Consolidated Kansas

[tntblake]

Quote:
It would have been nice if they called you sooner so you could make other plans. Some people don't take the time to think about the person waiting on them. I hope my broody will take the new ones. She seems to have accepted the sex link but is really pecking the wyandotte every time she notices it. I hope she will forget that they are new by the time they get up in the morning. If she doesn't then I guess I will have to take the new ones and raise them in the house.

 

[chicken danz]

If they make it through the night I'd bet the other chick will be ok.

 

[tntblake]

Quote:
I hope so. We will see. I shouldn't have bought them and then I wouldn't be having this problem but it's too late now. I guess I will know tomorrow.

 

[chicken danz]

NEVER feel guilty about buying a chick. It's just plain smart. Even if all of them don't make it, chickens provide food one way or another. You can either have eggs or have a chicken dinner in the end. And if that weren't enough, they are wonderful animals to watch and enjoy. You could have taken that same money and purchased a soft drink. What would you have to show for it later on?

 

[tntblake]

Quote:
I know but I feel bad that she isn't taking to them. I just went out and she has made the sexlink bleed and the wyandotte was off by itself across the yard. So I brought them in. Should I try to put them back under her tonight or just give up? I'm afraid that she will kill them. I have never had any problems with chicks before.

 

[Hawkeye95]

TntBlake- I know nada. But if you're just asking for an opinion, I'd say bring them in for tonight and try again tomorrow if you think she might go for it. Let the babies recover a bit and get some rest and food. Anyway-- BABIES!!! They are so darned stinkin' cute, I love chicks. I love Atwoods... I love everything chicken!

Danz, sorry about your people that cancelled. I hear you on the project that was a'wastin while you were waiting around. Bummer. I was getting so much work done and really on a roll this afternoon and then I started to have people pour into my driveway! I love my neighbors, but right now, it was just annoying since I couldn't keep working. I stopped and talked. And I can't say that they are awful neighbors, they are great- they just do spring attacks every now and then. But they usually always bring gifts, and before the coop, their visits were always welcome!

Like today, they brought over their little girls bicycle and helmet that she outgrew. Still looks new, and we were planning on buying her one, and now we don't! But then they stick around and hold chicks and look over my coop.. which is fun, but I'm already in panic mode thinking how fast winter is coming. Ah well.

I made progress on my nest doors. True to form, it took me nearly ALL stinkin' day to do them. I had serious issues measuring them out. Fortunately, i was over and had to keep trimming them down by little tiny bits. Then I put them together and it didn't fit. Then I tore them apart, made a tiny little adjsutment and put it together again. Then tore it apart... This about drove me NUTS. I wish I was a real carpenter, I'd skip that part. On the up side, I did get them to fit in the holes and they look good. On the down side, I didn't even get the plywood backing put on or the hinges, or..... etc.

I also put the windowsills in. THEN my DH comes out and says, 'you know, those should be angled down to drain off water'. Well, crud, because I just stuck them in even. SO now I have to pull those back out tomorrow and try to shim them a bit so they drain water. SIGH. See what I mean? I am my own worst enemy out there. I know just enough to get me into more trouble.

 

[sharol]

WE had our first hawk encounter this afternoon about 5:00. I heard the girls making a warning noise and I went outside just in time to see a smallish, young red tail dive into my little flock. I yelled at him/her and he/she took off and flew up to a tree outside the yard. I did the loud hawk cry again and ran toward him and he flew off. He didn't get his claws into any of the girls, but they were pretty shook up over the whole event. I've been warning them to keep their eyes on the sky. They were heading toward the flower garden adjacent to the patio where there is a bit of cover when he struck at them.

Scared the crap out me, I don't mind telling you. I hustled them back into their run for the rest of the late afternoon, and they didn't seem to mind. Now I'm back to being paranoid.

 

[ChooksChick]

TNTBlake: I'm not sure you will see this, but if you do try another go at putting them under her overnight, she may take them if she's kept in low light in a confined area with food and water for a day or two. It's kind of a game of disguise when you add latecomers to an active mother who is already on Chick Parade with her babies. She is geared up to recognize her kids and kill off any interlopers (competitors for food). If you can keep her from seeing that they don't belong (low light) you'll often succeed at getting the couple of days necessary for her to accept them.

If she's making them bleed and isn't kept away, she will kill them. I have had some darling birds suffer a swift fate because I wasn't right there when the sun came up, and Mama got up off the nest and took care of her brood by mauling the poor 'intruders.'

Best of luck!

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
omGosh! I'd be freaking out too! Yeah, I'd be worried if he would come back now that he knows they are there. Hopefully maybe he will move on in a couple of days? I don't know hawk behaviors, so I have no idea. I'm glad no one was hurt! I think you were lucky, since I have read of stories where hawks dove down right in front of humans and still took off with a chicken despite being yelled at. They are fast and they know it.

TntBlake- how are your new chicks this morning?

Well, I have to clean house this morning. We have company coming over tonight for a weenie roast in our fire pit. I already got some done yesterday, so I won't have too much to do today. Then hopefully spend as much of the day working as possible before I have to stop.

 

[chicken danz]

TNT, I've found that if a hen clucks and tucks the chicks under her breast then she will accept them. If not it's probably not going to work unless like Renee said, you can introduce them at night and she tucks them then. I've lost a few chicks trying to get a Mom to take them in. I think it works best if she is hatching as you add. So you may have a couple babies to hard raise but they will be special chicks for you cause you'll get more attached to them. Those broody chicks are always impossible to play with.
I really wish I had the day today to just play. I really want to work on my Mandarin aviary and do all I can to get it ready for the ducks. I desperately need to clean but that is probably on the back burner.
I may have to take a load of pheasant to Ottawa either this evening or tomorrow. I hate to make the trip but it means some money in my pocket as well if it comes together.