Illinois...

[chickendreams24]

On another note, I an so happy the weather had finally turned better! My chickens however decided that nice weather means they should go free ranging. One of our hens went over a 6 ft fence into our neighbors yard. His dog was out and did get her. She managed to be unhurt thankfully. My neighbor was our the with his dog and it wad a scene to watch him try to chase the chicken and hold the dog back away the same time.
Fortunately he is a friendly neighbor. I have to get bird netting up ASAP though over the run.

Tractor supply and I think maybe also farm and fleet has bird netting. Glad your hen wasn't harmed.

Bird netting still not up yet... I was working the garden today and wore myself out. I tilted the soil on Friday and again (opposite direction) on Saturday, but it still eased not easy to take below the first inch or two. I am forming rows and ended up having to use a mattock to dig out the trenches between the rows. Some tiring work... I only made it through half the garden today. I will have to work on it some more during the rest of the week after work.
DS tries to help, and at least he thinks he helps a lot. At 2 years old there isn't much he can actually do to help with working the soil but throw fistfuls of dirty and try to rake soil with his toy rake.
DW couldn't help because she's carrying the next addition to the family.
Oh yea, we are pregnant! I haven't shared that with you BYC peeps yet. Going into week 13. She's wrapping up first trimester (all that morning sickness...) just in time to enjoy nice weather. And she certainly enjoyed it as she kicked back in a lawn chair and watched me work a few pounds off.
Speaking of pounds, I think I just put a few on. We made rotisserie leg of lamb (had the butcher cut a leg into 3 peices for more appropriate sized meals), roasted potatoes, beans, cucumber/tomato salad, and roasted zucchini and eggplant. What a dinner... And it wasn't too much work since all but the lamb was leftovers from Saturday dinner with my Grandmother visiting.

Dinner sounds great!!

Congratulations on the baby!!!

Anybody have suggestions on cleaning feathers below chickens' vents? I noticed yesterday that we have some clumps of poop and feathers forming below the vent of some of our birds...

We trim/cut or gently pull any poopy feathers below the vents of the birds.

 

[chickendreams24]

Update on my brother: Still going to do the surgery and cleanings each day until things show more improvement. Due to findings yesterday, they are watching him closely for possible new infection. Taking one day at a time and reassessing the situation daily. As it stands will be some time before he is released.

Prayers for financial stability as well as healing would be greatly appreciated asy sister in law is a stay at home Mom with their three little boys.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

I'm in the office today and can think about nothing but keeping the chickens out of our garden...

I'm 960+ miles away wondering how many of mine survived my absence and if any will survive the weekend when my family joins me.

"Poof Poof's" grand-chicks.

So if poof poof is a grandma, what does that make Jake? A Pa-grandpa?

Anybody have suggestions on cleaning feathers below chickens' vents?

Same as the others except I dont clip. I soak and rub the poop ball until it breaks away under the water.
Then rinse and.....make sure you wash your hands.

 

[chickendreams24]

I'm 960+ miles away wondering how many of mine survived my absence and if any will survive the weekend when my family joins me.


So if poof poof is a grandma, what does that make Jake? A Pa-grandpa?




Same as the others except I dont clip. I soak and rub the poop ball unless it breaks away under the water.
Then rinse and.....make sure you wash your hands.

Sometimes the poop balls don't break up. Also we don't have a utility sink. I wish we did.

 

[BReeder!]

Sometimes the poop balls don't break up. Also we don't have a utility sink. I wish we did.

I have 2 utility sinks. They will be getting put to use once I find the time. Came home today from work and decided to fix the hose faucet. It froze in the winter and burst. I had to fix it to get water running in the yard again without flooding the basement. That turned into a 4 hour project... No time left to clean chickens.

 

[Faraday40]

I have a very unusual chick.
"It's" mom is Jewel. Here's a pic of Jewel when young:

Notice the pink color & slightly big wattles for a pullet. (I thought she was male from age 4wks to 10 wks.) She's a gorgeous hen and had plenty of beautiful babies. However every time I had a questionable gender one, I called it a slow-maturing male. ......Until I eventually realized it was a female.

Right now, I have another almost 8 wk old male/female chick from Jewel. The initial slightly large wattles didn't alarm me because I've been fooled by those too many times. I also have "its" brother for companionship & comparison while they integrate into the flock. The brother doesn't have an overly large comb, but his gender has been obvious all along.

Here's the brother; obvious male

Looking at the ? gender chicken from one side I see a female and from the other a male. Truly a 2-faced bird!
Female?

male?

Do I have 2 males?

or a pair?

What do you think?

 

[chickendreams24]

I'm guessing a pair but if the second is a male please bring over to my house. LOL

I need a blue boy! I would like one to put over some of my Orp ladies.

 

[BReeder!]

I have a very unusual chick.
"It's" mom is Jewel. Here's a pic of Jewel when young:

Notice the pink color & slightly big wattles for a pullet. (I thought she was male from age 4wks to 10 wks.) She's a gorgeous hen and had plenty of beautiful babies. However every time I had a questionable gender one, I called it a slow-maturing male. ......Until I eventually realized it was a female.

Right now, I have another almost 8 wk old male/female chick from Jewel. The initial slightly large wattles didn't alarm me because I've been fooled by those too many times. I also have "its" brother for companionship & comparison while they integrate into the flock. The brother doesn't have an overly large comb, but his gender has been obvious all along.

Here's the brother; obvious male
View attachment 1750318


Looking at the ? gender chicken from one side I see a female and from the other a male. Truly a 2-faced bird!
Female?
View attachment 1750328
View attachment 1750319
male?View attachment 1750320




Do I have 2 males?
View attachment 1750336
View attachment 1750344


or a pair?
View attachment 1750337
View attachment 1750338


What do you think?

The darker one to the right of the pics is definitely male. I think the other is female simply because it looks different than the one I feel sure is a male.

 

[chickendreams24]

Oh wait I forgot to mention!!! Day before yesterday we finally go our first leghorn egg and yesterday we got a second!

@Faraday40

Slackers may have spared themselves. We'll see.

They've been in a chicken tractor again for more than a week before laying. We wanted to know if they were hiding them.

Interestingly all of my lavender Orpingtons that are also in the tractor with our lavender cockeral haven't layed a single egg either.

Pulling my hair out here guys I need your eggs to collect and give to the school to hatch!! Just lay me a couple!

DH2B is working ground as they plant peas today. Yummy! I can't wait for them to be ready!

 

[Faraday40]

Yes, they look very different. The blue looks larger but the feathers are very loose. It feels less muscular or at least slightly lighter than one would expect when picking it up. Ignoring the long wattle, pink color, & larger size, things point to female.

The black (could be a black/lav split since it wasn't jet black as a chick) has the very nice round, English orp body shape - as well as the shorter comb that many of the imported bloodlines have. It feathered in much slower and feels very solid - like he appears. Looking at the pics, though, he does look a little lighter shade. Maybe you're right & he is a very dark blue. I didn't even think about his color and just assumed black.

Time will answer all of these ?s - but I would rather know now.

This was the black male right after hatch

This was the blue chick of unknown gender right after hatch