NY chicken lover!!!!

[Tab's chicken obsession]

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I Tryed to make pickles once out of left over pickle juice. I got a pickle cucumber and cut it into chips then tossed it in the pickle juice and let it sit a few days.. I think they were a hit beacuse my Pickle loving Kids and hubby.. Gobbled it up! and asked when was i gonna do more lol

My grandmother taught me how to can. Now I have a ball home canning book and try out new recipes. I enjoy being able to grow and preserve my own food.

 

[Henicillin]

So, my seven- and eight-week-old Speckled Sussex decided the other day that it was high time they became full members of the coop crew. Three of them took it upon themselves to fly out of the four-foot-high dog pen in which they'd been incarcerated, and refused to stay put when stuck back in there. So, we watched their interactions with the thirteen-week-old kids for a while, decided things were about as calm as they were going to be, and took the pen down. There hasn't been much in the way of aggression other than pecking order drama, quite possibly because nobody is fully mature yet, so I deem the integration a success.

The little brats are actually putting up a pretty good show of working their way up the pecking order. They appear to have inserted themselves into the ranks above some of the more mellow 13-week pullets, and strut around in a group like they own the run when they "win" a confrontation, the little thugs.

Now, if one of the more dominant birds happens over, it's a totally different situation. "RUN AWAY!"

At least one of the SS *may* be a cockerel after all (I was thinking that they were all pullets) as there appears to be a greenish sheen to some of the new tail feathers. I want a large fowl flock roo, so I'm actually hoping that this is indeed the case. With 23 girls, he'd be a deliriously happy dude.

I can't wait until the last six (who are around five weeks now) are big enough to throw out there into the mix in the dog pen. I'll have my garage back soon - well, at least until I get the next batch, or buy that little incubator I've been eyeing and start hatching.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

So my little silkie rooster Mumbles and my glw hen Gladys had the big showdown last night. After giving each other the stink eye for a couple of hours while they were out freeranging, the two of them walked up to each other and boom! it was on. Gladys was ripping feathers out of his head and pecking him and standing on him and he kept ducking under her wing and ripped out some of her feathers. She did draw blood on his comb. I put a stop to it when I felt it had gone far enough and that Gladys might actually go for attempted murder. The other 7 big hens ran to the other side of the coop and carried on while the kids(my other 5 silkies) huddled next to the house. Both Mumbles and Gladys were panting pretty heavily when I broke them up. She walked off to get a drink and I picked him up to make sure he hadnt sustained any serious wounds. He later went and laid on the stone steps with his face to the wall. The kids went over and kept him company. I didnt get a chance to let anyone out today so we will see what tomorrow brings when they are all out together again. I have never had a rooster before so I am not sure if this is normal behaviour. The two flocks generally ignore each other when they are out freeranging but Mumbles is in the jerk stage (6 mos old) so he challenges everyone. Gladys is usually pretty easy going but doesnt put up crap from anyone either.

I hope it is a more peaceful evening tomorrow! Oh==I hope you all got rain. We finally got some today.

 

[vmdanielsen]

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oh! Mine were in the basement....I have yet to clean all the rafters. It was all clean before they went in and then for the four weeks they were in there it was full of.......well you know!

 

[Cydney83]

Tab's chicken obsession :

Quote:
I Tryed to make pickles once out of left over pickle juice. I got a pickle cucumber and cut it into chips then tossed it in the pickle juice and let it sit a few days.. I think they were a hit beacuse my Pickle loving Kids and hubby.. Gobbled it up! and asked when was i gonna do more lol

My grandmother taught me how to can. Now I have a ball home canning book and try out new recipes. I enjoy being able to grow and preserve my own food.​

Same here! I love to and I have to say I am jealous cuz you get to do a lot more then I do....

 

[Cydney83]

I wanted to share my cool news...Over the months I have enjoyed looking at and reading about everyone's new coops and all...Well I have 2 new to us coops and a large fenced in area and a chicken tractor for the young ones!!!! I am so excited! We will have 3 coops!! We haven't divided the insides up...I have to wait and be patient and see what my DH decides to do...but I will have pure eggs!!! The sad new is I have to downsize on the layers that are 2.5 yrs old...they are the layers for the eggs that I sell and DH said we will not winter them over...so now how to I decide who goes and the bottom line is who is laying!! I didn't hatch any white layers and I like those in the cartons!
Hope everyone has a great night.

 

[meepitqueenie]

thats awsome .... i want some nice coops too. we are thinking on getting a nice coop next spring.

though we know someone that sells rough lumber so if we can get some of that it would be good. just the wire for the pens that is the problem.

have had car troubles as of last week ... think we got them fixed... very frustrating when we were supposed to get my mom who lives 45min away to her dr appointment. needless to say... it didn't happen and now her next appointment is 2 weeks away... it was a rough day...

but on the other side of things i have eggs due to hatch the 3rd, should have turned the turner off yesterday but things were way crazy... so i was like no problem still have time... then.... im switching eggs arround taking the turner out... and hear cheep cheep.... im like huh....

2 were piping early... go hurried up and finished moving eggs that were hatching to one incubator and the ones that had a week left into the other incubator.... more japs hatching out and some cochins from swaps.... crosses fingers for a great hatch.

 

[Cydney83]

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Cool on the hatching of the eggs...I hatched out some Marans last monday and turned the bator off....all cleaned and put it away....my DD was so hoping for a roo out of your eggs..
As for the coops they are new to us, but one was bulit in 1988 and the other not sure but we are happy! The color of them is yellow..it matched her house...let me tell you moving the coops 8 miles down the road was interesting, so was jacking them up 3ish feet in the air to get the tailor under them...but they are here...we found singles for 5 a bundle we will have 3 different roof colors, but the chickens will be dry...as for the color....the boss said the color doesn't matter...now if the pug puppy would sell I might be able to change the color...
Sorry about the car trouble...know how that goes...
Wish you lots of happy hatching vibes!

 

[admhotel]

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That is the nice thing about having the barn, I was able to build acouple more pens this weekend. The juvies need a bigger area for when we go camping in a couple weeks. You should stop by Lowes or Home Depot and look for "mistake paint" We got a 1 gallon can of Tompsons waterseal for $5. Looks great on the dog house I had to build.

 

[Cydney83]

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How did it go?