Consolidated Kansas

[venymae]

The wind is insane! I was going to rake but stepped outside and was like "nope." Haha

 

[sharol]

I got my first Araucana pullet egg this noon. It is a lovely little thing. I have no idea which of the 3 pullets laid it. They all look pretty much alike to me. I need to look at them more carefully and figure it out. They are 22 weeks old. The larger egg is an EE egg, medium size. Yeah!!!!

.

 

[chicken danz]

Ok, please forgive my lack of knowledge, but how do you treat for mites and worms? My current flock dust bathes everyday and I know how that helps deter mites but I have never treated for mites or worms in chickens

There's several ways to treat for mites and worms. And there's also disagreements on what works and what doesn't. I'll just give you the info that works for me. I am sure there will be more suggestions posted to choose from. For Worms I use ivermectin injectable , 4cc per gallon of water. Do this for three days. Ivermectin is pricy but does a good job. Make sure that is their only water source.
I also use Safeguard Goat drench. It will kill some other worms the Ivermectin won't get. However if you just have chickens you generally won't need the additional worming. Same dose as the ivermectin but add sugar to the water cause the Safeguard is grossly bitter and they hate it.
Trish uses a feed additive for worming that she can tell you about.
For mites you can use Sevin dust. Just dust them down concentrating particularly near their vent and under their wings. You should also dust their living quarters. Repeat in 7 days.
I also use permethrin spray which works better but is a lot more difficult to use. You will be fine with Sevin.
I treat my birds on a regular schedule for both to try to prevent any of these things. Most people just treat when they see a problem
Originally Posted by DS17

If she would hold them I certainly wouldn't get them before they are 8-10 weeks old. Then I would still use the kennel in the coop.

The crate I have may end up being too small if I get 5 or 6 at 8-10 weeks. But I can use chicken wire in the coop to keep them separate. At what age can they start to integrate with the current flock?
They should integrate with the flock at any time as long as you let them get used to each other for a week or two by keeping them together but protected by a crate or something.

I got my first Araucana pullet egg this noon. It is a lovely little thing. I have no idea which of the 3 pullets laid it. They all look pretty much alike to me. I need to look at them more carefully and figure it out. They are 22 weeks old. The larger egg is an EE egg, medium size. Yeah!!!!

.

Yay! Aren't they pretty little eggs. They gain size as they get older. Congrats!!!

Wowzer what a WINDY day!!!

Since my last post about 2-4 weeks ago (time sure flies when I stay busy and have fun doing it!), I've lost 6 chickens, and one duckling. The chickens, I believe were to a coyote. We have absolutely no issues with the coyotes since we've fenced the immediate perimeter, yet some of the smaller breed and/or juvenile chickens continue to climb through the fence to forage the treeline directly beside the fence. We've witnessed coyotes laying in wait camouflaged by the trees and brush. We shoot at'em, chase'em even, yet they keep coming back. I know chickens have some intelligence, yet they seem to lack common sense.

Hope you get that coyote problem taken care of. That's awful.

The duckling, however, drown. Now, to me, this seems odd. Then I witnessed my dominant drake mounting the ducklings in the pool, which brought me to the conclusion that he drown the poor duckling while trying to mount it.

Ducks do drown, particularly young ones. When a duck is raised by it's mother she will actually coat them in a substance that will help keep them afloat. Ducks tend to seak out the water and often times can't get back out if their feet and slipping or the water is too deep for them. It happens more than you'd think.
The latest conundrums for me are twofold:

2) All the Roos and Drakes bully to a bloody mess my two Polish Roos, Albert Einstein and Billy Idol. They actually gang up on them. Albert becomes the brunt of the abuse more so than Billy does. They both freak out, run and squawk, and then just give up, lying flat on the ground, face buried in the grass - looking like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand. I feel sorry for them.
Unfortunately that isn't uncommon for polish to be picked on relentlessly by all the other birds. Their eye sight can be limited and there is something about that top knot that makes the birds pick on them. I use to use small bands and put their crest feathers in little pony tails which seemed to help some. But ultimately my polish all got separate so they only had each other to deal with.
Thanks for sharing all the pictures. Looks like you have been really busy.

 

[sharol]

Yay! Aren't they pretty little eggs. They gain size as they get older. Congrats!!!

