Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[Kris5902]

So, I’ve gone and jumped in again on something else now... geese. And I’m apparently in trouble for it...

The other farm which split the meat chicks with me for shipping costs has two geese... well someone decided to sit on her clutch for we don’t know how long until there was a raccoon attack last night and three eggs were stolen. Geese are fine! So the owner tried to move the nest into a coop for them, and the geese would have nothing to do with it and went ballistic trying to get out. So I have two potentially fertile goose eggs in my hastily set up incubator.

Goose eggs are huge! There’s no way They will work with my turner so now I’m re-evaluating my trailer electric and trying to figure out how I can plug in my incubator as well. If I’m needing to hand turn every day 3 or four times a day I’m going to need the eggs somewhere accessible. The eggs are also dirty, very dirty... but I’m hoping they are a little less delicate than chicken eggs? I guess geese are pretty muddy nasty creatures.

Well the funniest part of all this is one of the Farm owners had a total fit over it, the farm manager isn’t exactly impressed with the idea, and guess where the other farm originally got the geese from? Us apparently! Supposedly geese graze and eat as much, if not even more than a sheep. Which I find pretty hard to believe. And I’ve been told the eagles will probably just eat them.

Well, long and short of it is I’m going to try and hatch them if I can, because I’ve got them now... and if it’s at all possible I think they deserve a shot, even if it’s just to eventually become Christmas dinner! I also keep asking my cousin to be on the lookout for nesting behavior in the peafowl pair that lives in her area (just in case!).

She claims they are infertile because they haven’t had any young, and they are old peacocks from a closed down farm. I think that would also be interesting to have here! I got to see them for the first time on my last visit, and have to admit the random feral peacock and his mate are a fairly neat addition to their suburban area! (Sorry, I was so enraptured watching them hang out on her neighbors porch I didn’t even think to take a picture).

 

[Ribh]

So, I’ve gone and jumped in again on something else now... geese. And I’m apparently in trouble for it...

The other farm which split the meat chicks with me for shipping costs has two geese... well someone decided to sit on her clutch for we don’t know how long until there was a raccoon attack last night and three eggs were stolen. Geese are fine! So the owner tried to move the nest into a coop for them, and the geese would have nothing to do with it and went ballistic trying to get out. So I have two potentially fertile goose eggs in my hastily set up incubator.

Goose eggs are huge! There’s no way They will work with my turner so now I’m re-evaluating my trailer electric and trying to figure out how I can plug in my incubator as well. If I’m needing to hand turn every day 3 or four times a day I’m going to need the eggs somewhere accessible. The eggs are also dirty, very dirty... but I’m hoping they are a little less delicate than chicken eggs? I guess geese are pretty muddy nasty creatures.

Well the funniest part of all this is one of the Farm owners had a total fit over it, the farm manager isn’t exactly impressed with the idea, and guess where the other farm originally got the geese from? Us apparently! Supposedly geese graze and eat as much, if not even more than a sheep. Which I find pretty hard to believe. And I’ve been told the eagles will probably just eat them.

Well, long and short of it is I’m going to try and hatch them if I can, because I’ve got them now... and if it’s at all possible I think they deserve a shot, even if it’s just to eventually become Christmas dinner! I also keep asking my cousin to be on the lookout for nesting behavior in the peafowl pair that lives in her area (just in case!).

She claims they are infertile because they haven’t had any young, and they are old peacocks from a closed down farm. I think that would also be interesting to have here! I got to see them for the first time on my last visit, and have to admit the random feral peacock and his mate are a fairly neat addition to their suburban area! (Sorry, I was so enraptured watching them hang out on her neighbors porch I didn’t even think to take a picture).

I'm thinking a pair of geese will run trespassers of good! Even a peacock can be intimidating @ times.

 

[Kris5902]

I'm thinking a pair of geese will run trespassers of good! Even a peacock can be intimidating @ times.

My thinking as well! And I’m thinking of keeping them in the area by my trailer... plenty of grazing, the draw with the little pond, trees... and I don’t need to worry about geese knocking over or breaking my solar panels!

 

[drumstick diva]

Peacocks have more formidable claws, paws, talons, whatever you call their toesies.
Though geese can beat you to death with their wings

 

[Ribh]

Peacocks have more formidable claws, paws, talons, whatever you call their toesies.
Though geese can beat you to death with their wings

My experience says geese are more aggressive ~ but that may depend on the breed. I don't keep geese. They are big enough to frighten me. lol

 

[Ribh]

To add, dealing with a full grown Black Swan with sea lice just about did for me. Every time it moved I freaked. We were terrified of each other.

