Colorado

[gardendufus]

Not sure where the Kiowa store gets their chicks, but she is definitely from a hatchery. My hatchery pullets are WAY more friendly than my show line pullets.

At least this year Kiowa got their chicks from Cackle. As far as I know all their chicks came from there.

 

[gardendufus]

Well I missed even the bantam doms at the fair. I did look at a few bantam barred rocks and probably assumed they were all barred rocks. I moved thru the bantams pretty quickly as I have little to no interest in them. Stopped at a few just to get an idea what a regular pullet of that breed might look like. As I moved through them though, if I stopped I talked to them as I do, usually to get their attention so that I might get a better look if they changed position. I would say things like...."aren't you tiny. You're too small to be a 'real' chicken". At one point after I said this I looked up and facing me in the other aisle was the group of judges. One of them looked at me with the biggest grin (smirk) on his face. I SWEAR he was saying visually that he agreed. LOL.

Janelle, Pozee, As you first came into the building, the very first cage had an enormous RIR (I think) Rooster. Did you hear him crow? He had a very deep, husky crow. I thought It sounded more like something that would come out of a dog than a rooster. I've never heard such a crow before. Maybe he was hoarse. Do they get hoarse?

 

[wsmith]

That reminded me of a poem that was included in Mark Fields' book, "The American Dominique"

Aunt Dina’s Dominiker
from The Fanciers’ Review - February 1900

There was Cochins, there was Dorkings, there was Brahmas dark an’ light,
There was Bantams there an’ Hamburgs, an’ of Wyandottes a sight;
There was jest all sorts of poultry, from the door back to the wall,
But Aunt Dina’s Dominicker was the chicken of ‘em all.

There was leetle tiny chickens, not no bigger ‘n a squab,
There was heavy twenty pounders-fully twenty poun’, begob-
There was leetle uns an’ big uns, there was squatty uns an’ tall-
But Aunt Dina’s Dominicker was the hefties’ of ‘em all.

There was pencilled, barred an’ laced uns, silver spangled, golden flecked,
Some with crumbled combs an’ folded, some a-standin’ up erect,
Some with whiskers down like leggins, queeres’ chickens, gaunt an’ tall,
But Aunt Dina’s Dominicker was the funnies’ of ‘em all.

There was lettle spunky Bantams, full o’ fire an’ full o’ grit,
There was Sassy Games an’ Spanish with all sorts o’ fight an’ git,
But fer shore ‘nuff “take an’ give it,” of the big ‘uns or the small,
Then Aunt Dina’s Dominiker was the games’ of ‘em all.

There was sevrul sort o’ voices, some was squaky, sharp an’ fine,
Some was shrill an’ loud an’ piercin’, some was deeper with a whine,
But in all the cockadoodlin’ up an’ down the chicken hall,
‘Twas Aunt Dina’s Dominiker what crowed loudes’ of ‘em all.

Then, when all the scorin’, markin’, an’ a-jedgin’ this an’ that
Had been finished’ an’ the prizes awareled just as pat,
When the bow o’ bright blue ribbon showed the winner in the hall.
Then Aunt Dina’s Dominiker was the proudes’ chick o’ all.

Fields , Mark A. (2012-08-16). The American Dominique: A Treatise For The Fancier (Kindle Locations 4393-4395). Mark A. Fields. Kindle Edition.

 

[Pozees]

Well I missed even the bantam doms at the fair. I did look at a few bantam barred rocks and probably assumed they were all barred rocks. I moved thru the bantams pretty quickly as I have little to no interest in them. Stopped at a few just to get an idea what a regular pullet of that breed might look like. As I moved through them though, if I stopped I talked to them as I do, usually to get their attention so that I might get a better look if they changed position. I would say things like...."aren't you tiny. You're too small to be a 'real' chicken". At one point after I said this I looked up and facing me in the other aisle was the group of judges. One of them looked at me with the biggest grin (smirk) on his face. I SWEAR he was saying visually that he agreed. LOL.

Janelle, Pozee, As you first came into the building, the very first cage had an enormous RIR (I think) Rooster. Did you hear him crow? He had a very deep, husky crow. I thought It sounded more like something that would come out of a dog than a rooster. I've never heard such a crow before. Maybe he was hoarse. Do they get hoarse?

