NY chicken lover!!!!

[Sorin]

I am a newbie and have a quick question for you. My girls get layer pellets every day and fresh grass, veggies (either greens, cantelope, watermelon, tomatoes) every day. I also try & let them out to roam the yard every day. They love the bugs around the garden & wood pile They also get some BOSS or crack corn every few days to encourage them to scratch up their run,

They even tried some cube steak leftovers yesterday. Loved it !!! And one of the girls who wasnt near plate came squaking over with her wings flapping cuz she realized her sister had some tasty treats lol 

My question is that the girls who came running over had some yellow poop.  Does chicken poop change colors depending on what they eat? They are all acting happy & healthy. Eyes are clear and their feathers look ok. (they are starting to molt so they all look a little haggard)  She is in fact very vocal and loves to flap her wings lol

I would assume diet will affect their poop, but they can eat the exact same thing every day and have different varieties. There was a thread on here a while ago that showed all the "normal" kinds, I can't find it but this should help, http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0 it has all sorts of pics of what is normal and whatis not

 

[JayLyn07]

There where the colored silkie pink, orange, orange and purple and I am pretty sure a cochin from what I saw. Many of the lanes where blocked off and you couldnt go down through them.

 

[featherz]

Try Jeff - 558-0470 for silkies and cochins. He shows at all the shows. He's in Pulaski I think.

IMO you gotta watch out for folks who have some of every breed there is. For me it's the same as puppy mills, only with chickens.

Heh, I have one of almost everything, that's why if you get eggs from me they are mutts! But I just like to have variety!!

Oh, and I have always loved my leghorns - my last batch were the sweetest ladies and followed me everywhere. I found them a nice retirement home when I had too much predation a while back. =(

 

[rancher hicks]

Heh, I have one of almost everything, that's why if you get eggs from me they are mutts! But I just like to have variety!!

Oh, and I have always loved my leghorns - my last batch were the sweetest ladies and followed me everywhere. I found them a nice retirement home when I had too much predation a while back. =(

Now you know I meant "some" people who "breed" and claim to "breed".

My first batch was from Ideal and I had eight different breeds and no intention of breeding or specializing. However now I am and do but don't keep huge numbers. I also only keep six or seven breeds. The number of each depends on which breed and how big a coop I have for them.

A half hoop will only hold 5-6 birds comfortably. I also make sure I have either a large run or yard area where they can be kept separate, though most have both. I like to cover my runs so they can get fresh air in the wintertime. Hoop runs are the easiest and cheapest to build and I recommend them.

Strangely enough there is little more than a low hedgerow separating the BM's and BR's. They seem to not want to mix, which is fine by me. The BR's do have a very large area to themselves. 100 X 100' easy. Each roo seems to keep his ladies to him self.


Right now I am toying with which to keep. Either the CR's or Orps. The CR's have yet to start laying and while they are big I'd prefer them to not take so long to start laying. They are six months at least. The rooster has yet to start crowing. I wonder if he were in his own coop and with his own girls if that would inspire him.

I can get more orps if I want to but the CR's are special.
I won't mention who I like for birds, you can pm me for recommendations.

 

[Glasshen]

Rancher, I told you wrong about my americauna's comb. It is not single, all the rest have single combs, but he has a strange one. It is low and bumpy, more than one ridge of bumps wide. It looks like a bad case of bright red poison ivy. There, I have now exposed my total ignorance of combs.
I have other areas of ignorance, too. Hopefully we can bypass them.

 

[featherz]

Now you know I meant "some" people who "breed" and claim to "breed".

Oh yah, I know. I don't claim to be a breeder of anything. I have pretty blue fertile eggs, but what comes out of them will be a mystery! =)

Speaking of hatchery chicks, one of the baby leghorns just died. =( first chick I have lost ever out of hundreds of chicks with the exception of one I culled and one I 'helped' that should not have made it. /wah. Looked fine before I left for work - I think shipping is just so hard on them!

 

[Glasshen]

Tab,
I have read that hawks are protected and you aren't legally allowed to shoot them. There are fines. I don't think hawks forget where they have had a tasty meal, or where they think they might get a tasty meal. One was watching my girls last year, swooped down and they all hid. I kept them in for quite a long time, and tried to vary their routine. I also would go charging out toward them, and let my attack Newfie out...they have moved on.

But, I think big guns are a good idea in general, with a lock, of course. It's on my Christmas list.!

 

[Lynzi777]

I started making my coop today and it is not coming our the way I hoped. I need to make a nest box before I put the last side up, I have no idea where to begin. This is a smaller coop than my other one so the nest box has to "hang" out the side rather than being placed inside the coop. I'm so OCD when it comes to these things - everything has to be PERFECT and it's not so I'm getting frustrated. Of course my mom and dad are up to visit and they're helping here and there. What a project this is turning out to be. LOL

 

[vmdanielsen]

Rancher, I told you wrong about my americauna's comb. It is not single, all the rest have single combs, but he has a strange one. It is low and bumpy, more than one ridge of bumps wide. It looks like a bad case of bright red poison ivy. There, I have now exposed my total ignorance of combs.
I have other areas of ignorance, too. Hopefully we can bypass them.

Check out pea combs. Sounds like it to me.

 

[vmdanielsen]

Tab,
I have read that hawks are protected and you aren't legally allowed to shoot them. There are fines. I don't think hawks forget where they have had a tasty meal, or where they think they might get a tasty meal. One was watching my girls last year, swooped down and they all hid. I kept them in for quite a long time, and tried to vary their routine. I also would go charging out toward them, and let my attack Newfie out...they have moved on.
But, I think big guns are a good idea in general, with a lock, of course. It's on my Christmas list.!

Indeed it is true that hawks are protected, but we are allowed to protect our livestock and poultry. We just can't kill them for fun. Also, should I .....hhhmmm.... delete a hawk, I probably would not post it immediately and dispose of the evidence thoroughly.