Even my DH says it is really cute. I was surprised to get one this soon. Not looking for any from the orps for a couple more months (they are 24 weeks).

I really looked at the little girls today and I CAN tell them apart. One has a few white feathers around her neck, one has tufts, and one is all black with no tufts. Now to figure out who laid that egg.

 

[venymae]

Quick question: Can a single chick thrive? My neighbor got 6 eggs to set from a local lady but only one hatched. I also set 6 myself, but they were all clear Will only one chick be ok by itself?? I have different eggs in the bator on day 6, would 15 days be too big of a gap for companions???

 

[Trish44]

Wowzer what a WINDY day!!!

Since my last post about 2-4 weeks ago (time sure flies when I stay busy and have fun doing it!), I've lost 6 chickens, and one duckling. The chickens, I believe were to a coyote. We have absolutely no issues with the coyotes since we've fenced the immediate perimeter, yet some of the smaller breed and/or juvenile chickens continue to climb through the fence to forage the treeline directly beside the fence. We've witnessed coyotes laying in wait camouflaged by the trees and brush. We shoot at'em, chase'em even, yet they keep coming back. I know chickens have some intelligence, yet they seem to lack common sense.

I thought stringing chicken wire along the bottom of the field fencing would alleviate the issue of climbing through. However, DH doesn't want to deal with the weeds and grass that will inevitably weave itself into the mesh. SIGH!

The duckling, however, drown. Now, to me, this seems odd. Then I witnessed my dominant drake mounting the ducklings in the pool, which brought me to the conclusion that he drown the poor duckling while trying to mount it.

The latest conundrums for me are twofold:

1) Fawnzie, my dominant drake who's an Indian Runner, and my King of the Fluffybutts, Goliath, go round and round. Generally, Fawnzie, even though much lesser in weight, wins. However, Goliath got him good a time or two, and I am worried that he will literally shred Fawnzie once his spurs become spears.

2) All the Roos and Drakes bully to a bloody mess my two Polish Roos, Albert Einstein and Billy Idol. They actually gang up on them. Albert becomes the brunt of the abuse more so than Billy does. They both freak out, run and squawk, and then just give up, lying flat on the ground, face buried in the grass - looking like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand. I feel sorry for them.

I have separated them in cages to heal from wounds. Yet, not permanently. My flock of both chickens and ducks run free-range together. I am not setup to keep ducks separate from chickens. They got along just fine until Goliath decided to try and mate the duck hens, which obviously upset Fawnzie. And as far as Albert and Billy, well, none in the flock seems to tolerate their presence, not even the hens. I don't understand this at all. Poor guys.

So, I am looking to rehome AT LEAST Albert. Anyone interested in him?

I do want to wait until after I get back from a week "vacation" in SD next week so I can breed him with hens before I let him go, though. He's typically a fantastic bird, no signs of aggression. I just think he deserves a less stressful life, and its clear that won't happen here.

Let's see, last post I was telling about the coop remodel. I think Trish44 asked for pics. I still do not have the run completed, as other things have taken precedence.

One thing I have learned: don't use white nesting curtains; they stain badly! Eeew! lol


The roosts in both coops are hinged so they can be raised and hung up to scoop/rake poo, and they allow for 32 sq st of roosting space each.
Each automatic feed bin holds over 50 lbs: one of starter and one of layer (this one holds close to 70 lbs)
The attached brooder measures 67" long x 28" deep x 24-27" high (inside) and allows for two heat lamps.

Each coop has 2-3" of sand/road gravel.
The curtains help alleviate using the nests as overnight hotel rooms. lol
Each nest has either carpet or astro turf. The hens appreciate the astro turf WAY better than the carpet, so, changing them all out to astro comes next.
One coop is nests, the other has cages along one wall for separating as needed for wounded or ill or even mating.
Each coop has a hanging wire cage as well for broody's to cool off and simmer down. lol
The existing run between the coops also has 2-3" of sand and another 25' or so of roosting space as well.
Am working on a 32 gallon automatic waterer that I hope to have completed before winter sets in.
The extended run that will be in front of both coops tying them together (timbers on the ground in the above pics), will most likely be on hold until spring...unless DH surprises me and builds it for me. (He usually only helps when there's something I just cannot do by myself.)
Running electricity and a water line to the coop is also on the agenda for next spring.
And then embellishing the coop and making it "cute" will come spring time as well. Hoping to go for a western town general store kinda feel.

