INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I was just going to say this. Most birds whose young people might come across in their yard have a limited sense of smell and will not detect a human's scent on their young just from a touch.

If the dove looks like the bird in the picture, then it is a fledgeling and is learning to survive on its own. I would leave it alone if I were you. It'll do fine on its own assuming a predator (or perhaps even a chicken) doesn't find it.

 

[kabhyper1]

He went way back under my landscaping, right next to the house, so hopefully he can sleep safely through the night. I have water out there for it, so we will see tomorrow.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I had a beautiful pumpkin growing, so close to being ripe, and the hens found it after ignoring it for weeks! The only pumpkin they let get to ripening age and they just decided to go and partially gut it after this long! It probably would have been ready within the next few days, too!

 

[kabhyper1]

I had a beautiful pumpkin growing, so close to being ripe, and the hens found it after ignoring it for weeks!

The only pumpkin they let get to ripening age and they just decided to go and partially gut it after this long! It probably would have been ready within the next few days, too!

That's disappointing. Although maybe you can use your hens to detect ripe produce, apparently they know when it's time to eat it. Maybe take them to the grocery to thump watermelons for you with their beaks.

 

[bradselig]

I had a beautiful pumpkin growing, so close to being ripe, and the hens found it after ignoring it for weeks! The only pumpkin they let get to ripening age and they just decided to go and partially gut it after this long! It probably would have been ready within the next few days, too!

On a positive note, doesn't pumpkin have anti-parasitic properties!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Hmmmm. I tried to get my birds to eat pumpkin last year and no matter what I did, they wouldn't eat it. If I wanted them to eat the seeds, I had to trick them by grinding them and hiding it in something else!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

That's disappointing. Although maybe you can use your hens to detect ripe produce, apparently they know when it's time to eat it. Maybe take them to the grocery to thump watermelons for you with their beaks.

I don't know if they would approve of that in at the grocery.

On a positive note, doesn't pumpkin have anti-parasitic properties!

I have heard that, too, but I've also seen where people say it doesn't work, so who knows?

Hmmmm. I tried to get my birds to eat pumpkin last year and no matter what I did, they wouldn't eat it. If I wanted them to eat the seeds, I had to trick them by grinding them and hiding it in something else!

Don't worry, my birds are weird. They don't like BOSS.



On the plus side, it was really meant for the chickens anyway, but it was going to be a mid-winter treat during the snowy days that they don't get to free-range. I guess they get to go without now.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

In other news, I went out to see if Margaret was in her carrier for the night and found a little white egg in there! At first I was excited--oh my gosh, Margaret laid an egg!--but then I was looking at her and, well, she doesn't exactly look like a laying-aged hen, does she?

And then I compared the egg to my other bantam eggs and it looks almost exactly like my Sebright bantams' eggs... So apparently someone jumped the fence. Silly birds!

Meanwhile, my little lady, Roha, performed the first squat of the pullets this year! I was petting her and she just went into position!

I was expecting Whiri to be the first one to squat, what with the comb and all!

 

[Leahs Mom]

If you know your birds eat pumpkin...try a pumpkin farm near halloween. Last year I approached the folks at a local pumpkin selling farm and told them I was using them to feed the chickens over the winter. They told me to come back the day after Halloween and I could take all I wanted for free. They said that they do that with lots of folks that pick them up for their livestock. Otherwise they were just going to go dump them on the fields.

Last year I filled up the back of our pickup truck. And...

They wouldn't eat any of them! They ended up making some good compost and the garden was full of pumpkin sprouts in the spring

Strangely enough, the chickens wouldn't even eat the sprouts!

But..
I yours like pumpkin, it's a great way to stock up some winter feed

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Actually this may sound crazy, but you actually can touch baby wild birds. The parents won't abandon it, and are very devoted to there young. So just in case if it comes down to it. Thought I would let you know

X2, it is just an myth that if you touch them the parents will abondon them. My friend who is big into rabbits said you can mess with baby rabbits after they are born. I did when my rabbit had bunnies and she didnt care a bit and was a great mom.

What eggs I'd you get?

Rose comb brown leghorns, from someone in arkansas