NY chicken lover!!!!

[Lynzi777]

Just cleaned out all three coops before the rain came. Of course my OCD kicked in and I shut the door to the big coop so they couldn't jump in and make a mess of it before the silkies move into it. Orps aren't too happy! LOL they're currently in my porch knocking on my door to be let in. Haha

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Played with my silkie babies last night to relax a little. I think at least half are boys. They are all too cute, running and jumping and flapping their wings. They all have fabulous foot feathering and their coloring is going to be quite nice!

They sound so stinking cute!!!!

I usually don't have any problem picking up my broodies and grabbing eggs laid by others from the nest. Yesterday I got BIT and BIT good trying to grab the one large brown egg from the co-broody pair of duck and hen. I am like "WHAT is YOUR problem?" And then I hear something peep and I am thinking "OH NOOOOOOOOO, not the ducks hatching early toooo". Nope!!! A chick had hatched early in the box above and fallen out. The momma hen had just tucked it under her wing and kept it. LOL So she was defending her "baby"....which wasn't hers....

I was able to grab the chick without further injury to my hand and relocate it to the nest containing the Hen that had hatched it. So I have 9 Guinea keets, 2 chicks and 18 duck eggs to go. WHERE am I going to put all these birds?

Hi Cass. Gramma got nailed too. So far my broody is cooperative. Not thrilled, but submissive. If my Delaware goes broody, I am screwed. She is a biter, even on a good day, lol. Good save on the misplaced chick!! Good luck on your hatches, but WOW! Sounds like you've got a wicked bad case of Morehen's.......!!!

I don't have any idea what happened to it's toes. I noticed them a day or so after he was hatched and in the brooder but he gets along fine. I will probly sell him as if it is genetics I don't want that gene to be passed along in my birds anymore.

I never heard of that before, so who knows? A mystery! The case of the missing toenails, lol! How's Peanut Butter doing these days?

By the way, did you get a chance to see the fawn pic I posted on here a little while back? Melted my heart!

TOB

 

[Lapeerian]

Anyone else get a weird Private Message from a Simoejohnston? I didn't click the link, figure it is spam or virus.

 

[Pyxis]

Anyone else get a weird Private Message from a Simoejohnston? I didn't click the link, figure it is spam or virus.

I did too, haven't clicked the link for the same reason.

 

[rancher hicks]

Any chance you know the Gordon Lightfoot song, Alberta Bound?

I noticed your name right away, being a big Lightfoot fan since I was a young kid, lol...!



Mother foxes some times vocalize a very startling screech to communicate with their kits and mate. Sounds kind of like a woman screaming and it's LOUD. You would hear that, I think, if she was relatively close.

Here is a link to listen, if you don't already know what they sound like. It would be much louder than this, if you are close. I've been very close to one and it scared the tar outta me the 1st time I heard one and didn't realize what it was.

Click this link and then scroll down to the animal section with coyotes, foxes etc. Then click on the sound byte entitled FOX YELL.
http://waterandwoods.net/2008/09/wild-animal-sound-bytes/

Something to keep in mind if you're weed whacking. Most birds are nesting this time of year, and many of them have nest sites in low shrubs and tangles -- even weeds and tall grasses. It's your property, of course, and I know the fox attack has you upset with good reason. Just keep in mind you might be destroying nests and even nestlings if you W-whack vegetation at this time of year.

I hope you don't have any further fox sightings, especially problems, Rancher.


TOB

You know last year I did scare a bird who was nesting near by. Her eggs were broken the next time I looked. Perhaps I should do a walk through or go more slowly. I felt really bad.

 

[Lapeerian]

One little chicky hatched! Hubby predicted a white egg and was right. Looks like a brown leghorn, now crawling all over the other eggs. Got a few more pipped.

We got hammered tonight with heavy rain, resulting in flash flood. Got another line of rain due. Hope my garden survives.

 

[rancher hicks]

BUCKWHEAT has a swollen abdomen. Stretched out tight. Anyone know what the problem could be? No pics yet.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Just cleaned out all three coops before the rain came. Of course my OCD kicked in and I shut the door to the big coop so they couldn't jump in and make a mess of it before the silkies move into it. Orps aren't too happy! LOL they're currently in my porch knocking on my door to be let in. Haha

I cleaned out the pen and freshened it up with some fresh shavings after the sun came out. Then, of course, it had to pour rain again. Grrrrrr....

Anyone else get a weird Private Message from a Simoejohnston? I didn't click the link, figure it is spam or virus.

No, I didn't, but I think you were smart to not click on the link!

You know last year I did scare a bird who was nesting near by. Her eggs were broken the next time I looked. Perhaps I should do a walk through or go more slowly. I felt really bad.

Well, it was an accident, but if you can wait a little, it might be a kind thing to consider. But I know you are nervous about the fox. Some of the nests are very tiny and/or well tucked in to the thickets. We have a chipping sparrow nest on the very edge of one of our juniper bushes near our walkway. Even though I know exactly where it is, some times it takes me several seconds to find and focus on it. The mother bird is nearly invisible when she is tucked down on her little ones (they just hatched a few days ago). The cup of the nest is not a whole lot wider than a Dixie cup!

BUCKWHEAT has a swollen abdomen. Stretched out tight. Anyone know what the problem could be? No pics yet.

Sorry to hear, Rancher, and I don't know. On a horse, this would likely mean colic, but obviously, horses and chickens are worlds apart. I don't know if chickens can get gas, bloat or torsion (twisting) issues like horses do! I hope she makes a good turn-around soon. It seems there's always something to worry about.


TOB

 

[Lynzi777]

Got everything moved around today or as my husband likes to call it, we played "musical coops"! It's been something I've been wanting to do for quite some time and just never go around to it. Everything is a done deal now. The Orps went right into their coop. The silkies needed to be lifted up into their right before the rain came for the 3rd time today. Tomorrow I just need to make something for under the roost and the Orps need the roosting bars in their coop. Pics to come

 

[Gramma Chick]

I too, am fighting this battle with rats ,mice and chipmunks, im thinking of trying that bucket mousetrap design i see, if you havent seen it , search BYC for it. i'm gettin tired of rebaiting traps, or gettin the bait stolen from the trap

Dont you have a cat ? I see some chipmunks & squirrels but they mostly keep their distance from our yard ..because of my cat