Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

Thank you all who warned me about where I get my chicks from. You saved me from a big mistake! I guess I am too trusting.

I hope we didn't come across as chicken snobs. I would just hate you to end up being disappointed later on. I can almost bet every one of us here have bought chicks and later wished we'd gotten something else. I for one have had lots of hatchery chicks and just about every breed imaginable. My original goal was just to have some hens and some meat. Over time I discovered the wonderful world of chickens and found the true old heritage breeds were magnificent creatures. But I still have some hatchery mixed birds that I use for my layers. Reason being, I don't mind eating or selling those eggs and don't feel compelled at all to hatch them.
Quote:

Quote: Sharol, you've done this before and I know your chickens trust you. I'll bet it goes just fine.

I wanted to tell everyone hello! i have not been around much but still stopping in every once in a while.

I have had my broody chicken for 3 plus weeks now and will giving her a few eggs this Wednesday for her to hatch. I do not plan on leaving the babies with her, but re-homing them after they hatch..Will this work for breaking her of being broody for now, or does she actually need to raise them as well..

I am not sure how to allow her to raise them because they are in a raised coop with a platform and ramp . There would be no way for the babies to get in and out of the coop without human help.

Will I need to do anything with the eggs after giving them to her, or do I just watch to make sure she is turning them regularly?

You'll need to take the babies as soon as they are hatched and dry. They won't have a source of water to drink and the longer they are with the broody the harder it will be to catch them. Prepare to get pecked in the process.

Wow,busy thread today,that' great.
Danz & Josichick- thanks, I'll try to put some Nustock on her , I don't have any pine tar right now. They have a kiddy pool but its not very deep, most of the time he won't let her share the pool when he's in it . (goofy birds)
I'm surprised people are burning . You wouldn't plant tomatoes if it was snowing - why would you burn when there is wind and its so dry! duh.

I just have a utility tub for mine. A kiddy pool is probably deeper. He is young so maybe he just hasn't learned his man manners yet.

I have to go back and get some more dental work done today. Oh joy!! The weather is forecast to be really cold and lousy. Wish I could just hibernate for the day.

 

[Iwantchickens6]

Where did you get those Araucanas, how old are they?

 

[chicken danz]

I got hatching eggs from 3 different breeders. Mine range from 5 months to 4 months to just about 3 weeks old. You should go to the Araucana club of America to look for breeders. Also I got some eggs from Hink-JC mountain poultry. They aren't selling any right now. True Araucanas are very rare and you can expect to loose about 25% to a deadly tuft gene. Double tufted birds are the only ones that can be shown. But breeding a clean faced bird will get you a greater percentage of live chicks. They are awesome, quirky looking birds. They are fairly calm but a light weight bird so they can fly quite well. They're my exception to the rule. Most of my chickens are very large bodied and can't fly.
I wouldn't buy eggs or chicks from anyone but a known breeder. Too many people call Americanas or Easter eggers , Araucanas and they are absolutely nothing alike. Get to know what a true Araucana looks like and only buy birds from someone who can show you their breeding stock in a separate pen. ..or at least pictures of them.
I hope to have some eggs or chicks available in a few months.

 

[HEChicken]

Too many posts for me to catch up, but I skimmed the past few pages...

Ashncarson, my concern if you take the chicks immediately after they hatch, she will not stop being broody. Mother Nature tells them to sit for up to 48 hours after the chicks hatch, to allow for any late hatches. At some point she will decide its time to leave the nest and then she'll show the chicks how to find food and water and after that she won't return to the nest to sit, though she will sit often to allow the chicks to warm up under her. If you take them before she has left the nest, she will likely continue to sit, as she won't have chicks peeping that they are hungry, to encourage her to get up. I personally would allow her to raise one. I guess it would feel a little cruel to me to take away all her chicks after she's gone to all the work of hatching them. Animals grieve too….

Sharol, I wait until after the chicks have hatched to move broodies, as too often they don't care for the new location and abandon the eggs. After the chicks hatch, in that first 24-48 hours, she will tolerate being moved quite well. What I do is wait until the first chick hatches, then move the hen, the chick, and the remaining eggs, to the new nest. She will at that point sit tight because of the chick under her, and that will allow the remaining eggs to hatch in the new location.

Sorry to all who have had grass fires lately. I've seen one field here that was burned but though I didn't see it burning and it looks like a good controlled burn as it is just that field - none of the neighboring.

I've had a busy few weeks - even I've forgotten what's been going on LOL. Spring is the busiest time around here and I have so many projects I'm behind on, I haven't had much computer time lately. Its tax season too, so what computer time I do have seems to be taken up with answering email or trying to finish up the multiple returns I have to do for family members.

 

[chicken danz]

HeChicken, maybe I wasn't clear in my answer to AshnCarson. I meant when all the chicks hatched and were dry that would be the time to take them. Basically what you said...other than I failed to say when she leaves the nest. Mostly because almost every broody I have ever had will leave the nest with the first couple chicks but will return to sit on the other eggs for a day or two. I figured that would be confusing.
There is always a danger of leaving chicks with a hen in a community group because other chickens will often pick the chick to death. AshnCarson said they were in a raised coop and couldn't get down. I would hate to see a chick die because it didn't have access to feed and water. JMO I have taken chicks one at a time to ease the separation anxiety a hen might experience. Nature tends to do the same thing through attrition.
Good to see you back again HeChicken. I've been missing your posts. I really need to get busy on taxes myself. I only have a couple to do but it includes farm income which is a bear.

