NY chicken lover!!!!

[featherz]

Which Walmart? I need some of those. At least 2, three would be better.

The broody hen is the lighter of the two. Is that the one that was broody before? She has stopped pecking them....perhaps it was the stress of the other chickens looking in? I put up some wire around her so they couldn't stand on the side of her box and intimidate her. Of course I was looking in on her too....that's how I know she was pecking at them. I am hoping that a few more hatch overnight tonight.....but she won't let me check for cracked shells, so she must be getting uncomfortable with sharp shell halves and squirmy chicks all under her.

It was the one in Saratoga. There were still about four of the big ones and a bunch of small ones left - no one has bought them for months so I guess they marked em down. Over by the pet food section.

Yes, the lighter one lives to be broody, or she did when she was here. All my broodies peck a little at the chicks, but just to poke them back under. She was always nice with me checking under her..



Group Hug!!

 

[Cass]

Originally Posted by Lynzi777

Hey Everyone,
Finally been getting some much needed rain the past couple of days! Not sure if it's going to help my lawn any but hey, it's something. Question for you all, whats the longest you've ever left your chickens if you had to travel? We taking the kids to Disney 3rd week in August and I'm wondering what I should do. I know I could leave them with enough food and water and they'd be fine. But they free range all day. We let them out around 8 in the morning and don't lock them up in the coop until about dusk, or whenever they wander on in themselves and we notice it and shut them in then rather than have to coax them in there ourselves. I'm wondering if they'd be ok in the coop for the days we'll be gone or if I should have my neighbor come by and let them before work and get them locked up in the evening. It's just that we just moved here and I really don't want to be asking for favors this early on, I'm sure she'd do it in a heartbeat, I mean she has about 30 chickens of her own she already has to let out and back in every day, but I don't know. I think 4 days would be a long time for them to have to be in the coop. What do you think?
Rancher said:
I would pay her to do so, and/or let her keep any eggs she collects while your away. This is what I did.



I have left my chickens inside for over a week, BUT I have secure enclosed run, so they are not totally INside the whole time, they can go outside at will, just not freerange. Do your chickens have a run or enough space to not get on each other's nerves while they are cooped up? How well do they deal with confinement in the winter?

I just got back from a week's vacation and my neighbor watched my birds for me. I have 2 coops, with a bag of feed in each one and a hose run down to the coop for ease of watering.
I didn't pay my neighbor, I let her keep the eggs and I return the favor when she is out of town. And I let her keep the eggs, so she plans her worming for when she has my eggs.

My neighbor and I "do" each other's birds regularly. It allows us to have a flock and a life. Last year we didn't communicate well and were both out of town the same week.....we both had to find others to watch our birds. We didn't like it. This year we kept in touch (thanks to text messages) and planned our vacations around each other. Perhaps your neighbor would like to have a similiar arrangement with you? Might want to start the conversation with "I see/know you have chickens, who do you get to take care of them when you are out of town?" If she says "that's a problem" or says she just can't go anywhere, you can start to discuss how you would be willing to "do" her birds in return for her doing yours.

But in answer to your original question, 4 days is not a long time to a bird. Remember, they sit for 21 days waiting for chicks to hatch without blinking an eye. Literally.

Supermarket white eggs are laid by hens who never see the outdoors, not even through a window, so it is not unheard of for birds to be kept indoors.

 

[Cass]

It was the one in Saratoga. There were still about four of the big ones and a bunch of small ones left - no one has bought them for months so I guess they marked em down. Over by the pet food section.

Yes, the lighter one lives to be broody, or she did when she was here. All my broodies peck a little at the chicks, but just to poke them back under. She was always nice with me checking under her..



Group Hug!!

Ok. That's her. Must just have been the stress of being stared at. But she is NOT nice when I try to check under her. However this past week has been very stressful for her, with other folks watching over her, including 2 little girls in the coop. She has calmed down since I put the chicken wire around her, making it so the other hens can't get anywhere near her.


I am never in Saratoga. Sigh. I'll have to check my Wally's world and see if they ever had anything that cool. Probably not, tho, cuz they really suck at having anything of any value in the store.

 

[AQHAchick22]

I am never in Saratoga.  Sigh.   I'll have to check my Wally's world and see if they ever had anything that cool.   Probably not, tho, cuz they really suck at having anything of any value in the store.

Agreed...maybe it's an Albany thing. I'm going to the one in glenmont today I'll let you know if I see any.

 

[rancher hicks]

Which Walmart? I need some of those. At least 2, three would be better.

The broody hen is the lighter of the two. Is that the one that was broody before? She has stopped pecking them....perhaps it was the stress of the other chickens looking in? I put up some wire around her so they couldn't stand on the side of her box and intimidate her. Of course I was looking in on her too....that's how I know she was pecking at them. I am hoping that a few more hatch overnight tonight.....but she won't let me check for cracked shells, so she must be getting uncomfortable with sharp shell halves and squirmy chicks all under her.

Cass , I have read that you should take the early hatched chicks to a brooder and then put them back with the later hatched chicks when she is done. I would stick them back at night though. Will it work? I don't know. If she gets off the eggs with the early birds she will abandon any unhatched eggs though.

 

[rancher hicks]

It was the one in Saratoga. There were still about four of the big ones and a bunch of small ones left - no one has bought them for months so I guess they marked em down. Over by the pet food section.

Yes, the lighter one lives to be broody, or she did when she was here. All my broodies peck a little at the chicks, but just to poke them back under. She was always nice with me checking under her..



Group Hug!!

I would be glad to get a hen who mothered more than two chicks but so far no dice.

 

[Lynzi777]

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I really appreciate it! Good News, my SIL finally got her scheduled date to come home from Africa (She's in the Peace Corps) She's scheduled to arrive next Thursday at 1pm in CT and she'll be traveling all over to see friends the month she is home. She wants to come up here to Syracuse the week we are gone and doesn't mind that we wont be here - she'll stay into the weekend we come home and visit friends up here while we are gone. She has no problem staying at our place and taking care of our "farm" LOL We have a dog that I was planning on putting in a kennel and now I don't have to. So I'm so relieved. She'll take care of the chickens, bunnies and the cat & dog. I'm so relieved!

 

[featherz]

I would be glad to get a hen who mothered more than two chicks but so far no dice.

Come get Bob (big orange broody )..she wrangled 13 last time, but this time I don't want more chickens so she only has three. She'll even take chicks two weeks early lol.. she's a chicken of unknown origin but she sure loves her babies. .

 

[stonykill]

I would be glad to get a hen who mothered more than two chicks but so far no dice.

I currently have one broody with 15, one with 9 and 2 with 8 each. All TERRIFIC mothers. Sumatra's....it matters

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Afternoon all. Spent the afternoon, cleaning waterers and feeders and refilling. Not sure which of the pullets is laying but I am getting an egg a day so far. My hens have slowed down again and I am only getting 2-3 a day from them. I keep telling them their replacements are ramping up and they dont seem too worried. I knew I spoiled them too much! One of the boys grabbed me last night as I was sitting outside. He sidled up to me so I put my hand down to invite him over. He reached out and grabbed me quick. What he didnt count on is the whack upside the head he got almost immediately from my other hand. Needless to say, he ran off squawking and into the coop to think about it for a while. He is marked for freezer camp anyways so once he is at weight, he will be gone.

Question---anyone ever try to feed their chickens crushed acorns? We have several oak trees around and I was thinking of gathering up the mast, crushing it with a hand held sledge in a bag and feeding it to the cheeps. Turkeys eat them so I was thinking that if the chickens will eat them, thats free, high protein food that can offset my feed bill. Opinions please!!!