Nevadans?

[eggxelent]

I don't think coop-in starts til at least 3 or 4:00 (could be wrong) and people generally coop their show birds in before taking sale birds to their cages.

Why would you take them away? The hen goes through quite a bit of stress during her incubation/broody period... to take the chicks away at that point... I can't see the reasoning. I wouldn't do it... for the hen's sake. The babies will be fine if you're concerned about the cold, just have them in a pen that receives no drafts. The mama can keep them warm enough.

Phew, glad to hear that.
On the other question about the chicks, I was just thinking that for show birds you have to do all that handling when they're young and it may be easier when they're in a brooder than trying to get the chicks from the broody hen. If I just said something terribly wrong, please tell me.

I'm a newbie to this whole chicken thing and still getting my hands on whatever knowledge I can.
Thanks!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Phew, glad to hear that.
On the other question about the chicks, I was just thinking that for show birds you have to do all that handling when they're young and it may be easier when they're in a brooder than trying to get the chicks from the broody hen. If I just said something terribly wrong, please tell me.

I'm a newbie to this whole chicken thing and still getting my hands on whatever knowledge I can.
Thanks!

You don't have to handle show birds daily as babies. I just try to get mine curious about my hands reaching in and doing what I need to do. I have to move slowly so I don't frighten them. I will sometimes tickle the feathers on their breasts if they're not afraid. They don't like to have me put my hand above/over their backs. I think it's a predator reaction that is built into them. Maybe it resembles a hawk swooping or something so I don't do it. If they want to be held, I have one that does, he jumps onto my hand and will run up my arm.

When they reach a certain age, they always get pretty wild (my breed does) and then when they are coming to the age where they start to lay they start to settle down. You can still catch them if you need to and as long as they don't fly through the roof when you go to their space, they would be considered fairly tame. Pretty much all the show birds will try to get away from the person reaching for them (it's only their natural self-preservation kicking in) and as long as they don't flap wildly or bite or use spurs and draw blood, they wouldn't be disqualified for their behavior.

Depending upon what breeds you have, you can start handling them when they get a few weeks old. Hopefully your broody won't be terribly vicious at that point and the babies are still plenty young to begin their training. Let them be chickens as much as you can. Don't try to pick them up every single time you go into their area or they will begin to run from you (again, experience with my breed).

So, if you have a broody, let her brood them. It's the sweetest thing in the world to watch a mama and her chicks.

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Missy,

Have you decided what to do with that pullet's comb? I need to make plans to come by this Friday if that's what's you've decided.

Her neck seems to be strengthening a bit. Maybe she's doing some resistance training on the side, lifting eggs using her head or something. I'll run out right now and take a picture.

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Ok, here we go...

This is a fairly normal posture for her. Of course, she's also tilting so she can get to the food, too. She only eats from one side.








I just included this because it's so funny. She did NOT like Russ holding her, and was hissing at him!

 

[2seth2]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO don't put your guinea pigs with your chickens for thier sake i have raised and shown(still doing rabbits and chickens) Rabbits,guinea pigs, and chickens. They will traeat it like a snack peck it. Also if you plan on showing it you need it in tip top shape and liveing with chickens that can poop bigger than your foot is not the way

.

 

[2seth2]

Ok, here we go...

This is a fairly normal posture for her. Of course, she's also tilting so she can get to the food, too. She only eats from one side.








I just included this because it's so funny. She did NOT like Russ holding her, and was hissing at him!

lol in this one it looks like she doesn't even have a comb

I was considering going to stockton to get a really nice showbird, but i have to keep my nine and i was considering switching my hactchery hamburg out for a SQ hamburg i would just need someonw to take her she is really pretty but does not like getting picked up

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Are her wings clipped? I'll take her if nobody else wants her.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Ok, here we go...

This is a fairly normal posture for her. Of course, she's also tilting so she can get to the food, too. She only eats from one side.








I just included this because it's so funny. She did NOT like Russ holding her, and was hissing at him!

She was hissing?

I've never had one do that before.

Can she see out of her right eye? In the second picture it looks like her comb flops to the right and then the tips of her points turn up? But also, the comb itself looks like it's on the opposite side as it normally is, just from the way it is laying. When she isn't looking up at anything, does that comb flop over and cover her left eye?

If it covers either eye, she can't see in front of her. Let me know before Friday, ok?

