Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[Fancychooklady]

I was surprised to learn that DNA sexing (especially for silkies) is remarkably cheap. Only $12 according to this site: http://www.healthgene.com/avian-dna-testing/ (edit: USD)

Yes I've read about DNA testing but I don't think it's available in Australia , certainly not in tassie. I can see that it would be a useful tool for smallholders. Unfortunately if I were to use this technology I would have to pass that cost on to customers.

 

[Bens-Hens]

You can try your skills at vent sexing. Karin showed me a video on youtube, some Chinese guy working in what looked like a factory took a box with 50 chicks and sorted them into two boxes in about a minute. I have no idea what you're supposed to see there though, I don't think they have dangly bits like we do

Would be a good method if you learn it though.

This morning was a interesting lesson in what "below the legal limit" can look like. One of my friends had bought a breathalyzer, and we checked ourselves when we woke up. I'm starting to see the merits of the US sobriety tests that they do instead. Would not have wanted to jump in a car driven by some of my friends who got a 0.18 or 0.37, even though they could have driven legally.

I have watched the video's, lots of training and lots of practice to still be 80-90% accurate. I am happy to just wait and try to compare feather patterns and combs to pics on the net.

I am scared to ask though...what's your legal blood alcohol limit if you could legally drive at 0.37? We used to have a limit of 0.08 but that has been lowered to 0.05% Blood Alcohol Content.

Yes I've read about DNA testing but I don't think it's available in Australia , certainly not in tassie. I can see that it would be a useful tool for smallholders. Unfortunately if I were to use this technology I would have to pass that cost on to customers.

Yeah I have not seen it here either. Imagine doing that as a job, like a mobile service. I guess you would be a door to door sexer?! Imagine telling people that at parties!

We had two cases of pasey butt to clean today. I left the light out a bit longer last night/this morning (We went to be early and I slept in a bit longer!) I cleaned it up and added some ACV to the water. Something else to keep an eye on.

Also just found SUmmer the Wellie in her nest with a bit of blood on her comb. Looks like one of the Rocks has been at the 'drag someone from the nest by the head' game again. Going to have to step in again here and separate them for a whole week I think. Thoughts on a bully pullet?

 

[scottcaddy]

Quote: Sure Fry or Smoked, even maybe a Stew?
Scott

 

[Bens-Hens]

I did think that, but it's very final for a bird we have put a lot of work into keeping. Especially when they are supposed a large egg layer and I can't actually catch which of the two is doing it.

I don't have the best track record at picking when it comes to two of the same breed (insert sold the wrong SLW pullet story!)

I did do a bit of work in the coop this morning. I made a board to try keep some of the bedding in the lower three nests. Mostly the Rocks, but some of the others like a good scratch in there, relocating the straw to the coop floor. So I tried to remedy that with a new painted board/lip.

I also cut some quick little curtains for two of the three lower boxes. I left small openings but hopefully they are private enough so who ever is in a nest can lay in peace. I am hoping that once the Rocks start to lay they calm down a bit (as well as we get eggs!)

See how this works for now.

If the curtains work, then I will get some nice machine sewn ones made. These are just stapled to the front.


"So...whats going on in here then?" There was a line up of sticky beaks waiting for me to leave to inspect my work.

 

[vehve]

Legal limit is 0.5 permille, so 0.05%.

We checked out the dna sexing price too, but the lab Karin usually uses for other stuff would have charged about 50usd per sample. For that price you can wait.

 

[scottcaddy]

Looks good from here!! But then again, I'm not a hen ether, what do I know?

Scott

 

[vehve]

Ben, on closer inspection it seems you're using sand and straw as bedding in the coop? How's that working? I read that someone had issues with the straw and sand caking up together with poop, but maybe that was in a bit more tightly populated coop. We're using peat and and pine shavings in a 2:1 mix right now, but I feel that we're removing pretty much bedding along with the poop every day. Also, it's starting to develop a slight smell so might be time to shovel everything out and put in new stuff. How often do you have to change yours with sand and straw?

 

[Bens-Hens]

I use straw in the nest boxes (which was getting dragged out almost daily) and sand in the coop floor.

I am pretty much due a clean out of the sand. If it had been looked after better we could have just topped it up and kept going but probably best to just replace the lot. Is the first clean out since it went in (so a few months now)

However, we do clean under the roosts everyday with a home make milkjug scoop and trowel, so the build up is minimal, but the poop comes out looking like an inedible lamington. It draws down the sand supply, but at about $7.50 a 20kg bag it's not so bad.

Oh, for those who have never had a lamington.....

You get the idea!

 

[vehve]

I use straw in the nest boxes (which was getting dragged out almost daily) and sand in the coop floor.

I am pretty much due a clean out of the sand. If it had been looked after better we could have just topped it up and kept going but probably best to just replace the lot. Is the first clean out since it went in (so a few months now)

However, we do clean under the roosts everyday with a home make milkjug scoop and trowel, so the build up is minimal, but the poop comes out looking like an inedible lamington. It draws down the sand supply, but at about $7.50 a 20kg bag it's not so bad.

Oh, for those who have never had a lamington.....

You get the idea!

Those look tasty, we have similar pastries here. Coconut on the outside, but what's the filling? (Not in the one's your chickens make, I know what they're filled with)

We've had the peat in there for a month and a half now, if it wouldn't stick to the poop so well it would be wonderful stuff (This is only a downside if you want to take out poop on a daily basis, you lose a lot of bedding). In a bigger coop I might just turn most of the poop into it and keep a proper deep litter going. In the morning, if there's a slight smell in the coop you can just turn the stuff around a bit and all odors disappear instantly. Pretty good for a completely organic substance. It does give off a bit of dust though, but it's not that bad. 200 litres (30 kg) costs 14 euros, and I think we've used about a quarter of the bale, it's pretty compressed. Added benefit is that you can use it when planting stuff in the garden as well, it's a lot cheaper bought as a livestock product than as a gardening product. That's a funny effect, a stainless boating screw bought in a boating store costs about five times more than a stainless screw bought at a hardware store. Yet both screws came from the same production line.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I use straw in the nest boxes (which was getting dragged out almost daily) and sand in the coop floor. I am pretty much due a clean out of the sand. If it had been looked after better we could have just topped it up and kept going but probably best to just replace the lot. Is the first clean out since it went in (so a few months now) However, we do clean under the roosts everyday with a home make milkjug scoop and trowel, so the build up is minimal, but the poop comes out looking like an inedible lamington. It draws down the sand supply, but at about $7.50 a 20kg bag it's not so bad. Oh, for those who have never had a lamington..... You get the idea!

Mmm, now I feel like a lamington.