Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[rnchick74]

Bummer on the silkies. While I love Scratch & Peck (I ordered one bag of chick starter from them) its is outrageous getting it shipped to the midwest. I switched to Countryside Organics out of Virginia, cheaper to get 50lbs and cheaper shipping. They have very similar ingredients, both soy free with field peas being the first listed. So that would be an easy switch for you once everyone is ready for layer. I still would like to mix my own local whole grains, its finding the local whole grains that's the problem, but for now I'm pretty happy with them. I like their ingredients and the pricing is a bit better than the non-gmo feed company in Ohio.

My local organic mill has a wonderful layer, but they don't do grower! They recommend going from chick/grower (21% protein) to layer (16% protein)! I understand that some people are fine with this philosophy...but I think that is too much of a jump, especially when I have a mixed flock, some of them still need a little higher protein than 16% and they definitely don't need the higher calcium yet.

So I will do 1 bag of SNP as a 1 time purchase...I paid as much in shipping as I did in the product!

 

[autumnhearth]

My local organic mill has a wonderful layer, but they don't do grower! They recommend going from chick/grower (21% protein) to layer (16% protein)! I understand that some people are fine with this philosophy...but I think that is too much of a jump, especially when I have a mixed flock, some of them still need a little higher protein than 16% and they definitely don't need the higher calcium yet.

So I will do 1 bag of SNP as a 1 time purchase...I paid as much in shipping as I did in the product!

Gotcha! Does your mill ship or is it just pick up?

 

[rnchick74]

Gotcha! Does your mill ship or is it just pick up?

They sell in the local feed stores & in a couple of the local pet stores in town. There is a store that carries it less than 5 minutes from my house. 50 lb bag of layer is $38 - organic, soy free, non-gmo. It ferments great! All the ingredients are locally farmed/sourced as well. They have a listing of where they get all the ingredients & I could actually go to each farm & check them out if I wanted to. Most of them I know from the local farmers markets...which is the coolest part.

 

[NotableNancy]

Sounds like a Cooper's Hawk, AKA Chicken Hawk. That's the one that landed in our tree 10 ft from me and wouldn't leave until we hit it with a pellet gun! They are known for going after chickens, hence the nickname. They will fly to a nearby perch and watch and then attack one that is vulnerable. They can fit through small openings because they are used to flying through tree branches. Only good thing is, if the chickens see it coming in for a landing on a perch, they usually have time to hide before it attacks. But if it gets to a good perching site without being seen in the air, they won't notice it and it will have a good change of getting one. They don't carry the chickens off, they aren't strong enough for that. What they do is land on them, hold them with their talons, and then just start ripping into them! Horrible!

I think our latest visitor is a Swainson's Hawk. It's hard to take the time to identify them, you just go into panic mode and want them gone. But I don't remember it being stripey like the Cooper's Hawk. And I've seen quite a few Swainson's Hawks while driving around the area.

My flock is free ranging right now but it's foggy and freezing out. I think the hawks will be snug in their nests right now.

Those hawks are so scary! My neighbor just told me hawk migration here is the next week so lots of the small birds go into hiding. My girls will be more at risk but I only free range 1 hr./day and I'm out there with them. But not all the hawks migrate so we still have them around all fall and winter. I didn't free range last winter and with less leaves on the trees I would think it is much more dangerous for them. I'll have to just see what it's like.

Can I brag a little? I hope that all of you do not mind?

This little one will hatch around March 24th, 2015


You can see his/her face and belly and the little leg and toes kicked up behind the date there on the right side.

They should be able to tell if the baby is a boy or girl by the next ultrasound. My daughter-in law is letting us come to that one too. I am so excited, she is 12 weeks along now and the next one will be at 16 to 18 weeks.

I cannot believe I'll be a grandmother. To bring this back to chickens: I am excited that once the baby is old enough, I can order little chicks just for him/her.

Brag away!!! Congratulations... is it going to be granny, grand mom, grand, grammy, mom-mom or something else?? Such a great ultrasound... Can we guess sex?? I say boy!! That's wonderful you get to go to the visit... I never even thought of bringing my MIL... but she would have been a nervous wreck so that wouldn't have gone well anyway

And someday you will be sitting at the computer and showing him/her the Meyer website saying "pick anything you want... granny will get it for you!!!"

 

[NanaLynn]

So I got 4-5 small short cans of dog food and emptied them cleaned and removed the label. Then screwed them directly into boards in the run at eye height of the girls. That seems to be working fine, will have to get some pics. I think I saw that idea on here, keeps the oyster from getting spilled. I have noticed the girls with the most reddish comb and wattles are utilizing it the most. In fact it is the first thing that Pepper (the lead egg layer) eats when being let out if the coop in the am. I have noticed a difference in shells already.