The goats are doing well. Three of them. Love them to pieces - like dogs actually! They love to be petted and given attention and I've mastered bleating at them. lol We've extended their 2 acre pen by another half acre or so to incorporate some of the treeline where they have pretty much devoured the poison ivy and brush. Lookin' good! Now to move the fence line over another half acre or so before winter! DH wants to build them a larger enclosure, even though we've read they're hardy animals and have no real need for it. They already have what we built for the two shepherds we had in that pen previously, and they seem to enjoy cuddling together under there.

Left to Right: Tearston (because he has tear stains on his face), Maximillian, and Moses. Tearston is a Kiko, Max a Nubian, and Moses a La Mancha. We may be looking into Boers next year. Too fun!

Well, I gotta get back to "work" as I'm still plugging away at the inside house remodel, too. Kitchen looking GREAT, if I do say so myself.

I hope all is well with everyone!!!

It looks like you're making good progress on your coops & runs, I know that all takes a lot of time. I have Boer goats & really like them because they're not so apt to climb & jump on things as the smaller ones because they're much heavier.

I got my first Araucana pullet egg this noon. It is a lovely little thing. I have no idea which of the 3 pullets laid it. They all look pretty much alike to me. I need to look at them more carefully and figure it out. They are 22 weeks old. The larger egg is an EE egg, medium size. Yeah!!!!

.

Congrats on the egg, I also have two new pullets laying now, Mille Fleur Leghorns, yay!

Quick question: Can a single chick thrive? My neighbor got 6 eggs to set from a local lady but only one hatched. I also set 6 myself, but they were all clear Will only one chick be ok by itself?? I have different eggs in the bator on day 6, would 15 days be too big of a gap for companions???

Chickens are very social, I doubt one would do very well by itself for long.

That wind was just awful today, I was out in it all day shopping & then came home to find my big tarps from my main coop run hanging off flapping in the wind. I had not planned to deal with it tonight but the chickens refused to go in to eat or roost because they were freaked out with all of that flapping going on. So in all of that wind I had to wrestly with two 9x12 tarps hooked together. I finally got the side one hooked back on & anchored with rocks at the bottom & then I had a terrible time with the one on the top. I finally got this garden tool with 3 tines & grabbed one of the grommets & pulled it over to the other side & it took all the strength I had to hold onto it & hook it down. I was done in by the time I got done, whew. I think next spring I'm just going to bite the bullet & get some corrugated roofing of some kind to put up there, I'm tired of dealing with tarps coming loose & wearing out, it's a real pain.

I meant to say I'm sorry for the losses from predators, that's the pits. Have you considered getting an LGD to keep them away? I had lots of losses before I finally gave up & got two Great Pyrenees.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Quick question: Can a single chick thrive? My neighbor got 6 eggs to set from a local lady but only one hatched. I also set 6 myself, but they were all clear Will only one chick be ok by itself?? I have different eggs in the bator on day 6, would 15 days be too big of a gap for companions???

They aren't happy without friends. 15 days won't be too big of a gap. A lone chick accepts friends of almost any age. In the interim, put a mirror in the brooder and maybe even a feather duster or tiny stuffed animal.
We're getting to the time of year when rooster fertility drops as well as reduced egg laying thanks to shorter days.

ETA
I have a lone chick now that is 2 weeks old. I just set eggs 3 days ago. When they're about 3 days old an mobile, I'll put them together.

 

[chicken danz]

Even my DH says it is really cute. I was surprised to get one this soon. Not looking for any from the orps for a couple more months (they are 24 weeks).

I really looked at the little girls today and I CAN tell them apart. One has a few white feathers around her neck, one has tufts, and one is all black with no tufts. Now to figure out who laid that egg.

