Illinois...

[jerseyridgearts]

So sad....poor mama hen.


I'm still waiting on the BRs to decide if they're hens or roos....one definitely is a roo. I suspect a few others out of the six. My latest plan is to separate my 5 Red Star Girls (that i know are laying) and see if the BRs come up with some eggs. The one BR roo doesn't meet the descriptions I've read for them - looks more like the hen pictures but I'm 99% sure because he's jumping all the red stars....sigh. I can't come up with any other way to figure out who is a hen....

Roos or hens, I sure enjoy them. The Red Star Girls like to follow the mower....and they are always glad to see me. The BRs, not so much, but they may be as confused as I am , LOL

 

[Junibutt]

Sad day here yesterday. My SL mama brought her baby out of the coop and went over by the adults food and water dish on the other side of the yard. Sad to say, the baby fell into the water bowl. I went out to sit with them for a while when I noticed. Poor mama was looking for the baby the rest of the day. I have food and water inside and outside the coop for the chicks, but the baby was probably following mom. I really should start using the cup or nipple drinkers.

So sorry to hear that!

 

[Junibutt]

Sharing some pics from my chocolate Barpington (Legbar x Orpington). She turned 18 weeks yesterday. Has a small crest but is very friendly. Too bad she gets beat up all day by the elder girls. Her half sister Kim has learnt to not run when being beat up to avoid more beatings but she hasn't. Can't wait to see her egg. I am hoping for an olive but will be happy with a green.

 

[chickendreams24]

Sharing some pics from my chocolate Barpington (Legbar x Orpington). She turned 18 weeks yesterday. Has a small crest but is very friendly. Too bad she gets beat up all day by the elder girls. Her half sister Kim has learnt to not run when being beat up to avoid more beatings but she hasn't. Can't wait to see her egg. I am hoping for an olive but will be happy with a green.

She's very beautiful and ever so cool looking! Can't wait for my own little barpington! You'll have to tell us when she starts laying what color she lays! I think my white sport is laying but I can't be sure as I've never caught her laying and she's never squatted for me. We seem to be getting another blue egg. I'll let you know and post some pics when I'm sure what egg she's laying. In the mean time we are starting to get our first eggs from our Easter hatch chicks!! We got for sure two yesterday and I know who layed one but the other little brown egg is a mystery. We may have another newish layer too as we are getting more tinted bantam sized eggs than I think we should be since we currently have one OEGB broody and I don't think my golden sebright has started laying again since she was broody.

 

[Faraday40]

Sharing some pics from my chocolate Barpington (Legbar x Orpington). She turned 18 weeks yesterday. Has a small crest but is very friendly. Too bad she gets beat up all day by the elder girls. Her half sister Kim has learnt to not run when being beat up to avoid more beatings but she hasn't. Can't wait to see her egg. I am hoping for an olive but will be happy with a green.

Ohhhh
I love that round orp body with the little crest. How cute!!

 

[MeepBeep]

We found a Racing Pigeon today, apparently it was hanging out on the barn roof and the kids noticed it, they called to it and it came right down to them and was hanging out with them... They offered it some food and it's as tame as can be, pet tame in fact the kids were touch and petting it as it ate some scratch grains they hand in their hands... We picked it up and took down the leg band number and identified the owner from the Grand Rapids, MI area, we emailed them and apparently the bird we have is no longer his, but he is going to notify the new owner... He did give us some info though it was released in Gas City, IN for a race back to Grand Rapids, MI yesterday... Apparently what is becoming a world wide problem that no one can fully explain, the birds are losing their orientation... Out of the 300ish birds released for the race yesterday only about 100 made it back home so far... The race from Gas City, IN to Grand Rapids is almost due North, but apparently this birds compass sent it about due Northwest and 100s of miles off course and on the other side of Lake Michigan...

We will keep it for a few days feeding, hydrating and letting it rest, then release it and hope it finds it's way back home, that is unless the new owner suggest we do something different...

 

[Faraday40]

Has anyone had experience with pullets NOT laying in the nest boxes???

My mid March hatch has had red combs for a few weeks. Many of the birds I sold are already laying for their owners, but the ones I kept are either maturing slower or finding somewhere else to put their eggs. I've checked "the stump" - one of their fav hang-outs - and occasionally the compost pile & gardens. I can't be sure they're even laying. My dogs could also be eating the eggs if they're being laid anywhere but inside the coop. Any suggestions?

