Consolidated Kansas

[jennyjane73]

My little city chicken flock is a year old. We've been in this a year & I love having chickens. Right now I have 2 roosters & 3 hens but getting ready to do some flock rearranging. They are so much fun.

 

[ashncarson]

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.

I could put food and water in the coop, I don't have a problem with that...I would just hate for the babies to try to get out...

 

[HEChicken]

Danz - breaking news - the crested turkey is laying! I really thought she was some kind of hermaphrodite and didn't expect her to lay. I've just been keeping her around because she is unique, so I was kind of surprised to see her in the nest this afternoon and when I checked later there were two eggs from the two turkey hens that are currently in the hoop coop.

 

[sharol]

I could put food and water in the coop, I don't have a problem with that...I would just hate for the babies to try to get out...

Could you put a piece of plywood across the bottom of the doorway so that they couldn't get out until they were a little older?

 

[ashncarson]

Could you put a piece of plywood across the bottom of the doorway so that they couldn't get out until they were a little older?

The door is set about a foot off of the coop floor as well!

 

[sharol]

If the other hens leave them alone, maybe by the time they could hop up on the ledge and get out, their mother could hustle them back in?

I guess I feel a little sorry for a hen that doesn't get to raise the babies she spent 3 weeks hatching, too. My one experience with a broody was wonderful. She still (10 months later) babies them and protects them from all comers (except the roo -- they like him).

You will do what you need to do. Every situation is different, and I get the concern about something happening to them after hatch.

 

[OkieQueenBee]

Well, the first bee class is done and I was pleased with the power point that I got done. That is why I have been scarce and I am working on one for this Saturday. This is the first full blown power point that I have ever made. Kinda getting into it.
Hi to all the newcomers, this is a great thread to be on. Lots of knowledgable, friendly people on here. And chickens are just so much fun.
Good luck everyone with the broodies. KKB has the incubator stuffed full and just fired up a second one. Have turkey eggs that should hatch Wed. We have 4 wild toms that are hanging around. And now the wild turkey that has been hanging around since last fall, we are having second thoughts about its sex. We haven't heard it gobble, but it has started strutting and it's head turns bright blue. It has been dancing around our toms but has never squatted. Our Bronze toms spend their time harassing the guineas and ignore our 2 hens - 1 RP and 1 Bronze. Our RP hen is being quite the little hussy she runs out in the middle of the wild toms and lays down. They ignore her so she jumps up and runs back in front of them and squats. The RP tom did breed the Bronze hen today, and 1 of the wild toms ran up and flogged him. I just wonder how long they will hang around.
Trish, I found the little cockerel. He was just being a boy, off exploring. I put him back in with the girls and he is staying put. They are a nice looking trio.
HEChicken, that is exciting about the crested turkey hen. Will be waiting to see if they are fertile. And if you have a list for people wanting one of her eggs we would like to be on it.
We had snow here today, for about an hour and a half, then the sun came out and it was beautiful, just a little chilly but no wind. Supposed to be kind of nice tomorrow. KKB is extraction honey and I'm working on the power point so I guess the weather won't really matter.

 

[chicken danz]

My little city chicken flock is a year old. We've been in this a year & I love having chickens. Right now I have 2 roosters & 3 hens but getting ready to do some flock rearranging. They are so much fun.

Time to danz size. More chickens!

Danz - breaking news - the crested turkey is laying! I really thought she was some kind of hermaphrodite and didn't expect her to lay. I've just been keeping her around because she is unique, so I was kind of surprised to see her in the nest this afternoon and when I checked later there were two eggs from the two turkey hens that are currently in the hoop coop.

Oh HeChicken that is awesome!!! It will be so much fun to see if she throws some crested babies. I really wanted one but since I don't have the RPs any more I dunno. I'll bet you could sell them for a premium price if she produces them just for the anomaly. I'd be tempted to get one and breed it to the Midgets but then I'd loose my advantage of culling and trying to breed the best ones.

OkieQueenBee that would make sense if that bird is a male. I guess it came back then? Last time we talked it had disappeared. My wild turkeys were in their second year before they started breeding so heaven only knows. Glad to hear your bee class went well.
I set over 200 eggs last night. Needless to say I was behind and the eggs were piling up. We had a couple below freezing days in there so I am sure there'll be some losses. Nearly 60 of those were turkey eggs. My girls are working hard for me. Keeping my chick orders straight is becoming a nightmare though. Holy crap.
I had a rough night with mouth pain but am feeling better this AM. I am always a little messed up after a dentist trip. This one messed me up really bad cause I had to come up with about $1400 to pay for the bill. And to think I still have several hundred more to go!!!

