NY chicken lover!!!!

[suleo]

I use solar predator protector lights to keep deer, raccoons and skunks etc away. They work at night. Night eyes. But today I just purchased a Winchester 1300 20 guage shotgun. A friend had it in the basement brand new, never used! And had ammo to go with it. Never had a gun in my life but have someone who will teach me how to use it. My husband was ROTC in college so he knows how to use it but until recently never thought I'd own a shot gun to protect my flock etc... Will take the safety couse as well. Sort of scary but comforting as well.

 

[rancher hicks]

Ok, It appears that my pears are in season! I have been reading and pears do not ripen on the tree, they should be picked and allowed to ripen indoors. I am looking to sell some of them and I see online locally they are going for $2 a quart. How do I put them into quarts? they aren't liquid. (maybe I'm silly because I grew up in NYC, someone please explain pears in quarts!)

Also, apples soon!

No new chicken news from me.

While I have no doubt those can be used for canning, they're going to be a lot of work peeling off those blemishes. You would use "quart baskets", but I wouldn't be willing to pay $2. I will think about it though.

There is a vacant house on Butternut Creek rd. with a few apple trees and I'm considering stopping and picking a few of those.

I like to use a mix of varieties in my sauces. With yours I'd add a few of a red pear to them. A mix of tart and sweet work well.

 

[rancher hicks]

Anyone going to the fair this week ?
I think I can go either THURS or FRI ..anyone want to meet ?

I gave my last ticket to my DD. I'm too tired, not to mention broke or just don't have money for the fair.

 

[armorfirelady]

Hi everyone.

I'm curious (and it's been a while since this "Tough Old Bird" had a typical question!) ...

I'm estimating that my older pullets (with the exception of the Marans who is already laying) will start laying relatively soon. The Delaware's comb and wattle are REALLY super red and waxy, so I think she's next. We'll have to see about the Columbian Rocks. I'm guessing within a month or so for them. Anyway, if the birds are just starting up laying as the days are actually getting shorter, what usually happens naturally? Will they start up just to stop? Do they lay once in a while through winter? Then there is the whole 1st molt thing, and I'm not sure when that will occur.


TOB

Last year when I got my big girls I never thought they would lay. They started in December and kept laying throughout the winter. No extra light and no heat. They laid all winter with no problems. I rarely had all 4 lay every day but I got at least 2 eggs a day through the winter. My 2 youngest tots still are not laying but I am hoping they will start in october or november and just keep at it like the big girls did last year. Different breeds but I dont forsee a problem. If some take some time off during the winter I am ok with it. All women need a break once in awhile

 

[rancher hicks]

Omg I hope that fox doesn't come back your way.


Oh my, it's weird because working for a certain chain I know that they warn people that the reptiles may be carriers of Salmonella. It seems we just cannot escape it's grips.


I love the name broom hilda by the way! Well congrats on the babies. I hope you can figure out what went wrong.


Yeah the humidity is something, I can't wait to see your orps when you start hatching them. I might have to get one from you in spring.


yes he's very handsome


Um Pm I will gladly answer any questions. I work a a very large chain!


You bake bread omg that is awesome I love the smell and then the taste of fresh baked bread. Well I'm glad Bill is learning his place. You should show pictures of your silkies. It's okay that you squawk at your chickens LOL we mimic ours and bark at our dogs and hiss at our cats.

I'm glad you have something so beautiful to remind you of your dad.


Um I could use some peaches!!!

So I come home with my son and find this my brabanter wounded. She was having trouble some time ago getting on the perches we showed her how and it wasn't a problem and then now this. I'm not sure if another hen did it she didn't seem scared of anymore or anything, actually she acted as if nothing was wrong. When quarantined her she did her normal freak out she doesn't like being away from the flock, and she can hold her own pretty well. Not sure if it was a predator she is super slow and doesn't fly well so unless a very young puppy or kitten got on to my property which I doubt. I believe it was her bumping into the nest boxes, trying to jump.