I did hear that, first time I've ever heard that sort of crow, myself. Did you hear the little game cocks "crowing?" They sounded like toy roosters LOL.
Some of the bantams are really pretty, and I totally understand having them if the only purpose is to have a really pretty pet that doesn't need as much room or food as LF, and when I had chickens years ago I even had some, could not resist their beauty; now I'm old and practical, I guess, and can't justify (at least for now) having a chicken that lays such small eggs that it really serves no purpose except to delight my eye and soul. I know some can be good little brooders, and if I ever decide I want to hatch some eggs (meaning I would have to get a rooster or buy fertilized eggs) I might consider bantam cochins again. I have a blue LF cochin that should be near laying her first egg soon, and she is just a neat bird. She is a bit more cautious than the red hen - which I have been sure is a RIR and having seen those at the fair, now I'm not sure, she isn't nearly that dark red. Anyway, the red one is supremely confident and has even jumped up to sit on my shoulder while I'm reaching for a waterer or something, definitely doesn't mind being touched and held, while the blue isn't as sure she likes that idea, but I don't mind, she is very funny to watch and I just love her big fluffy self.

 

[gardendufus]

Nice, I love it.

 

[dennarahl]

My son had a Baseball Tourney on Sunday in Longmont. When we came home, I went out in the backyard to check on the girls...only two came running to greet me. Not a problem, if they are resting in the shade they can be a little bit lazy to come when I call them. So I went and checked under the coop...nobody. So I checked on both sides of the house....empty.

By now I'm a bit concerned...because I don't have a big backyard...there are not lots of places for them to hide.

I start heading into the house so that I can go out the front door and begin talking to my neighbors...maybe something happened during the day while we were at the ball fields. Just as I'm heading up the stairs into the house, I happen to take one more look into the backyard. I see a little head looking at me from behind the power box by the garden. As soon as the head sees me looking, it ducks back behind the power box.

I walk over to the power box and look behind it...there are the remainder of my flock, all nestled together...hiding.

Those little Terd-Balls.

Terd-Balls....

 

[jardog1820]

Posted this on Injuries and Cures but also wanted to share with my Colorado peeps for their veiw and sudgestions.

One of my Austra Whites is/was quite an escape artist. Long story short she got out and was attacked by a dog. It looks like she took most of the attack on her lower back area. She is currently not walking very well and is sitting 99% of the day. When she does walk she has a bad limp. She is also not very balanced and only using one wing. It's been 2 days since the attack and we have been babying her in hopes that she will turn around.

How long should we wait to cull or butcher her? She is one of my better layers so I would like to keep her if possible. But I don't want to wait too long and have her suffer of have the meat go bad.

What can I do to make her more comfortable? If healing is possible Is there anything I can do to make it easier on her?

 

[Pozees]

Posted this on Injuries and Cures but also wanted to share with my Colorado peeps for their veiw and sudgestions.

One of my Austra Whites is/was quite an escape artist. Long story short she got out and was attacked by a dog. It looks like she took most of the attack on her lower back area. She is currently not walking very well and is sitting 99% of the day. When she does walk she has a bad limp. She is also not very balanced and only using one wing. It's been 2 days since the attack and we have been babying her in hopes that she will turn around.

How long should we wait to cull or butcher her? She is one of my better layers so I would like to keep her if possible. But I don't want to wait too long and have her suffer of have the meat go bad.

What can I do to make her more comfortable? If healing is possible Is there anything I can do to make it easier on her?

I cannot offer specific instruction, but would say that in general terms, she should be given some VetRx or similar, something to support her general systems, and possibly prophylactic antibiotics due to potential infection - I assume there is broken skin, correct? I would probably do everything possible to minimize stress and let her rest, put food and water as close to her as possible so she doesn't have to use a sore body and bad leg to get to them, feed warm, moist mash a few mornings, feed some yogurt to maintain good bacteria, mealworms to stimulate appetite and increase protein. I'm sure others have much more specific advice, these are just general ideas of what might be needed to support her.

 

[wsmith]

Unless you take her to a vet and are willing to deal with that expense, you can keep the wounds clean, and use topical or injested antibiotics from the feed store. Segregate her from the rest of the flock to keep her safe from pecking. Keep an eye out for improvements or setbacks. If within a week she isn't improving, you may want to re-examine your options.

I keep telling my chickens and turkeys that life outside the fence can be a dangerous place. I don't think they are listening.....

But they are organized.......

 

[Mtn Margie]

Give her at least a week...., I have one hen that took a week to start walking again after a leg injury, then I moved her back out to the coop, but in her own penned off area until she could deal with the other chickens. She still has a pretty severe gimp in her get-a-long, but has managed to compensate and still lays eggs. .