 

[Trish44]

Well, the first bee class is done and I was pleased with the power point that I got done. That is why I have been scarce and I am working on one for this Saturday. This is the first full blown power point that I have ever made. Kinda getting into it.
Hi to all the newcomers, this is a great thread to be on. Lots of knowledgable, friendly people on here. And chickens are just so much fun.
Good luck everyone with the broodies. KKB has the incubator stuffed full and just fired up a second one. Have turkey eggs that should hatch Wed. We have 4 wild toms that are hanging around. And now the wild turkey that has been hanging around since last fall, we are having second thoughts about its sex. We haven't heard it gobble, but it has started strutting and it's head turns bright blue. It has been dancing around our toms but has never squatted. Our Bronze toms spend their time harassing the guineas and ignore our 2 hens - 1 RP and 1 Bronze. Our RP hen is being quite the little hussy she runs out in the middle of the wild toms and lays down. They ignore her so she jumps up and runs back in front of them and squats. The RP tom did breed the Bronze hen today, and 1 of the wild toms ran up and flogged him. I just wonder how long they will hang around.
Trish, I found the little cockerel. He was just being a boy, off exploring. I put him back in with the girls and he is staying put. They are a nice looking trio.
HEChicken, that is exciting about the crested turkey hen. Will be waiting to see if they are fertile. And if you have a list for people wanting one of her eggs we would like to be on it.

We had snow here today, for about an hour and a half, then the sun came out and it was beautiful, just a little chilly but no wind. Supposed to be kind of nice tomorrow. KKB is extraction honey and I'm working on the power point so I guess the weather won't really matter.

OQB it sounds like you have a wild tom there if it's head turns blue. I hope you have a good hatch on the turkey eggs, let us know how it goes. Turkeys are more fragile for awhile & it can be challenging to get them to learn to eat & drink. I'm so glad you found that little cockerel, you'll have to post some pics when they get bigger so I can see how they feather out in the end. I finally have chosen the cockerel I want to keep, he's not the biggest one or the most colorful one at this point, but I like his type so we'll see. The rest need to find new homes. I also have a beautiful Wheaten Ameraucana cockerel who needs to find another home, I can't keep him. His daddy is the one I got from Josie & he is just gorgeous. I have 4 pullets that hatched in those eggs that I'm keeping to add to that pen. I'm so excited to get them grown out. Congrats on your class & the powerpoint you did, I'm glad it all turned out OK, I know you were worried about it.

Time to danz size. More chickens!

Oh HeChicken that is awesome!!! It will be so much fun to see if she throws some crested babies. I really wanted one but since I don't have the RPs any more I dunno. I'll bet you could sell them for a premium price if she produces them just for the anomaly. I'd be tempted to get one and breed it to the Midgets but then I'd loose my advantage of culling and trying to breed the best ones.

OkieQueenBee that would make sense if that bird is a male. I guess it came back then? Last time we talked it had disappeared. My wild turkeys were in their second year before they started breeding so heaven only knows. Glad to hear your bee class went well.
I set over 200 eggs last night. Needless to say I was behind and the eggs were piling up. We had a couple below freezing days in there so I am sure there'll be some losses. Nearly 60 of those were turkey eggs. My girls are working hard for me. Keeping my chick orders straight is becoming a nightmare though. Holy crap.
I had a rough night with mouth pain but am feeling better this AM. I am always a little messed up after a dentist trip. This one messed me up really bad cause I had to come up with about $1400 to pay for the bill. And to think I still have several hundred more to go!!!

Wow Danz, that's a lot of eggs! It sounds like your turkeys are going nuts laying. I'm glad you're feeling better today.

HEChicken, you'll have to let us know if any of the babies from that turkey have crests.

I candled a bunch of eggs that are coming due in the next few days & week & pitched quite a few. I think those were gathered when it was so darned cold & they didn't develop. Hopefully the next ones will be better. I think last night was our coldest night for this week, it just has to start getting warmer. Isn't this supposed to be spring? I want so bad to get out there & get some things done, but I don't want to work in the cold wind especially. Come on warm weather, we need some nice spring days, not hot but just nice warmer days.

I have a male guinea that keeps coming back, I know it has to be one of mine that went & joined the neighbor's group & has come back. He seems to remember where he used to live. There are 8 of them that come up here to visit mine in the pen, but that one especially stays behind when the others leave. It's possible that all of these were mine originally & have been living at the neighbor's because I lost quite a few over time. I haven't let any of mine out yet, I plan to let out most of the males, but I have only a few females left & I want to keep those in to lay eggs for me along with 2 or 3 males. The rest can go out before too long. They'll most likely team up with the ones that went to the neighbor's but I have too many males anyway. I need to find some more females, but I plan to get eggs to hatch of other colors, so I guess we'll see if I get females from that.

 

[lizzyGSR]

I saw another coyote today... I had just begun to think that the cold had killed off the mangy coyote I'd been seeing. The sun was setting when I saw this coyote, and it was just far enough away that I couldn't tell if it was the same coyote or not. IT wasn't in the yard this time, but it wasn't too far away... And, again, I wasn't armed. I did sprint inside and tell my husband to bring the gun out, but by the time we got back outside, the coyote was far enough away that my DH couldn't get a clean shot, and my DH wasn't dressed in the proper clothes to go out after him...

On another note, my birds have been free ranging during the days, despite the coyote threat. They must be enjoying the opportunity because i have been getting about 3 eggs a day out of my 3 ducks. They have been pretty good about hiding the eggs, though. I found 6 eggs this morning, and I only have 3 birds to lay them, so at least a couple of the eggs have to be a couple of days old... It is nice to be getting eggs again. Now, if only my geese would get with the program.