Consolidated Kansas

[Chicabeaka]

Hi all,

I have been following this thread for quite awhile. I live just outside of Manhattan and am fairly new to the chicken world.

I have 4 hens, 1 rooster and 2 guineas. They range from 8 - 11 months old. They have all been doing very well until a few days ago.

My Black Cooper Marans who is my very best layer suddenly stopped laying eggs and is sitting in her nest box. How do I know if she has gone broody or is ill? I have looked up a lot of information and am probably more confused than ever. You all seem very knowledgable so I thought that maybe you would have some insight. I figured that the Kansas crew might be the best people to ask since you are experiencing the same weather I am.

I was gone for a few days right before the snow. My husband and son were taking care of the chickens for me. Although they were doing a good job, my son accidentally goofed up with the waterer and the flock was without water for an afternoon and morning. When this was discovered they were pretty thirsty but other than that seemed fine.

All was good for a couple of more days then Mic started staying on her nest. Her eyes are clear, she looks okay although she does have a tiny bit of white no the top of her comb (frost bite?). Did she get overly cold, dehydrated?

I took her off of the nest once. She went out, drank and ate. Yesterday I was so happy because when I looked out, she was in the run eating and drinking. Shortly after she went back to the nest box even though all of her buddies are free ranging.

So, how do I know if she is broody, sick, egg bound? She's such a good layer but every now and then will lay a really big egg. She hasn't laid in 5+ days. She usually lays 4-5 per week.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreicated!

Thanks!

P.S. I'm posting this on the main forum page as well

 

[chicken danz]

@zigzag45 if you make it to Gardner I might have a few sussex chicks available. I have lots in the incubator. I think I could sex them now using Trish's method. I'd be glad to gift you a few just to give you another chance to own them. I'm guessing I'll have some black brahmas too. Those black brahmas are something that sell themselves. Not many people are interested until they see them then they have to have some. I love making your daughters happy.
My guess is your orp just took a winter break. I have an entire pen of my double laced blue gold brahmas that are maybe laying 2-3 eggs a day. There's probably 30 hens in there. They just need longer days to crank them up.
@Chicabeaka Does your hen low growl at you or peck at your hand when you reach under her? Does she have eggs she is sitting on? If this applies she is probably broody. Especially if she isn't appearing sick. If she sleeps a lot that could indicate sickness. If she doesn't have eggs put a couple in front of her chest and see if she attempts to push them under her. A broody will often only leave the nest maybe one time and day. The white on her comb would probably be frostbite. Watch it to see what happens with it. A little vaseline on it might help. It will probably either disappear all together, or turn black and fall off. Of course I can't tell without seeing it. I've got lots of girls out there with frost bite right now.
You can take her temperature with a rectal thermometer by holding it in her vent until it is done. It isn't unusual to see temps fluctuate between 101 and 105. A chickens temperature changes as she digest foods, works on producing eggs etc throughout the day. Any temp over 105 may be a reason for concern.
I just bought the cheapest digital thermometer I could find and it's not a rectal but it's marked for bird butts only. It's a lot faster. Good luck with her. Can she walk normally when she does get out?
I was kind of busy today but got nothing done. I've been out measuring and looking at the materials I have around here. I have to get a new shelter built for my turkeys. I've got simple plans figured out and I think if I can get the saw set up I can build this thing in one day. I'm just going to build it attached to the side of the first turkey house I built to save material and make it faster.
I also need to build some more goose laying coops cause they are in breeding season and need a lot more room than they have. Not enough hours in a day for sure.

 

[Trish44]

Yeah the Cinnamon Queens & hybrids like that do lay really well, but I agree with Danz on the super layers. I do like them, but like she said you just have to be prepared to replace them often. I quit raising them because someone in the next town over was hatching them like popcorn & selling them for $2 each, I was not about to try to compete with that. I would much rather have pure bred birds anyway & I have no pen room for anything else at this point. I like to focus on my breeding stock that I have tried to obtain the best birds I can for & produce nice chicks so others can enjoy them. It costs a lot as Danz knows to get good breeding stock & months to get them to breeding age, so it is an investment in time & money. I have some this year I will be hatching the first chicks from & I can't wait to see how they turn out. I love the Orps & all the beautiful colors they come in & the big fluffy butts. They take a lot of pen space but I love them. I also like a lot of color in my laying flock so I like having the flashy birds out there running around in the yard. I sure am missing my birds & animals right now.

