Consolidated Kansas

[ashncarson]

She is cute Ash, my two cents , I think girl still . Our little d'uclle has a pretty big red comb for such a little bird , but she's still all girl. I think those silkies have kind of odd dark purple ish knobby combs, and then when you cross them out with another breed the comb could end up looking really different . Here's ours when she was about 8 months old .

She is super cute, is she a mille fleur? I love the coloring!

 

[TheDownyChick]

We have a ladder and two small roosts, but no one ever sleeps on them.

 

[Trish44]

My GPs got a coyote, they brought the skin up into the front yard & it had a long tail on it & they had the spine & ribs they've been chewing on. I'm glad they got it instead of it getting some of my birds. My chickens haven't even cared to come out of the run the last two days, they're not that fond of walking around on ice & snow. I fed the ones in the breeder coop this evening & they ate & went right back in, evidently they weren't too thrilled either. At least it wasn't so bad out there today to do chores, it was cold for sure but there was no wind & that made a big difference. My goats were yelling at me because they were out of hay in their feeder so they were happy to see me this afternoon. I have been going out earlier & earlier in the afternoon so it's not so darned cold & getting dark by the time I finish. I'll be glad when it doesn't get dark so darned early. I had to break ice off of my doors & fasteners on the doors to get in my pens again this afternoon, not fun.

Some of my hens were using the pile of straw bales to lay eggs at the top so I had to waste 6 eggs today, grrrr I hate wasting eggs. They were frozen solid & cracked open, so the animals got them.

 

[chicken danz]

That would be a porcelain. I am going to guess cockerel, that looks like way too much comb for the silkie half in it. I was trying to see the feathers. Can you look at the feathers right at where the tail starts and the ones right at the back of her neck. If they are rounded or squared off she would be a girl. If they are pointed He would be a boy. Just judging by overall shape I'd say boy.
Wow! It was cold out there today. Of course I had to battle frozen water hoses again. I had several yards of upholstery fabric over the runs this summer for shade. I tried to hit it to knock the snow and ice off and about broke my hand. I got DH to help and we had to use the tractor to lift it, it was so heavy with all that ice. I have it over the top of another pen but that is the only cover in there. I hate to take it off. I'm just hoping it doesn't rip and end up colapsing the netting. I have shade cloth over several other pens and they are hanging low. I am hoping it will just melt and not break anything. After the cold weather gets through here, I'll go out and take it all down. Right now I could unhook it but it wouldn't do any good cause it's too heavy to move.
I got all the gifts wrapped today so now maybe I can get to serious cleaning. I'm running out of time.

 

[HEChicken]

Trish, give your GP’s a pat from me and tell them “good job”!

Danz, it is really hard to see the hackle feathers on that bird but when you look at the sickle area, there aren’t any pointed feathers at all. To me the crest looks very girly. In crested birds, the males tend to have crests that grow every which way, making them look like a boy who just got out of bed and didn’t comb his hair. On the other hand, female cresteds have neat combs that go straight back, like they’ve just combed and set them that way. This bird has a very “girly” crest and that is the main reason I said pullet.

I just had a couple of things happen that are somewhat miraculous. As you know, I got the Exchequer Leghorns to work a project next spring. As they grew they all look identical so I never knew one from the other. About 2 months ago, one of them managed to fly over the 5’ fence on the hedge side of my yard. This is always a pain because I have to walk the long way around and then try to either catch them or herd them back around. But, because she is a project bird and somewhat rare and expensive, I made the trek around. I couldn’t catch her, so I started to herd her and I got her about 75% of the way around when she suddenly made a 90-degree turn and ran into the hedge. She didn’t come back out and eventually I had to give up and hope she made her own way back over the fence. Next day I saw her again and was glad she made it safely through the night but again, had to just hope she’d make it back over.

I never saw her again and figured either she made it back over or the fox got her. At that time I hadn’t sold any and still had so many I wasn’t sure how many I was supposed to have, but as I started to sell pairs and trios, it got easier to do a head count. I wound up with 6 hens – I would have preferred 7-8 but that’s just the way it turned out.

Tonight I was out doing my evening chores and saw that another had flown over the fence. Grrr. At this rate I won’t have any left by spring. She was walking back and forth on the other side of the fence like they do, and then suddenly I couldn’t see her any more so I figured she knew a way over and had already joined the flock. I did a head count; sure enough, all six were in the coop. Then I went back out and saw an Exchequer still on the other side of the fence. Yup. Miracle number one: that hen who flew the fence two months ago has survived all this time. By now she had settled down on the ground, in the snow, to spend the night, and knowing we’ve had a fox around it didn’t seem like she could continue to survive for much longer if that is where she’s sleeping at night.

