***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[MacGuyver]

Sounds like over crowding. My 5 adults seem to be seperating into two pairs and a loner that has become a overseer of my dozen young guineas. I have an agressive pair, a royal and a coral, a docile pair, a royal and a coral, and then the lonely coral trying to get the pearls to like her The only time I've had probelms with cannabalism it's been a space issue. Were the blues younger or smaller than the rest? I would bring in the other blue and put him with the badly injured one that way they can continue to bond.

They were all the same size and had been raised together since I got them a few days after they hatched. It was definitely overcrowding. I actually did bring the other blue in and put it with the badly injured one. I checked him over today. Nothing looks broken. Just a badly chewed on leg. I cleaned it with betadine, slathered neosporin on it, and wrapped it with gauze and vetwrap. Had eleven out there, but just checked on them tonight, and I'm down to ten. A dang ol' snake tried to swallow one of them. It was too big for him, but he snapped its neck anyway. Normally I let snakes go. It wasn't a normal night. :/

 

[banjoejoe4783]

The most effective heat defense I have found is to turn them loose and let them find their own cool spot.
But then, you need some good dogs to protection them.

this is NOT AN OPTION for me LOL when you have 40+ diferant breeds/colors and every set up in breeding pens turning every one loose would be a desaster lol if you only have eggs layers or meat birds this woud work ok but when you have the fancy and extremly rare this is just not fesable lol

not to mention that the coolest place on the farm is in the pens with there sade and missters

 

[banjoejoe4783]

well, for now they are on the porch until i can get a coop and run made for them- got the bantam cochin girls set up today- i think the ice and a fan will have to do for now...
i need to invest in shade cloth- is it expensive?
thanks carl, will do that - so just sprinkle it in the water?
thats what i did today- and saw some of the silly girls sunbathing! they must not be as sensitive to heat as i am

it is not to bad how much do you need i may have some left over that you could use

 

[banjoejoe4783]

5AcreFarm, I love that big building!!
Here's the 4x8 x 6' tall coop my daughter and I framed the other day. Then today I put the pickets on while my husband worked on fence. Yep, in the heat we were out there. It's about 15 degrees cooler in this yard where the coop is because it's under a bunch of low hanging trees, it's like a tree cave in that whole yard, I love it. When my Silver/Gold Laced Cochins get grown a little they'll go in there with my 4 Dark Brahmas. I've got to put roof panels on the top yet and a floor in and it'll be done. Even has rope lights around the top to draw them in at night. The 2nd pic is the back 1/2 of the inside. It was really simple to make with just 2x4's and pickets.
Joe, the 3 Araucana have a big 50x60 yard all to themselves to hang out in, their yard is right next to the Brahma yard. Yet where were they the whole time we were out there working? They were up and down the fence line talking to us lol My daughter kept feeding them grass, they're just darling birds!
Oh yea, Joe-forgot to ask-how do I get a Brown Red hen like this one I've got? The black one with the lacing on her neck? Will her and the rooster have that color of chick if it's a girl? She's started laying today

yes they have a geat personality and are verry vocal everyday as i feed i miss the brown red hen meeting me at the door of her pen she has allways been so friendly she also has exalant egg color

if you hatch the eggs from the brown red hen and the BBR roo you will get silver chicks

 

[econo61]

what happened to everybody that was here a month or so ago? there was always something going on here, now it is very slow.

use dto be a lot of people haveing fun and tons of good info, now not so much of either.

 

[Buster52]

not to mention that the coolest place on the farm is in the pens with there sade and missters

Why don't you turn a few loose and see if they agree with you? I think birds are smarter than us humans about such things.

I understand we all do this chicken thing for different reasons, and those reasons lead to different necessities as far shelter, housing and such. But I just couldn't keep my birds in little pens for more the brief periods. If I had to do it that way I would just give it up. I'm even moving away from Salatin broiler pens toward a day range systems for my meat birds, and I have enormous respect for Joel Salatin.

No judging, that's just me.

 

[jcatblum]

Sorry I missed the sale last night but I was able to get lots of garden work done, plus DD sold all her keets locally. Imagine she will try and sell the rest locally. Think she only has 20 dz eggs left for this season. Already went out in the garden for 2 hours this AM. Past 3 days I have picked 15 lbs of tomatoes a day in a few wks I think I will be spending over an hour a day just on tomatoes.

Today I plan on letting the ducks play in the wadding pool. Prob only going to give them 2 or 3 inches of water, but I know they will enjoy it!

Oceans wish you would have taken pics of you going to collect your turtle from those who found it. I can't imagine how you got him home! So glad you were able to find him!

 

[Buster52]

Sorry I missed the sale last night but I was able to get lots of garden work done, plus DD sold all her keets locally. Imagine she will try and sell the rest locally. Think she only has 20 dz eggs left for this season. Already went out in the garden for 2 hours this AM. Past 3 days I have picked 15 lbs of tomatoes a day in a few wks I think I will be spending over an hour a day just on tomatoes.

Wow. That's a lot of 'maters. How many plants do you have? Are they selling well at the Anadarko market?

Speaking of which, there is a tomato festival at the Lawton Farmers Market on Saturday, July 7th. You should look into entering. There are several $100 first prize categories.

 

[artsyrobin]

Quote:
i have 2 pens, 15 x 10 and 10 x 10, checking around pricing it, supposed to be 106 today- good grief!

 

[banjoejoe4783]

Why don't you turn a few loose and see if they agree with you? I think birds are smarter than us humans about such things.

I understand we all do this chicken thing for different reasons, and those reasons lead to different necessities as far shelter, housing and such. But I just couldn't keep my birds in little pens for more the brief periods. If I had to do it that way I would just give it up. I'm even moving away from Salatin broiler pens toward a day range systems for my meat birds, and I have enormous respect for Joel Salatin.

No judging, that's just me.

i have shamos that free ragnge and in the heat of the day they will lay doun inbetween the A frames under the shade and missters. So point proven the coolest palce of the farm is in the pens with shade and missters