Minnesota!

[Cluckies]

I think last time I posted about chickens, I was trying to graft a second batch of chicks onto my little silkie. Well, she took to them fine but they didn't seem to understand to get under her to get warm so I brought them back inside and thought I'd just brood them with the meatballs that were coming the next week.

Then my neighbor's dog ATE those two older chicks she had been raising!! I heard her clucking in a distressed way & looked out to see him chewing on something. When he finished, he put his nose to the ground & started sniffing after my hen. He backed off after I yelled at him, but I was really upset about those chicks. The neighbors never call the dog away from my chickens, they insist he's "herding" them, never mind the fact that they've never trained it to herd & hadn't given a command to do so. I can't be mad at the dog for having morons for owners, though.

Well, they're tying him up in the afternoons or so they say, so I can still let out my hens. My dog is friends with their dog, so won't chase him off. The day I was having my baby, my teenage son had to chase him off again - he was busted before he got a chicken but was obviously trying to get one. If he gets in my yard while the chickens are out again, I will be bringing him a nice piece of meat (maybe some chicken!), luring him into a kennel and dropping him off at animal control.

Anyway, I was able to soothe my little silkie with those other chicks. I think since she's not keeping after the older ones, she was more inclined to go sit on the younger chicks when they got cold. They are now following her "commands" and everything. I'd like to let her out with them, but I'm worried about that dog.

I need more portable pens!

So sorry for your losses as well.

how horrible that you have to put up with your neighbors dog which your neighbors can't control. We had a similar issue with our neighbors dog. She attacked my dog, Brox (my aussie), in my yard. then after he healed about 6 weeks later (he got a terrible infection, costed us a few hundred), she tried to attack him again (this after I went and had a talk with them about her needing to always be on a leash if she is outside). I grabbed him up in my arms and held on tight. I was hysterical. I was on my knees holding him and crying. my husband was trying to make me give Brox to him, the neighbor man was just standing there, he is in his 70's, no way can this couple control this pitbull. So after that I fenced in my whole back yard. all 3.5 acres. My puppies can't get in the front yard. My chicken coop and chickens when they free range are in the back yard. It is a horrible place to be in when your neighbors do nothing.

 

[Cluckies]

Well, I have to add mine to the list. My EE "Baby" passed away yesterday. She is the one who has been laying the rubber eggs since she started laying in January. She had a few good eggs here and there, but for the last 3 months nothing but thin shelled or rubber eggs. She quit laying about a week ago, she may have been laying them internally. I'm not sure. She was a sweetheart and very curious and smart. I tried about every suggestion to get her eggs firm. layer feed, extra calcium (liquid and calcitrate), probiotics, tried de-worming. I'm heartbroken. She was a sweetheart. She seemed ok Thursday, she seemed hot at one time during free ranging, so I brought her in to cool off, after 15 minutes she was feisty and yelling at me to bring her back out. She ate, she drank tons of water. She seemed fine when I checked on them yesterday before work on the roost with the rest of the girls. My husband said she came out of the coop like usual with the rest of the girls. She died while I was at work. looked like she just fell asleep, she was laying down on her side with her eyes closed. I'll continue to monitor the rest of the flock, they seemed fine last night free ranging all over the place.
RIP Baby.

 

[Wild Child]

Anyone in Minnesota have Silkies for sale, I live in North Dakota, and my younger sister had some and a raccoon opened a locked door(why are they so smart!!!) And killed all of them and ate 6 of the eleven. And we could pick them up.

You could try VJP Poultry, They had some chicks last time I checked.

 

[Dandelioness]

Well, I have to add mine to the list. My EE "Baby" passed away yesterday. She is the one who has been laying the rubber eggs since she started laying in January. She had a few good eggs here and there, but for the last 3 months nothing but thin shelled or rubber eggs. She quit laying about a week ago, she may have been laying them internally. I'm not sure. She was a sweetheart and very curious and smart. I tried about every suggestion to get her eggs firm. layer feed, extra calcium (liquid and calcitrate), probiotics, tried de-worming. I'm heartbroken. She was a sweetheart. She seemed ok Thursday, she seemed hot at one time during free ranging, so I brought her in to cool off, after 15 minutes she was feisty and yelling at me to bring her back out. She ate, she drank tons of water. She seemed fine when I checked on them yesterday before work on the roost with the rest of the girls. My husband said she came out of the coop like usual with the rest of the girls. She died while I was at work. looked like she just fell asleep, she was laying down on her side with her eyes closed. I'll continue to monitor the rest of the flock, they seemed fine last night free ranging all over the place. RIP Baby.

She had such lovely feathering. It's so hard when you try everything & still lose one. But I think it's safe to say you did what you could. ((Hugs))

 

[Wild Child]

Well, I have to add mine to the list. My EE "Baby" passed away yesterday. She is the one who has been laying the rubber eggs since she started laying in January. She had a few good eggs here and there, but for the last 3 months nothing but thin shelled or rubber eggs. She quit laying about a week ago, she may have been laying them internally. I'm not sure. She was a sweetheart and very curious and smart. I tried about every suggestion to get her eggs firm. layer feed, extra calcium (liquid and calcitrate), probiotics, tried de-worming. I'm heartbroken. She was a sweetheart. She seemed ok Thursday, she seemed hot at one time during free ranging, so I brought her in to cool off, after 15 minutes she was feisty and yelling at me to bring her back out. She ate, she drank tons of water. She seemed fine when I checked on them yesterday before work on the roost with the rest of the girls. My husband said she came out of the coop like usual with the rest of the girls. She died while I was at work. looked like she just fell asleep, she was laying down on her side with her eyes closed. I'll continue to monitor the rest of the flock, they seemed fine last night free ranging all over the place. RIP Baby.

