Michigan

[babigyrl22]

My girls are laying sproratically. One day 8, next day 10, yesterday.....a measily 4. I didn't think about this last night but it's time to move to the heated water bowles. The girls had slushy water this morning.

Opa - you are too funny. Maybe threatening the girls is not working so good?

 

[1muttsfan]

Opa you are making me drool - maybe smoked hens?

Msue

Fuzzy, I should have added that I would never cull a whole flock without clear evidence (laboratory) of a serious communicable disease. Chickens don't get the common cold, but every animal in creation can have minor, non-life threatening, transient respiratory infections. Not every chicken that sneezes has a serious infection. Like grandma says, some just have a regular old respiratory infection.

 

[chicken grandma]

1 Muttsfan, Fuzzy, Olive, Fife, Bobbry,

I don't have an agenda on respiratory infection - I just had this one experience. In 11 years, this is the first hen I have had with a respiratory problem so I was clueless.
In fact I sought help for her for severe diarrhea and found the air sacs go way down in the abdomen so her problem was respiratory and that surprised me.

I didn't want a chronic problem with an older hen so I questioned the vet a lot and even called back twice with questions. I did not want to infect frends flocks or my young chickens. But this time, in this one case, it seems to be a simple matter.
And I wanted to share that information with all of you for what it is worth in your flock management.

 

[RaZ]

M.sue may not be boasting, but I sure am!

This was certainly a surprise in the nest box.

A perfect little green egg. The flash kind of washes out the colour but it looks more green than blue to me. The tan egg is from Broast, I'm not sure which lavender laid this one. (Mary, you are a grandma

)

 

[M.sue]

Very nice Raz. If I had one that color I'd boast too!! I'm gonna get me a couple green/blue egg layers come next spring. I also want one of those chocolate egg layers. They will had pizazz to my cartons!!

Just got back from dropping off some items at the local St. Vincent De Paul Community Store. I can never go there and come home empty handed. I bought an old scale for $4 to use in my shed....it's similar to the one my grandpa had in his barn.....I feel like I hit the lottery!!! Now I can give my DH's back to him.

 

[Chickmate]

My customer who picks up 6 dozen eggs every two weeks was on her way over and while I was getting her eggs ready I dropped one. It was the last one I had! What to do? I went back out and checked the nest boxes to see if anyone had laid since I'd gathered last. Nope. So....

Just happened to have a bag of key limes. I always open the cartons and let the customer see the eggs before they take them (so we can both see that there are none broken) and she about died laughing. Owe ya one!

 

[RaZ]

Very nice. What breed lays those dark brown eggs?

 

[Chickmate]

Quote:
The dark eggs come from my French Black Copper Marans.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Sorry. not trying to start a war! I am only trying to be positive. Unfortunatly i am 5 miles from "ground zero" (the public auction) and with wild birds and mosquitoes i don't think there's any chance of NOT getting something. Since i have educated myself about bird diseases, i have been back and was shocked at how sickly these birds are, and this is a regular day. Foamy eyes, poopy, leg mites, every type of lice, hacking, and some too sick to stand for a long period. When i made mention to several customers/sellers i got a lot of blank looks and some just didn't care. Like a long time veteran of the auction told me, "treat with Sulmet right away whether you have signs of sickness or not. With this much exposure even a healthy bird will be sick within a week." I'm not sure whether these attitudes are because of not having the education, or just not caring, or the fact that since the birds sell for sometimes only $2 they just won't put the money in. Like I said, not trying to start a war! Just trying to live with the facts of life around here. I get laughed at for even de-lice ing my birds! What do you do...
This here's my main man, who is the only survivor of my first attempt at chickens; He was the only one who "listened" and used the special roost i made for predators; his girls were too stubborn and the coons went into the goat pen and got them. Our goat wouldn't use his house for months! We had thought they wouldn't go into the goat house.... My hubby massecred at least a dozen coons the next night when they came back..... Needless to say this here's a super friendly boy! He knows who to kiss up to! His lady friend is his first hen he got after that attack; try to find adult egg layers mid-summer! Whew. So the auction was a blessing and a curse.
And "chicken grandma" thanks for the addresses! I'm sure they will be a lifesaver for me.

 

[M.sue]

Quote:
The dark eggs come from my French Black Copper Marans.

Those are the ones I want to get!! Very cool. I see you mark your eggs. I just mark the carton in the order they are filled.