Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

Well, for some good news: my CX chicks and the latest batch of hatchees are getting along well. Even my daughter's bunny is enjoying the run.

The Sweeter Heater is working very well in the new brooder box my son made for me.

And in a week or so, I am going to try and incubate another batch of chicks. My first batch, I had two viable chicks (which met an untimely end

). The second batch hatched at about a 50% rate, which isn't awesome but was much more encouraging than the first - I am using the dry hatch method with a still-air incubator. If I have broodies, I'll give them some eggs too. They certainly get better hatch rates than I do.

My husband has caught the bug, though, and wants me to pull up a couple homemade incubator plans for him. IDK if I want a big fancy thing like Minnie has! But something that hatches around 50-60 would be nice. I know there are BYC threads devoted to this, so I'll have to research a little.

Your in the Elk River area aren't you? Maybe him and I could get together and build 2 of them. Using nothing more than our man brains and a few tools.

 

[cottonlouie]

My 5 week old chick attacked my chihuhua. He flew at the dog, jumped on his back, and pecked him. My chi nipped to get the chick off and i dont blame him! So, being new to this, is it safe for my chi to let this nasty boy grow to eating size, or ......

 

[Minniechickmama]

Ralphie, I really think there may have been the remains of a thorn that was decomposing or at least had become irretrievable mixed in with the infectious material in his foot. Getting rid of it was a really good thing since it was feeding that infection. I had a cat that had scratched his throat from a rat or mouse bone and got a very serious infection in his throat. He managed to lance from the outside by scratching his neck with his claw. I had to squeeze out all that green gunk for days and pour hydrogen peroxide over it. Was just horrible but you do what you have to do sometimes!

I am with you on this one. With the description of the gunk, it sounds to me like it was something that stabbed into his foot rather than bumble. In my experience, in the early stages, and not to sound gross, but the pus is more like Elmers glue that makes you want to vomit when the smell hits the nose. And when it doesn't get caught early, it just spreads laterally and doesn't hold together like a cylinder shape or anything. It is rather gross either way. And it is very good that you were able to get him on the mend.

 

[Minniechickmama]

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.

Well, I hope it is one of those Cochins making herself worth your getting her!
You gotta be happy that you are getting more poults, but I get the frustration of being gone and having to rely on someone else to do the things you tend to yourself when you are home. I swear, every time I leave someone in charge of the flock and I am gone more than overnight, I end up with dead birds somehow.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I feel for those of you who have lost birds to other people's dogs. All I got to say is that I have a .22 and I am a REALLY good shot.

 

[holm25]

I agree with Minnie I dont care if its my neighblr thats a super good friend. If their dog kills a chicken or any poultry here it has a one way ticket to doggy heaven. Hate to sound so cruel about it but I'm not going to sit and watch my "pets" get killed and do nothing to the problem.

 

[scandiafowl]

Would it not be fair to give the dog owners fair warning?

 

[The BlanchRanch]

True!! Warn the dog owner that you will shoot an animal that is killing your pets and this alone may take care of it.

 

[duluthralphie]

Would it not be fair to give the dog owners fair warning?

Tell the dogs owner his dog killed your chickens, Do not say you are going to shoot it. You open yourself up for huge long lawsuits.


Neighbors dogs are best taken care of in the dead of night with no witnesses.


Shoot, shovel, shut-up.

I know the law says you can kill any animal harassing, harming , do damage or about to do damage. BUT lawyers can make anyone seem guilty no matter how innocent.

People sue knowing they have no chance of winning but also knowing you have to hire and attorney and spend thousands defending yourself. Then they offer you a settlement for half what it costs you to defend yourself and force you to settle or go broke. The attorney and plaintiff do not care as the only costs they have are the attorneys time, and he does not get paid unless he gets money from you..

Nice guys finish last is a saying for a reason. When dealing with a neighbors dog and you are serious about sending it to doggy heaven do not try to be the nice guy. There is no way you will be considered a NICE guy once you threaten to or kill their little loving Fifi.

Now I have to disagree with Minnie, I do not use a 22. I keep a loaded 17 by my door. way better faster longer range rifle.

 

[Scott16475]

Question for you expert chicken folks. I live in suburbia and because of how the streets run in our neighborhood, three of us homeowners have backyards that are triangle shape and therefore they meet in one corner. Of the three of us, we used to have the nicest landscaped backyard but then I went and purchased chickens. I've fenced them off to the back half of the backyard which is where my yard meets the backyard of my two neighbors. Over the past week, both neighbors have begun nice landscaping projects near that corner whereas my corner of the lawn is barren and ugly as the chickens have killed all grass and vegetation in that area. I would really like to do some sort of landscaping back there as it looks really, well too be frank, it's an eyesore. Looking to see what some of you have done with the area of your lawn where the chickens spend much of their time.

My first though was to put a colored mulch down but as we know, chickens love to scratch so it wouldn't be long before all of the mulch was in a pile 10 feet high and I would be back to a dirt barren lawn except now I would have a pile of mulch. A large area of their run is shaded but 1/3 of the run is in the sun. Along with something to cover the lawn of dirt, I was also thinking of flowers and plants the chickens wouldn't eat and dig up.

Any ideas on how to 'beautify' our run? Although our neighbors, of whom we're friends with, say they don't care, I would still like to make it a little more pleasing to their eyes when they spend time in their backyard.

If you have pictures of what you have time, I would really like to see them.

Any ideas? Thank you!