***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Tony O]

Finally got caught up on here from last weekend.

Just thought I'd post a couple pictures to go along with those beautiful N N cochen ladies.

 

[OkieT]

I had some strange stuff happen. I have a large stacked brooder, but when I get a small hatch like from my broodies I put them in some tank brooders I have. In the last few weeks I have lost 3 young chicks. All three were bloody and I assumed the hatch mates got to pecking on them and then when they got blood they pecked till they died. Day before yesterday I walked into the brooder house and there was a large green shiney bug (like a large june bug) latched on the butt of one of the little chicks and had drawed blood. I had to pull the dang thing off. Today there was a large black bug that was attached to one of the little buggers butt again. Has anyone ever had this happen. Now looking back I would say the bugs is what caused the problems from day one. The brooder house sets under a night light and lots of bugs fly to the light constantly. Then there is lights in the tanks. I assume the bugs are attracted to the light. I moved one set to the big brooder so they are bug free. Have 6 left in another tank. I will rig up some sort of screen on it. CHICKENS ARE SUPPOSED TO EAT BUGS, Not the other way around.

Mine weren't bloody, but I was losing chicks fairly regularly when I had them in my playpen in the barn. These were chicks big enough not need a lot of added heat, but not quite ready to go out into the big world, either. I noticed there were an awful lot of june bugs and others getting in the pen at night and started to wonder if they could somehow be the problem. So, I made sure I put a cover over the top of the playpen that kept out nearly all of the bugs and my chick deaths stopped. I kinda wondered if the june bugs were just too big for the chicks to eat and it was causing problems that way, but now you've got me wondering.....

 

[OkieT]

Okay so Kurt and I know we need at least two more Aframe coops built this weekend and one more hoop house built. I have the materials for the hoop house already. It will be identical to our last one. The Aframes I want to make I want them lighter than the others we built. I love the others they will last FOREVER but they are a big hard for me to move by myself much. So who has pics of some very easy build, easy to move a-frames? I was thinking about not putting a floor in the "coop" area of the a-frame but I like knowing they are up off the ground in a rain storm I just need to figure out how to make it lighter in that area. I am also considering not covering the entire bottom with wire and just do a skirt of wire around the bottom edges to keep out diggers. We haven't had any issues but I know that doesn't mean we won't. I am going to Lowes after work to get 2x4's I already used up most of hubby's cedar he had milled. Time to get that man back to putting his chainsaw to good work instead of running off to the races, lol.

Why not make your frame out of 3/4" pvc pipe? Lightweight, sturdy, and won't break the bank. Also, Lowe's sells a plastic 1" chicken wire that is easy to handle and doesn't weigh a ton. You could cover the frame with that and then make a raised floor like Traci talked about to go inside. The whole thing probably wouldn't weigh 10 lbs.

 

[Ksane]

Hey Bill! This cane you gave me is growing like crazy! My daughter is who planted it and keeps it watered. I'm the one who admires it! I really love this plant. I hope to be able to plant a whole bunch of it off of these ones next year. Thank you so much )
And I don't know what kind of super juice hatcher you've got but this one Buff Orpington is twice the size of the other chicks he's in with

But my husband's made it clear that if one or both are boys we're going to just have to have an Orp yard & get pullets from you. Sheesh. Very nice babies, they remind me of butterscotch.

 

[old*cowboy]

I quit buying all sorts of cleaners for use in the house in their place I just use vinegar it cleans the stove and counter tops walls bathroom everything and no harmful chemical odors, I would assume it would be safe to use in the coops just not sure if it kills everything like oxine does, but I prefer it over oven spray any day.


Guy I know the beetle you're talking about, I've never seen one here at the house but they are all over the place at work, I forget the name but they follow the migration of a type of moth and eat the larva of them, I've seen them eating mice and other odd bugs that are too slow to get away, I would suggest that if you pick one of them up the pincher's have some squeeze to them but the fluid they squirt from the other end will stay with you for hours, you won't want to pick your nose twice after a close encounter with it.. Not that I know for sure about that.. I just heard.. that.. before

Yep Bill, thats the one. Stinky suckers. So bad my big hens wont eat them.

 

[old*cowboy]

Mine weren't bloody, but I was losing chicks fairly regularly when I had them in my playpen in the barn. These were chicks big enough not need a lot of added heat, but not quite ready to go out into the big world, either. I noticed there were an awful lot of june bugs and others getting in the pen at night and started to wonder if they could somehow be the problem. So, I made sure I put a cover over the top of the playpen that kept out nearly all of the bugs and my chick deaths stopped. I kinda wondered if the june bugs were just too big for the chicks to eat and it was causing problems that way, but now you've got me wondering.....

All the chicks I lost had bloody spot where they had been ate on. I assumed it was from pecking as games will do that. But after seeing what I did, know now it is from the bugs.

 

[old*cowboy]

Finally got caught up on here from last weekend.

Just thought I'd post a couple pictures to go along with those beautiful N N cochen ladies.

Good looking roosters.

 

[old*cowboy]

All this NN pictures got me jump started. I raised several blue NN pullets this year. (oldest have started laying) I was going to wait till next year to buy a new Blue NN rooster, but will put my feelers out now trying to find Mr. Right. He needs to be big and meaty, as part of this project is to get a BIG dual purpose NN. He also needs to have very little red on him. Anyone raising anything like this, give me a holler.

 

[artsyrobin]

had to brag before i get caught up on posts... look what i found this afternoon in the yard! she brought 4 in, not sure where she was brooding, since the other guinea is still on the nest by the barn- so at risk of life and limb dave and i scooped them up and coaxed mama into the small coop- for safety- they are still a bit wobbly so was afraid to leave them out after seeing one of the other guineas grab one and toss it out of the way... so how long should i keep them cooped? and i thought mama hens were nasty...good grief this girl didn't like me holding the babies at all!

 

[Oakieridge]

Well got about 1/3rd of a a-frame coop done tonight after work. Kurt and I went to Lowes after work and got lumber and got home and got started. I think I will make it without a bottom. I can't make the PVC ones since my birds live in the a-frames and a coon would get into one like that pretty quickly. But we have looked at that plastic netting for a day yard for when we are outside with them. I am going to play with this aframe and see how I like it once it is finished. I just hope we get all the pens finished this weekend before hubby gets home. His bday is next week and I know that would be an awesome gift to mark off one of his major honey do's for him.