Sorry for you loss Cluckies!

 

[nordicacres]

Well, I have to add mine to the list. My EE "Baby" passed away yesterday. She is the one who has been laying the rubber eggs since she started laying in January. She had a few good eggs here and there, but for the last 3 months nothing but thin shelled or rubber eggs. She quit laying about a week ago, she may have been laying them internally. I'm not sure. She was a sweetheart and very curious and smart. I tried about every suggestion to get her eggs firm. layer feed, extra calcium (liquid and calcitrate), probiotics, tried de-worming. I'm heartbroken. She was a sweetheart. She seemed ok Thursday, she seemed hot at one time during free ranging, so I brought her in to cool off, after 15 minutes she was feisty and yelling at me to bring her back out. She ate, she drank tons of water. She seemed fine when I checked on them yesterday before work on the roost with the rest of the girls. My husband said she came out of the coop like usual with the rest of the girls. She died while I was at work. looked like she just fell asleep, she was laying down on her side with her eyes closed. I'll continue to monitor the rest of the flock, they seemed fine last night free ranging all over the place.
RIP Baby.

I'm sorry you lost her I have an EE that looks a lot like her. Beautiful coloring!

 

[Wild Child]

Hey everybody, sorry to interrupt but I've got a question: when do hens usually start laying. My hens were hatched in early February and my Black Sexlink is laying but my other ones haven't started yet. I can't wait to see what color eggs my Easter Eggers will lay

 

[holm25]

Sorry about everyones losses!!! Congrats on the hatches!!

I cant believe I'm saying this but I want to start breeding ducks instead of chickens. I am going to breed standard Blue Cochins but ducks r so fun. I'm also getting a pair or trio of pheasants from a friend. We'll see how it all works out.

 

[duluthralphie]

We are going to need a new thread entitled Minnesota Bird Obituaries.

Sorry on the losses.

I know it is tough, but I console myself by knowing they are chickens and chickens (well, their ancestors) in the wild live about 15 minutes if they even get hatched. So anything we do for our chickens gives them a better live than they should have had, and most likely longer. If it is the Hussy that died I will miss her following me around, but either way I will live. Hopefully, another will start following me and have a funny personality.


On the bright note, I was talking to my Wife on the phone this morning and she said she heard peeping in the "middle" incubator. That is not the hatcher! She has fallen down on the job, she had a turkey hatching in the middle incubator and 3 pecked holes. She tried to blame me, naturally, cause that's what women do, (ducking a little). She says they were marked for the 8th. But I re-explained to her, they are marked with the day they are suppose to hatch. but the turkey eggs have been hatching 2 days early, which is why she is to move them to the hatcher 4 days before the date on the egg...

Obviously her fault! ( there is some minor disagreement over this issue). She then asked me if she could throw out the eggs dated May 31st... So I ask you who is falling down on the job? she was clearly instructed to throw the eggs out 4 days after the date on the eggs! With the exception of guinea eggs because no one knows for sure if and when they will hatch...

I have another broody! it is a black hen, (yeah, I know that does not tell me which breed it is either, but pushing for more info is futile.) She gave her a dozen guinea eggs and put her in the quarantine area. She says she immediately went to the nest and eggs and puffs up when she checks on her. A good sign.


I am so ready to be done with Florida! I miss my birds. And I need to console my poor dog that spend the night with the chickens.

 

[Wild Child]

We are going to need a new thread entitled Minnesota Bird Obituaries.

Sorry on the losses. 

I know it is tough, but I console myself by knowing they are chickens and chickens (well, their ancestors) in the wild live about 15 minutes if they even get hatched. So anything we do for our chickens gives them a better live than they should have had, and most likely longer. If it is the Hussy that died I will miss her following me around, but either way I will live. Hopefully, another will start following me and have a funny personality.


On the bright note, I was talking to my Wife on the phone this morning and she said she heard peeping in the "middle" incubator. That is not the hatcher!  She has fallen down on the job, she had a turkey hatching in the middle incubator and 3 pecked holes. She tried to blame me, naturally, cause that's what women do, (ducking a little).  She says they were marked for the 8th.  But I re-explained to her, they are marked with the day they are suppose to hatch. but the turkey eggs have been hatching 2 days early, which is why she is to move them to the hatcher 4 days before the date on the egg...

Obviously her fault!  ( there is some minor disagreement over this issue). She then asked me if she could throw out the eggs dated May 31st... So I ask you who is falling down on the job?  she was clearly instructed to throw the eggs out 4 days after the date on the eggs! With the exception of guinea eggs because no one knows for sure if and when they will hatch...

I have another broody!  it is a black hen,  (yeah, I know that does not tell me which breed it is either, but pushing for more info is futile.) She gave her a dozen guinea eggs and put her in the quarantine area. She says she immediately went to the nest and eggs and puffs up when she checks on her. A good sign.


I am so ready to be done with Florida!   I miss my birds.  And I need to console my poor dog that spend the night with the chickens.

Oh sure, blame it on the wife