Also I have been a good chicken mom and realized that it is more of a detriment to Left Eye to be getting feed in the run up on the roosts. She needs to be following the flock rules and behaviors in order to survive. So I put the food down in the run on Wednesday. I also decided that they all need to roost at night together in the big coop, before winter. So blocking the small coop off in the evening to force them into one coop. Yesterday, Left Eye was chased into the big coop by the boys. She roosts up on the window ledge away from everyone. She was up there most of the day and all night last night. This am I did take her out and put her near the food she had a couple if bites and then ran back into the coop and up on the ledge because a rooster was coming near her. Should I be worried about her and her food intake? I figure another day or so and she should be hungry enough to be a little more brave to stay out to get what she needs. Thoughts and advice? of course I feel horrible but know it is ultimately in her best interest in the long run.

Thanks for the ideas. I am looking around now for a way to make something similar.

I agree with you and everyone, it is in her best interest in the long run for her to get to the food herself.

First of all congrats! That's fantastic news!

We use these for grit and oyster shell: http://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Gravity-Feeder-Bracket-Colors/dp/B0002AS9OM

I found them at TSC, they are also available at PetSmart. We just have them standing on the ground, but they come with brackets and washers that may work with some fencing, I think for the tight hardware cloth you would have to use zip ties.

Speaking of oyster shell (again) I picked some more up at the local nursery that sells chicken supplies. This time I got the 50 lb bag of Coastal Brand Poultry Shell, instead of the small ones that the store repackaged. It's still the white stones and the label says its Calcium Carbonate from ground oyster shell and "coral calcium shell".




I also gave the girls back their egg shells today. I had been saving the shells whole by blowing them out but today was my sister's birthday and both Amelia and Clara laid early today (both on their own in the nest boxes with little to no fuss, like normal pullets) and I had another egg from Clara from yesterday. Amelia's egg was big and pink and beautiful and one of Clara's was more greenish and one more bluish so they made a beautiful little gift with three cherry tomatoes. Anyway she decided to hard boil and have them on salad and sent me home with the shells with a little bit of the whites attached. I crushed them up and the girls loved them.


Still amazed she lays pink eggs, never expected that from a Golden Buff. Once it was boiled it was brown with some darker speckles, but gotta love that bloom!

That's a nice little gift package with the eggs and tomatoes. Neat idea! The egg is beautiful. Love that color!

Update on my flock - I'm pretty sure that both of my Silkies are boys...the other one isn't crowing yet but is really trying to mount the girls. Brownie is quite rough with the girls too! Coco is quite nice with the girls, but getting louder and louder! I've got a listing on here for free re-homing. If that doesn't work, I will post on craigslist too.

I've checked all my local places and the only grower food I can find comes in 50 lbs bags. So, I ordered some Scratch & Peck & paid the outrageous shipping to get a 25 lb bag. Sigh. I also got some oyster shell since it didn't change the shipping charge.

I have a friend who builds pools & he is going to save some scrap PVC so I can build these for dry food, grit, and oyster shell:



I am going to put caps on the top to keep things dry too.

In the meantime I will put the oyster shell in 1 end of the trough feeder I use for fermented feed.

We do have some PVC piping around here. Hmmm...giving me more ideas. I love that! I hope that you post pics once you get it set up.

They sell in the local feed stores & in a couple of the local pet stores in town. There is a store that carries it less than 5 minutes from my house. 50 lb bag of layer is $38 - organic, soy free, non-gmo. It ferments great! All the ingredients are locally farmed/sourced as well. They have a listing of where they get all the ingredients & I could actually go to each farm & check them out if I wanted to. Most of them I know from the local farmers markets...which is the coolest part.

You're lucky to be so close to a source of organic, soy free, non-gmo food.

 

[NanaLynn]

We're still having trouble with our Blue Andulasion, Andi. I thought it was just one chicken picking on her, but it looks like all of them are now.

She has always had the laying issues and messy butt. I examined her a few weeks ago and was planning on soaking her etc, but after a up close look she seemed okay, she was just pink around the vent area and missing feathers.

Now she is losing feathers due to a molt .This morning it seemed that all the chickens did not want her near any of them. Maybe they sense something is wrong with her?

She is eating and drinking and does sneak in here and there for treats. I'm not quite sure what to do with her, she doesn't look ill just has the featherless rear and rough look of a molt, but she has feathers everywhere else.

Just concerns me since I know chickens can sense the weakness of other flock members so she is being shunned. No one is pecking her or attacking her, just chasing her away. If she seemed sick I would probably cull her, maybe I still should due to her laying issues from before? Or I'll just give her some more time? Not sure what to do, if she looked like she was suffering, I would know for sure. I hate these choices. This is the bad part of chicken keeping.

 

[autumnhearth]

They sell in the local feed stores & in a couple of the local pet stores in town. There is a store that carries it less than 5 minutes from my house. 50 lb bag of layer is $38 - organic, soy free, non-gmo. It ferments great! All the ingredients are locally farmed/sourced as well. They have a listing of where they get all the ingredients & I could actually go to each farm & check them out if I wanted to. Most of them I know from the local farmers markets...which is the coolest part.

That's really awesome! You are indeed lucky

We're still having trouble with our Blue Andulasion, Andi. I thought it was just one chicken picking on her, but it looks like all of them are now.

