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

[Bens-Hens]

I don't have power down there, but I will be sure to get heaps of pics and some video when I can.

Come to think of it I might be able to set something up when I move her to the rooster box. I would need to play around and see what we have.

A question for Fancychooklady, what colour silkies can we expect and are yours vaulted?

 

[vehve]

I don't have power down there, but I will be sure to get heaps of pics and some video when I can.

Come to think of it I might be able to set something up when I move her to the rooster box. I would need to play around and see what we have.

A question for Fancychooklady, what colour silkies can we expect and are yours vaulted?

How about a cheap old smartphone and a solar charger? You could rig some webcam app to keep all of BYC updated with a livestream. I'd like to follow the brooding process, because I don't think we're going to hatch any of our own eggs for a long time, there's just not enough space for more additions. Any updates on the freeloading Wyandotte?

Our integration process is going nicely, the new inhabitants have spent time in the run with the rest of the flock, and they all slept together on the top roost last night (with a significant space between the new and old ones).

Our teenage rooster went inside the coop yesterday with a "Hello ladies" look about him while the new girls had yet to show themselves outside. They were quick to change his mind, he got one heck of a pecking. Now he just grazes past them politely.

I don't know if it's the addition of new womanfolk, but the other rooster has started to attempt crowing too. Sound's a bit asthmatic still.

No eggs yet, but one of the new girls is making a lot bigger poops, so I'm guessing there's something happening in her nether regions.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I don't have power down there, but I will be sure to get heaps of pics and some video when I can.

Come to think of it I might be able to set something up when I move her to the rooster box. I would need to play around and see what we have.

A question for Fancychooklady, what colour silkies can we expect and are yours vaulted?

I do get vaulted but there's no way of knowing till they hatch. They will probably be blue/ black and possibly bearded. Of the 6 that hatched this week I got 3 partridge and 3 blue / black. 2 bearded and 4 vaulted skulls. This little hen is black with vault and beard.

 

[Bens-Hens]

How about a cheap old smartphone and a solar charger? You could rig some webcam app to keep all of BYC updated with a livestream. I'd like to follow the brooding process, because I don't think we're going to hatch any of our own eggs for a long time, there's just not enough space for more additions. Any updates on the freeloading Wyandotte?

Our integration process is going nicely, the new inhabitants have spent time in the run with the rest of the flock, and they all slept together on the top roost last night (with a significant space between the new and old ones).

Our teenage rooster went inside the coop yesterday with a "Hello ladies" look about him while the new girls had yet to show themselves outside. They were quick to change his mind, he got one heck of a pecking. Now he just grazes past them politely.

I don't know if it's the addition of new womanfolk, but the other rooster has started to attempt crowing too. Sound's a bit asthmatic still.

No eggs yet, but one of the new girls is making a lot bigger poops, so I'm guessing there's something happening in her nether regions.

Glad they are getting along so far. I found, when a roo thought he had a chance at being the boss boy, he would crow more. We hatched two Coronation Sussex males, and as a soon as they were separated, the remaining one crowed....within minutes. Our Salmon Faverolle was the last to start crowing, and he only started when all but one of the other males had been removed from the run. Could be coincidence, or it could be a dominance link.

I think bigger poo's goes with the widening of the pelvis, so things like eggs can pass! Are any of them squatting for you?

I do get vaulted but there's no way of knowing till they hatch. They will probably be blue/ black and possibly bearded. Of the 6 that hatched this week I got 3 partridge and 3 blue / black. 2 bearded and 4 vaulted skulls. This little hen is black with vault and beard.

Very cool, I am not really fussed with the colour, but I could not remember exactly what you had other than the partridge mum a few pages back. Actually, I'm kinda glad they are not white, lovely looking birds, but they much be hard to keep clean!

I had to shoe Marrie the Maran off the nest today, she laid her egg but then I found her back on later in the day.....can't have too many broodies!

 

[vehve]

Glad they are getting along so far. I found, when a roo thought he had a chance at being the boss boy, he would crow more. We hatched two Coronation Sussex males, and as a soon as they were separated, the remaining one crowed....within minutes. Our Salmon Faverolle was the last to start crowing, and he only started when all but one of the other males had been removed from the run. Could be coincidence, or it could be a dominance link.

I think bigger poo's goes with the widening of the pelvis, so things like eggs can pass! Are any of them squatting for you?

That's my reasoning too, for bum nuts to fit out, the pelvis needs to expand, which leads to bigger compost enriching deposits. Not sure about the squatting, they're acting a bit suspicious about anything that approaches. The labradors don't worry them too much, but when the dachshund approaches the run they keep a close eye on her. We haven't let them out of the run yet, the younger ones have been out a few times, but officially chickens need to be kept in a covered run until the end of May, so we haven't ventured to free ranging that much yet. I suppose in a few days we'll see more how they behave around us, and I'll keep an eye out for squatting. Also it's probably good to let them get used to the coop and run before letting them out.

