Consolidated Kansas

[sharol]

The "too tall for them to fly out" may be a little optimistic when they get to 4 weeks or so. those little suckers can get real AIR. I kept my young chicks (3-4 weeks to 3 months) in a hoop coop with a 2'+ roost, and they got up to it with absolutely no problem and air to spare.

Edited to add picture proof -- these chicks are 3 weeks old. The top of the roost is about 27 inches. The white chick is an EE who turned out pure white (Lily) and the darker one is a GLW (Vic) who died last fall for no apparent reason.

After spending a week looking for a used pack and play at various thrift stores, my new neighbors gave me theirs that they came across while they were moving. I moved my eight silkie babies in there Saturday. I think they are loving it. They can now see out the sides, they have more room, and the sides are too tall for them to fly out. Now I need to find another one for the other bantams I am growing out.

 

[chicken danz]

Ducks pretty much breed year round. Did Lucy act like that before goose breeding season? If she didn't I think it will probably stop. If she did I think it will continue. My geese are crazy right now. I love hatching the babies but will be glad when they return to normal.

 

[HEChicken]

The "too tall for them to fly out" may be a little optimistic when they get to 4 weeks or so. those little suckers can get real AIR. I kept my young chicks (3-4 weeks to 3 months) in a hoop coop with a 2'+ roost, and they got up to it with absolutely no problem and air to spare.

Sharol, cubbysan's birds are silkies so they won't be flying any time. They are seriously ground-dwelling birds!

 

[lizzyGSR]

Ducks pretty much breed year round. Did Lucy act like that before goose breeding season? If she didn't I think it will probably stop. If she did I think it will continue. My geese are crazy right now. I love hatching the babies but will be glad when they return to normal.

I had not noticed Lucy picking on the drake prior to this spring when my ducks started laying (all ducks are over a year old, except my drake who is one this year). She is the "top dog" in the flock, so she is always a little meaner to the other birds, but my drake definitely gets the majority of it. He is starting to look pretty pathetic nowadays with so many feathers missing. I worry about him, but except for the missing feathers, he acts fine.

 

[cherwill]

She didn't make it

she died a few minutes ago
I'm so sorry.

Edith:


Sybil:


That's a lot of cuteness, especially these two!

I still haven't found the plug for my stock tank. I'm hoping my DH can go out this morning and look for it. With this cold weather coming, I'd really like to be able to fill the stock tank, rather than a protein tub so I don't have to worry about filling it again 'till after the weather warms back up again.

LOL! My chickens are thieves, but they prefer shiny stuff.

This morning, I went out and discovered 11 ducks eggs from my 8 ducks. They were all where they usually lay their eggs in the duck house, so I'm not sure how I managed to miss them yesterday, but now I don't know what to do with the 11 eggs. It was up to 70 degrees here yesterday. My DH refuses to let me hatch any eggs, so these will either be cooked and fed back to the birds or they will be sold. Do you think they're still okay for human consumption?

I have nothing to add to what everyone has already said as far as safety goes. One of the reasons (besides arbitrary regulation) grocery stores refrigerate the eggs is because they want them to last weeks, if not months. By the time the egg even gets to the store, it's not particularly fresh. Certainly compared to what we're all used to!

Ruby:




It was hard to get her picture; she was really on the move foraging.

 

[cubbysan]

Sharol, cubbysan's birds are silkies so they won't be flying any time. They are seriously ground-dwelling birds!

I am growing out two batches of babies.

I have 8 silkies about 8 weeks old. Two were able to fly out of the tub when jumping on their water container. They should be fine in the pack and play.

I also have 5 mixed 4 week old bantams. One is a frizzle, so it is not going anywhere, but the others can fly out now. I will either be moving them into a exer pen with a cover or find another pack and play and cover that with a screen cover.

With the silkies, I cannot believe how calm they are. We bring them into our livingroom and put them on the couch on a towel and they stay there!!!! Or on your lap or chest. My golden retriever was sitting right next to me, and one of them was burying its head in my dog's tail. I am in love!!!

My ten year old daughter keeps asking when we are going to build her a breeding pen, there goes the chicken math again!

 

[sharol]

True that. Silkies are a whole different breed, aren't they.

Sharol, cubbysan's birds are silkies so they won't be flying any time. They are seriously ground-dwelling birds!

 

[HEChicken]

Cherwill, I apologize if I am remembering incorrectly - were you wanting a breed identification on Ruby? If so, that is undoubtedly a Speckled Sussex hen.

Cubbysan, my apologies to you too - I did not understand they are not all silkies.

I just took my fourth and last poult down to give it to Mama Aloha. When I gave her the first two turkeys yesterday, she looked horrified and afraid of them, but she's used to the routine now and just looked at me with a look that sighed, "Another one? Okay, shove it under - I think there's still room". While I was getting the newest baby settled under her, one of the others walked out, perfectly coordinated - yay! Chicks seem to get up and walking so fast but the turkeys take a little longer and even 24 hours after hatch were still staggering like drunken sailors. But the poult I just saw was walking great.

 

[HEChicken]

I took some pics of the Aloha hen meeting her newest "chick":

 

[cubbysan]

I took some pics of the Aloha hen meeting her newest "chick":

So cute!!!