Nevadans?

[Eglyntine]

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Congratulations on the eggs!!!! And I can totally sympathize with the gracefulness, I could be in a side-show and give the three stooges a run for their money with my "grace".

I have been really excited this week, my girls finally hit 12 eggs a day again since the move. When I moved them to their new coop and setup they all stopped laying regular for a bit so it has taken some time to get back up to our numbers.

I hope all is going well for everyone!

 

[shanyalv]

Got another egg today so we are pretty happy. Best thing I have tasted in awhile.

Sad part is my last silkie died today, this was the last of the silkies that I hatched from my first hatch ever. My DD is very upset as she was taking care of the last one in her bedroom. Does anyone know of anyone with silkie eggs or somewhere I can get some baby chicks from soon, looks like most of the hatcheries are all out for the season.

 

[Knemeyer]

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Depending on where you live I do not know that I would leave the coop door open at night. We have dogs and cats that run the neighbourhood here and I have images of getting up in the morning to an unpleasant sight because I left the door open and some cat decided to go to KFC in my backyard. But if you live somewhere were you do not have to worry about that then you only have to look at drafts, if there are none then it is not a problem.

My chickens go inside around 4ish, chicken door completely closed at 5pm, lights out on a timer at 6:30pm, lights on at 5:30 a.m. and I open the door around 9 a.m. I do not open the door earlier because I have found that as long as my roosters are not outside they will not crow so for a convenience to my neighbours I wait until 9 so that no one is awakened too early by my inconsiderate roosters. If I lived out on some real property where I did not have neighbours, their door would open much earlier.

Sounds like you are doing things right, you just need to put more stuff out in their run for them to do. Mine have free range of 1/3 of an acre and they still get bored and I have to go out and re-arrange things just to give them something to figure out for a couple of days. A bored chicken is a pecking chicken.

Their run is completely secured and the chicken door opens into the run. My neighbors chickens won't even go in the coop, they will only sleep outside so I figure I'm good and I'm in Las Vegas so it doesn't get too bad. I don't let them free range because I have two border collies and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't leave them alone. I added a suet block and some cabbage and gonna add some pieces for them to hop up on. Thanks!

 

[SunnyDawn]

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I wish i did! I'm so sorry for your loss!

 

[shanyalv]

I have lost a few birds here and there since starting this but this loss over the last week was HUGE for us. My daughter cried herself to sleep and was very upset by this all. I am making the mad push to get the big coop finished and a little more security for my babies now as my dogs are also my "kids" too and I cannot see getting rid of them.




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I wish i did! I'm so sorry for your loss!

 

[SunnyDawn]

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I wish i did! I'm so sorry for your loss!

It's always hardest on the kids. Still easier for them to learn this with pets first. A natural part of life I felt was important for my kids to learn to deal with.
I'll keep my ears open for anyone with silkies for sale!

 

[Eglyntine]

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I only have a BBS Rooster, he was a rescue but I have no intentions of ever breeding them or getting anymore. I did check out the Auction section on here and there are several ppl that have them for sale. Not chicks but maybe you could make an arrangement for shipping or something? The only thing on CL's up here are roosters too. I will keep an eye out for ya though.

Have you tried over on the Silkie Forum? Maybe someone has some extra they would be willing to part with...

I am really sorry about your loss. I do not know what it is about chickens but I just love them something fierce and you put so much time and emotion into them and no matter what age they are when you lose one it is dreadful. It is totally different if they are dinner. I can even make a pet out of a chicken I know I am going to eat later and for some strange reason it is ok when the time comes. But if you lose one or many because of unforeseen circumstances it is just heartbreaking.

My kids get really upset when we lose one but they recover much quicker than I do that is for sure. They have the same attitude I had when I was a kid I guess. It is heart breaking and it hurts inside but I knew if I wanted to we could get a replacement or I would find something else that could fill the void. When kids know there is nothing that can be done to fix something they have an amazing resilience to pick up and move on. We could all learn a lot from the way they deal with situations we have no control over.

 

[Jeeper1540]

Well, yall know how i was advertising for duckies on here a couple weeks back?? well i got a call for my 2 Magpie hens! I'm so happy. I like the ducks, but they are just too much to handle. the chickens are a much easier task.

I still have 1 big Pekin Drake and 1 Blue Swedish Drake if anyone here is interested in driving to Elko

. I am fine giving away the Pekin for food. I don't care what happens to hium, i'm not that attached, but im attached enough i cant kill him and have a duck dinner

I would like the Blue Swedish to go to a good home though since its a more rare breed.

Its melting in Elko. I don't actually live IN Elko, i live outside Elko, so its really muddy! There is just about no snow left, and its in the 40s, so i shut off the light for my hens (i know i spoil them) so they could get a good nights rest in the dark. SAYM had some bad news this week, but i'll let her post about that is she chooses too. Thats about it from here up north!

 

[saym]

Congratulations to Jeepers! Sorry you aren't getting compensated for all the education on ducks you have gone through, And I hope someone out there will take the swedish blue and continue to encourage that breed..
Well, I am still photo challenged on here, so I can't post a Memorial photo of Queenie..aka Tank ( she was the biggest widest of the flock) BR.. Since the snow is melting there are all manner of weed seeds sprouting so I let the girls out to get some green stuff...I was in and out of the house, going back and forth to the shop/garage...The UPS guy showed up and dropped a package off and that's when I realized all the girls were GONE...I went in the coop and noticed some feathers in back behind the coop on the outside...There was Tank penned between the no-climb fence and a picket fence section I had leaning up against the wire fence to break the wind...she was dug in deep in the mud..she gave one heck of a fight, but the hawk killed her..My first thought was, maliciously, but I don't think hawks kill like domestic dogs and cats..anyway. this all happened with in 5 minutes.. I thought I was being attentive..so please be aware! there has been a sparrow hawk hanging out,, I thought he was hunting the sparrows../silly me! What rewally scared me was that it took about an hour for all the rest of the flock to come out of hiding..I thought at one point that 7 had been killed...but one by one they started popping up and with each one I was little more relieved.
My girls are ignorant and I watched them when the hawk started coming around...they paid absolutely no heed to it, so I assumed that they instinctively knew they were safe... They know now!!! Better yet..I know now!
Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!

 

[Jeeper1540]

Sorry again about Tank. If you want, I could go down there tonight and show you how to upload pics.
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