Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

I just had to share...we have our first home-hatched chickies as of this morning! Mamacita is one of our little blue Isbars and she has been sitting on a mix of eggs from our Marans, Isbars, Speckled Sussex and Barred Rocks. The roo is a blue Ameraucana. We have one of the Marans babies and the other was from either the barred rocks or sussex. Another Marans egg has pipped and there are 2 more that haven't done anything yet, but we are excited regardless. My kids have named the first 2 Tickle and Tinker.

Congrats on the chicks! I have Isbars myself, blue & splash but they're not laying yet.

 

[Ralph Moyer]

In my local paper today there was a legal notice posted that now allows chickens to be kept within the city limits of Columbus, Kansas. I won't copy all the legal language, but this is what it covers. Chickens are allowed only on properties within the city limits that have previously been designated for horses and cattle. Residents who intend to keep chickens are required to purchase an annual $25.00 permit.The total number of chickens is no more than six. No roosters or guineas are allowed. Any person that owns chickens shall provide a coop or similar shelter, adequate laying boxes, roosts, and an outdoor run for the chickens. Such shelters shall be screened or walled in a manner that allows the chickens to be reasonably protected from harsh weather and predators. The coop shall be enclosed with a roof and at least three of the four sides enclosed. The coop shall provide a minimum of two square feet floor space per adult chicken. Each chicken shall be provided with a roost measuring ten to twelve inches in diameter and be situated at least two to three feet above the floor, free of drafts. Nesting boxes for laying shall measure at least one square foot each. One nesting box is required for every three chickens. The coop shall be equipped with supplemental heating for winter. No coop shall be located closer than five feet from any neighboring property line.
The outdoor run must provide minimum of eight square feet per chicken. The outdoor run must be located in a well-drained area. fenced, and covered with wire or netting for protection. The coop and run shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition to prevent the unreasonable accumulation of waste, noxious substance, odors, and vermin. Litter control shall include a layer of six to eight inches of wood chips or straw, removed , and REFRESHED REGULARLY.
A designated City official shall have the right to enter the property and inspect any chicken coop at any time for the purpose of ensuring compliance with this ordinance. Compliance with this ordinance shall not be a defense to a proceeding alleging nuisance, but such compliance may be offered as evidence of the owner of the chickens who has made efforts to abate any proven nuisance.

And people wonder why I chose NOT to live in town!

 

[chicken danz]

@Ralph Moyer , I agree. That is insane. Especially the part about the roosts. I would never put a roost that high with my big birds. They'd end up with broken legs or bumble foot for sure. I wonder where they came up with the info to form those rules. And to have to pay $25 a year for a maximum of 6 hens is insane. Obviously someone on city council does NOT want anyone to have chickens.
Good to see you back again. It's been a while since you posted.
Today was a cold and wet miserable day. I did get a new customer today and moved a lot of birds. My customer was one who had seen that viral brahma video and I tried to explain that if you compared the size of him to the things around him he really wasn't that big. I was afraid he would be disappointed when he got here but instead he was really impressed with the size of my birds. And is coming back next weekend to buy more chicks.
Plus @Dani4Hedgies came and we got 3 turkeys butchered and she took several birds home with her as well. You're an angel Dani!!! Numbers are going down. There's light at the end of the tunnel, however I will never be warm again!!

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Danz,
Any time you know I love coming and hanging out with you and my coop is sooo calmer with Tom 2 gone. Love the new birds Fuzzie immediately claimed all 4 new babies and gave me the stink eye and growl when I tried to touch them. You should have seen her call to the Jubilees and when they looked at her like she was crazy over she went and sat on them and started purring oh the shocked but thrilled look on their little faces. Love the new roosters too and heading to Liberty too deliver Heather's new babies as well. Can't wait for our next visit.

 

[chicken danz]

@Dani4Hedgies always glad to see you!!!

 

[Trish44]

We got quite a bit of rain last night, we sure needed it badly. I was really starting to worry about the grass growing for the sheep. Things had come up but just weren't growing due to lack of moisture. I never thought I would be so glad to see rain.

Hatch season is in full swing here. Now if only the breeds & colors that fertility hasn't been good on will turn around I would be happy so I could fill more orders. I have several broody hens in my main coop that I haven't been able to stop, they're causing problems taking up so many nest boxes. I have two broody hens in my Silver Penciled Rock pen that I am letting set because I do have an order for chicks now, so they can sit to their heart's content as long as they hatch me some chicks.

 

[Ralph Moyer]

Danz, I do question about the ones on FaceBook selling "Olive Hatching eggs". When I first crossed a Barred rock rooster with a blue egg-layer, I got olive-colored eggs, but the next generation produced a light green egg. My fourth generation are all laying a nice blue egg. All the generations are barred, and most with tuffs.

 

[Trish44]

@Ralph Moyer they usually use a dark egg layer like a Marans over a blue egg layer to get Olive Eggers from what I've read.

 

[Ralph Moyer]

Trish, My first eggs were olive, but the next generation, from those olive eggs was green. When people buy a olive eggs for hatching, I think they will be very unhappy, when the hens lay a different color egg. Anyway I was surprised with my results, but the barred feathering has stayed constant.

 

[Trish44]

Trish, My first eggs were olive, but the next generation, from those olive eggs was green. When people buy a olive eggs for hatching, I think they will be very unhappy, when the hens lay a different color egg. Anyway I was surprised with my results, but the barred feathering has stayed constant.

I know that with some other crosses they don't breed true consistently after the first generation, so I can see that happening with yours as well. Maybe you have to go back to the first cross at intervals. I'm not a genetic expert.