 

[sharol]

Quote:
Sharol, you've done this before and I know your chickens trust you. I'll bet it goes just fine.

It went really well. I stole her eggs and candled them -- thought one had gone clear on me, and then realized someone had sneaked into the nest and laid a new egg yesterday. None are internally pipped yet (not surprised, it is day 17). Still 3 showing development and almost completely dark except for the air sack. I took her to the new nest (in relative dark) and she settled right in when she realized her eggs were there. Thanks for the moral support. I have no idea whether they will hatch, but I'm not going to bug her more than I have to.

I'll let you know what happens, of course. With a Marans mom or a Marans/ BO mom and an EE roo (both parents were EE's), any chicks could be really interesting.

 

[naturalgardener]

I hope we didn't come across as chicken snobs. I would just hate you to end up being disappointed later on. I can almost bet every one of us here have bought chicks and later wished we'd gotten something else. I for one have had lots of hatchery chicks and just about every breed imaginable. My original goal was just to have some hens and some meat. Over time I discovered the wonderful world of chickens and found the true old heritage breeds were magnificent creatures. But I still have some hatchery mixed birds that I use for my layers. Reason being, I don't mind eating or selling those eggs and don't feel compelled at all to hatch them.
Quote:
Sharol, you've done this before and I know your chickens trust you. I'll bet it goes just fine.
You'll need to take the babies as soon as they are hatched and dry. They won't have a source of water to drink and the longer they are with the broody the harder it will be to catch them. Prepare to get pecked in the process.

I just have a utility tub for mine. A kiddy pool is probably deeper. He is young so maybe he just hasn't learned his man manners yet.

I have to go back and get some more dental work done today. Oh joy!! The weather is forecast to be really cold and lousy. Wish I could just hibernate for the day.

Not at all! Like you guys said and I wouldn't have it any other way. If am going to have a Heritage business then I need to have heritage chicks! Thanks again!

 

[Trish44]

Not at all! Like you guys said and I wouldn't have it any other way. If am going to have a Heritage business then I need to have heritage chicks! Thanks again!

I agree with Danz, I hope you didn't think we came on too strong, we do tend to voice our opinions here. We all have had hatchery chickens, I still have some in my general laying flock & they do fine for that. I don't however have hatchery birds in my pure bred breeds other than the ones I use for making Cinnamon Queens, those are a mix anyway so it doesn't matter. Good luck with your new business, I hope everything works out for you.

It's cloudy here today, but almost the high already for the day at 53, we're only supposed to get to 55 today. It's supposed to be 71 Thursday but it's forecasted to rain too. It looks like we're not going to have much sun this week, blah. Well at least it's warmer, that's a plus. I wish things would start greening up more so the chickens could have something green to eat. We have a few sprigs of grass here & there, but not much.

 

[chicken danz]

We are in the middle of a major snow storm. It started snowing like crazy when I was in Topeka. It is only 29 degrees out.
I went to the dentist and had some more work done and actually got another tooth pulled. So I'm feeling kind of lousy right now. I got home and my little red barred orp was really failing. So I took her in and tried to force some egg yolk and water down her. She died while I was holding her. Now I feel like I killed her. I did a quick necropsy even before her heart had completely stopped beating and her problem was a sour crop. I had given her oil yesterday because I suspicioned that was the problem but it didn't work. I feel really bad that I didn't figure out that was the problem to begin with. Sometimes these young birds just don't digest the food for older birds very well. I put grit in there but there's never any guarantee they are going to use it. Makes me very sad and she was an important part of my future breeders.
I guess I need to bundle up and go feed the birds speaking of that.

 

[Trish44]

We are in the middle of a major snow storm. It started snowing like crazy when I was in Topeka. It is only 29 degrees out.
I went to the dentist and had some more work done and actually got another tooth pulled. So I'm feeling kind of lousy right now. I got home and my little red barred orp was really failing. So I took her in and tried to force some egg yolk and water down her. She died while I was holding her. Now I feel like I killed her. I did a quick necropsy even before her heart had completely stopped beating and her problem was a sour crop. I had given her oil yesterday because I suspicioned that was the problem but it didn't work. I feel really bad that I didn't figure out that was the problem to begin with. Sometimes these young birds just don't digest the food for older birds very well. I put grit in there but there's never any guarantee they are going to use it. Makes me very sad and she was an important part of my future breeders.
I guess I need to bundle up and go feed the birds speaking of that.

I can't believe you got snow up there, blah, you just keep it up there. It was really not too bad here earlier, it was about 50 or so. Then when I went out & started doing chores this afternoon It started blowing like crazy & the darned wind was cold. It's back down to 44 now & I think the low tonight is supposed to be about 29. I read in the news that we still could have snow yet in April, geez is this winter ever going to be over? I was going to move some chicks out to the breeder coop this afternoon, but decided to wait one more day. I've got to get them moved before my chicks get here Thursday & I have more coming next Tuesday. I just need a temporary place to house these till they get old enough to move out to the growout pen.

Speaking of chicks I still have several Speckled Sussex cockerels & 3 Black Copper Marans cockerels as well. OQB did you ever find the little cockerel that got out? He was getting quite a chest on him, I thought he was going to be a hefty guy when he got grown. I've got to get brooders cleaned tomorrow to make room for new chicks, but I have to run & get more shavings before I can do that. I keep hoping it will get a bit warmer so I can get out & start cleaning my main coop, it needs it bad but it's just not been warm enough that I want to be out there yet. It's been windy too & the wind is cold, it has my ear bothering me again. We just need some warmer days to get some work done outside.