Official Squatch Watchers

[Redhead Rae]

Adorable! I guess someone didn't get your memo about no babies til after the baby.

Oh, I'm going to hatch before baby comes, I just don't want to be tied to it when baby is really little.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Ok, this is the BEST easter egg hunt ever! I don't know why, but I'm ridiculously excited for you. Where was she hiding that they missed noticing her? Did they look around for any other broodies?

My FIL has been doing most of the feeding of the chickens recently, and since we aren't feeding the bantams in the coop (we feed/water in the run) he hasn't been going inside the coop at all. He thought they weren't laying because they used to lay in a corner of the run and they stopped doing that.

 

[ronott1]

I love when they do the clown car thing. I don't know why, but it's amusing to watch an unending line of chickens come out of a too small space. Like those enormous chickens come through a tiny pop door.


That didn't make sense either. It must not be closed off completely b/c the dog got to them.. Or there's a gate and they're too lazy to close it.


If she's truly broody she'll probably take them. I had no trouble w/ Loki accepting her babies last summer. After that first egg hatched & the baby disappeared she went right back to trying to sit on eggs. I just slipped them under her at night while she was sleeping & took the eggs she was sitting on. They crawled right under her like they knew her. She was sooo happy.


If you were divorced you'd have more room for chickens.





Did your store have a huge cage around the brooders? At both the TSC stores I went to recently they swapped the cattle panels out for a huge cage. Like this: View attachment 1684659
I guess they the panels weren't enough to keep people out.


Our store seems to do a good job of keeping the chicks well cared for, but we're a somewhat rural area and I think most of the people who work there are farm type people.


I've not bought those, but someone had told me they just fold up old feed bags and put those in in the bottom of nesting boxes. It works well at adding a bit of cushion for the eggs. My boxes are wood and I had several cracked or broken eggs from the fall b/c mine also like to scrape away the bedding to expose the bottom (WHHYYYYY?????!!!!!) I still use straw in the box, and the bag is great b/c when I do get a broken egg it's easy to pull the whole bag out and dump the gross straw than sit there and try to pick out the wet stuff.


I saw one this morning of cops down in AZ who were 'investigating a white powder'. I guess it's good to find some humor in such an unexpected event.


How's Gurtrude doing?


Adorable! I guess someone didn't get your memo about no babies til after the baby.


So yesterday evening I went to scoop poop and collect eggs and I let the birds out and my poor bantam is trying, unsuccessfully to scavenge the few drops of water at the bottom of a hole in the ICE in their water dish... I'd unplugged it on Friday b/c it was spring for the day and had forgotten to plug it back in. I'm a terrible chicken mother.

Our TSC does not have cages around the chicks. They are in stock waterers

 

[ronott1]

My FIL has been doing most of the feeding of the chickens recently, and since we aren't feeding the bantams in the coop (we feed/water in the run) he hasn't been going inside the coop at all. He thought they weren't laying because they used to lay in a corner of the run and they stopped doing that.

Wow! You will have a very long staggered hatch!

 

[apryl29]

Klaus' molt isn't going well. The meanie white ones are pecking her back feathers. I decided to cage her for the rest of her molt b/c they're relentless. Her crop was doughy again, but as I was groping on the others, most of them had the same situation. I don't know why... I'm hoping it was a temporary thing, but I'm going over at lunch to check on them. It was so cold last night I assume Klaus' water froze so I want to water her too, otherwise she'd have to wait til this evening since the girls have dance. I was holding Klaus and she was shivering and kept closing her eyes like she was tired so I think the cage is best for her until the molting is over. I really wish it was warmer though.. or I had an inside where I could bring her. She really has the makings of a good house chicken. I think I'll grab some yogurt to throw at them tonight too. I doused their water w/ ACV already.
Yeah... we're not doing chicks this year. If anyone goes broody they're going to be broken immediately.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Wow! You will have a very long staggered hatch!

It might sound cruel, but I don't think I'm going to let anything that isn't almost ready to hatch, hatch. I'm not set up to brood or monitor a very staggered hatch right now.

 

[ronott1]

Klaus' molt isn't going well. The meanie white ones are pecking her back feathers. I decided to cage her for the rest of her molt b/c they're relentless. Her crop was doughy again, but as I was groping on the others, most of them had the same situation. I don't know why... I'm hoping it was a temporary thing, but I'm going over at lunch to check on them. It was so cold last night I assume Klaus' water froze so I want to water her too, otherwise she'd have to wait til this evening since the girls have dance. I was holding Klaus and she was shivering and kept closing her eyes like she was tired so I think the cage is best for her until the molting is over. I really wish it was warmer though.. or I had an inside where I could bring her. She really has the makings of a good house chicken. I think I'll grab some yogurt to throw at them tonight too. I doused their water w/ ACV already.
Yeah... we're not doing chicks this year. If anyone goes broody they're going to be broken immediately.

Feather fixer might be good for them

 

[ronott1]

It might sound cruel, but I don't think I'm going to let anything that isn't almost ready to hatch, hatch. I'm not set up to brood or monitor a very staggered hatch right now.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Hopefully she had a good stock of eggs when she started brooding and there isn't too many half developed ones.

 

[apryl29]

My FIL has been doing most of the feeding of the chickens recently, and since we aren't feeding the bantams in the coop (we feed/water in the run) he hasn't been going inside the coop at all. He thought they weren't laying because they used to lay in a corner of the run and they stopped doing that.

LOL They stopped doing that b/c she was probably stealing every egg she could find. Good thing it's winter and laying slows. Any idea how many eggs it is?

Our TSC does not have cages around the chicks. They are in stock waterers

No fair! Both of the stores near here have the exact same set up. I wonder if they were having a problem w/ people stealing chicks. There is a sign that says not to touch them, but you know how people are. I guess people by you are better behaved, or they're trying to get people to want to buy the cage. Honestly, I thought it was great & could replace my small run, being able to stand up in the run?! Yes, please! But holy heck is it expensive! I cannot justify $600 for a cage. I am considering some kind of fencing though... just to make things look a little less trashy.