Okies in the BYC The Original

[GracefulBantams]

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You're welcome!

I don't know if you subscribe to Backyard Poultry Magazine, but in their latest issue they had a short book review on a book called "Quite a Year for Plums" about a poultry artist. Well, I knew to check paperbackswap.com, and they had it! So I now have it!

 

[GracefulBantams]

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Q, are the Cochin eggs from your own birds (from Bill)? Did you trim their feathers around the vents? How old are the parents? One of my hens has just started laying, but I can't decide how/if I'm setting these eggs or not...

Grace, the eggs that I set are out of my birds, I just did some experimenting with a blue hen and a Birchen rooster, so I am gonna see what I come up with, I was sure that the feathers around the vent were trimmed so that breeding would be somewhat easier lol, I didnt have any alarms last night according to the temp and humidity in the bator so I think that I am set, how often should I candle the eggs or do I even need to?

That sounds good

You do not "have" to candle, but I like to candle the eggs at least once just to be sure I don't have any that are (or will be) rotten.

 

[GracefulBantams]

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That's right!
Some people cull by selling, some by giving away, some by killing.... but it's all culling!

 

[poultryand bees]

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Shredded paper sounds interesting. I use pine shavings in the coop, but if shredded paper would work as well, I could be environmentally friendly and it is certainly easy to come by. Question - how deep do you put the paper and do you have any problems with strips of paper blowing around the yard?

Yes, chickens do recognize color. That is why when a hen hatches chicks, you can add additional chicks of the same color to the ones she hatched, without problem. She can't count, but she does take a "picture" of what she hatched when she first leaves the nest, so can recognize any intruders of a different color.

 

[poultryand bees]

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[smfamf]

Here are some pics of the batchlors. They have taken to the coop fairly well. They were strictly free rangers before I got them. If anyone has a clue what they could be, let me know. I know there are about four Naked Necks and I'm sure the other six are probably mutts, butI don't really know. You will also notice that my run is not muddy! I am so happy. We got all the snow and rain, but the runs did not get yucky. If anyone wants one of these roosters, let me know. I'm sure we can work something out. They are destined to freezer camp otherwise. Enjoy the pics.

 

[poultryand bees]

BethinOkalhoma
In my opinion, the most humane way to put down a chicken is with an ax. If you try and wring the neck and don't do it successfully, both you and the chicken are traumatized. You might be able to kill a chicken with a major overdose of vitamins with iron, but that would be a slow death.

 

[poultryand bees]

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I am very impressed with the lack of mud in your pens.

Do you have grass/straw/hay/shavings/something else in there to keep them out of the mud and if so, how deep did you have to layer it to keep it from sinking into the mud?

 

[quenston]

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Good enough

I'm already filing out the entry forum for my first show of the year

OK Grace you holding out on us where is the first show??????

 

[smfamf]

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I am very impressed with the lack of mud in your pens.

Do you have grass/straw/hay/shavings/something else in there to keep them out of the mud and if so, how deep did you have to layer it to keep it from sinking into the mud?

At one point there was a light layer of grass hay in the pens, but the birds have just about scratched it all out. I was really shocked to see that the pens were not muddy. I have been leaving before sunrise and getting home after sunset, so I don't see much in the pens anyways.

I just noticed the lack of mud when I was posting these pics. I took them as it started to snow Tuesday and didn't really pay attention to the ground. That is when I realized there was no hay in the coop and had to take care of it in capris and flip flops.

I guess it just helps that the pen is on a slight slope. Usually it is slightly muddy, but not this time. Maybe it is because of the net over the top. That is a new addition. It is actually a net for a trampoline that I sewed together to cover the pen. It works really well and has a zipper for tossing in treats.