NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

Rancher, we have lost at least 2 or 3 ash trees this summer. Others are not looking so swift. I know there is insect activity under the bark, but we're not 100% sure it's the invasive Emerald Ash Borer beetle or not. The tiny "D" shape holes indicative of this particular pest are not clearly evident, although there are tons of little pin holes in the bark (not necessarily "D" shaped). Also, there are tunnels bored under the bark, but hubby says they don't match the pattern supposedly left by the EAB. I'm still thinking we've got this beetle. Wondering if a call to the DEC might be in order, but then I don't want them coming to my yard and telling me I have to cut down lots of trees.

TOB

I have no idea how I'll get this tree cut down. Not to mention it's advised NOT to transfer fire wood but I know it happens. Wonder if the guy down the road brought in the beetles. This tree is pretty tall so it must be older. It breaks my heart no matter what, but if it were farther back it would not be to much of a problem to just cut it and let it fall.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Has anyone seen the new Mercedes Benz commercial?? It's a blast! Sue

Some Did I posted it a while back ..it was pretty funny ..
Well behaved chickens too...they have obviously been handled a bit

 

[Gramma Chick]

Well, little one eyed pullet didn't make it. She passed away last night. I guess the wound must have been just too severe for her to pull through, poor thing. Ah well, at least I know I tried.

so sorry ...you did what you could ..

Is that molting hen a Rode island red ? She looks very much like mine right now..
scruffy with 2 colors ...( kind of like a shag hairdo ) & a little patch of black tipped tail feathers .

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

Well, little one eyed pullet didn't make it. She passed away last night. I guess the wound must have been just too severe for her to pull through, poor thing. Ah well, at least I know I tried.

So Sorry and you definitely did all you could do .

I buy them from a feed mill like Pohls. But they are cheaper at Richardsons which is about 5 minutes south of Vernon, a mile or so east on Simmons Rd. I buy all my feed & grains there. My chickens won't eat them unless I soak them cause they are rock hard. I buy the whole roasted soy. Has to be roasted or else its not good for the chickens...don't remember off hand why now. Lots of people say Oats are hard to sprout but I've always had success with them.. Oats are the best grain for chickens. I feed it unsoaked to my rooster pen, they eat anything! LOL

Thank You will check it out.

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

Had a fun day out with the chickens today. Playing with Lemon and her chicks really helped cheer me up about the poor little pullet. It looks like some of the birds are molting - one of my roos is missing a good chunk of hackle feathers and has tiny pinfeathers coming in now. Lemon is molting too, which is good timing since she's not laying anyway. Her feathers coming in are darker than before, and she has a really pretty pattern going on now:


And here she is on my lap investigating the camera:


It's funny how a little chicken therapy can perk you right up.

She is beautiful! What breed is she? I love sitting and watching my Momma Orpington with her 5 little babies it is very comical and relaxing

 

[Pyxis]

so sorry ...you did what you could ..

Is that molting hen a Rode island red ? She looks very much like mine right now..
scruffy with 2 colors ...( kind of like a shag hairdo ) & a little patch of black tipped tail feathers .

She is beautiful! What breed is she? I love sitting and watching my Momma Orpington with her 5 little babies it is very comical and relaxing

Thanks! She's actually just your regular run of the mill red sex link. I do have a RIR, but she's too young to molt.

 

[miquwid]

Thought I would share some pictures of my new coop! Last night was the first night I felt like I might actually get it done before the snow starts to fly. The goal with this coop was to make it as cheap as possible, so far the most expensive part has been the screws and the linoleum flooring from a leftovers bin at a local store, I wasn't going to waste my time with the peel and stick tiles again. Aaaand, if you go in Lowes and see damaged ondura roofing they will give you 50% off. I lucked out and got 3/4" plywood and used 2x6's and pallets from a recycling place for free.

The coop!
Looking in before it was whitewashed

The GIANT nest box.