But all in all, so far this seems like a good way to combine different aged birds. Now I'm just hoping that we didn't bring anything nasty into our flock with the new additions, quarantine would of been nice, but we don't really have the space for it. Luckily we live in a place which is almost as hysterical as Australia when it comes to livestock hygiene, if not more in some cases. I was shocked when you discussed boiling times for eggs earlier in the thread and talked about 15 minute eggs. I like 6 minute eggs the best, with a nice and runny yolk. But then I remembered that in most places you actually have to worry about Salmonella. Oh, and some people were wondering about the salt. What it does, is that if the egg breaks (fridge egg into boiling water), it will contain the whites in the egg better. More salt, less egg coming out from the crack. That's at least what I've found.

*Edit* Oh, and the Silkies look pretty cute. My preferences still lie in a more primitive look, and varied egg colors, but maybe one day I might be convinced to getting a few of those feather-duster thingies. Somehow every time I see a picture of a Silkie I immediately picture someone in a french maids uniform dusting a book shelf with it. But I'm just weird.

 

[Bens-Hens]

You will know the squat when it happens. Basically she is making a stable table for Mr to do his business (which is also pretty fascinating to watch when the time comes)

Sometimes they do it if you just walk past and catch them off guard.


(pic from Google)

The boiling of the eggs for so long works only for hard boiled (ah derr!) The really fresh eggs membrane stick to the shell, seems almost impossible to peel a freshly boiled egg. I like my poached eggs warm and runny, but I like to make hard boiled sandwiches and bum nut treats for my lunch box. The older eggs peel real nice, but the fresh (day or two old) just don't play the game.

My system for hard boiled now is;
Boiling salted water,
room temp eggs,
lower into water on a spoon,
13-14 minutes,
cool under water and peel...try not to eat the profits before serving.

Soft boiled I use salted water, only a few minutes in the water and I eat if from the shell in an egg cup so the spoon cleans the shell.

I was never a real fan of the feather duster, but I was also freaked out by Naked Necks, and the thought of 5 toes birds made my forehead wrinkle hahaha Now I like freaking other people out with our bearded birds, extra toes, dark brown and blue eggs. Most people see our Light Sussex and carry on about their size and what we must be feeding them! "They are just big happy white chickens!"

 

[vehve]

You will know the squat when it happens. Basically she is making a stable table for Mr to do his business (which is also pretty fascinating to watch when the time comes)

Sometimes they do it if you just walk past and catch them off guard.


(pic from Google)

The boiling of the eggs for so long works only for hard boiled (ah derr!) The really fresh eggs membrane stick to the shell, seems almost impossible to peel a freshly boiled egg. I like my poached eggs warm and runny, but I like to make hard boiled sandwiches and bum nut treats for my lunch box. The older eggs peel real nice, but the fresh (day or two old) just don't play the game.

My system for hard boiled now is;
Boiling salted water,
room temp eggs,
lower into water on a spoon,
13-14 minutes,
cool under water and peel...try not to eat the profits before serving.

Soft boiled I use salted water, only a few minutes in the water and I eat if from the shell in an egg cup so the spoon cleans the shell.

I was never a real fan of the feather duster, but I was also freaked out by Naked Necks, and the thought of 5 toes birds made my forehead wrinkle hahaha Now I like freaking other people out with our bearded birds, extra toes, dark brown and blue eggs. Most people see our Light Sussex and carry on about their size and what we must be feeding them! "They are just big happy white chickens!"

I'll look for that posture then =)

Have you tried putting the eggs in the water from the start? Then you could go with just 10 minutes of boiling and save hours of electricity annually. Plus no risk for breakage, you don't even need the salt then.

Naked necks remind me of turkeys, not a fan. Of the freaky looking birds I like those completely black ones, whatever they were called. Spooky looking things.

My mother was surprised to see chicks that weren't all yellow, and she thought all chickens are fully white or brown like hybrids.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Glad they are getting along so far. I found, when a roo thought he had a chance at being the boss boy, he would crow more. We hatched two Coronation Sussex males, and as a soon as they were separated, the remaining one crowed....within minutes. Our Salmon Faverolle was the last to start crowing, and he only started when all but one of the other males had been removed from the run. Could be coincidence, or it could be a dominance link.

I think bigger poo's goes with the widening of the pelvis, so things like eggs can pass! Are any of them squatting for you?


Very cool, I am not really fussed with the colour, but I could not remember exactly what you had other than the partridge mum a few pages back. Actually, I'm kinda glad they are not white, lovely looking birds, but they much be hard to keep clean!

I had to shoe Marrie the Maran off the nest today, she laid her egg but then I found her back on later in the day.....can't have too many broodies!

Oh I have white but my hen is hiding under the shed on eggs. I keep the whites well away from the colours because white dilutes and is unpredictable. I don't wash mine but they always manage to stay white. They look ' fancy ' but don't require anymore maintainance than my other breeds.

 

[vehve]

Oh I have white but my hen is hiding under the shed on eggs. I keep the whites well away from the colours because white dilutes and is unpredictable. I don't wash mine but they always manage to stay white. They look ' fancy ' but don't require anymore maintainance than my other breeds.

That faint blue color on the neck is astonishing. Is her skin that color too?

 

[Fancychooklady]

Oh no that's just her earlobe. Their skin and bones are black.