Consolidated Kansas

[HEChicken]

The poor thing has a twisted face that criscrosses. Is this a condition? We've had a buff Orpington from our first batch ever girls that has had a crooked beak. I'm wondering if this is just a hatchery breeding deformity.

This is a deformity that unfortunately continues to get worse until culling the bird is your only option. I've only had one case of it in all the years I've been raising chickens. I first noticed the cross beak when the cockerel was a teenager and kept an eye on him. At first he could eat just fine but when he reached the point he was having difficulty eating, I culled him, figuring it was better to die a quick, relatively painless death than to die of starvation over the course of several weeks.

 

[chicken danz]

I think there's a couple different things that cause cross beaks. One is hereditary and that is going to reproduce in offspring. Other causes are lack of nutrients which occur when a hen depletes her stores and isn't getting enough calcium for instance when she is laying. Other reasons are when the eggs get too old before they are set which causes various deformities,or problems during the incubation process. In a hatchery bird you can almost guarantee it's a hereditary trait and won't go away. I know I've hatched a few chicks with problems and it's either been because I didn't set the eggs soon enough, or in seasonal breeders like the geese because I failed to add more supplements when we were getting toward the end of the laying season. I don't believe those things will carry to the next generation.
I have a Araucana hen right now with a crossed beak. There were lots of old eggs in the bunch I hatched from and I ended up with several cross beaked chicks. The others were weak and died but this one does fine. She hasn't produced any cross beaked off spring at all.
I also hatched one buff that I gave away who's entire skeleton is crooked. She does fine and lays well but she has intermittent breathing problems. Her new owner however just uses her for an egg layer and doesn't breed for chicks. I know in that case it was because the egg was under a broody and she wasn't turning them. I took the eggs in to finish hatching them and it was the only one that made it to full term.

 

[dwink2]

Good cool morning chicken lovers! Boy, what a change in the weather. A high of 100 yesterday and forecasted high of 65 today.

I am thinking that it was just bad luck with all of my Roos. They were bought from a very nice breeder and it just means that I will have to buy more fuzz butts now! I do have some nice Roos to re-home if anyone is interested.

Off to buy more chicken food for my flock! Have a great day.

 

[Trish44]

It's cloudy here today, still 87 right now but it's supposed to be 76 tomorrow. I don't think it has cooled down as much here as other places yet. I don't think we're going to get the rain today, at least unless something blows up from OK. That's where a lot of the rain comes from that we get since we're so close to the border.

I got the 6 little chicks delivered to my friend yesterday & on the way there they got a little too warm in the box I had them in. I had lots of holes in the box, but it was just a really warm day & I guess the sun was shining on the top of the box. I got them there & she had some electrolytes she put in the water & after they got a drink they seemed to perk up. I sure hope they will be OK, she was so excited about them.

Well everyone enjoy the day, I'm headed out to try to help put some fence clips on the fence out there.

 

[HEChicken]

So nice for it to be a little cooler. I understand that yesterday was our last stab at making triple digits for the year and I can't say I mind that idea a bit. Fall is my favorite time of year anyway. The days are cooler than summer but still nice, a decent length and its generally not too windy - not that you'd guess that from today's wind.

I butchered an older hen this morning and she is now cooking away in the crockpot. She and one other hen were the two oldest in my flock at 4 years old, so I figure they've laid most of the eggs they will ever lay and since this hen was in molt, I know she was done for the year. I decided why continue to feed her over the winter when its unlikely she will lay much next year anyway. It was kind of sad since she's been with me so long but I can't keep hatching and never cull the older ones. And I had no particular sentimental attachment to this hen even though I've had her so long. It seemed sort of a "cycle of life" kind of thing when I came in from doing the deed to check my incubator and see a chick just popping out of its shell. So I guess I didn't actually reduce my flock numbers today at all.

The other hen I got at the same time as this one is broody - her first time ever. I'm not sure how good she'll be at it but I'm willing to give her a shot at being a mother if that's what she wants. I was always going to have a harder time butchering her anyway, as she is quite unique looking and I've always had a soft spot for her.

The sad part is, I went down later to look over the flock and try to decide who will be the next older hen cull and……I can't pinpoint a single hen. "This one? She's coming up on 4. Oh no, she has a name and is a favorite. What about this one - she'll be 4 in spring. Oh no, she's my fox attack survivor. I can't bring her back from death and then kill her. Well, what about this one - you have quite a few just like her. Yes, but those are project birds - I can't take any of them. How about this one, that one or the one over there? No, they all raised chicks for me and were brilliant mothers so they stay. Okay, now come on, get serious - those two you've had for ages - surely you can spare them? NO! They lay the most beautiful dark brown eggs. Well, what about that nondescript looking hen over there? Of course not - she lays pretty little green eggs. This one, that one and the other one over there are all bantams so not worth butchering".

