Maine

[buckabucka]

. eBay?

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Maybe

 

[lazy gardener]

Hi all. Hope you're surviving this nasty heat. So far, so good here. I told the girls that I expected more eggs today, and they complied. I got 7. Can hardly blame them for holding back in this heat!!!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

All set on needing guineas. Eggs should be here Monday.

 

[buckabucka]

 

[Feather duster]

How did you treat the sour crop? Last year I had a hen with sour crop and I treated it with monistat and it cleared right up. I got the idea on here somewhere you would have to do a search to find the info. I used the cheaper walmart brand. I have never had another occurrence of it since, knock on wood.

 

[Feather duster]

How did you treat the sour crop? Last year I had a hen with sour crop and I treated it with monistat and it cleared right up. I got the idea on here somewhere you would have to do a search to find the info. I used the cheaper walmart brand. I have never had another occurrence of it since, knock on wood.

On another thought I've had a broody Barred Rock for the last three weeks. She stayed in the nest box night & day. She only came out very first thing in the morning to take a dump and eat and drink. Then right back to the nest box. I kept taking her out, and back she would go. So I tried a method I saw on you tube. I figured it would be worth a try and wouldn't hurt anything. I filled a small plastic tote with just cold water from the garden hose and stood her in it for six or seven minutes. I let go of her and she didn't even try to jump out. I couldn't believe it, when I took her out she went with the rest of the flock and started foraging and stayed out all day. Last night was the first night she went to roost in three weeks. Has any one else tried this?

 

[lazy gardener]

No, but I've heard that it works wonders. Good job.

I started integrating Mama broody and her clutch with the rest of the flock today. They're all out ranging. Mama chases off all of the pullets that want to check out the chicks. She's ok with the older hens. They don't bother her or chicks. Her "sister" dom hanging a bit too close. Not sure if she wants to co-mother, take over, or harass the babies. Some of the other birds higher on the pecking order have chased her, and pecked at the babies, making her totally flustered. I can see it will be a work in progress.

 

[Feather duster]

Yesterday when I did the water treatment on my broody I put a wire tie on her leg to mark her. I'm hoping if she went broody once she might do it again next spring. I know Barred Rocks are not known for going broody to often. If she does I'll either get some fertile eggs for her, or let her have some chicks from the incubator to mother.I wish I could have given her some eggs now to hatch out. But I already have my nine replacement pullets for this year. I only like to winter over 10 or 12 at the most. I'm up to 18 now, not looking forward to choosing who is going to stay and who is going to the freezer. My nine pullets are getting redder combs every day. They seem to sprout up over night almost. They also seem to be more friendly the last few days coming right up to me. I was even able to reach down and pat a couple of them today without them scooting away from me. They are nineteen weeks old, this weekend I will place a couple temporary nest boxes in their grow out coop to let them explore and get use to. I don't think it will be long now before I start getting some little pullet eggs.

 

[lazy gardener]

Today was an overcast but breezy day, with the crows screaming this morning, so I thought it wise to confine Mama and her babies to the tractor. I did let the rest of the flock out to range. My son and grandson showed up at noon for a few minutes, and he told us he'd just seen a big fox head into the woods just past our house. So, I went scrambling to get all of the birds into the eclectronet run, and moved Mama and babies into their coop enclosure b/c we were planning to leave for the rest of the day. While we were standing out in the yard, we discussed the earlier hawk attack. My son asked if it was a big one. Hubby replied: "Yes it was... Just like that one." Well, THAT one flew right over our heads and continued circling for a bit, but was in air space over neighbor's houses. He was HUGE!!! Made me nervous with such critters in plain site, but... of course we all know there are plenty of critters lurking around that we never see as well.