Consolidated Kansas

[tweetybaby2005]

Hello my fellow chicken friends.... I'm finally back in the States after a month! I went to India to train a new team there before the Tax season hits us in the face so been MIA for a while. I'm now back and trying to get back into the swing to things. Of course I'm hundreds of posts behind so I won't try to catch up from where I stopped last and just go from here.

I'm glad to be back here and catch up on my regular work and home stuff. I feel like I'm wayyyyyyy behind. LOL.

Now if I can just get over my jetlag and be productive...

Ohhh... I'm enjoying the cooler weather. It was very humid in India because of the monsoon season. Rained just about everyday!

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Good Morning Kansans! I am actually off today and just enjoyed some quiet time with my flock. My little Wheaten Ameraucana has figured out that the FoodBearer means her no harm and greets me when I kneel down with an open hand

!!!! She is a beauty, but needs a boyfriend by Spring, anyone have a spare Wheaten Ameraucana?

As for the rest of the flock they are doing great, Scarlet the EE is by far my favorite and the bravest chicken you could imagine. I am concerned about her addiction to cat food though

, she just won't quit, and the cats don't mind LOL!

I just set some Lavender Orpington eggs yesterday and couldn't resist throwing some mixes in to fill in the extra spaces. I mean what is the point of a partially full 'bator right

? I did manage to keep from filling it though, victory over chicken math! Pray for a good hatch on the Lav Orps!

@chicken danz Glad you are making some progress on your building

!

I am jealous of everyone planting, I don't have the funds to do much Fall planting. Gardening and growing things is my only passion before chickens! Isn't great that chickens and gardens go hand in hand. They help me compost they turn my old garden and they are the best pest control I've had!!!

 

[Trish44]

Hello my fellow chicken friends.... I'm finally back in the States after a month! I went to India to train a new team there before the Tax season hits us in the face so been MIA for a while. I'm now back and trying to get back into the swing to things. Of course I'm hundreds of posts behind so I won't try to catch up from where I stopped last and just go from here.

I'm glad to be back here and catch up on my regular work and home stuff. I feel like I'm wayyyyyyy behind. LOL.

Now if I can just get over my jetlag and be productive...

Ohhh... I'm enjoying the cooler weather. It was very humid in India because of the monsoon season. Rained just about everyday!

Welcome back, yeah we wondered where you were. That's a long time to be gone somewhere for work & I'll bet you are glad you're home again. I couldn't handle the raining every day, ugh.

tarabellabirds, good luck on your hatch, I hope it goes well. I'm sure I will be hatching some chicks of the Wheaten Ameraucanas in the spring, but I don't have an extra rooster. Most all of my breeder birds have stopped laying altogether since I don't have lights in their pens & they're in a wooded area. They're either molting or just taking a break right now.

Most of the rain has gone north of us. We got a little bit last night, but I don't think much.

 

[zigzag45]

Thanks for the advice on mites and dealing with them.

I think one (or more?) of my birds are still struggling with laying thin shelled, or no shelled eggs. Two days in a row I've had a egg mess (or remnants) in the nesting box, but no shell pieces. Makes me wonder if somebody is laying shell-less eggs? Is this tied back to mites? Other health issues? I've got a guess as to which of maybe two or three birds. So, I'm going to isolate them in a holding pen so I can watch them one at a time better. They are on layer feed and I have oyster shell out for them.

Your building sound great @chicken danz . I think you will love it. I'm a bit glad I don't have much space as I'd have way too many birds.

How long do you keep layers for? I have some that are 1.5 years old. I was thinking they'd be good for 2-2.5 but thought I'd ask.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

How long do you keep layers for? I have some that are 1.5 years old. I was thinking they'd be good for 2-2.5 but thought I'd ask.

It depends on the breed. Most commercial layers, like the sex-link (red stars, black stars etc.) will lay most of there eggs with in 2 years. Heritage breeds will lay fewer egg per year but lay for longer periods of time, an average of 4 years. This is a generalization some will lay for longer and some for shorter. I've heard of heritage birds laying into their 6th year!

 

[chicken danz]

Thanks for the advice on mites and dealing with them.

I think one (or more?) of my birds are still struggling with laying thin shelled, or no shelled eggs. Two days in a row I've had a egg mess (or remnants) in the nesting box, but no shell pieces. Makes me wonder if somebody is laying shell-less eggs? Is this tied back to mites? Other health issues? I've got a guess as to which of maybe two or three birds. So, I'm going to isolate them in a holding pen so I can watch them one at a time better. They are on layer feed and I have oyster shell out for them.

Your building sound great @chicken danz . I think you will love it. I'm a bit glad I don't have much space as I'd have way too many birds.

How long do you keep layers for? I have some that are 1.5 years old. I was thinking they'd be good for 2-2.5 but thought I'd ask.

Zig I have some 4 year old orpingtons and 5 year old brahmas that are still laying strong but the sex links are pretty well spent before they are two years old. Like Tarabella said it depends ont the breed and the birds themselves.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Zig I have some 4 year old orpingtons and 5 year old brahmas that are still laying strong but the sex links are pretty well spent before they are two years old. Like Tarabella said it depends ont the breed and the birds themselves.

5 year old Brahmas still laying! That is awesome. I have chosen to focus on my Brahmas, and Orpingtons, with maybe a few others thrown in because I can't resist! I like to say that I will butcher any hens that are done laying, but I know that there will be some that manage a free ride LOL.

 

[Trish44]

I have some that are about 3 now that are still laying well. We'll see how long that continues.

 

[chicken danz]

I thought my old brahmas were done and I was just going to let them move back to the hen house and live until they died of old age. But they started picking up laying again. I think it was just too hot for them for awhile.
Tarabella you're a girl after my own heart. Orpingtons and brahmas are my main focus now after breeding many many others for years. I still have a few others but at least 90% of my birds are one of those two breeds.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

I thought my old brahmas were done and I was just going to let them move back to the hen house and live until they died of old age. But they started picking up laying again. I think it was just too hot for them for awhile.
Tarabella you're a girl after my own heart. Orpingtons and brahmas are my main focus now after breeding many many others for years. I still have a few others but at least 90% of my birds are one of those two breeds.

I am so glad that I ordered a heavy assort layer mix from MM for starting my flock. I received my very first BOrp and fell in love instantly. Big Mama was big and bossy and lovable and I don't think I would have discovered Orps as quickly had it not been for her! I just love big round birds and you can't get much more round than an Orpington! As for the Brahmas I chose them for winter layers and fell for their majestic size and docile personality. I do want some JGiants from a breeder eventually, (my hatchery JG were a disappointment) but those two breeds stole my heart!

I can't wait to see if my Lav Orp eggs hatch! And next year I WILL manage to get some Jubilees I don't care if I have to sell a kidney