INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[PeacefulWalls]

Originally Posted by @flyladyrocks
It is funny you bring up the "Not EEs" at RK, from Townline. I wanted to get input from all of you. Here it is on their website http://townlinehatchery.com/product/araucana-ameraucana-strain/ if you scroll down to the bottom it has the "not to be confused with EEs" line. If they are a cross between Araucana and Ameraucana then they by definition are not burebred right?? And if you talk to the chick person at RK they are insistant that these are not EEs!

Maybe one of our members who has no self control when the see chicks at Rural King -lol- will purchase a couple of their "Araucana - Ameraucana "strains" to see what they grow up to be. OH, I just noticed the post by @Indyshent haha-- you're on the ball! I looked up photos of Sicilian Buttercup chickens, and I agree that yours looks like one. You have something to look forward to each day-- seeing the changes in your chicks. That's a fun way to get through these icy, dreary days. They are so precious!

This is one of my "not an EE" girls I got from Townline last year or the year before. Kinda looks like there's a muff with how her head is turned & feathers fluffed up a bit, but it's not really. This is a pic I found from awhile ago. If I think about it I'll take a pic the next time I go to the barn (just came in & don't feel like going back out right now!)


Edited -- found another pic -- kinda looks like an evil eagle!

 

[flyladyrocks]

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

You never know. My Easter-eggers usually eat each other's beards as well. Beard envy? These birds are crazy sometimes!

I just noticed a few days ago that one of my EEs looked bald under the beak! She's the most beautiful, but I must admit she's the dumbest in the flock. I wasn't sure what happened. Beard envy could explain it! My Cream Crested Legbars & other EEs are fine.

Yeah, I have one particular girl that especially likes to eat the others' beards out. I usually end up with the same two or three EE girls clean shaved every year. Others don't get messed with and keep their full beards year round. I don't know what makes them decide to let it happen.

ETA forgot to comment! They never last that long here, I can eat 3-4 eggs myself, and I love eggs and toast for breakfast. If I get more than 4 dozen I sell or add to the hog bucket. This year I expect around 3 dozen a day, have enough 1 year olds to see it. Some birds are more prone to feather pecking, I have a midget white hen that is constantly picking at someone. Some birds allow it, and "go bald" She is fat, and healthy, no clue why she does it. Her tom taps her head and she stops.

Yeah, we aren't too big on eggs, so most of our eggs are either given away or used in baked goods. Usually before they start to dehydrate, but sometimes one keeps rolling to the bottom of the bucket and doesn't get used for too long. I usually only toss them if they're noticeably lighter than the others of the same size. And yeah, some birds just have a taste for feathers. Mine get worse, though, when they can't free-range.

Oh my goodness, look at these cuties!!

Forgot to share one of the weirder things that happened today: My black Australorp was visiting on the windowsill today and decided to lay an egg while up there! I look over and something falls, my daughter says "It's an egg" and the rest of the girls pounce on it like they've never seen an egg before and start a combo of pecking/ chicken soccer. Wierd. It didn't break!

Haha, I guess she felt safe there! Maybe it was a 'special delivery'? They will go for eggs like nobody's business, especially if they do break. EVERYTHING eats eggs, and chickens, as an omnivorous species, are no exception. There are a lot of good nutrients in eggs, after all.

Gosh these buy it now and 24 hour auction threads are killing me! Lol. I just bought some Mille Fluer Cochin eggs!

[COLOR=8B4513]Oooh They will be pretty! And yes, I do plan to return merchandise "Mixed-up Order" to you. lol The only reason I plan on returning the two green egg laying girls is to make more room. They are beautiful, good layers, and very personable although they've been picking each others tail-feathers. I think it's that jealous sister thing. As soon as the weather warms up and I don't need them to help keep little Monday warm, I'll let you know when I'm heading your way. And no, I don't think I need any Emu hatching eggs! haha You have so many exciting things going on![/COLOR] [rule]

Uck, it quoted weird again! And I don't remember why I quoted this post, because it deleted part of the text. EDIT: Hm, there were a couple things... I'm not going to go into the whole commercial farming thing, except to say that I've seen it over and over again and have made the decision to only get my chicken (as well as other meats) more locally. I keep telling myself I want to raise meat birds, but I know I don't have the heart to process them and I'm not sure if I could feel any better sending them off to someone else. :/ I think I've said my peace with the Araucana / Ameraucana thing below as well. UGH! On Rouens, all I know about them is that they are like giant, fat Mallards. I can't say anything from experience, however, so maybe someone else can chime in there. Gee, I usually at least feel like I have something meaningful to reply when I quote things...

This link has great article on the Ameraucana breeders website for anyone interested: http://ameraucana.org/forum/index.php?topic=957.0 under "additional notes" at the bottom it says "These people are not necessarily being deceptive, rather uneducated about the breed." I'd like to believe this is true more than they are purposefully being deceptive.

