NY chicken lover!!!!

[JWEBB]

I recently put my chicks in with the ducks since they are getting bigger, that was a mistake! The chicks make a bigger mess than the two ducks. As soon as I put food in there they hop up on the little dish and scratch it around everywhere. I think I'm going to put them back in their own brooder. Poor ducks go looking for their food in the dish and it's all kicked out.

I know I'm gonna cave and get some ducks ! messy as they are it sounds.. they are so darn cute. They had little black ducks at our TSC...

 

[Cass]

I know I'm gonna cave and get some ducks ! messy as they are it sounds.. they are so darn cute. They had little black ducks at our TSC...

Oh brother. I need feed. I have to go to TSC this weekend. This is NOT good. Do they make people blinders?

 

[JLaw]

I was looking at rifles today. There are to many squirrels around and one was in the garage day before yesterday. They have a nest in the tree in the middle of our yard. I have a clear shot.

If you are doing squirrel just get an air gun nice and quiet. Not to mention like 5 dollars for 100+ pellets compared to the crazy prices of rounds are for riffles. I don't know the price of .22 riffle rounds but I know my 30-06 for deer hunting aint cheep and I wont ever use them for anything under deer size because of cost.

 

[armorfirelady]

Hope everyone is enjoying the sun today. I was able to shovel snow in the garden so the girls are happily digging thru it getting some much needed vitamin d. Hope the sun encourages them to lay some more eggs as well.

 

[JLaw]

I have them in a plastic clear bin from Walmart. I tried mixing their feed with water to make mush but they still made a mess. They have the basic chick waterer for water and go through alot I think. I have three chickens in the bigger pool right now and if I could find some one to take them I'd be glad.

I took my chick water dispenser out and made my own. The chick water dispenser was such a mess had to clean shavings after like 2 days. It didn't help I gave them a pan of water to play in also under the heat lamp. But what I did is I took a milk jug and cut 1, 1.5-2.5inch holes on two sides that handle aint connected to. So 2 holes per jug. Then I put the jug in a 9x9 glass baking dish. They are able to get mouth and nose into the water to clean nose out but not splash water out of it easly. When they do splash some out most if not all goes into the dish under it. So far 24 hours and no watered down shavings from what I can see. As they grow you have to get a new jug and put the holes higher and bigger. From what one person who does this said about every week they need a new milk jug. Now the draw back to this is you don't have 1 gallon of water for them you have more like 1/4 so you have to fill it two times aday so far for me with 7 birds. But I was going trough about 1 gallon every day so I think they are getting more. Also I noticed when they have water in the dish they will drink that also so it's a double drinker. As I took a pic of the jug I felt shavings they did have some dampness to them by container so not sure if from poo or from them stepping in the dish then shavings. I'm running a little amount of shavings atm since I had to change them after 2 days I wanted to see how this worked before I waste a lot in there.


one drinking out of container.


Like three of them drinking out of the side dish.



Side view of jug set up for them.

 

[mom2mld]

Hello,
I would be interested in your hens. Lapeerian mentioned me in her reply to you. We live in Virgil and could probably come get them this weekend if that is convenient.

Thank you

What is that old wives tale about sexing chicks by laying them on their back.. Is it if they lay still it is a pullet and if they struggle it is a cockerel? We were playing with the ducks and the cochin chicks last night and I realized that one was chill on it's back. It is the smaller of the 2 and the other bigger one freaks out on it's back. I already told the kids that if any were roosters that we would be getting them new homes. I already have 2 roo's we don't need any more. Problem now is that DS is very attached to the chicks. He says that the ducks are Mommy and Sissy's and that the chicks are his. He is only 3 I hate to break his little heart.

I am going to down size the flock that I have. I have decided that I'm going to rehome 4 of my red sexlinks and a black copper maran. If any one s interested let me know. The reds will be a year old on March 28th and the maran will be 2 this summer.