I cleaned it and put ointment on it. In addition I gave some vitamins a fruit mash and oregano oil. Unfortunately no vet not even emergency will see her. I think there is one out in Victor but I can't get it I work till sunday and can't afford to lose time off of work. She's acting fine so I figure if I keep up on the treatment and hardy diet she should pull through, all she wants is to be back with the girls. That's okay when she is healed she can go into the silkie/baby pen that's my birds not able to be in the main flock pen.


Well on a more interesting note my Jersey Giant who is 15wks old tries to hide under our 5month old Faverolle when she gets scared, mind you she is almost the same size. Oddly enough our Faverolle doesn't seem to mind much and deals with it.

Well just finished some homework gonna relax a bit since my hip will not heal and it's making harder and harder to run and to go to work. I had such trouble maneuvering today. Well I wish everyone the best and to all a good night.

My unsolicited advice? Quarantine her until she heals 100%. It could be that she is getting beaten up by other birds. I had a BR hen beaten up by the roo for some reason and before I realize why she wouldn't go in the coop, he killed her.

Chickens definitely are racist. I personally don't advise putting birds of a single breed in a flock of other breeds, though there are exceptions. I do have a RIR hen in with CR's and Orps but she originally had a sister. Her sister died for some reason.

Peaches? me too.

 

[suleo]

You can also put them in brandy! But let them ripen a bit in a brown paper bag. Peaches too!

 

[rancher hicks]

miquid - hope your Brabanter heals up well. Mine is very prone to getting creamed by the older birds. Every time I try to put her in with them, she gets hammered. She is definitely slower and low-girl on the totem pole.

Xovan - cannot believe how well your severely injured pullet healed. WOW! That's great news.

Lynzi - your drake is very handsome indeed! How many chickens are you up to now, you addict, you!

Pharm - I still miss my Dad terribly, and he's been gone 20 years. Hard to believe. The 1st year is the toughest. Sorry for your sadness. I do understand. I've been photographing the deer and young bucks in their velvet lately. Some images made it to Syracuse.com (Dave Figura's outdoor blog / wildlife photo section, if you get a minute to check them out. )


All's well with my flock, except the continuing separation, but I am home from the crazy weekends away and things are a little easier now. Yesterday, I let Helen out with the young girls to do a little supervised free range (Helen is the boss lady, Marans hen -- only one laying so far). The Coronation Sussex challenged her, and although she kept making herself taller than the Marans, Helen took a swift shot at Cracker and that ended the challenge!

Cracker ran off like a scared school girl. She will have to be satisfied with being Queen of the Littles... for now, anyway. She is a BIG girl, though.


TOB

Her sister is laying a very dark egg, now, though I wish she'd lay it in a nest box and not on the floor.

 

[rancher hicks]

Hi everyone.

I'm curious (and it's been a while since this "Tough Old Bird" had a typical question!) ...

I'm estimating that my older pullets (with the exception of the Marans who is already laying) will start laying relatively soon. The Delaware's comb and wattle are REALLY super red and waxy, so I think she's next. We'll have to see about the Columbian Rocks. I'm guessing within a month or so for them. Anyway, if the birds are just starting up laying as the days are actually getting shorter, what usually happens naturally? Will they start up just to stop? Do they lay once in a while through winter? Then there is the whole 1st molt thing, and I'm not sure when that will occur.


TOB

The new Practical Poultry addresses this issue.

 

[suleo]

The post was meant for the person with pears not for that poor chicken with wounds. Please put her in her own pen. Chickens are cannibals...they see blood they peck. Use antiseptic. I use Bacitracin! Then when she goes in the coop/run put blukote on it!

 

[Cass]

My unsolicited advice? Quarantine her until she heals 100%. It could be that she is getting beaten up by other birds. I had a BR hen beaten up by the roo for some reason and before I realize why she wouldn't go in the coop, he killed her.

Chickens definitely are racist. I personally don't advise putting birds of a single breed in a flock of other breeds, though there are exceptions. I do have a RIR hen in with CR's and Orps but she originally had a sister. Her sister died for some reason.

Peaches? me too.

Shhhh....don't tell my flock they aren't supposed to be all in together. At last count I had 5 breeds plus the mutts all living in one coop. They tend to stay in tribes of like colors, but aren't breed segregated.