IA here

[pbjmaker]

Now I want some of Trish's cochins!!! The ameraucanans/EE's I have from her are also a bit small. The one that I have that just started laying is decent size but it took her a long time to get there.

The Iowa Blues don't have any blue on them - we are not sure why they were named that.

Kari - with the exception that I don't have a barn - or mini horses - you could have been taking pictures of my bunch! I was just thinking today that I need to band them now that they are bigger. I had a bad experience with banding a d'uccle when I first got chickens, so I tend not to do it anymore. These guys though - I want to be able to tell apart.

So far today my stomach is holding it together better and the headache is mostly gone. I realized I hadn't had any caffiene in 2 days - thus my head felt like a giant bobble head doll yesterday.

I went down to my parents and met their new rescue dog. She is sooooo beautiful but man they have their hands full. She is total athelete and still full of puppy energy. She is a 1 year old lab/german short hair mix. I watched her take down the neighbors Rottie that had come over to meet and greet. She dominated him in no time - very smart dog.

Well that is my excitement for the day - now off to try and catch up on housework - no one did dishes for the last 2 days

It took all I had just to feed and take care of the animals. Let alone the capable people...

 

[sammileah]

'Their problem is they have picked it clean of cracked corn and I ain't gettin' them no more food until they eat the layer crumbles'


mine are doing this too. so as punishment i guess i've stopped giving them kitchen scraps at night in there feed pan and now it goes in the pasture in the morning. so if they want those bits of stale bread and apple core they have to go outside and beat the goats. today the pan was cleaned out. my big roos and RIR hen don't go outside in winter sissies.

 

[pbjmaker]

Today I found 3 of my hens 3 houses down. Apparently if they can't have corn from me they will go where they feed the birds...

Time to clip their wings again!

 

[sammileah]

lol i'm sorry. i had a roo walk to the bus stop with the kids 1 morning. he got side tracked on the way home by the hens 3 doors down. i heard him crow and thought hey they don't have a roo.
catching him was fun.

 

[LadyWoodsong]

I love those LF cochins!!! Beautiful, especially that last picture? How good of egg layers are cochins? I would love to add a few to my flock this spring.....*sigh*

 

[karimw]

Quote:
I wouldn't call them the best layers in my flock because they have pretty small eggs. I've had two prolapse and was only able to save one. BUT I've got 3 adults Cochins and I get 2-3 small pale eggs a day. I don't have them under lights, so I'd say that's good for winter. Not much from anybody else right now, so at least they are giving us enough for ourselves!

Edited to add: the last one is my favorite too. I HOPE it's a pullet, but I'm afraid probably not.

 

[harleyjo]

I am so hoping I don't have a chicken eating eggs. My egg numbers have been down but since this is my first winter with chickens I don't know how normal this is? I have on several occassions had "wet" spots in my nesting boxes. I have also had some yokey eggs on the outside shell. So I don't know if they are laying in the early evening after I put them up and the eggs are freezing overnight or just what is going on.

 

[LadyWoodsong]

Quote:
I have 15 chickens and am only getting about 5 eggs a day. They do not get any extra light. Slim pickins'.

Not sure about the wet spots and yolk on outside of shell....

 

[LadyWoodsong]

oops. double post.

 

[pbjmaker]

Harleyjo - sounds like you have an egg eater. I say this from experience. I had some last winter, got rid of them this spring and now have some again. Not sure who is doing it this time.

I did get 8 eggs today - been only getting 1 if any at all. Since it is nice out they are laying in my other "summer/broody" coop.

I think that an egg freezes and cracks open and being the opportunists that chickens are, they figure they will take care of that mess for you and then eat all the other eggs to prevent it from happening more

I found an empty egg shell the other day in my coop and I also find those wet spots where they normally lay.

If you don't have light on them that will help also. I just have one of those lightbulbs that are caged (like for a garage) and use a 60 watt bulb in it.


About the wandering chickens - I would be more OK with it if I didn't live IN the city... Not sure those particular neighbors would be fond of a chicken pooped porch.