It felt futile, but I decided to get my net and see if I could get her right over the fence. Since it is 5’ high and I’m not much taller, it was a stretch to get the net over the fence and of course as soon as she saw me she got nervous and walked away, but she stayed close to the fence so I followed her down the fence line with the net behind her. Finally she stopped and looked at me, and I lunged with the net, which of course made her run – back in the direction we’d just come. Somehow I was able to react quickly enough to get the net turned around and as she ran past me, she ran right into the net! Miracle number two! As I quickly pulled the net over the fence, afraid she’d jump right out before I had her secured, I kept saying aloud “I can’t believe that worked”.

So I am back up to 7 of the Exchequers and I couldn’t be more thrilled about that. I released her back into the coop and I’m sure she will be glad of a food source that is more constant than whatever she’s been surviving on for the past couple of months.

 

[Trish44]

Danz, it is really hard to see the hackle feathers on that bird but when you look at the sickle area, there aren’t any pointed feathers at all. To me the crest looks very girly. In crested birds, the males tend to have crests that grow every which way, making them look like a boy who just got out of bed and didn’t comb his hair. On the other hand, female cresteds have neat combs that go straight back, like they’ve just combed and set them that way. This bird has a very “girly” crest and that is the main reason I said pullet.

I just had a couple of things happen that are somewhat miraculous. As you know, I got the Exchequer Leghorns to work a project next spring. As they grew they all look identical so I never knew one from the other. About 2 months ago, one of them managed to fly over the 5’ fence on the hedge side of my yard. This is always a pain because I have to walk the long way around and then try to either catch them or herd them back around. But, because she is a project bird and somewhat rare and expensive, I made the trek around. I couldn’t catch her, so I started to herd her and I got her about 75% of the way around when she suddenly made a 90-degree turn and ran into the hedge. She didn’t come back out and eventually I had to give up and hope she made her own way back over the fence. Next day I saw her again and was glad she made it safely through the night but again, had to just hope she’d make it back over.

I never saw her again and figured either she made it back over or the fox got her. At that time I hadn’t sold any and still had so many I wasn’t sure how many I was supposed to have, but as I started to sell pairs and trios, it got easier to do a head count. I wound up with 6 hens – I would have preferred 7-8 but that’s just the way it turned out.

Tonight I was out doing my evening chores and saw that another had flown over the fence. Grrr. At this rate I won’t have any left by spring. She was walking back and forth on the other side of the fence like they do, and then suddenly I couldn’t see her any more so I figured she knew a way over and had already joined the flock. I did a head count; sure enough, all six were in the coop. Then I went back out and saw an Exchequer still on the other side of the fence. Yup. Miracle number one: that hen who flew the fence two months ago has survived all this time. By now she had settled down on the ground, in the snow, to spend the night, and knowing we’ve had a fox around it didn’t seem like she could continue to survive for much longer if that is where she’s sleeping at night.

It felt futile, but I decided to get my net and see if I could get her right over the fence. Since it is 5’ high and I’m not much taller, it was a stretch to get the net over the fence and of course as soon as she saw me she got nervous and walked away, but she stayed close to the fence so I followed her down the fence line with the net behind her. Finally she stopped and looked at me, and I lunged with the net, which of course made her run – back in the direction we’d just come. Somehow I was able to react quickly enough to get the net turned around and as she ran past me, she ran right into the net! Miracle number two! As I quickly pulled the net over the fence, afraid she’d jump right out before I had her secured, I kept saying aloud “I can’t believe that worked”.

So I am back up to 7 of the Exchequers and I couldn’t be more thrilled about that. I released her back into the coop and I’m sure she will be glad of a food source that is more constant than whatever she’s been surviving on for the past couple of months.

Oh yeah my GPs got lots of pats today & good girls! They have been so busy at night lately they're just exhausted by morning & are passed out in the yard for at least half the day. They were rather distressed when I picked up the coyote skin & threw it away. My DH said I should have left it because that was their trophy. Also someone evidently shot a deer down the hill from us & the dogs have been bringing home what's left of that too. At least I guess they have bones to chew on. We followed the path the dogs took to bring that coyote home & they had dragged it all the way up from the front 5 acres through the barbed wire fence & to the front yard. You could see the drag marks in the snow where they had pulled it along. That was quite some distance to drag that thing & then they went a round about way of bringing it into the front yard at that.

That is truly amazing that Exchequer survived all that time & that you got her back home now! Those Leghorns are pretty fast little things I know that. I have tried to herd them in the coop before since I have 3 browns, a white, & now 2 Exchequers & they're fast as lightening. The California Whites are about the same way, they're small birds like them too. They pretty much don't go anywhere they don't want to.

