NY chicken lover!!!!

[featherz]

would this be BOB??

Nope, BOB is not yet broody AGAIN, but give it time. Princess the tiny araucana is broody now and since she's so small, she is sitting on TOP of the other broody (a large ee). /sigh. I just moved her to another nestbox in the dark, but princess does what she wants. Also have a broody NN. And I don't need more chickens! =)

 

[rancher hicks]

Place mark.

 

[stonykill]

I gave 2 hens away. One's back was soooo red from overbreeding, poor thing. And her friend had to go with her. Next day I found a dead chicken in the coop. I had cleaned her butt the night before and pushed things back inside, so I figure some egg laying problem got her. She was just 5 months old. Go figure.

Sumantras are back in the coop. Dumb birds. Don't they know they are supposed to live outside? 2 of the hens are laying where I can find the eggs (meaning right in the nest box. LOL)

I need a larger coop. I really really do. I am afraid to ask for more room tho, cuz I was only supposed to have 6 birds. (I don't know how many I do have right now, but I certainly have some mutiple of 6.)

Edited to add: I have 2 more broodies. I am NOT amused. It's too late in the season to hatch chicks. I gave them a total of 4 eggs. I hope they all hatch, cuz I need more birds.

I think your Sumatra's are smart. There is a will to live after they witnessed a coon attack

. I have a new broody and "Mama" just kicked hers loose so she will be broody again in a few weeks. She earns her name. I personally don't have a problem with girls sitting now through mid October. mama's keep the chicks warm and they feather out real quick while galavanting in the chilly fall weather. Just like March broody born chicks. Plus brand new egg layers in spring

 

[rancher hicks]

I think your Sumatra's are smart. There is a will to live after they witnessed a coon attack

. I have a new broody and "Mama" just kicked hers loose so she will be broody again in a few weeks. She earns her name. I personally don't have a problem with girls sitting now through mid October. mama's keep the chicks warm and they feather out real quick while galavanting in the chilly fall weather. Just like March broody born chicks. Plus brand new egg layers in spring

Well I hope the ones I got hurry up. I need the eggs but I also need them to not need extra care.

 

[stonykill]

Well I hope the ones I got hurry up. I need the eggs but I also need them to not need extra care.

that is the beauty of broody's. Mama does all of the work.

 

[Cass]

I think your Sumatra's are smart. There is a will to live after they witnessed a coon attack

. I have a new broody and "Mama" just kicked hers loose so she will be broody again in a few weeks. She earns her name. I personally don't have a problem with girls sitting now through mid October. mama's keep the chicks warm and they feather out real quick while galavanting in the chilly fall weather. Just like March broody born chicks. Plus brand new egg layers in spring

I know they are smart. I'd be in the coop myself in this weather....however there is not SPACE for them in the coop. And the run was too small for the ones I had....add the 7 surviving Sumantras and there is a whole lot of squacking and crowing going on. And, of course, the Dominate Roo won't let any other roos EAT all day, til I get home to let them out. I have started letting them out in the morning, before work, cuz there just isn't enough room for them all otherwise. BUT that means that predators are going to figure out the schedule and then I will have losses. And I hate losses. I think I'll start going down at night to turf them to their own little house out on the stump come October. It'll be dark earlier so I can get back in the house to watch tv and warm up earlier.

I have no problem with hatching right now, cuz like you said, the broody does the work and keeps them warm, etc. BUT I don't need any more birds. My neighbor might be backing out on the pullets I have been raising for her....cuz, like Stony's siggy line says chicken snobs exist and she doesn't think they match her other birds. WHAT??? OMG. They are BIRDS. They lay eggs. Who cares if They MATCH? *groan* Of course her birds can be caught and held. Cuz they are PETS. Mine are birds and lay eggs. Sure I can catch them, if I am quick or the room is dark, to do what I need to do, but I don't cuddle them and walk around with them in my arms. I have TOOOO Many to do that. They have 6 birds. However 3 of those 6 are roos, so they need more hens. Or get rid of some of the roos, which the kids won't let her do. Soooo add more birds. I suggest the ones I have been raising for 3 months in my coop at my expense or I'm gonna scream. LOUD. And they live next door. They'll hear me

