Delawares from kathyinmo

[LeslieDJoyce]

I remember telling you I couldn't figure out why hens had brown spots on there back - it was spur blood- so it must not hurt to bad because it didn't slow down either Bert or Ernie.
Gee if you separate him from his lades he will think he is being punished for something.
Spots all gone after first good rain.

I know. And he is very busy with his females. Telling them how to eat and when to go hide in the coop. He has never been apart from them since he came here, and never been more confined than in the 23' x 11' coop over night. I'd rather not stress him unnecessarily.

Though for him I might try the trim & file technique if I do anything before breeding season. He has appointments and I don't want I risk infection.

For the hatchery birds we have a recovery area all prepared in the free-range zone of the flock. We are going to wait until after the next cold snap so nobody has to sleep alone even for one night if it's below freezing.

 

[rancher hicks]

Its not the same- your fingernail is attached on top of the finger - the spur is just a hard casing and grows from the bottom - when you break it at the base it slides right out of the casing- the new growth is what slides out- that has blood flow in it - thats why I don't think dremel cutoff is wise JMHO

I think if you were inclined to trim the horn back to a point just shy of the quick instead of removing it, then having a dremel grinder bit to polish the cut end smooh would be handy. But I didn't like the video that showed sawing through both the horn and quick with the dremel.

I have read that you can apply a hot wet cloth and pull the spur off leaving a smaller soft spur.

I have also read that like a dogs toenail you can cut the spur just shy of the quick, leaving a short and blunted end spur.

I also read that you can use a hack saw to cut the spur, but it requires two people. The dremel is easier for one person. That's why I suggested it. I don't have a second person to hold a rooster.

I personally would not go so far as to cut into the quick. That's just my way. I've probably cut as little as possible so I didn't traumatise my rooster.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I have to brag on the Delaware pullets. Today, for the first time, I got two eggs laid ... wait for it ... in the nesting boxes!

 

[finnfur]

I have to brag on the Delaware pullets. Today, for the first time, I got two eggs laid ... wait for it ... in the nesting boxes!

Well great ! I think all my pullets are now laying however they haven't got the procedure down pat.
Yesterday raining and one egg outside next to FF feeder - one inside walk in door on floor- one under coop roost in small coop
and one under roost in large coop - must be doing bombing practice from the roost LOL
And they have 10 nests and all empty except one and the second pullet was truing to get in same nest- these are small metal commercial nests but she climbed in on top like " Ok your times up"
Chickens are funny

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Well great ! I think all my pullets are now laying however they haven't got the procedure down pat.
Yesterday raining and one egg outside next to FF feeder - one inside walk in door on floor- one under coop roost in small coop
and one under roost in large coop - must be doing bombing practice from the roost LOL
And they have 10 nests and all empty except one and the second pullet was truing to get in same nest- these are small metal commercial nests but she climbed in on top like " Ok your times up"
Chickens are funny

How are the sizes coming along? Mine are still just approaching 50 g (the lower cut-off for "Medium" sized eggs). So they started smaller this year than last.

Ours were laying randomly, too. Not that we've gotten so many eggs from them yet. So we put fake eggs in the nesting boxes. For a while there I thought I was going to have to get my free-ranging hatchery roo Pecker in to show them how to use the nesting boxes. He puts on a whole musical about it.

 

[finnfur]

How are the sizes coming along? Mine are still just approaching 50 g (the lower cut-off for "Medium" sized eggs). So they started smaller this year than last.

Ours were laying randomly, too. Not that we've gotten so many eggs from them yet. So we put fake eggs in the nesting boxes. For a while there I thought I was going to have to get my free-ranging hatchery roo Pecker in to show them how to use the nesting boxes. He puts on a whole musical about it.

I have not been weighing but only had one dink so far - it was about as big as the end of my thumb - that would be super bantam size.
They may be just atad smaller than the F4s but not by much - most are up to hatching size or will be by Feb

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I have not been weighing but only had one dink so far - it was about as big as the end of my thumb - that would be super bantam size.
They may be just atad smaller than the F4s but not by much - most are up to hatching size or will be by Feb

Can't wait to see your chicks!

 

[capayvalleychick]

I've noticed that the spurs on this line don't seem to grow as fast or long as my other birds. My husband twists them off with pliers. They don't bleed for long. If they do bleed too much, I use some blood stopper or cornstarch on them at the time of removal.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Zanna, are you using the hatcher and incubator in a heated room?

My problem is, I don't have a climate controlled room for incubation. I'd like to hatch early, but don't have a solution.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Leslie, I remove spurs before breeding. I was told that spurs can injure or even kill a hen.