Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

It rained all around us but we haven't gotten any. We desperately need it. The bushes are wilting since it has been so dry. It looks gloomy out but no rain. I ended up sleeping a good deal yesterday. I should be caught back up on sleep but I still feel tired. It sure doesn't take much to wear this old girl out any more.
Today I need to do some rearranging in the brooder house again and check on the beans to see if there are more ready to pick. The darned squash bugs are taking over everything again. I was reading yesterday to burn the vines at the end of the season or you will be plagued the next year with them. I just figured they flew in from somewhere. They did the first year so I can't see that would make a huge difference. I think they've laid eggs on about everything though. I even found eggs on the tomatillos and pepper plants. I had planned to feed the greens to the birds. Now I'm not sure what to do with them. Has anyone ever used neem oil on them? It seems other than sevin that is the thing to use.
I have a full bin of chicks and more in the incubator I need to find a place for. I've really got to stop hatching soon. I was talking to a few people and they aren't going to start their fall hatching until October. Seems kind of late.
I was also talking about the trailer I want to get converted to a chicken facility and was told that I can't use the central heat because the chick dust will cause an explosion. I wonder why my house hasn't exploded!!! Anyway that is good and bad. I intended to use it to keep the place from freezing in the winter. But removing it will give me more pen space which could be a plus. But then I need to figure out another method to keep it warm. I am putting in a auto water system that can't freeze. I do have a couple of those little oil heaters that I use in the brooder house that might work. I would have to buy at least one more for the brooder though. I think I may use the squirrel cage fan out of the heater to circulate air anyway. At least I would have something of value from it.

 

[chicken danz]

ZigZag it could have been about anything. The best thing to do is just watch the others and make sure no one is showing signs of sickness. You will probably never know. It wasn't hot so I doubt that was the issue. I've often done my own necropsies on dead birds when they die for no apparent reason looking for things like liver problems, egg problems, enlarged heart etc etc but unless you had a trained eye from at least butchering you probably wouldn't know the difference. Chances are she broke her neck. That is very easy to do especially for big bodied birds like brahmas.
Maybe you should check on Craigslist and see if you can find a replacement bird. A lot of people get into birds and then sell them come fall because they realize they don't have the facilities or want to deal with them in cold weather. Runny poo can be caused by about anything...change in diet, etc etc. It's when it becomes miscolored that you know something is wrong. If it is like pure white, bright green, bright yellow, or bloody it indicates something more serious.
Buffs should lay at about 23-26 weeks but that can change with the weather as well. The days are getting shorter so that can postpone laying.

 

[HEChicken]

Danz, I agree, starting to hatch in October does seem kind of late. I did hatch a batch in mid-October last year and they did fine and were feathered out well enough by the cold weather, but I don't want to do it that late again this year. I have already set my last eggs for the year and they are due Oct 1st. Just in time I had a hen go broody yesterday. I have my second to last batch in the hatcher right now, that should hatch later today, and I'm going to raise these myself in a brooder, for the first time since I raised turkeys in May (I've hatched continuously since then but had enough broody hens to raise them all until now). Then, the last batch can go under my latest broody hen, who will be able to keep them warm if we have some unseasonably cold weather in October, and that way I don't have to worry about when to integrate them - they'll be part of the flock from day one.

After that I'm done. My plan had been to try to do a generation of Alohas, as I thought my spring hatched Exchequers would be laying by now and I could hatch a large batch of them to raise over the winter and be ready to do the next generation by spring of next year. But they're not cooperating - not one of them is laying yet!!! So now I'm afraid they won't start laying until its too late to raise any of them this year. Darn.

I'm also still waiting on my Wheaten Ameraucanas to start laying - I want some of those pretty blue eggs! Trish44, I think you said they hatched in February? So it seems like they should be laying by now but so far they're just free-loading. Sigh.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ashncarson yesterday when she and her family came to get some NH chicks from me. We had a nice visit and I hope they had a safe trip home as it started storming not long after they left.

Speaking of storms, it rained hard last night and again this morning and I think we've had about 1.5" so far. We sure did need it, and I hope everyone else who needs it gets some as well. I've left fall planting a little late but the ground was like concrete. Now that we've had this rain, I might try digging it over and planting a little. Who knows? If the first frost is late this year, it might be worth doing. I'm getting tons of tomatoes and peppers at the moment. I had a crop of hornworms but I think I got them all - I haven't found any the last few times I've looked and haven't seen any new damage either.

 

[zigzag45]

ZigZag it could have been about anything. The best thing to do is just watch the others and make sure no one is showing signs of sickness. You will probably never know. It wasn't hot so I doubt that was the issue. I've often done my own necropsies on dead birds when they die for no apparent reason looking for things like liver problems, egg problems, enlarged heart etc etc but unless you had a trained eye from at least butchering you probably wouldn't know the difference. Chances are she broke her neck. That is very easy to do especially for big bodied birds like brahmas.
Maybe you should check on Craigslist and see if you can find a replacement bird. A lot of people get into birds and then sell them come fall because they realize they don't have the facilities or want to deal with them in cold weather. Runny poo can be caused by about anything...change in diet, etc etc. It's when it becomes miscolored that you know something is wrong. If it is like pure white, bright green, bright yellow, or bloody it indicates something more serious.
Buffs should lay at about 23-26 weeks but that can change with the weather as well. The days are getting shorter so that can postpone laying.

 

[HEChicken]

I found a Craigslist add for some Highland Browns. I did some research and can't tell what breed that really is. I need something that is hardy (since I'm new to chicken care), does well with kids, isn't too flighty, and lays like it's going out of style. Think that would be a good addition to my brahmas and buff orps?

I have never heard of that breed and I did a google search for it and it came up with nothing. My guess is that this is either someone who has mutts and is trying to give them a name to market them, or the seller just plain got the name wrong. You might ask them for pics, or more information on what breeds make up the Highland Brown, in order to decide on suitability.

 

[chicken danz]

Highland browns were an old form of sex link chickens that they no longer produce. My guess is someone bought these and have bred them which would make them virtually nothing but mutt chickens. The sex links are only sex linked for one generation. You could still have some nice layers or not depending on what traits had bred through. If they aren't dirt cheap I think I would avoid them. I also wouldn't buy anything over a year old if I were you. Preferably a pullet. You can tell a pullet from a hen by looking at their legs. If their legs are still bright yellow it is probably a pullet.
I found that add you were looking at. The picture they are showing as a highland brown is an older hen that is well ridden. A pullet wouldn't have the tops of the wings bare and the head bare from being bred already. Avoid those people. I saw this add when I was looking. These look like nice production reds or hatchery quality RIRs. There is a lighter colored one that looks like a red sex link. I would recommend it over the others. Just because they are a very easy going breed.

 

[sharol]

 

[zigzag45]

Thanks for all the responses. I really appreciate the help. I am definitely not going with those Highland Brown birds.

And yes Sharol, I would plan to add two or three birds. I guess that's how chicken math works, you loose one and add two back.

Danz - the CL link didn't post. Thanks for digging up the original link and looking at it.

 

[ChickieWickies]

Well, I had a post ready to go last night when the storm knocked out our power...ugh...I don't remember all I was going to say!

Danz, my pointer just turned one year old in August. She is still a puppy through and through, but my hubby wants to start bird training (I translate that to making her more HIS and less OURS!!!)

She really does have a lot of energy!

 

[chicken danz]

Here it is again.
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/grd/4007969026.html
Look for yellow legs and no bare spots on the back, wings and head. Listen for congestion or sneezing. Then quarantine them for 2-3 weeks.