NY chicken lover!!!!

[NanaKat]

Someone suggested I post my search here. Im looking for a breeder of Belgian Cuckoo Malines (Meschels)... Particularly the turkey headed Golden Malines. There are breeders in Canada and Im hoping someone here in the States will have eggs for sale. Thank you.

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Happy Easter everyone! Can't wait for my girls to wake up, the best part is watching their faces.

jlawson-- Sorry about your chick. It's an awful thing. We hatch a lot of chicks and there is occasionally one hatches with something wrong. We have tried saving these and most all cases the chick didn't make it. Now we give troubled chicks a few days of good care and observation (depending on the problem) then make the heartbreaking decision. I'm a wuss and DH takes care of it because it's needed.

Nanakat-- Wish I knew someone who bred these. They look interesting and have similarities to the golden cuckoo marans we raise.

 

[featherz]

Had a close call last evening when I went to shoo the birds back.. I have one group of chickens that I only let out when home, as they don't have an electric fence to protect them when free ranging, and when I went out to check on them I saw 'something' running into the woods. Bah. Still not entirely sure what it was as I only saw the backside - it was brown, waddly and had the body shape of a raccoon but I don't recall seeing the ringed tail, just a bushy tail like a fox. But I think it was a coon for some reason - maybe I was just too panicked to check out the tail properly but seemed like too much junk in the trunk for a fox. In either case no birds were harmed (another point for coon, as I think they usually prefer their birds trapped up).. And my poor 'prisoners' will have to stay in today. Bah.

Would love to move my prisoner chickens back to the coops with the electric fencing but no room until I can downsize more. I think the other chickens also saw the animal as they were alarming when I went out there..

Will put the game cam on tonight and let's see what we see. I have combo locks on my doors so let's see ricky raccoon figure those out.

 

[featherz]

I'm a wuss and DH takes care of it because it's needed.

Wish my DH would do this. I have had to put down two chickens and just had to grit my teeth and do it. kills me every time. Did it for a chick also and still have nightmares. My hubby won't do it no matter what. Funny thing - he isn't even a vegetarian like me /sigh.

I wish someone here that would 'do the deed' when needed lived near me but y'all are too far away! =(

 

[vmdanielsen]

Yeah I did it. Sadly she wasn't going to make it. We had three people crying my 7 year old son 5 year old daughter an me. Wife was only one not crying. Kids said we had to burry her so we laid her down a few feet from a tree I planted last year. So my first flock is down to eleven chicks now. Gonna have to find another chick for my even twelve I want. We had some chick time had all 11 out in livening room. Well gonna get off here and watch some tv. Thanks for all the help and advice.

It is never easy, but you did the right thing.

 

[Lapeerian]

Happy Easter everyone! Can't wait for my girls to wake up, the best part is watching their faces.

Happy Easter!
I'm on basket watch - hubby set out a trail of the hard boiled colored eggs to the basket this morning. The 2 cats have attempted to use the eggs as play toys. Little girl is sleeping in some this morning, she woke up crying at 3:30, then up again at 6 when hubby went downstairs. I'm ready for a nap. Once we are all up, dressed and fed, going to spend some time outside this morning enjoying the weather and play with the ponies. Hope we dont get too much rain. Enjoy the day everyone!
Added: Most exciting part was gathering the egg trail. Then the new crayons, didn't bother with the rest of the basket. I'll put up the easter grass so the cats don't get it, leave the rest for later.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Morning all and Happy Easter! I had 3 more chicks hatch last night! 2 silkies and 1 rir. 2 more rir are zipping. Loving easter chicks! Thanks to dh for posting non red pics of my babies. The red light burned out. Thank goodness for backups.

Jlaw--sorry about your chick. Its a hard thing to do but one of the things that goes along with raising animals.

Lap--hope the eggs make it to your daughters wake up time! My cat does the same thing. All things are her toys.

Well, Hane is now resting in a pot of water in my fridge. Came home from work yesterday and dh had him ready to be processed. Apparently Olaf and he got into a big scuffle and that was the last straw for dh. Olaf is the last rooster standing now in the terrorist coop. I told him he better take note because he can be next if he gives me any problems. My silkies were very disturbed by the last death throws of Hane. I had to go calm them down as they were carrying on wih distress calls. Anyways, looking forward to crockpot chicken and dumplings.

Hope everyone gets out and enjoys the lovely day.

 

[happycountryhens]

Ok, so now I have another type of bird to look up. Maybe a new favorite? Who knows. My current favorites are
the Ameracuanas and the EE's as well as the Jahurns.
In all fairness the Red Stars should be my favorites as they are sweet birds that cause no troubles, have a high feed
to egg conversion and are pretty. But the Ameracaunas are such eye candy and the Jahurns are such troublemakers...

Happy Easter Everyone! He is Risen! Joy!

So sorry about the sick chick. I get so attatched to the ones that need the most work. It is difficult to do the right
thing, but definitely the right thing to do.

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Our cat tried to snag the eggs out of the basket when girls were hunting eggs and set it down. I tried for a pic but didn't realize that DH had turned off the flash and by the time I got it on the cat had run away. It was funny to see her reach in her paw to scoop out an egg. Later I got this one after we emptied the eggs out. I had to shoo her away and put up the baskets.

 

[ChickPrincess]

Yeah I did it. Sadly she wasn't going to make it. We had three people crying my 7 year old son 5 year old daughter an me. Wife was only one not crying. Kids said we had to burry her so we laid her down a few feet from a tree I planted last year. So my first flock is down to eleven chicks now. Gonna have to find another chick for my even twelve I want. We had some chick time had all 11 out in livening room. Well gonna get off here and watch some tv. Thanks for all the help and advice.

I'm so sorry. She's not suffering anymore. You did the humane thing.

Happy Easter, everyone!

I am such an idiot. Yeah, I'll say it. I've been trying to figure out why some hen's backs are looking just TERRIBLE. After treating for lice they are looking worse and worse. Now a couple are beginning to have bald spots on the tops of the wings (where it meets the body). Then I had a *slap in the face* moment. It is being caused by when they crawl under the coop to go dust bathe. Every time they go in or out, they are scraping their entire top under the coop. The ones who don't have it as bad are obviously the shorter hens. DUH! I'll be blocking that off tomorrow.

I feel like such a dummy.

Oh, Rancher... the one that I think is a roo is a tetra tint, so I don't believe they can be sexed by feathers or color. Oh, well. If he is, he is. I may need another roo shortly if Rooster Cogburn keeps up his nasty ways!