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Today the birds were out free ranging. I still don’t want the youngest out, so they were in their pen. Stephen stayed in the coop the whole time.
I did have that bottom rooster go crazy in my first flock. He is the one you came for when we met. Radioman used his feathers for fishing lures. :D Red got super mean. You showed him!!!
 
@fisherlady I have a broody question for you, please. Have you ever made the decision to take chicks away from a broody? This is my current broody’s first time, but she has been terrible. She started with 11 chicks, and is down to 5, (the 6th is the midget that got put with the other chicks and is thriving). I have never had a broody that has been this bad. She seems to not care/notice if one chick seems separated or lost.

I would hate to do that to her, but I am strongly considering it. I have found a few of the little bodies, so I don’t think a predator has gotten them.
 
AnneInTheBurbs said:
@fisherlady I have a broody question for you, please. Have you ever made the decision to take chicks away from a broody? This is my current broody’s first time, but she has been terrible. She started with 11 chicks, and is down to 5, (the 6th is the midget that got put with the other chicks and is thriving). I have never had a broody that has been this bad. She seems to not care/notice if one chick seems separated or lost.

I would hate to do that to her, but I am strongly considering it. I have found a few of the little bodies, so I don’t think a predator has gotten them.
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I know you weren't along me but I've had to take babies from a broody before. I had a BCM that just did not protect her babies or make sure that they stayed with her. She kept losing them one after another. Also, Pebbles, my turkey hen. Every year she will go broody and basically starve herself until she gets babies to raise. She is not protective AT ALL. She's a good mama when it comes to keeping babies warm and feeding them but she does not protect. I always give her a cockerel or two to raise for a few days. Once she starts leaving the nest with them, I take them away. It's the only way to break her.
 
AnneInTheBurbs said:
Oh my goodness guys! I think this little creeper may have been hanging out all day! I only checked the broody briefly this morning to make sure they had water and food. I kept the run door shut because I knew I would be at work until late. Hubby shut her little door to her coop, but probably didn't look up either. I think she has her chicks, I poked her to disturb them and I heard a lot of peeps.

The opossum was so scared, he was clinging to the wood for dear life. I had to pry him off and put him on the ground. I'm surprised my dog didn't eat him. But she did like the chase when he started to waddle away. Can you imagine how funny it would have been to see a broody chicken scare a big opossum?!
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I know they can be a nuisance and a danger to birds, but I'm glad you let him go! I live in Clinton County and one of my favorite things about this area/PA in general is all the wildlife.

Hopefully he takes the hint and finds a nice tree next time.
 
Kes said:
I know they can be a nuisance and a danger to birds, but I'm glad you let him go! I live in Clinton County and one of my favorite things about this area/PA in general is all the wildlife.

Hopefully he takes the hint and finds a nice tree next time.
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I talked to a specialist when I thought I might have an opossum and they said that they never had to kill one. They poked them with the soft side of a broom, until the Opossum played dead and then would pick them up by the tail and re-locate!
They can LOOK really scary --we had a huge one that our dog cornered in California when I was little. All those sharp pointy teeth!
I wanted to tell Jack, I am so sorry about your bunny. We love bunnies here.
 
AnneInTheBurbs said:
Thanks, I’m open to any suggestions! I may take them away. I just don’t want to lose anymore. :(
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Yes, we have removed them from broodies, thankfully we have always been able to just graft them to another hen, we always have 2 or more broodies when we set eggs, just to give us the flexibility to do that.
Some hens are just pea-brained, there is no way to sugar coat it! An option you can try is giving her a kids swimming pool with sand in it in your garage, with a brood lamp over one section. It can act as a combo brooding pen and grow out pen for the little ones. She still plays mama, but in a much more controlled environment, until they are 3 weeks old or so.
 
I'm having a great hatch of the Australian Spotted ducks this week. About 18 are out so far. I can see I am about to be overrun with ducklings. Who here is interested in breeding them? My first priority is to get them into the hands of other local breeders, so as to get them establish in the area . . . @LeBlackbird @fangedknight
 
dheltzel said:
I'm having a great hatch of the Australian Spotted ducks this week. About 18 are out so far. I can see I am about to be overrun with ducklings. Who here is interested in breeding them? My first priority is to get them into the hands of other local breeders, so as to get them establish in the area . . . @LeBlackbird @fangedknight
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Possibly, when I get over there to pick up birds I'll take a look. I swore to myself I wouldn't do waterfowl this year because of all the projects I had going on but how bad could some bantam ducks be? :lol:

In other news, blue salmon faverolles eggs I had shipped in from Texas hatched. I ordered 2 dozen because I usually account for shipped egg hatch rates (about 50%) so I wanted to make sure I had plenty to work with. Well I have somewhere around 20 out right now :thcompletely shocked by how well they hatched! First time doing a dry incubation, wanted to try it after @dheltzel has had so much success with it. Might keep applying the technique from now on. Will post pictures of extremely cute Faverolles chicks when the hatch is done
 
LeBlackbird said:
Possibly, when I get over there to pick up birds I'll take a look. I swore to myself I wouldn't do waterfowl this year because of all the projects I had going on but how bad could some bantam ducks be? :lol:

In other news, blue salmon faverolles eggs I had shipped in from Texas hatched. I ordered 2 dozen because I usually account for shipped egg hatch rates (about 50%) so I wanted to make sure I had plenty to work with. Well I have somewhere around 20 out right now :thcompletely shocked by how well they hatched! First time doing a dry incubation, wanted to try it after @dheltzel has had so much success with it. Might keep applying the technique from now on. Will post pictures of extremely cute Faverolles chicks when the hatch is done
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We're they hatchery or specific breeder eggs? That is a breed I am very interested in, will be interested to see how yours grow out and how they are for personality.
Their cuteness is always a plus too.
 

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