Forgot to post these here yesterday! Here are my youngest Meyer birds at 11 months old.I also added some thoughts on their personalities for anyone that's interested in these breeds. Sorry in advance for such a long post!
Huka the Silver Lakenvelder. She started out shy, but has come around now. She's still a bit flighty, but is okay as long as you don't move too fast. She was the last to start laying of these girls and only lays 4 times a week or so.
Ihi the Golden Campine. This bird is always moving! She's not terribly flighty, but like Huka, she does get a bit jumpy if you move too fast. She's pretty friendly, though, and comes over to talk to me all the time. Sh lays about as much as Huka as well, maybe a bit more.
Marama the Egyptian Fayoumi. She is so sassy! She's not a lap bird and doesn't like to be picked up, but isn't really all that shy and lets me pet her if she comes over. She also lays only 4 times a week or so. She's also the smallest of the lot of them, even smaller than Po the bantam Cochin rooster!
Rangi the Ancona. Rangi, Rangi, Rangi. She's the most personable of them all. She's a bit unpredictable sometimes and you never know when you're going to end up with Rangi on your shoulder. She is a sweetie, though, and lets me pet her or pick her up whenever. Frostbite got her bad this winter, although it was likely as a result of my coop flooding right before we got all that frigid weather! She lays probably 5 or 6 times a week.
Roha the Exchequer Leghorn. This bird is a sweetheart and a ham for attention! She runs over whenever she sees me and just basks in any attention I give her! She lays 4 eggs a week or so.
Whiri the Light Brown Leghorn. I can't get anywhere near this bird without her panicking. She's not friendly in any way. She is, however, just the most gorgeous little hen I have! She lays about 5 or 6 eggs a week.
Po the black Cochin bantam (from Meyer's Black Frizzle Cochin bantams). I have never liked roosters, but Mr. Po has changed my attitude toward them. He is gentle with his girls and respectful to me. I see him keep the peace by breaking up fights between the girls, and plus he's always very alert to possible predators such as birds flying over. Such a good boy!
We had to put Junior down. She was getting worse and wasn't eating or drinking much but her vent looked just awful and it was infected. We let her free range for her last few hours and then I went to get a shower and when I was done I asked my DH if she was still wandering around and he said, "not any more" I was grateful he did it but was sad for her. She was a nice little chicken.
We had to put Junior down. She was getting worse and wasn't eating or drinking much but her vent looked just awful and it was infected. We let her free range for her last few hours and then I went to get a shower and when I was done I asked my DH if she was still wandering around and he said, "not any more" I was grateful he did it but was sad for her. She was a nice little chicken.
So it's been a rough weekend especially when you try to nurse a sick one and have to cull them anyway; you get even more attached to them.
But, after letting her free range for a bit, we decided to start letting them all free range for a few hours as long as one of us are out there with them and the dog too. So as soon as my ridiculously busy schedule lets up I'll start letting them out. I'll just do it an hour or 2 before dark because then it should be easy to get them inside.
Oh, and I gave them yogurt with some oats sprinkled in it for the first time today... ummmm, yup, they loved it!!
And as far as the girls with the lost feathers go, I'm just going to watch and wait. Giving them more protein and getting rid of the one mean RIR. I saw her viciously pecking each chickens head as they sat in the nest box. Poor thing, she's just wired weird in the head and can't help herself. But she's getting re-homed. I won't cry over that one.
Oh no, so sorry...at least she is no longer suffering...from what I read about the problem she had it is hard to repair a chicken like that. You guys were responsible owners to think of her well being and end her suffering. I know last year when I tried to save the ones attacked by the dog. Five survived the initial attack and then 3 of those died the following days while I tried to save them. So hard to deal with, guess it is the sad reality with owning chickens that we have to deal with. So sorry.We had to put Junior down. She was getting worse and wasn't eating or drinking much but her vent looked just awful and it was infected. We let her free range for her last few hours and then I went to get a shower and when I was done I asked my DH if she was still wandering around and he said, "not any more" I was grateful he did it but was sad for her. She was a nice little chicken.
So it's been a rough weekend especially when you try to nurse a sick one and have to cull them anyway; you get even more attached to them.
But, after letting her free range for a bit, we decided to start letting them all free range for a few hours as long as one of us are out there with them and the dog too. So as soon as my ridiculously busy schedule lets up I'll start letting them out. I'll just do it an hour or 2 before dark because then it should be easy to get them inside.
Oh, and I gave them yogurt with some oats sprinkled in it for the first time today... ummmm, yup, they loved it!!
And as far as the girls with the lost feathers go, I'm just going to watch and wait. Giving them more protein and getting rid of the one mean RIR. I saw her viciously pecking each chickens head as they sat in the nest box. Poor thing, she's just wired weird in the head and can't help herself. But she's getting re-homed. I won't cry over that one.
Sounds like your DH may be getting a little more interested in the chickens too.
We had to put Junior down. She was getting worse and wasn't eating or drinking much but her vent looked just awful and it was infected. We let her free range for her last few hours and then I went to get a shower and when I was done I asked my DH if she was still wandering around and he said, "not any more" I was grateful he did it but was sad for her. She was a nice little chicken.
So it's been a rough weekend especially when you try to nurse a sick one and have to cull them anyway; you get even more attached to them.
But, after letting her free range for a bit, we decided to start letting them all free range for a few hours as long as one of us are out there with them and the dog too. So as soon as my ridiculously busy schedule lets up I'll start letting them out. I'll just do it an hour or 2 before dark because then it should be easy to get them inside.
Oh, and I gave them yogurt with some oats sprinkled in it for the first time today... ummmm, yup, they loved it!!
And as far as the girls with the lost feathers go, I'm just going to watch and wait. Giving them more protein and getting rid of the one mean RIR. I saw her viciously pecking each chickens head as they sat in the nest box. Poor thing, she's just wired weird in the head and can't help herself. But she's getting re-homed. I won't cry over that one.
Tracked my order and found it was at the post office about an hour away so I decided to make the trip during rush hour traffic and pick em up....welcome home girls!! Hatched on 4/9 arrived home 4/10 all arrived alert and hungry!!
1 Buff Orp
1 White Rock
1 Easter Egger
1 Dominiuqe
1 Meal Maker ( one of the golden ones... maybe another buff o??)
from what i have seen with my grandma's chicks is that a hen is most of the time is accepting of chicks even if they aren't her's but just keep an eye on them for the first few days if she rejects them (which is rare) you will know right awayOK slight dilemma....I went out to the coop today to check on my broody (I was just about to dip her in some water to break her out of it) when I noticed this!
I think she has two more eggs under her so I quickly secured the next box with a zip up chicken tractor. I'm contemplating moving the new chick inside with my Meyer chicks so that they grow up together or leave it with the mother?? I'm going to wait a couple of days to see if the other eggs hatch and decide what do to...any suggestions?
i had a question how do you track them? i ordered hatching eggs that where suppose to arrive Saturday but didn't i got a tracking number through my e-mail but no web site link to use it at? is it universal for post-office website or what?Tracked my order and found it was at the post office about an hour away so I decided to make the trip during rush hour traffic and pick em up....welcome home girls!! Hatched on 4/9 arrived home 4/10 all arrived alert and hungry!!
1 Buff Orp
1 White Rock
1 Easter Egger
1 Dominiuqe
1 Meal Maker ( one of the golden ones... maybe another buff o??)