Holly Cow! I was typing and one of my dogs was in the window going nuts. I went to look at what he was barking at. Usually it is a deer in the woods across the street. not today it was the fox. It is back. I went running to see where my girls were. I had let them out a few hours ago to free range in the driveway. I wanted to go find them and took the BB gun with me, not like it would have done much. Well all the girls were in their run. What a relief. I closed the gate and said a prayer. I guess that it is time to get that gun we have been talking about.

 

[why do birds]

Chicken Nugget, one of our "lap chickens"...

Luv, we tried putting our chicks on their back to see if they are male or female. All 3 would gladly have fallen asleep like that. They love getting little chest and back rubs. They all have spurs and our frizzle sizzle is making a honking noise. They may all be roos. So that concept of putting the chick on it's back didn't work for us. We have 1 silkie and 2 cochin/silkie mix.

 

[PhoredaBurds]

I took my chick water dispenser out and made my own. The chick water dispenser was such a mess had to clean shavings after like 2 days. It didn't help I gave them a pan of water to play in also under the heat lamp. But what I did is I took a milk jug and cut 1, 1.5-2.5inch holes on two sides that handle aint connected to. So 2 holes per jug. Then I put the jug in a 9x9 glass baking dish. They are able to get mouth and nose into the water to clean nose out but not splash water out of it easly. When they do splash some out most if not all goes into the dish under it. So far 24 hours and no watered down shavings from what I can see. As they grow you have to get a new jug and put the holes higher and bigger. From what one person who does this said about every week they need a new milk jug. Now the draw back to this is you don't have 1 gallon of water for them you have more like 1/4 so you have to fill it two times aday so far for me with 7 birds. But I was going trough about 1 gallon every day so I think they are getting more. Also I noticed when they have water in the dish they will drink that also so it's a double drinker. As I took a pic of the jug I felt shavings they did have some dampness to them by container so not sure if from poo or from them stepping in the dish then shavings. I'm running a little amount of shavings atm since I had to change them after 2 days I wanted to see how this worked before I waste a lot in there. one drinking out of container. Like three of them drinking out of the side dish. Side view of jug set up for them.

Fantastic idea! Thanks for sharing! When I was raising my goslings, there was a certain point when I was dumping & replacing all there shavings every day. They were very messy, splashing their water all over, dunking their food in it, & having a great time doing it. There's a "ducklings oh the mess" thread that describes a "watering station" which has a similar concept of catching the splash before it soaks the entire brooder. I like the milk jug idea. Good thinkin. Ur ducklings r so cute. Probably worth the mess.

 

[rancher hicks]

Oh brother. I need feed. I have to go to TSC this weekend. This is NOT good. Do they make people blinders?

Just keep thinking of these types of chickens and leave those ugly birds where they are.

 

[bakingintherain]

I took my chick water dispenser out and made my own. The chick water dispenser was such a mess had to clean shavings after like 2 days. It didn't help I gave them a pan of water to play in also under the heat lamp. But what I did is I took a milk jug and cut 1, 1.5-2.5inch holes on two sides that handle aint connected to. So 2 holes per jug. Then I put the jug in a 9x9 glass baking dish. They are able to get mouth and nose into the water to clean nose out but not splash water out of it easly. When they do splash some out most if not all goes into the dish under it. So far 24 hours and no watered down shavings from what I can see. As they grow you have to get a new jug and put the holes higher and bigger. From what one person who does this said about every week they need a new milk jug. Now the draw back to this is you don't have 1 gallon of water for them you have more like 1/4 so you have to fill it two times aday so far for me with 7 birds. But I was going trough about 1 gallon every day so I think they are getting more. Also I noticed when they have water in the dish they will drink that also so it's a double drinker. As I took a pic of the jug I felt shavings they did have some dampness to them by container so not sure if from poo or from them stepping in the dish then shavings. I'm running a little amount of shavings atm since I had to change them after 2 days I wanted to see how this worked before I waste a lot in there. one drinking out of container. Like three of them drinking out of the side dish. Side view of jug set up for them.

That is the kind of water I use when I brood ducks, love it!