***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[ashtree]

I guess this is when I'm fortunate Ally hasn't caught my chicken addiction. Everyone in my house is okay with it, but we also do not get as attached as your kiddos. Ii'm guessing part of the reason you raise chickens is to connect your kids to LIFE not food. You're doing a great job of that!

To me, it is unrealistic to think a 50/50 chance of males out of hatched eggs can result in anything but too many roosters. I don't want a flock full of Capons, so SOMETHING has to be done. I did sell a couple (good breeds, beautiful boys), but in the long run, chickens (at least on my property) are livestock before pet. I totally understand the queeziness and wholeheartedly support rehoming and caponizing. But I think in the long run, those options will also reach a max point...demand, feed, healthcare, shelter, etc. Hence, my promise to myself to not set more eggs/buy more chicks unless I knew I could handle extra roos (regardless of whether they were butchered, rehomed or caponized). I am now down to 7 males and 31 females (not including the chicks, and no, I can't believe I have that many) which should be fine for a while the way they're set up.
Maybe his anger got the best of him! Seriously though, it's never fun when one dies. I hope it was something specific to that bird.

Of my 5 kids (4 old enough to understand) he is the ONLY one like that. I can't really explain it, he surely didn't get it from me or his dad but I do try to stay really mindful of it but realize our limitations too. We're not in a position to have alot of capons or roosters but we can definitely manage a couple. But I will say no one (not even me) works harder or does as much for the chickens as Arlo. All day long he's checking water, bringing ice, just hanging out with them, and catching escapees. Every morning and every night he helps me get them out and back in and if I'm not awake yet (rare) he does it alone. I wouldn't even consider it if he only cared enough to put up a fight.

And x2 on the rooster, couldn't have said it better myself! Hope you got some good babies from him

 

[ashtree]

Anyone else finding an abundance of mice in your barns?
This is what I've came up with. A 5 gallon bucket, half full of water. A coffee can with holes drilled through the ends. A short rod used as an axle for the coffee can attached 2" below the top of the bucket.

Insert the rod through one side of the bucket, and through the coffee can, and into the other side of the bucket.

Smear Peanut Butter on the sides of the coffee can. Mice will jump on the coffee can, the can spins, the mice fall into the water. Mice problem is resolved in short order.

I like this alot. I've got lazy cats! Nice idea

 

[MrsDickey]

Got my lavender Orpington babies!!! We are so excited about them! So far all the chickens have been "mine" though my husband admits he enjoys them, but these lavenders are "his" that he asked for, picked out, and went and picked up all by himself. Being a born and bred country girl who married a city boy.. it was a proud moment! Moved my 4 week old wyandottes and rirs outside. Their chirping was getting to be a little much for my preggo hormones. And while I was putting them in their coop outside my 14 week old glw came out from under the porch singing the egg song. Which confuses me because I thought it was a rooster. Do roosters sing the egg song???

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Got my lavender Orpington babies!!! We are so excited about them! So far all the chickens have been "mine" though my husband admits he enjoys them, but these lavenders are "his" that he asked for, picked out, and went and picked up all by himself. Being a born and bred country girl who married a city boy.. it was a proud moment! Moved my 4 week old wyandottes and rirs outside. Their chirping was getting to be a little much for my preggo hormones. And while I was putting them in their coop outside my 14 week old glw came out from under the porch singing the egg song. Which confuses me because I thought it was a rooster. Do roosters sing the egg song???

Yes absolutely. They will sing along with the hens or to encourage them.

I'm nearly done with my quarantine pen. This was a rabbit hutch/chicken coop given to me by my neighbor. He gave up because "something" kept getting them. The roof was a wobbly mess, I'm sure it was a coon or a possum pushing the tin up and getting in. I am splitting it into 3 pens, so I can hatch from a specific hen or quarantine a sick chicken without risk to others. It is not for winter but will work great in the other 3 seasons. Hoping to finish it today.

Before:




After:




Putting in dividers and hardware cloth on the doors today. Also need to add the latch hardware. I am replacing the slidebolt latch with a latch I can put a pin or lock on.

 

[artsyrobin]

Anyone else finding an abundance of mice in your barns?
This is what I've came up with. A 5 gallon bucket, half full of water. A coffee can with holes drilled through the ends. A short rod used as an axle for the coffee can attached 2" below the top of the bucket.
Insert the rod through one side of the bucket, and through the coffee can, and into the other side of the bucket.
Smear Peanut Butter on the sides of the coffee can. Mice will jump on the coffee can, the can spins, the mice fall into the water. Mice problem is resolved in short order.

we are being inundated, i tried that, but used a soda can, didn't work, wonder if the coffee can works better?

 

[ashtree]

we are being inundated, i tried that, but used a soda can, didn't work, wonder if the coffee can works better?

Maybe we all just need some of @NanaKats chickens! Mine have a toad that hangs out with them all day Not exactly the hunting type.
Oh and the silkies have a box turtle. I'm not kidding.

 

[Kyzmette]

Quote:
Amen. Either you have pets, or you kill them for food. Killing things you get emotionally bonded to is just creepy and wrong, in my opinion. If you can kill something you care about as a friend just because it's Sunday and you need to set a nice looking table, I'd be worried about how you can treat human friends, too. A lot of people say there's a difference, but I can't imagine anybody shooting a beloved dog in the head just for convenience sake, and that's what it is when you care about them as pets.

 

[artsyrobin]

Quote: Too funny ash! you need to post pics!

mine will look down from the roost like they are watching chicky tv

 

[Ksane]

Yes absolutely.  They will sing along with the hens or to encourage them.

I'm nearly done with my quarantine pen.  This was a rabbit hutch/chicken coop given to me by my neighbor.  He gave up because "something" kept getting them.  The roof was a wobbly mess, I'm sure it was a coon or a possum pushing the tin up and getting in.  I am splitting it into 3 pens, so I can hatch from a specific hen or quarantine a sick chicken without risk to others.  It is not for winter but will work great in the other 3 seasons.  Hoping to finish it today.
Putting in dividers and hardware cloth on the doors today.  Also need to add the latch hardware.  I am replacing the slidebolt latch with a latch I can put a pin or lock on.

And you find time to do this.....WHEN....with 4 kids???? The wire bottom will keep them nice and cool in the summer, too. Great job ))

we are being inundated, i tried that, but used a soda can, didn't work, wonder if the coffee can works better?

I tired several bucket and board tricks and they didn't work. I'll swear by the poison inside those little boxes though. The majority of the mice crawl back into their holes underground and die. The ones that die above ground can be picked up and tossed every morning. I didn't have a problem with my chickens eating them. And I read an article about someone being concerned the hawks would eat the dead mice. The response from the spokesperson was that the hawk would have to ingest the same amount of poison per pound of body weight as the mouse did for *his body weight. The mouse just eat a single feeding and it kills them. The size of a mouse's stomach is probably the size of a jelly bean at best. We used to have mice walking right through the pens in the dark and eating the chicken feed. Not anymore

 

[Sagetown]

So the can can rotate all the way around in side the bucket? Brilliant. This sounds like a job for my son. He's on rat/mice patrol.

Yes; the coffee can (1 pound size) seems about right, as there is plenty of room between it and the rim of the bucket for them to fall into the water below. My first attempt was (2 pound size) too big. Turn the Seam side of the can up. It is a little heavy, this is where I put the peanut butter. Anything touches the can will cause it to spin.