Hi everyone how's the Fourth going?
I moved some birds around today and got the chicks into their new spot without having to build new coop.
Finally drying out.
It sounds like a war zone out there. I'm not exaggerating. There's at least one explosion a second. I tried to count them. They're coming from all directions in rapid fire fashion.
There are 4 or 5 nearby cities that are all having fireworks displays at the same time. I can barely see the highest ones over the trees. But, all the neighbors are shooting fireworks and a few are shooting guns, all around us. The dog is freaked out. The chickens seem to be doing OK. A cat just ran through the backyard and I almost never see cats.
The main fireworks display at Fair St. Louis in Forest Park is going on now. And for the first time this weekend, you can see it. The rain and fog obscured most of it the 2nd and 3rd nights.
Vent sexing can be done the first couple days. I think only the first three. After that, I always go with how fast the wing feathers grow. Girls feather out faster. It is not for all breeds, but it works for me! You can also go by how fast they grow, and the thickness of their legs.
Vent sexing is a long learned skill that makes vent sexers at hatcheries very well paid.
Wing feather sexing should be done by day one or two. It is for fast feathering lines. The pullets will have 2 lengths of flight feathers and cockerels will have one. After the third day the cocks catch up and one can't tell the difference.
X2 on the legs. If one has all the same breed, cockerels will have thicker and longer legs after a week or two.
Watch a YouTube video. Basically, you make the penis pop out.
I think it's visible but doesn't really pop out, even as adults. Ducks are a different story.
ummm hummmm I may wait till they get older then,
Just as well. Unless you were going to sell cockerels now or make them zoo animal feed you might as well wait.
So true, but I've heard that some hens crow. None of mine do. With most of mine, I wait until they crow before I'm absolutely sure and get rid of them. But my Spitzhauben never made a peep. I had 12 hatch, and 5 of them got dark red crops early, the rest still don't have any. I feel confident I didn't get rid of any girls.
It is extremely rare for pullets to crow. Mature hens can crow either when their one viable ovary quits or when their flock dominance encourages them to do so.
The blank post was supposed to say "Everyone is probably off watching the fireworks."
Was outside watching but now on TV. All the local stations are broadcasting from one of the major displays.
[@=/u/17372/kwhites634]@kwhites634[/@]Did you survive your outing? Anymore chicks or pips?
[@=/u/72519/ChickenCanoe]@ChickenCanoe[/@]. If I can find someone to dispose if them I will, I am not sure if I can kill a mama and babies who have not hurt anything, just eaten cat food. In the other hand, I would rather them than any of my flock.
I go my run extension built for the new coop, and got pictures of my HRIR cockerels (9 of 13 are males :/ ) to post on the Heritage thread to ask for help selecting a couple of breeders.
Killing an animal in a trap is one of the hardest things I've done.
Dept. of Conservation told me to drop the trap in a trashcan filled with water.
They have only eaten catfood so far. Other things are on the menu though.
Congratulations on the build.
everyone