I wouldn't be surprised at the age but I am kind of surprised considering the time of year. The Araucanas are good little layers when they aren't taking a break. Should be fairly easy to figure it out. I'm still dealing with an egg eater in my breeders. I haven't figured out who is doing it. I trimmed the beak of the one I suspected and it wasn't her so I am still loosing eggs. I haven't been able to trim the others yet.
@venymae a lone chick can survive but would be much better with a few companions. ChickenCanoe had some good suggestions. Also if you or she has the time just interacting with it and giving it treats will help some. In other words act like a mother hen and peck the ground with your finger with treats. For single chicks I use a heat pad under the box they are in to give that hen warmth. Then I often take a towel or something and form a tiny cave like area for the chick to go under.

That wind was just awful today, I was out in it all day shopping & then came home to find my big tarps from my main coop run hanging off flapping in the wind. I had not planned to deal with it tonight but the chickens refused to go in to eat or roost because they were freaked out with all of that flapping going on. So in all of that wind I had to wrestly with two 9x12 tarps hooked together. I finally got the side one hooked back on & anchored with rocks at the bottom & then I had a terrible time with the one on the top. I finally got this garden tool with 3 tines & grabbed one of the grommets & pulled it over to the other side & it took all the strength I had to hold onto it & hook it down. I was done in by the time I got done, whew. I think next spring I'm just going to bite the bullet & get some corrugated roofing of some kind to put up there, I'm tired of dealing with tarps coming loose & wearing out, it's a real pain.

I meant to say I'm sorry for the losses from predators, that's the pits. Have you considered getting an LGD to keep them away? I had lots of losses before I finally gave up & got two Great Pyrenees.

Trish I can't imagine wrestling tarps in that wind. We had 60 mph gusts here. Well actually 58, but that is close enough. Everything that wasn't tied down blew up against our front fence. As if the yard wasn't a mess already it's a disaster zone now. I guess that's one more project to take care of when I get back on my feet.
I saw I had one blowing loose on the hoop coop that has the young turkeys in it. Not sure if it's still on there or not. I wasn't out but just a few minutes yesterday. I am still dealing with so much lung congestion from the surgery I didn't want to chance pollens and dust making things worse.
I had DH working on moving houses around yesterday. Of course it didn't get done. I am trying to get an area prepared for puppies if I'm fortunate enough to have some soon. Still have a few birds that need to be moved around as well.
I emptied the incubator yesterday and have nothing in there. I haven't shut it down yet. I'm still trying to decide whether to take some of the eggs the broody girls are sitting on. I really need to candle them all and see what is developing. They need to be separated cause the other hens keep laying more in their boxes.
I found a huge pile of eggs in my old guinea house the other day. Obviously I am getting more eggs than I believed. The chickens just found a new place to lay.

 

[Trish44]

Yeah danz it was crazy for sure, but I couldn't see any way to get my laying flock to go back in for the night unless I did it. The things we do for our chickens, huh. They did immediately go in as soon as I got it all back on & not flapping because it was getting close to dark. They really don't like being out in that wind like that at all. When we came back from Wichita I noticed there wasn't one bird out in the front yard & even the goats had gone down the hill to try to get out of it. I don't blame them, it was just awful.

My roosters are in Wichita at the PO so they will be here this afternoon when the truck comes, yay! I was worried they wouldn't make it since I looked last night & they were still in Michigan. They can move things when they want to. I can't wait to get them here & see how they're doing.

 

[Trish44]

My roosters got here & they were doing great, just thirsty & hungry. I got them set up in my temporary pen for quarantine. They have some growing to do yet but they look really good.

I've just been working like crazy trying to get things ready for winter. I have been repairing the frame on my main run where some of the boards have rotted. I got the main one done at the very corner where the door is but today I was trying to fix the other one that is broken & it just turned into a mess. I'm going to have to jerry-rig it & I ran out of daylight so I'll finish it tomorrow. I want to get that done so I can put the other big tarp on there for winter.

I'm integrating 3 young birds into my main laying flock, 2 pullets & a rooster & they have done pretty well so far, I hope that continues. They were down hanging around the pen they had been in today but they came back up to the coop to roost so I was proud of them. The rooster is not breeding age yet so he has not been challenged by the lead rooster as of yet. He may end up being bigger than that rooster so we'll see what happens. He's half Orpington & half Black Copper Marans, an interesting mix because he & the pullet like that look kind of like a Crele if you know what those look like. The other pullet is an Ameraucana & she is blue. I just don't happen to have blues in my pen so I decided to put her in the laying flock.