 

[chicken danz]

HeChicken I can't see the feather shape on my computer. I just thought the comb looked prominent and on d'uccles the comb is very small on girls. That's why I suggested Downychick check the feathers.
I'm proud of your dogs Trish. I'm sure my dogs are missing the ability to go pick up deer carcasses. They have brought me all kinds of parts in before this year. They love chewing deer antlers and bones. I wish some of my neighbors would just offer me some of those wasted parts when they are out there hunting.

 

[cherwill]

Hey I was wondering what you guys thought about my silkie/d'ullce. We have had it a month now, the previous owner was not sure about the age but said it was a pullet.

This is when we got it:

And this is now, the comb has changed alot since then, and I do not know a lot about this breed!

The black one we have does not have a comb like this that I Have seen!

I don't know anything about them, except that one is pretty cute.

My GPs got a coyote, they brought the skin up into the front yard & it had a long tail on it & they had the spine & ribs they've been chewing on. I'm glad they got it instead of it getting some of my birds.

Good dogs!

I just had a couple of things happen that are somewhat miraculous. As you know, I got the Exchequer Leghorns to work a project next spring. As they grew they all look identical so I never knew one from the other. About 2 months ago, one of them managed to fly over the 5’ fence on the hedge side of my yard. This is always a pain because I have to walk the long way around and then try to either catch them or herd them back around. But, because she is a project bird and somewhat rare and expensive, I made the trek around. I couldn’t catch her, so I started to herd her and I got her about 75% of the way around when she suddenly made a 90-degree turn and ran into the hedge. She didn’t come back out and eventually I had to give up and hope she made her own way back over the fence. Next day I saw her again and was glad she made it safely through the night but again, had to just hope she’d make it back over.

I never saw her again and figured either she made it back over or the fox got her. At that time I hadn’t sold any and still had so many I wasn’t sure how many I was supposed to have, but as I started to sell pairs and trios, it got easier to do a head count. I wound up with 6 hens – I would have preferred 7-8 but that’s just the way it turned out.

Tonight I was out doing my evening chores and saw that another had flown over the fence. Grrr. At this rate I won’t have any left by spring. She was walking back and forth on the other side of the fence like they do, and then suddenly I couldn’t see her any more so I figured she knew a way over and had already joined the flock. I did a head count; sure enough, all six were in the coop. Then I went back out and saw an Exchequer still on the other side of the fence. Yup. Miracle number one: that hen who flew the fence two months ago has survived all this time. By now she had settled down on the ground, in the snow, to spend the night, and knowing we’ve had a fox around it didn’t seem like she could continue to survive for much longer if that is where she’s sleeping at night.

It felt futile, but I decided to get my net and see if I could get her right over the fence. Since it is 5’ high and I’m not much taller, it was a stretch to get the net over the fence and of course as soon as she saw me she got nervous and walked away, but she stayed close to the fence so I followed her down the fence line with the net behind her. Finally she stopped and looked at me, and I lunged with the net, which of course made her run – back in the direction we’d just come. Somehow I was able to react quickly enough to get the net turned around and as she ran past me, she ran right into the net! Miracle number two! As I quickly pulled the net over the fence, afraid she’d jump right out before I had her secured, I kept saying aloud “I can’t believe that worked”.

So I am back up to 7 of the Exchequers and I couldn’t be more thrilled about that. I released her back into the coop and I’m sure she will be glad of a food source that is more constant than whatever she’s been surviving on for the past couple of months.

That's really cool, both that she has managed to survive all this time AND that you got her back inside.

 

[HEChicken]

Well, I am covered in Gentian Violet right now. I went out to do animal chores and noticed one of the little lamb's ears was bleeding. It must have just happened and it was cut on the tip of it but everything she touched got blood on it, so after she got done eating, I picked her up and carried her inside to stop the bleeding and treat it. It is just a flesh wound and another time of the year I wouldn't have worried too much but as cold as it is this morning, I worried about her getting frostbite on it so I thought I should do something. She was so sweet, and just sat on my lap and reached up to sniff my face, while DH went to get the Blu-Kote. Now of course, despite taking lots of precautions to prevent getting it on myself, I am covered in the stuff. It didn't help that after spraying it on the cut and congratulating myself on my accuracy, she shook her head and sprayed it everywhere! Anyway, she was most relieved to be returned to her flock, as you can imagine - people houses are SCARY.

 

[chicken danz]

Aw you are such a good Mom, HEChicken. That stuff seems to creep. We used to use it in the power plant and you could guarantee you'd be wearing some no matter how careful you were.
I've got such a busy couple days ahead of me. I have no idea why I do this to myself. It just seems I can't get it together until I am totally time stressed.