Illinois...

which makes a total of 9 broody hens. So now I have to pull out the nesting boxes (aka Rubbermaid bins) because the broody's are taking up the majority of the nesting boxes throughout the day.


I feel your pain, i have about a dozen broody birds right now as well hogging up the nesting boxes, my egg production is steady so they are allowing other birds to sneak in and lay, but it's still annoying...

Worst are my three Black Sumatra hens that are broody, they are fierce defenders of their nest and unlike most hens that just complain when you reach in the Sumatras will do their best to draw blood, and I mean that literally... I have to reach into the nesting box with my hand up high and come down on the Sumatra's head and forcefully remove them from the nesting box before attempting to collect eggs, or risk bleeding or eggs with holes pecked in them...

I also have several bantams that double up in the same nesting box to help other chickens sit on eggs...

The only positive side is that because the bantams and Sumatras are broody, I'm not getting their smaller eggs that I have little use for... The Sumatra eggs are about a medium sized egg but they look miniature when you put them in a carton with Larger and Jumbo, plus they are my only white layers so the token 'small' white egg stands out like a sore thumb...

On the small egg front, I apparently have a guinea with some egg making issues... I know 'fart' or 'fairy' eggs happen every so often and I have had them every so often, but lately I have literally been finding a guinea 'fart' egg every single day in one of the nesting box for at least two weeks now... And go figure it's the only guinea that is actually using the nesting boxes, the rest just lay all over the coop...
 
Loving all the baby pics we have just finished up a hatch of 3 silkies(one a paint- not sure on the other two yet), one pure silver pencilled rock, several silver pencilled rock roo/partridge rock hens mixes, and lavender and black split Orpingtons.

We have lost three birds in the last 4 days to predators. :( two of them a couple of my more favorite girls. We also had to put down some birds on Saturday that we got ill. They were quarantined but the flock seems to have some minor respiratory symptoms. We are treating with antibiotics and will be sending out some birds for necropsy. Thankfully we have some spare cockerals.

We have a new large coop and run coming and will be quarantining the new arrivals in there until the results come in and decisions are made.

@Faraday40 we had one of our black Orpingtons from you, Cinder, go broody twice this spring however we didn't have any fertile eggs either time so she has not been a Mommy yet but she was a very dedicated setter. We also had a buff Orpington hen go broody twice this spring she hatched out 10 or so babies and kept two to raise.

@Junibutt
Unable to keep all three cockerals the white boy found a home several weeks ago before the illness with several other hens and pullets from our flock. His new Mom is now a four year old little girl who just adores him and picked him from several other available boys we had. He will live out his days with his ladies as pets in a spacious coop and a run that spans an acre. He did get some half light chocolate colored sickle feathers which I thought was rather odd. Ever the gentleman he was a hard one to let go but I know they will be well cared for and he is thrilled to have all the ladies to himself.
 
@jerryse I have pulled them out, taken eggs. Nothing seemed to be working. But, the easy one that just went broody, my marans, pulled her out twice and she didn't go back in tonight. Then I had some dirty butts in the group so gave some of the broody hens a cool dip. We will see what will happen tomorrow.
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@MeepBeep

Morning Meeting
Doris keeps laying those little Fart eggs, nobody lay in the nesting boxes. That way they will know it is Doris and not us!
 
You are very helpful to all of us here so I would like to be helpful too.
.

Worst are my three Black Sumatra hens that are broody, they are fierce defenders of their nest and unlike most hens that just complain when you reach in the Sumatras will do their best to draw blood, and I mean that literally... I have to reach into the nesting box with my hand up high and come down on the Sumatra's head and forcefully remove them from the nesting box before attempting to collect eggs, or risk bleeding or eggs with holes pecked in them...


These are fire resistant as well.

Solution to the following is to start a new fad.. DIET EGGS. Same price, HALF THE CALORIES.




The only positive side is that because the bantams and Sumatras are broody, I'm not getting their smaller eggs that I have little use for... The Sumatra eggs are about a medium sized egg but they look miniature when you put them in a carton with Larger and Jumbo, plus they are my only white layers so the token 'small' white egg stands out like a sore thumb...

Of course I am not sure of the following situation, but it is a possibility that your guinea has been raiding your garden bean crop.
gig.gif


On the small egg front, I apparently have a guinea with some egg making issues... I know 'fart' or 'fairy' eggs happen every so often and I have had them every so often, but lately I have literally been finding a guinea 'fart' egg every single day in one of the nesting box for at least two weeks now... And go figure it's the only guinea that is actually using the nesting boxes, the rest just lay all over the coop...


We have lost three birds in the last 4 days to predators.
sad.png
two of them a couple of my more favorite girls.
Sorry to hear that you still have the predator issues. Have you found what it is ??? Have you tried the SSS solution ???
Here is a possible helper. I got this from my DSIL and have not used it yet. There are many different ones to choose from. This one I think came from Cabela's, but not sure.
 
DD wanted to make a crayon melt for an art project. She thought it looked like a crying rainbow - which then reminded her of the "Rainbow Bridge" poem. So she turned her canvas into a memorial for our beloved Cuddles. I still miss my sweet Cuddles, but I'm proud of my compassionate little artist. I doubt the judges will understand, but I know my friends here will.
 
DD wanted to make a crayon melt for an art project. She thought it looked like a crying rainbow - which then reminded her of the "Rainbow Bridge" poem. So she turned her canvas into a memorial for our beloved Cuddles. I still miss my sweet Cuddles, but I'm proud of my compassionate little artist. I doubt the judges will understand, but I know my friends here will.

Very sweet and thoughtful little girl you have there. Love the picture of Cuddles.
 
Ugggg... Long weekend...

My brother invited us up to a camp site he reserved in Wisconsin Dells this weekend and honestly the weather could not have been much worse...

Just really no way to enjoy near 100° weather with whatever super high humidity, and constant rain in a tent on very sandy soil...

The kids don't appear to show as much dislike for the weather, but you can still tell it's draining and weighing them down...

As I get older I no longer ask myself why many 'older' people buy full featured RVs to go camping I have finally hit the age where I fully understand and even endorse that kind of purchase now. :lol:

I'm guessing the next time we head up there we will just go during the off season when all the attractions are half price and just pony up the money for one of the resorts like the Kalahari...

Now, don't get me wrong, if it wasn't a family outing with young children and the goal was to go hiking and enjoy some outdoor seclusion of nature, I'm all for tenting it and roughing it, but at a 'commercial campground' with the young kids and luggage they demand, I just don't know if the tent thing works for me any longer...
 
@
MeepBeep

Don't tell me that you passed up on Noah's Ark. Warm and outdoors it is the BEST. JMO. I have been camping all my life, and went thru the cycle of first tent , then camper. Still have the camper, but now I;m back to tent. Will be there in 2 weeks for some camping. Staying at Devils Lake. We also rock climb. May take a canoe with us as well, or some kayaks. Just out of curiosity, which campground did you stay at. I stayed at most of them over the years. My favorite in the Dells was Yogi Bear's. Now we switched to the State Campgrounds. More spacious but less features.
 

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