 

[eggxelent]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO don't put your guinea pigs with your chickens for thier sake i have raised and shown(still doing rabbits and chickens) Rabbits,guinea pigs, and chickens. They will traeat it like a snack peck it. Also if you plan on showing it you need it in tip top shape and liveing with chickens that can poop bigger than your foot is not the way

.

Okay, I was just curious. Will remember not to put them with Harmonica and Viola for their sake.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Oh Sunny, they're beautiful! I love ice photos! Thank you for sharing and adding the floating ice particles description, made me feel like I was there.

Thanks Pam! It's so nice to know that what I was trying so hard to describe actually made sense! It's always hard for me when I'm not face to face with someone. Not sure if what I'm saying clicks or not. I'm afraid I go over board when trying to explain stuff in person and I'm worse when I'm not face to face with someone. See there I go again! haha My Mom used to call me motor mouth when I was a kid.

Great pictures, Sunny!
I, too, hate the cold....but I could watch a chunk of ice submerged in water for hours. (think icebergs, not cocktails....)

Thanks Peeps!

Steve wants to take an Alaskan cruise (someday) and I want to take the Panama Canal cruise. Course I've never seen icebergs up close. I bet it would be a gorgeous cruise. I am just tired of being cold right now. Course the Panama cruise means an extra shot to protect from yellow fever that we haven't had yet.

ok! here they are....as promised my EGGS! See that really dark one (that is my second one)? Ignore the White ones, those are store bought.

So what do you guys/gals think?
Again, I have RIR's, BCM, Silver Laced Wyondotte, Blue Laced Red Wyondotte (forgive me if I'm spelling this name wrong), Buff Orpingtons, and a Barred Cochin....TinkerDude is the Black Austrolorp.

LOL Yep, that's definitely a marans egg! Congratulations! It's beautiful.

Beautiful photos, Sunny! It's been so pretty out there the last two mornings.

I just made a vet appointment for Chicharo (my cat) on Tuesday. He's been wheezing a lot. He sounds all stuffed up and gurgly and it's really bad when he's sleeping. Hopefully it'll be something easy to treat. He's still so skinny too. He'll be 14 on Feb 13th but I'd like to keep him around for some more years. He's a whiny little guy but I love him.

Thank you Elizabeth! It has been pretty out.

I hope Chicharo feels better soon!

You might try sprinkling some Thyme in his cat food. It's a great decongestant.

Good to know. I hadn't heard that one before. I'm always looking for natural ways to deal with stuff like this. Steve has a lot of problems with his sinuses. Well I do too but my problem is never congestion, it's the opposite.

Looking for SQ mille fleur D'uccle chicks, if anyone by any kind of awesome coincidence has them, or knows someone who could sell them to me. If they sell Silkies too, awesome, cause I want one hen. If not, that's OK too. They also need to be sexed. Thanks!
P.S. Will be at Stockton show coming up! If anyone could sell me chicks there.
Thanks again!
~Eggxelent

Check the Stockton show sale thread. There are many folks on there that are arranging presales. Hopefully someone will have the birds you are looking for.

Okay, so I was just thinking...can you have a hen incubate eggs but then when they are chicks take them away to be raised in a brooder? Or is that not a good thing to do? Also, can you mix guinea pigs and chickens in the same enclosure?
Anyway, just curious, won't be doing any of these things soon.

Phew, glad to hear that.
On the other question about the chicks, I was just thinking that for show birds you have to do all that handling when they're young and it may be easier when they're in a brooder than trying to get the chicks from the broody hen. If I just said something terribly wrong, please tell me.

I'm a newbie to this whole chicken thing and still getting my hands on whatever knowledge I can.
Thanks!

No there are lots of folks that raise the chicks in a brooder after the Mom hatches them. You didn't say anything wrong. I would try to leave a couple of chicks for the Mom to raise but, in my experience, chicks handled often are much friendlier than the One's raised by Momma hen. Do what works for you.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO don't put your guinea pigs with your chickens for thier sake i have raised and shown(still doing rabbits and chickens) Rabbits,guinea pigs, and chickens. They will traeat it like a snack peck it. Also if you plan on showing it you need it in tip top shape and liveing with chickens that can poop bigger than your foot is not the way

.

Bigger than your foot? What kinds of chickens do you have? I've never even had a broody leave me a poo bigger than my foot!