We have new twin lambs born yesterday, boys!




This is the ewe that rejected her lamb last year & I had to bottle feed him. I'm so thrilled she's being a good mama to these because there is no way I can bottle feed lambs right now.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

So am wanting to see about adding some bright colored hens to my flock as wonderful as they all are I would love some reds and some lavender blues to break up the 7 Black White,4 Golden Black, 3 Buff and my Spunky Cloud White with bright green legs that I have currently. I know that you wonderful breeders have lots of different colors and was just wondering if any of you will be thinning your flock this Spring?

 

[zigzag45]

@Trish44 - cute lamb pics. I'd love to have some of my own someday.

@chicken danz - you are an enabler's enabler! Of course I'm interested!! I'll PM you closer to Gardner. You should charge me though... if not for the birds for all the PM's you'll get after when I have care questions.

I don't know what other's do for breaking a broody, but I bought one of those wire mesh cages that also has a wire floor. I set it off the ground and put my two broody girls in there - they were not happy! If you catch the broody early, it only takes a few days. I've been concerned for the birds feet on the wire mesh but so far they've done ok.

Of course, it's way more fun to put eggs under them.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Hey everyone does anyone produce Blue Laced Red Wyandotte?

 

[sharol]

One of my Araucana broodies has decided she is done. She has spent way too much time off the nest for eggs due Saturday, so I traded her out for 2 new eggs and put the 2 she had in the incubator, but it may be too late for them. I candled and couldn't see any movement. They are fully developed -- can see the beak up at the top by the membrane. ****.

A third egg was cracked -- a fairly long crack in the air cell area, but the membrane is intact, so I used some wax on the crack and put it in the incubator, too. If any of them survive, I'll tuck them under her sister who is still setting.

I debated about what to do, but they are almost ready to hatch. I knew they were the wrong breed and too young when I let them have eggs. Next time, broody breaker.

Sigh. I didn't really want babies in February anyway, but I hate the loss of life so late in development.

 

[lizzyGSR]

I don't know what other's do for breaking a broody, but I bought one of those wire mesh cages that also has a wire floor. I set it off the ground and put my two broody girls in there - they were not happy! If you catch the broody early, it only takes a few days. I've been concerned for the birds feet on the wire mesh but so far they've done ok.

Of course, it's way more fun to put eggs under them.

Way more fun to put eggs under them....

I don't think Danz is the only enabler on here!

 

[chicken danz]

So am wanting to see about adding some bright colored hens to my flock as wonderful as they all are I would love some reds and some lavender blues to break up the 7 Black White,4 Golden Black, 3 Buff and my Spunky Cloud White with bright green legs that I have currently. I know that you wonderful breeders have lots of different colors and was just wondering if any of you will be thinning your flock this Spring?

I won't be thinning the flock but I will for sure have plenty of chicks and maybe even some older birds left over. I raise a few every year and add some younger hens and maybe switch out a rooster to improve the lot. I always have some left overs.

Hey everyone does anyone produce Blue Laced Red Wyandotte?

@Trish44 has some but I don't know if she has rooster. I am forgetting now. I raise some brahmas with the exact color pattern as they are. They have been a project of mine for about 5 years. This is the first year I am selling chicks since they are finally breeding true. I'm the only person who has this color any where.

Sharol, sorry about your araucana eggs. I had the worst ever hatch this week. I had 15 Araucana eggs that were all developing beautifully. But I only had 6 chicks hatch. That stupid deadly gene took way more than it's 25% average from them. And of course I had an order for 10 chicks. Luckily I have some earlier hatches so I can still fill the order. But I had planned to gift some to a little girl. Now I don't know what I might have left. I have some more due to hatch next week but not that many.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Danz,
Yep we will definitely be coming down to visit and chicken shop as I would love to see what "left overs you have lol" and definitely want to shop some of your Brahmas especially that that breed and color though im sure we will find a few more to bring back with us