The run, still under construction, but getting there! It looks more interesting in person. We have a lot of trees so I have been using the limbs from what hubby has thinned to use as the frame, then I'll wrap and bury wire around it. Next year I'll let nasturtium and morning glory grow up it.

It's looking really nice I love that idea of the sticks!

Has anyone seen this ? too funny

O. M. G. This thread just caught my eye since we were talking about hens not laying and going thru a molt...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-worst-chicken-molt-pictures-fall-winter-2013

I didn't realize that some actually go bald! OMG, I hope they hurry up before the cold weather gets here.

I love this contest I've been following it. I can't believe how extreme it gets!

Repeat after me, "I don't do business over the phone, I don't do business over the phone, I don't do business over the phone, call me again and I'll hunt you down and kill you, oops, I don't do business over the phone.

Nice I will have to try that sometime. But I only have a cell so I don't get those calls anymore.

Heres another funny I found
In England they really love their rescued chickens ..
http://www.buzzfeed.com/babymantis/20-pictures-of-chickens-wearing-sweaters-1opu

Another chicken commercial: watch it till the end ...more funnies

http://petapixel.com/2013/02/19/fuj...site&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email

The sweaters are too funny! I guess for those going through rough molts they would be ideal.

On the topic of molting--My frizzles tend to molt just about bald and look awful for a time until the new feathers come in.

Sally--Sorry about your kitties.

I believe we're going to go with Nora Heath for a name. All my girls will have names ending with the 'a' sound.

You should enter your frizzle in the molt contest! That's a cool name!

Ughhhh those pesty boxelder bugs are back and all over my house!!!!!!!

What do they look like?

Today I got an egg that looked like it was trying to get a shell. Then while cleaning I found a tiny shell less egg. I guess my d'uccle finially decided to lay her first egg. Now if I can get them to start laying eggs with shells I'll be super excited. Started to add the oyster shells to the food bucket too. Hopefully that'll help. I've seen them picking around in the bowl that they have all the time so hopefully soon they'll be laying normal eggs instead of egg filled water ballons. And if isn't to much to ask maybe they'll start to lay them in the nesting boxes instead of the floor.

Good luck with the egg situation.

Well, little one eyed pullet didn't make it. She passed away last night. I guess the wound must have been just too severe for her to pull through, poor thing. Ah well, at least I know I tried.

I'm so sorry for your loss.


I believe that I'm all caught up.

Our Welsummer is a very friendly hen I so much so she jumps on my son she even pecked him in the eye ugh she just has to be with a person. She got on top of the hoop coop and my roo who had been watching the sky all day went up after her fuming. He's been dealing with these fiesty girls trying to keep the peace, poor guy. But it really helps having him around. So I have to put a light in the coop, funny egg production stopped, and I had to buy eggs

. I though I would be at least getting a few eggs here and there but no. UGH I don't have electric out by the coop should be fun running an extension cord out there all 100 feet of it, until I can figure out a solar solution!

My Brabanter is about 99% So just to be on the safe side I'm putting her in with the silkies they do great together. My question is what's a good way to introduce her back into the flock? I will soon be pulling my two leghorns out the that coop and putting them into the big coop, our oprington is still too small and too young to go into the big coop and will probably stay with the silkies until spring.


Doing great!


Silkie coop the two smallest are the silkies the other three will be moved as they get older.



The big coop getting ready to go out! I put food down so they don't blow through me trying to get out.

 

[Gramma Chick]

My Brabanter is about 99% So just to be on the safe side I'm putting her in with the silkies they do great together. My question is what's a good way to introduce her back into the flock? I will soon be pulling my two leghorns out the that coop and putting them into the big coop, our oprington is still too small and too young to go into the big coop and will probably stay with the silkies until spring.

Can they all see each other now ? If they can...already ... just switch them when they are asleep ...Can you do that without turning on lights ?
Or put them together in the day when you can be in there with them & see how the introduction goes ..
if they Cant they all see each other now ...put them so they can see each other for a week first then put them together ...

 

[rancher hicks]

Mud

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Caught up and still round!