She has always had the laying issues and messy butt. I examined her a few weeks ago and was planning on soaking her etc, but after a up close look she seemed okay, she was just pink around the vent area and missing feathers.

Now she is losing feathers due to a molt .This morning it seemed that all the chickens did not want her near any of them. Maybe they sense something is wrong with her?

She is eating and drinking and does sneak in here and there for treats. I'm not quite sure what to do with her, she doesn't look ill just has the featherless rear and rough look of a molt, but she has feathers everywhere else.

Just concerns me since I know chickens can sense the weakness of other flock members so she is being shunned. No one is pecking her or attacking her, just chasing her away. If she seemed sick I would probably cull her, maybe I still should due to her laying issues from before? Or I'll just give her some more time? Not sure what to do, if she looked like she was suffering, I would know for sure. I hate these choices. This is the bad part of chicken keeping.

Aww poor dear! Can you quarantine her for a week or so?

I noticed everyone has been picking on Amelia, not to that extent and seemingly for no reason except that she's the most docile. Morgaine our Marans has alway kept her furthest away from treats. I've witnessed Victoria the Dorking "hustling" her when they are free-ranging, walking right against her wing, standing taller and pecking her head to keep her away from what she perceives as the best foraging areas. Baby the Buff Orp has been persistent in her long and ridiculous rise to power, the only one I'm sure is higher than her is Morgaine but Amelia was one of the first to submit after a month of all them not taking her pouncing seriously. And even Clara the EE her best bud has pecked her on the head from time to time. A few weeks ago I noticed one of her wattles had been pecked, it has healed to a small white scar. These last two nights when I've gone to close up the coop she has been standing on the lip of the droppings board, below the perch, then when she sees me and I pet her she goes up to roost, but she's not happy being on an end right next to Morgaine. Sigh, we'll see what happens when everyone else starts laying. It's sad though, because she was our boldest chick, I always thought she would be head hen.

Speaking of chicken bullying, my mother-in-law just got three year old EE hens from a guy in her town, they were with 40 RIR and were getting picked on of course! He was originally asking $3 each but she brought her grandkids and the guy gave them to her for free. She sent a pic, they are molting but ones ginger colored with black flecks, the other two are pretty mottled one lighter one darker. No white and black ones or she would have saved it for me.

 

[Melabella]

Hey everyone...

I know I've asked this before, and hate to sound like a pain... but did Meyer ever say what the big news was that we signed up to find out about? If I missed it, could it have been that big of a news? I keep thinking some new breeds will be offered for next year, but could that be it? Anyone???


MB

 

[autumnhearth]

Hey everyone...

I know I've asked this before, and hate to sound like a pain... but did Meyer ever say what the big news was that we signed up to find out about? If I missed it, could it have been that big of a news? I keep thinking some new breeds will be offered for next year, but could that be it? Anyone???


MB

Sorry thought someone had responded already. It is a cover photo contest for next year's catalog

 

[NanaLynn]

That's really awesome! You are indeed lucky

Aww poor dear! Can you quarantine her for a week or so?

I noticed everyone has been picking on Amelia, not to that extent and seemingly for no reason except that she's the most docile. Morgaine our Marans has alway kept her furthest away from treats. I've witnessed Victoria the Dorking "hustling" her when they are free-ranging, walking right against her wing, standing taller and pecking her head to keep her away from what she perceives as the best foraging areas. Baby the Buff Orp has been persistent in her long and ridiculous rise to power, the only one I'm sure is higher than her is Morgaine but Amelia was one of the first to submit after a month of all them not taking her pouncing seriously. And even Clara the EE her best bud has pecked her on the head from time to time. A few weeks ago I noticed one of her wattles had been pecked, it has healed to a small white scar. These last two nights when I've gone to close up the coop she has been standing on the lip of the droppings board, below the perch, then when she sees me and I pet her she goes up to roost, but she's not happy being on an end right next to Morgaine. Sigh, we'll see what happens when everyone else starts laying. It's sad though, because she was our boldest chick, I always thought she would be head hen.

Speaking of chicken bullying, my mother-in-law just got three year old EE hens from a guy in her town, they were with 40 RIR and were getting picked on of course! He was originally asking $3 each but she brought her grandkids and the guy gave them to her for free. She sent a pic, they are molting but ones ginger colored with black flecks, the other two are pretty mottled one lighter one darker. No white and black ones or she would have saved it for me.

I think she may have vent gleet. I'm going to try and soak her and keep her in one of the broody cages in the run. I need to go out and buy some athletes foot cream for her vent area and apply that after. I read to give them a little ACV in the water too and fresh garlic.

Poor Amelia, so sad how they gang up on one.

Those RIR's can be mean in bunches I've heard. IT's good your mother-in-law got some free chicks though.

Well, I caught Andi, it wasn't easy. I have some Nustock here and I read that it is also antifungal, so I applied that to her bum with my daughter helping by holding her. Upon close examination, she did not look so bad. I don't understand why she is being shunned or what is up with her. She is pretty much staying on the roost in the coop. She sure was healthy enough to run a yell at us. I did not isolate here since she is basically isolating herself.