For the consumer (and retailer), I do give the benefit of the doubt - after all, they are just going by what they have been told by their source. The hatchery, though, knows full well and I believe the whole wink and nod approach they take in how they world their descriptions of the birds proves that.

This. Hatcheries have no excuses. The fact that they keep insisting that they have pure birds when there are so many resources on the internet now that prove them otherwise is despicable. I can't see them losing any money for changing the name, either, so I have no idea why they keep insisting. To me it makes them seem less reputable as a result! There are some hatcheries that are getting the memo, though, like Meyer Hatchery, which now has their Easter-eggers actually labelled as such! Hopefully, others will take the hint as well!

 

[PeacefulWalls]

This is one of my "not an EE" girls I got from Townline last year or the year before. Kinda looks like there's a muff with how her head is turned & feathers fluffed up a bit, but it's not really. This is a pic I found from awhile ago. If I think about it I'll take a pic the next time I go to the barn (just came in & don't feel like going back out right now!)


Edited -- found another pic -- kinda looks like an evil eagle!

@Indyshent wondered what color egg they lay -- they're blue -- not robin egg blue, but leaning toward blue/green. I ordered 2 of these pullet chicks 2 different years in a row and they all look about the same

 

[iamfivewire]

kittydoc - last june we had a couple hatch under a broody & an incubator hatch 6 days later - we added a couple of the chicks to be with the 6 day older chicks (sold the rest of the incubated chicks) & all worked out fine for us (that time)

 

[kabhyper1]

HELP!!

So last night I noticed one of my hens was puffed up standing alone. She made it into the coop okay for the night though. Then about 11 last night I went out to check that everyone had a sleeping buddy and she was on the floor of the coop. I picked her up and put her on the roost and went inside. This morning she was on the floor again. She couldn't stand up for long without nearly falling over. She was trying to use her wings to balance herself. I brought her inside and gave her Nutri-drench and colloidal silver to perk her up. I also gave her an Epsom salt bath in case she was egg bound. I made up a scrambled egg and put some in her beak and she ate it. She is still inside, still isn't standing on her own but she is alert. I lifted her body up and she can stand on her legs, but her wings start to fall and she starts to lose balance. She seems very weak. She did drink some water when I dunked her beak in it. Any thoughts? Could she just have gotten too cold and needs time to regain her strength? I'm not thinking Mareks as she is a 2 year old hen who has been in my flock since she was a chick and no one in my flock has ever had it. Plus they have been in the barn for the most part since November. Also she hasn't pooped today. She may have emptied her crop this morning before I went out to the barn though.

 

[ellymayRans]

[COLOR=B22222]HELP!![/COLOR] [COLOR=141823]So last night I noticed one of my hens was puffed up standing alone. She made it into the coop okay for the night though. Then about 11 last night I went out to check that everyone had a sleeping buddy and she was on the floor of the coop. I picked her up and put her on the roost and went insid[/COLOR]e. This morning she was on the floor again. She couldn't stand up for long without nearly falling over. She was trying to use her wings to balance herself. I brought her inside and gave her Nutri-drench and colloidal silver to perk her up. I also gave her an Epsom salt bath in case she was egg bound. I made up a scrambled egg and put some in her beak and she ate it. She is still inside, still isn't standing on her own but she is alert. I lifted her body up and she can stand on her legs, but her wings start to fall and she starts to lose balance. She seems very weak. She did drink some water when I dunked her beak in it. Any thoughts? Could she just have gotten too cold and needs time to regain her strength? I'm not thinking Mareks as she is a 2 year old hen who has been in my flock since she was a chick and no one in my flock has ever had it. Plus they have been in the barn for the most part since November. Also she hasn't pooped today. She may have emptied her crop this morning before I went out to the barn though.

Gosh Kab I just hate to hear this! You've covered a lot...have you looked her over for parasites? When's the last time she was wormed?

 

[kabhyper1]

Gosh Kab I just hate to hear this! You've covered a lot...have you looked her over for parasites? When's the last time she was wormed?

In november. I just stood her up and tried to get her to walk. She took a few steps and her wing fells and she stumbled on that side. I have no idea other than getting to cold what would have triggered this, or what it is.

 

[ellymayRans]

In november. I just stood her up and tried to get her to walk. She took a few steps and her wing fells and she stumbled on that side. I have no idea other than getting to cold what would have triggered this, or what it is.

Is it a silkie hen? Have you checked her crest for injury? Maybe a deficiency?

 

[ellymayRans]

In november. I just stood her up and tried to get her to walk. She took a few steps and her wing fells and she stumbled on that side. I have no idea other than getting to cold what would have triggered this, or what it is.

I had a RIR hen do that but because I found her under a birdbath top. She hadn't been under there for more than a day but lack of water, bump to the head. She recovered rather quickly though. I've also had Cocci victims carry themselves in this manner. Granted they were younger but if she was exposed to a diff strain than she's already built immunity to then that could be it. Interested in her poo results. Maybe she just needs to recoup from temps and rehydrate. If she's been weak she may not have been consuming enough food/water.

I hope she gets better soon.