You see my problem? A hundred birds and every one of them has a reason to stay. Sigh. So right now I have two cockerels who will be "due" in about two weeks, 4-5 cockerels who are ages varying from 5 -12 weeks so will be gone by winter but still have quite a few weeks of feed ahead of them. 4 drakes. A couple of male turkeys. And that's the extent of my culling program. Yikes. Can anyone say "soft-hearted"?

 

[Trish44]

Oh HEChicken I was laughing while reading your post! I can so identify with your problems with culling. I added several new pullets this year that are supposed to be replacements for older hens. When looking through my laying flock I was feeling much the same way as you. I do know of one older BR who I will be able to cull who was a hatchery bird. Other than her though I have yet to decide on another one. I do have one rooster for sure who is going to freezer camp as soon as I'm sure I have a replacement.

 

[chicken danz]

Funny you guys should write about culling hens. I was just telling DH today that I think all my old light brahmas are about done laying. I get an average of an egg a day and there is only one pullet in there. The rest of the girls will be 5 years old this coming spring. They are such awesome girls and the ones I loved out of all my beginning mix of breeds. But I honestly don't think I can cull them. I desperately need to reduce numbers of birds but these girls have always been the best. I even have a couple that would stand up if I put my hand under them to get an egg. So I think there are 9 of them. That's a lot of feed to pour down a non-productive bird. I may just let them out of the breeder pen and see if they move back to the old hen house.
I have someone wanting 16 roosters tomorrow. I am really glad to be able to reduce some numbers even though they aren't huge birds. I never charge enough for them but I know at least I'm not feeding them forever.
I've been out trying to move stuff so we can get some work done on the building. I'm just very discouraged in how much has to be done and how short I am on time. I need to get the trencher rented and get the water line trenched in but that won't do any good if all the other stuff isn't moved. I'm thinking I should have definitely chosen a different spot for my building so I didn't have so much prep work to do.
It got really chilly out there later in the day. I had to put a light jacket on while I was working. I finally had to give up and come in for a cup of coffee.

 

[morgangirl1]

HEChicken, I can side with you. I am such a sucker when it comes to having to cull my birds. Even the ones that really should go I just cant do it. Mom dose the deed but I also have to choose some of the birds to go. We had like 5 roos at one time and I had a glimmer of hope for each one, and really tried to not give them criminal names...
We haven't had to cull hens until they get sick. All of our first hens are around 4 this year but I think there is about 4 of them. They've all been such great survivors and showed the younger birds what to do. These girls have raised half of our broody chicks its really strange.
danz it was getting cold yesterday, I was going out to write on some of my novels and I had to come back in to one get some snacks for our girls, There was probably 15 of them, And then I needed coffee because It was getting cold!
This morning out doing chores I stole my mom sweater getting cold! Today my dad and I are going to the Ren Fest out in Bonner Springs. Im taking my two friends, I hope its not raining!

 

[chicken danz]

Wow I hadn't heard anything about the Renaissance Festival this year at all. I must not watch enough commercials. I've never been although I've been invited several times. I just don't do crowds. They make me very very nervous to the point of feeling extreme panic and even getting physically sick.
I've got to go out and gather 16 cockerels this morning that are going to freezer camp in a couple places. It'll be good to get the numbers down. These guys aren't super big but they'll work I guess. I don't care as long as I don't have to feed them any longer. I really hate doing things like that in the morning. I work long days but I prefer to enjoy my coffee for a few hours before I really get started. I figure that is the only part of me that is really anything that resembles being retired.

 

[cherwill]

The sad part is, I went down later to look over the flock and try to decide who will be the next older hen cull and……I can't pinpoint a single hen. "This one? She's coming up on 4. Oh no, she has a name and is a favorite.

Right. That's my answer for them all!

I haven't bought chicks at the feed store for quite awhile but I did love the time they had Black Sexlinks for sale at TSC at the cheaper price because they were straight run!!!

Why can't I ever find a deal like that?! Of course, it wouldn't matter if I did because I don't have room for more birds.

Wow I hadn't heard anything about the Renaissance Festival this year at all. I must not watch enough commercials. I've never been although I've been invited several times. I just don't do crowds. They make me very very nervous to the point of feeling extreme panic and even getting physically sick.

I haven't been the Renaissance Festival in years. We used to go every year with some friends and enjoyed it. Then my favorite vendors stopped coming, and the leather people changed their style, and it was so expensive. We felt like we should spend that money fixing up stuff at home (not that we have). I don't like crowds, either, so I don't miss that part of it.

We dug up all the carrots yesterday, and got a couple more scallop squashes. One plant is already dead, and another is beginning to wilt from the squash bugs. There are two more, so we'll get more squash before they're all dead. Too many of my tomatoes were rotted; that's what 5" of rain overnight will do.

Also, DH had to re-set and re-stake the three largest because the storm had knocked them over. The kale is still going strong, and the eggplants are continuing to grow. They're super-skinny, though. They're Little Fingers, which are long and skinny anyway, but not usually this skinny. Now that it's not so blazingly hot, I think the bell peppers will quit burning and be good again. And the green beans are starting to get beans on them!