 

[Faraday40]

We found a Racing Pigeon today, apparently it was hanging out on the barn roof and the kids noticed it, they called to it and it came right down to them and was hanging out with them... They offered it some food and it's as tame as can be, pet tame in fact the kids were touch and petting it as it ate some scratch grains they hand in their hands... We picked it up and took down the leg band number and identified the owner from the Grand Rapids, MI area, we emailed them and apparently the bird we have is no longer his, but he is going to notify the new owner... He did give us some info though it was released in Gas City, IN for a race back to Grand Rapids, MI yesterday... Apparently what is becoming a world wide problem that no one can fully explain, the birds are losing their orientation... Out of the 300ish birds released for the race yesterday only about 100 made it back home so far... The race from Gas City, IN to Grand Rapids is almost due North, but apparently this birds compass sent it about due Northwest and 100s of miles off course and on the other side of Lake Michigan...

We will keep it for a few days feeding, hydrating and letting it rest, then release it and hope it finds it's way back home, that is unless the new owner suggest we do something different...

How cool!
Hope the little guy can get back home.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

Sharing some pics from my chocolate Barpington (Legbar x Orpington). She turned 18 weeks yesterday. Has a small crest but is very friendly. Too bad she gets beat up all day by the elder girls. Her half sister Kim has learnt to not run when being beat up to avoid more beatings but she hasn't. Can't wait to see her egg. I am hoping for an olive but will be happy with a green.

She is a pretty girl. Love the rich color on her and her lovely crest.

I had to pull my chocolate orp and 1 of my blue orps out of the yard and they are in the side drive with the grow outs. They have lost too many feathers due to being Mick's favorites. Its has been a week and already seeing new feathers coming in, thank goodness, poor Coco is hard to look at these days.

We found a Racing Pigeon today, apparently it was hanging out on the barn roof and the kids noticed it, they called to it and it came right down to them and was hanging out with them... They offered it some food and it's as tame as can be, pet tame in fact the kids were touch and petting it as it ate some scratch grains they hand in their hands... We picked it up and took down the leg band number and identified the owner from the Grand Rapids, MI area, we emailed them and apparently the bird we have is no longer his, but he is going to notify the new owner... He did give us some info though it was released in Gas City, IN for a race back to Grand Rapids, MI yesterday... Apparently what is becoming a world wide problem that no one can fully explain, the birds are losing their orientation... Out of the 300ish birds released for the race yesterday only about 100 made it back home so far... The race from Gas City, IN to Grand Rapids is almost due North, but apparently this birds compass sent it about due Northwest and 100s of miles off course and on the other side of Lake Michigan...

We will keep it for a few days feeding, hydrating and letting it rest, then release it and hope it finds it's way back home, that is unless the new owner suggest we do something different...

That is too cool. I read an article a couple months ago, about how the earth has shifted/tilted. Maybe that would help explain why such a large percentage of the birds are not able to find their way home.

 

[Junibutt]

Ohhhh
I love that round orp body with the little crest. How cute!!

She has just started turning round. She is still pretty light though. I haven't weighed her but probably less than 5 lbs. Her half sister Kim (in the pics) is already close to 6 lbs.

She's very beautiful and ever so cool looking! Can't wait for my own little barpington! You'll have to tell us when she starts laying what color she lays!

I think my white sport is laying but I can't be sure as I've never caught her laying and she's never squatted for me. We seem to be getting another blue egg. I'll let you know and post some pics when I'm sure what egg she's laying.

In the mean time we are starting to get our first eggs from our Easter hatch chicks!! We got for sure two yesterday and I know who layed one but the other little brown egg is a mystery. We may have another newish layer too as we are getting more tinted bantam sized eggs than I think we should be since we currently have one OEGB broody and I don't think my golden sebright has started laying again since she was broody.

Thanks, will keep you posted!

She is a pretty girl. Love the rich color on her and her lovely crest.

I had to pull my chocolate orp and 1 of my blue orps out of the yard and they are in the side drive with the grow outs. They have lost too many feathers due to being Mick's favorites. Its has been a week and already seeing new feathers coming in, thank goodness, poor Coco is hard to look at these days.


That is too cool. I read an article a couple months ago, about how the earth has shifted/tilted. Maybe that would help explain why such a large percentage of the birds are not able to find their way home.

Some of the damage done by my rooster back in May/June has now converted into prolonged molt. So I have a few ugly looking hens running around.