 

[featherz]

I know they are smart. I'd be in the coop myself in this weather....however there is not SPACE for them in the coop. And the run was too small for the ones I had....add the 7 surviving Sumantras and there is a whole lot of squacking and crowing going on. And, of course, the Dominate Roo won't let any other roos EAT all day, til I get home to let them out. I have started letting them out in the morning, before work, cuz there just isn't enough room for them all otherwise. BUT that means that predators are going to figure out the schedule and then I will have losses. And I hate losses. I think I'll start going down at night to turf them to their own little house out on the stump come October. It'll be dark earlier so I can get back in the house to watch tv and warm up earlier.

I have no problem with hatching right now, cuz like you said, the broody does the work and keeps them warm, etc. BUT I don't need any more birds. My neighbor might be backing out on the pullets I have been raising for her....cuz, like Stony's siggy line says chicken snobs exist and she doesn't think they match her other birds. WHAT??? OMG. They are BIRDS. They lay eggs. Who cares if They MATCH? *groan* Of course her birds can be caught and held. Cuz they are PETS. Mine are birds and lay eggs. Sure I can catch them, if I am quick or the room is dark, to do what I need to do, but I don't cuddle them and walk around with them in my arms. I have TOOOO Many to do that. They have 6 birds. However 3 of those 6 are roos, so they need more hens. Or get rid of some of the roos, which the kids won't let her do. Soooo add more birds. I suggest the ones I have been raising for 3 months in my coop at my expense or I'm gonna scream. LOUD. And they live next door. They'll hear me

I'm with you cass, I have too many birds - my coops are at a good point now, but NO MORE need to be added. I'll have to rehome a few birds soonish...

What kind of birds will 'match' your neighbor's birds? Most of mine can't be caught and held either (or not easily) since I have too many to do that. There are a few, but those I won't be rehoming.

 

[Adoravachick]

Yup, I will be taking my silkie partridge pair, in addition to some handmade Soaps made from Organic Oils, to the Sloanesville Tailgate this weekend. They are my last non bearded birds and I hope they sell to make room for new bearded birds.

 

[Cass]

I'm with you cass, I have too many birds - my coops are at a good point now, but NO MORE need to be added. I'll have to rehome a few birds soonish...

What kind of birds will 'match' your neighbor's birds? Most of mine can't be caught and held either (or not easily) since I have too many to do that. There are a few, but those I won't be rehoming.

She has some Red/brown bird....doesn't know the breed....Long Island Reds? LOL Personally, I don't want my birds to people friendly, cuz they lose their instinct to get away from predators when they are used to someone hanging over them and then picking them up and cuddling them. This is the same neighbor that has lost over half her flock to hawks....in my mind, cuz they are too used to someone picking them up from above and they don't run when a shadow comes over them. But who's to say....maybe she lost them cuz she doesn't have enough cover and they get picked off as they cross the 3 acre yard. (to which I say "why are they crossing the yard in the middle, instead of using the edges so they aren't out in the open?) She better take these pullets and soon, cuz I need the space. Even when she takes them I'll still have 29 birds in the space for 18 and that's gonna make for a long hen-pecked winter.

 

[Adoravachick]

Ok, so yesterday I let all of the silkies out to free range. My normally very attentive roo, Eli, wasn't doing his job of keeping the flock together or paying attention to his hens. He was so busy chest bumping our newest edition, Sam, that Isabel wandered around the corner and ended up in front of our house. She was completely ALONE, and while she is very pretty, she is about as dumb as a box of rocks. I swear, it's because they can't see. I think its time to bring out the hair tape and tape up that crest so she can see. I normally keep an eye out for certain birds because I feel they are more vulnerable than others. Poor Sam, I had to put him back into the run so Eli would pay attention to the flock and keep them safe. Boys....ugh.