DE can irritate the lungs of the hens if used in too great amounts as can be very, very dusty. The sweet pdz is also powdery but find that I don't use as much as that to keep the odors locked in. I prefer sprinkling DE on the food and the pdz in the coop.

 

[coloradogal]

My big rooster sings an egg song when I scare him.
I'd definitely guess that she's just talking for the sake of it. None of my girls laid until their comb got really red. With all of them it happened really quick over a couple of days.

The combs are a huge indicator for the pullets to lay for most breeds. Once they get very red, it's only a matter of time and speaking of time...one of my easter egger gave me a green eggs today and my marans gave me another too. So that's 3 of my 6 that were born in February.

 

[coloradogal]

Well the squatty pullet didn't make it. Mayah was going to take her, but while she was here, the pullet started drooling and acting very lethargic. We separated her from the rest, and by time we got back out to cull her she had died. Her spine was not growing, and her insides were. Didn't work out for her.

She was such a sweet little thing...but glad she's no longer suffering.

 

[gardendufus]

I've got a question for everyone. This morning our youngest pullet, maybe 13-14 weeks old, was singing a LOUD egg song! We searched all over for an egg and found nothing, but just in case we uncovered the nest boxes and filled them with duff. Does the song mean eggs? She has gotten pretty big lately, but not 'wide' in the hips like the older girls. Her face and comb are still yellow too. I expected it to be one of the other girls singing when we heard it but it was definitely her, just strutting around singing her little heart out. The others were standing around petrified because they had never heard it before

.

Well, if you hadn't posted that link, I'd have suggested that what you heard is what I call scolding. At about that age (mine are now 19 weeks), my Barred Rocks started getting much more vocal in general, but it sounds more like they are scolding something. In fact, today was the first time I heard any (it was my Barred Rock) of my birds doing the actual bak-bak-bagawk sound. And it only lasted about 3 minutes, then back to the scolding. Actually my Black Astralorp is the one with the reddest comb/wattles, but she just started squatting today. My Barred Rocks do not have nearly the comb/wattles she has, nor are they as vividly red (may just be a breed thing). They have been squatting for more than a week or two, and I'm sure it is Crooner who has actually been working on the nest. I'm expecting her to lay first, but who knows.

ETA: When Meanie (my other Barred Rock) started doing her Bagawk thing, They were all standing in one corner of the run, and it was OBVIOUS that all the birds had their eye on something outside the coop. They were all standing at attention, with their necks stretched out, eyes pointed kinda up and out of the coop. I thought then they were watching maybe a squirrel or some kind of bird in the tree that they had alerted on.

 

[gardendufus]

Well the squatty pullet didn't make it.

Never pleasant when an animal doesn't make it. But, better now than after you either sell or give her to someone else.

 

[Mommato5]

Proud "parental" moment... my five 2 week old (well two weeks and 2 days, but who's counting?) chicks finally went up the ramp and put themselves in the coop tonight. A little coaxing from my DW to get on the ramp and an hour of up and down up and down. Finally five in the hole ... no more nightly chicken wrangling for me.   SWEET!

mo

We just put our babies in the coop last Tuesday. The first night I had to wrangle them but since they do it all on their own! In and out, in and out all day long! As long as it's not too hot in the coop they'll hang out in there. Once they hear me coming they all run out to greet me! Hilarious! Our ramp is not very tall/long though so maybe it's easier to learn. I did get some PDZ for the chicks but ended up replacing it with sand. it was SO dusty I couldn't stand it! I saved it, though. I'm thinking on poop boards maybe it would work but not so great for the main part of the coop. I've also used DE. I didn't notice any change in anything so I haven't used it in months! I bought a HUGE (50lb bag) thinking I would use it. LOL From what I understand, DE is already added to the chicken food we buy.

So, my chicks will be 3 weeks on Wednesday. We have a runt (named Baby) and an early bloomer (named Blossom). The runt looks only slightly larger than when we got her at 3 days old. She also doesn't seem to be growing feathers like the others. She's still a fluff ball with only a couple wing feathers and those feathers look short like she has clipped wings! She is feisty, though! Holds her own, eats and drinks well. I read that chicks that get feathers later are often Roos so now I'm worried, but since she's also still tiny I figure that excludes her. Blossom is the first to get feathers on her sides! She taller and stockier than all the others. Ifshe weren't a sex link I would swear she was a boy! LOL

 

[coloradogal]

We just put our babies in the coop last Tuesday. The first night I had to wrangle them but since they do it all on their own! In and out, in and out all day long! As long as it's not too hot in the coop they'll hang out in there. Once they hear me coming they all run out to greet me! Hilarious! Our ramp is not very tall/long though so maybe it's easier to learn. I did get some PDZ for the chicks but ended up replacing it with sand. it was SO dusty I couldn't stand it! I saved it, though. I'm thinking on poop boards maybe it would work but not so great for the main part of the coop. I've also used DE. I didn't notice any change in anything so I haven't used it in months! I bought a HUGE (50lb bag) thinking I would use it. LOL From what I understand, DE is already added to the chicken food we buy.
So, my chicks will be 3 weeks on Wednesday. We have a runt (named Baby) and an early bloomer (named Blossom). The runt looks only slightly larger than when we got her at 3 days old. She also doesn't seem to be growing feathers like the others. She's still a fluff ball with only a couple wing feathers and those feathers look short like she has clipped wings! She is feisty, though! Holds her own, eats and drinks well. I read that chicks that get feathers later are often Roos so now I'm worried, but since she's also still tiny I figure that excludes her. Blossom is the first to get feathers on her sides! She taller and stockier than all the others. Ifshe weren't a sex link I would swear she was a boy! LOL

I didn't know they added DE to the food... awesome if its true. I just do a quick dusting with it. I mix the pdz with the sand for the chicken litter under the coop. I haven't noticed that it's dustier but then again, I'm coming from deep litter method with generous amounts of DE. It was dusty for me. Part of why I'm doing a Oxine treatment for the next week in the coop with the humidifier is to try to clear up any latent breathing issues with the flock because of the dustiness.

I am much, much happier with the chicken litter under the roosts. What type of sand did you use? I used children's sand but they had a little bigger grit sand that I was contemplating on buying.

 

[Mommato5]

I didn't know they added DE to the food...   awesome if its true.  I just do a quick dusting with it.   I mix the pdz with the sand for the chicken litter under the coop.  I haven't noticed that it's dustier but then again, I'm coming from deep litter method with generous amounts of DE.  It was dusty for me.  Part of why I'm doing a Oxine treatment for the next week in the coop with the humidifier is to try to clear up any latent breathing issues with the flock because of the dustiness. 

I am much, much happier with the chicken litter under the roosts.  What type of sand did you use?  I used children's sand but they had a little bigger grit sand that I was contemplating on buying.

I use all purpose sand. Love it!

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Uggg. All my hatching eggs are rotten.