***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Buster52]

Buster and Christina-thank you for the Leghorn info. Build coop and they will come, I say. It'll give me something to baby and take care of without having to deal with brooders and heat lamps and grow-out pens. And I do love those combs, from what I understand they're supposed to be that way? I think Mike D said they were, someone did. Please do keep us updated and get ahold of me. I'll get a dozen of them and see how it goes. Buster, you got 200?? You're going to have more eggs than you know what to do with. I'm really excited! That gives me time to get their coop built and have things ready.
Buster, I didn't realize you were still having problems with the fiddleback bite. Those things scare the bejesus out of me.

Actually, I got 269, but 24 went to Christina and 120 went to my farmers market friend Ronnie. He tells me he will be picking up another 300 from the next batch. I will be picking up more, but I'm not sure how many more. I do like the pathetic little things. We will be giving some of these away next spring or summer at the farmers market, up to 2 per family, as a marketing deal. But also a way to get them rehomed and make room for more rescues. We will sell the rest on CL for a couple of bucks apiece. By then they should be acting almost like normal chickens.

Almost.

 

[jcatblum]

Buster we got 10 red sex link debeaked birds from the people that sell eggs in Purcell. They are care free birds & had been exposed to light, but still crowded in corners or behind things to sleep. Those birds would lay eggs in nest boxes, but wouldn't roost. We spent months trying to put them on the roost everynight. They would peck you everytime you walked into the coop. Not because they wanted to hurt you, but because they were investigating you. Like the way a dog will come up & sniff you. They ones we got from Purcell were much healthier & lively than this bunch, but never learned to free range & chase bugs. Once we had plenty of layers Ronnie took our debeaked sex links. I am interesting in seeing if the next batch of fisher birds will be much different than these.

 

[Buster52]

Buster we got 10 red sex link debeaked birds from the people that sell eggs in Purcell. They are care free birds & had been exposed to light, but still crowded in corners or behind things to sleep. Those birds would lay eggs in nest boxes, but wouldn't roost. We spent months trying to put them on the roost everynight. They would peck you everytime you walked into the coop. Not because they wanted to hurt you, but because they were investigating you. Like the way a dog will come up & sniff you. They ones we got from Purcell were much healthier & lively than this bunch, but never learned to free range & chase bugs. Once we had plenty of layers Ronnie took our debeaked sex links. I am interesting in seeing if the next batch of fisher birds will be much different than these.

So whom in Purcell did you get them from? I'm thinking they did that pecking thing because their taste buds are exposed by the debeaking. Probably more severe than these white birds, right?

 

[jcatblum]

So whom in Purcell did you get them from? I'm thinking they did that pecking thing because their taste buds are exposed by the debeaking. Probably more severe than these white birds, right?

Most of the birds beaks didn't look too bad, Taron went & picked out her favorite ones to take home of course. They were all fully feathered & friendly. I don't remember the name or number, Ronnie has their info. He has bought lots of birds from them in the past. They told me they collect 100 dz eggs a day!!! Ronnie was saying the lady was real sick with cancer, and they didn't have any birds last time he called. They are normally $3-$5 (price goes down the more you buy). The shells were always thin & I was never able to get the shells thick enough to even boil an egg without water getting into the egg. I am not sure how long it would have taken to get their shells to strengthen.

Josh says he wants to go to the equip auction, but I will be surprised if he makes it. They had a 16K march in full gear last night & he sounds like he is hurting! Not sure why the man with 2 knee surgeries tries to do the things those brand new 17 & 18 yr old recruits are doing.

 

[jens-hens]

We have a 4 week old frizzle cochin baby that I have some questions about. We have only had 6 baby chicks before this one and they were not cochins so I'm wondering if his behavior is normal to that type of bird. My other chicks were fun and sweet but would act a little skittish. This little guy is a bit obsessive. He talks ALL THE TIME! Even when he's sleeping he's making noise. He is not at all happy unless he is sitting on your shoulder or your head. You cannot put him down and you can't have him in your lap, he has to be on your head, which would be fine except he pecks your eyes. When I put him out with the big girls he spends ALL his time trying to sit on their backs while they are walking and they don't like it. He gets pecked off of one and jumps on another. They think he's really irritating. We find his behavior quite comical. He is so, so friendly! Makes me really sad to see he is already getting red wattles and a red comb, there's not much doubt he is a boy and we won't be able to keep him.

So, is this normal behavior?

 

[Ksane]

That's a Cochin lol! That's why I love them so much, their personalities are awesome. He's probably trying to ride on the hens backs because baby chicks will do that with their mamas.
Trust me-you will have NO problem whatsoever finding a home for him. What color is he? MacGuyver here on this thread has a gorgeous Blue Frizzle girl, she may be interested.

 

[Greybear23]

Well I spent the day with my beautiful wife for her Birthday, we had lunch at Applebee's and got feed and did the weekly shopping at WalMart. Yesterday Dakota came in and said"I know why we haven't been getting any eggs from the new pullets we raised" Why??? Well it seems he was moving some stuff in the barn where they run and found and old dog carrier with a broken door that had about 5-6 dozen eggs of all sizes in it!!! Well at least the pigs will eat good this week!!! So now the PULLETS are on lock down till they learn what a nest box is used for!!! LOL Have not got any rain yet today, hope it changes tonight and this weekend!! Everyone have a great evening! Lynn

 

[MacGuyver]

That's a Cochin lol! That's why I love them so much, their personalities are awesome. He's probably trying to ride on the hens backs because baby chicks will do that with their mamas.
Trust me-you will have NO problem whatsoever finding a home for him. What color is he? MacGuyver here on this thread has a gorgeous Blue Frizzle girl, she may be interested.

You can't mate two frizzles together or the chicks will have problems.

 

[MacGuyver]

Banjoejoe: The little cochin girl I got from you started laying this week! She's so adorable now. She's just a little puffball. She is finally adjusted to living with the other bantams and not me.

 

[Oakieridge]

Happy Friday all! Today was my bday and I had hoped for a nice quiet day but with 6 kids and to many birds to count that is laughable, lol. So took Matthew to his dermatologist appt, then home to get Jack, go to Edmond to get his stitches out (finger is healing nicely thank God). Then Hubby and Kurt were working on the new pens. They will be 12' x 36' when done. That will be their pens and then they will have a 75'x 36' yard (that won't be covered over the top) to play in when the weather is nice. We were going to go out to dinner but we just now came in and realized how late it was, lol. Guess we will go out next weekend instead. The girls at my office got me a cake yesterday and the lady at the bakery spelled my name wrong. They didn't notice until they were back at the office so now I am "Chatie" instead of Cathie, lol. It fits (or so hubby says).

Hopefully we will get the pens done this weekend and I can get pictures up on here by Monday. I know the yards won't be done this weekend because I have to get more 2x4 wire for those. Of course I won't complain if rain keeps us from getting the pens done this weekend.