 

[Kris5902]

Well I’ve had a little hiccup again... I’m too embarrassed to put anything in the emergencies and disasters forum again. I almost got a shower tonight, but it will have to wait until tomorrow, because while Andrew was having his, the girl that lives here had one of her friends over and they decided to “check the chicken coop for eggs”.

They picked up one of the old chickens, who didn’t like being held and struggled to escape. She was dropped hard and skinned her right hock badly and her other leg seems to be sprained. At least they had the sense to come and get me. She won’t put any weight on her left leg, I Blu Koted the skinned one.

But, by all that is holy, I am so upset with that coop and everyone who is involved with those chickens. The scaly leg mites, the hens are grossly underweight, they aren’t being watered properly. I’m going to rescue the outside girls tomorrow or the next day, as soon as I have secondary accommodations for Puffy and B****y, and maybe a third friend now.

I popped her into the sling I made for Tippie for a hour, got her a scrambled egg and some nutridrench, and set her up in the dog crate for the night in the barn. I’m getting quite the little re-hab bunch together up here. I’m hoping she comes around tomorrow, but so far I’m letting her be mostly. It sounds awful, because I mostly ask for help with the problems, which aren’t even usually with my chickens! I swear, mostly things are ok, my chickens are good, but those poor girls in the “farm’s” coop! At least I’ve convinced the owner to let me take care of the outside chickens that don’t have infestations and horrid parasite problems.

 

[Ribh]

Well I’ve had a little hiccup again... I’m too embarrassed to put anything in the emergencies and disasters forum again. I almost got a shower tonight, but it will have to wait until tomorrow, because while Andrew was having his, the girl that lives here had one of her friends over and they decided to “check the chicken coop for eggs”.

They picked up one of the old chickens, who didn’t like being held and struggled to escape. She was dropped hard and skinned her right hock badly and her other leg seems to be sprained. At least they had the sense to come and get me. She won’t put any weight on her left leg, I Blu Koted the skinned one.

But, by all that is holy, I am so upset with that coop and everyone who is involved with those chickens. The scaly leg mites, the hens are grossly underweight, they aren’t being watered properly. I’m going to rescue the outside girls tomorrow or the next day, as soon as I have secondary accommodations for Puffy and B****y, and maybe a third friend now.

I popped her into the sling I made for Tippie for a hour, got her a scrambled egg and some nutridrench, and set her up in the dog crate for the night in the barn. I’m getting quite the little re-hab bunch together up here. I’m hoping she comes around tomorrow, but so far I’m letting her be mostly. It sounds awful, because I mostly ask for help with the problems, which aren’t even usually with my chickens! I swear, mostly things are ok, my chickens are good, but those poor girls in the “farm’s” coop! At least I’ve convinced the owner to let me take care of the outside chickens that don’t have infestations and horrid parasite problems.

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Ouch ~ on so many levels. I admire you for taking the problems on & trying to make life a bit better for these hens but it seems they don't even know how to hold a chicken. I mean if you're going to pick up chooks to look for eggs @ least make sure they can't flap around, right? *sigh*
I had a friend over to admire my newbies & I got Lottie, 'cause she's tiny & easy to manage, & made sure she had her wings all tucked in before handing her over for cuddles. She's pretty good about being handled though.

 

[Kris5902]

Ouch ~ on so many levels. I admire you for taking the problems on & trying to make life a bit better for these hens but it seems they don't even know how to hold a chicken. I mean if you're going to pick up chooks to look for eggs @ least make sure they can't flap around, right? *sigh*
I had a friend over to admire my newbies & I got Lottie, 'cause she's tiny & easy to manage, & made sure she had her wings all tucked in before handing her over for cuddles. She's pretty good about being handled though.

Thanks for the support! When you have an enthusiastic unsupervised 7 year old, with another enthusiastic 10 year old... problems arise. They think they know everything about everything already. I’m not in charge of those chickens or the children... I just get to deal with the aftermath. There’s the other reason my Tractors are strictly off limits to people without me there

 

[Ribh]

Thanks for the support! When you have an enthusiastic unsupervised 7 year old, with another enthusiastic 10 year old... problems arise. They think they know everything about everything already. I’m not in charge of those chickens or the children... I just get to deal with the aftermath. There’s the other reason my Tractors are strictly off limits to people without me there

I have a strict *no children handling chickens without me there* policy. That way if anything happens I am strictly to blame & I can ensure the chickens are handled correctly & get put down if they start stressing. And I'm all for kids handling them ~ only learn to do it without everyone freaking out. I had 4 city kids not so long ago. Biggest animal they handled was guinea pigs but my broody was pretty docile so she was the one they got to cuddle & everyone got to collect an egg & hand out treats. Some of the new girls are much more skittish.