Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[fisherlady]

Is it really only 7:30?, feel like I lived a lifetime since I woke up. Many of our birds did not get cooped last night, LGD took cover from the storm in the garage and we were hit hard by a predator. I'm pretty shook. Trying to focus on being thankful for the chooks that are still here, but still feel like crud.

OMG... So sorry! That just sucks!

Only 3 times a day?? I wish! Mine crow just to hear themselves crow! Or to announce I'm walking towards the coop, or to warn people out of the yard, or because the wind is blowing, or to tell the others that I brought water, food, treats. Or like I said...just to hear themselves crow.

Yep, that's our group of teenagers right now.... I thinks they have a decibel meter and are just trying to see who can peg it!

He just made me out to be a liar... he decided to crow again as I was walking over from my parents'. I had to let them know to keep an eye out when they go to leave, most of the chicks have been expanding their range.
I have noticed he will crow longer and louder if I'm running late with opening the run or getting breakfast around. He's such a sweetie though, at least compared to all the other BCMs.

Our senior roo crows to communicate with us sometimes.... when I get home from work in the mornings and go into the house he starts crowing if I am not back out to the coop within about 5-7 minutes to let them out to roam. He is cute about it though, he will be in mid crow and stop when he sees me coming, then he hops off of his crowing stump and is pacing at the door by the time I get to it. He also comes to the sliding glass door deck and crows to let me know they are waiting for treats usually at least once a day.

 

[chiques chicks]

Blarney,
So sorry! I didn't get my birds in last night, I was at work. Got home, a lot were outside huddled. Left them there. Including a hen with two four day old.
Looks like they all survive.
I did have a chick taken by a blue Jay the other day. Add that to the predator list.

 

[Baym]

Interupting today's useful discussions on backyard chickens, we have a few tips on Chicken Raising for Dummies from a Total Dummy

#1 - How to get emotionless chicks to come to you when you enter the run

After 8 weeks nurturing them to show some emotion to no avail but catering to their every need so they gain sufficient size to not get their proverbial butt totally kicked when you introduce them to the rest of the flock, throw caution to the wind like the way your parents tossed their young children (i.e you) into the pool as a first test in learning the importance of swimming. After a day or 2 of being scared to death, you can then be the hero and rescue them from the beat down!

#2 - Run Construction

If you are building a run for your chickens and you would like it to stay dry and your concern is from water flooding INTO the coop from say a nearby stream or pond, you should likely consider how to get water OUT of the coop when mother nature decides to dump 4 inches of rain in an hour and now you have a Coop Run Pool.

Back to your regularly scheduled forum!

 

[motherhen71185]

Is it really only 7:30?, feel like I lived a lifetime since I woke up. Many of our birds did not get cooped last night, LGD took cover from the storm in the garage and we were hit hard by a predator. I'm pretty shook. Trying to focus on being thankful for the chooks that are still here, but still feel like crud.

So Sorry for your loss. Any idea what it was?

I hope your day is going better today.

 

[chickencowranch]

Quote:
Cool more money for more chickens, right.

 

[motherhen71185]

Ohh and i wanted to say I now see why you all love hatching so much. :-D one week till lock down and 9 eggs are going strong! 3 of 3 Cream legbars, 3 of 4 crele laced (Candy corn) polish, 1 of 1 crele pend, and 2 of 4 isbars. not bad!!! Have the next hatch lined up to start 2 weeks after these guys are out. More Isbars, double laced blue barnvelders, mille fluer leghorns, and any thing else interesting i find allong the way. Also going to use a turner nest time. Getting too busy to worry about turning them 3 times a day... I am only keeping a pullet of each and maybe one more roo so I might have a few chicks available in a few weeks depending on how they hatch.

 

[Gardeningmama]

Is it really only 7:30?, feel like I lived a lifetime since I woke up. Many of our birds did not get cooped last night, LGD took cover from the storm in the garage and we were hit hard by a predator. I'm pretty shook. Trying to focus on being thankful for the chooks that are still here, but still feel like crud.

I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten to pen up the chickens. The feeling of dread at walking to the coop in the morning to see if they all made it, is terrible. I'm sooo sorry!!​

 

[stake]

Ohh and i wanted to say I now see why you all love hatching so much. :-D one week till lock down and 9 eggs are going strong! 3 of 3 Cream legbars, 3 of 4 crele laced (Candy corn) polish, 1 of 1 crele pend, and 2 of 4 isbars. not bad!!! Have the next hatch lined up to start 2 weeks after these guys are out. More Isbars, double laced blue barnvelders, mille fluer leghorns, and any thing else interesting i find allong the way. Also going to use a turner nest time. Getting too busy to worry about turning them 3 times a day... I am only keeping a pullet of each and maybe one more roo so I might have a few chicks available in a few weeks depending on how they hatch.

oh, cream legbars...can I ask where you got the eggs?

 

[rdilbarova]

Quick question- I got two barred rock hens the other day.
One was laying, one wasn't. The one laying layed every day, and then stopped suddenly. I have the hens in with my pullets, and I was feeding them starter crumbles so I figured it would be OK to let the hens eat those too, as long as I gave them veggies and egg shells for calcium. Could that be a reason she stopped laying?

 

[chiques chicks]

Quick question- I got two barred rock hens the other day.

One was laying, one wasn't. The one laying layed every day, and then stopped suddenly. I have the hens in with my pullets, and I was feeding them starter crumbles so I figured it would be OK to let the hens eat those too, as long as I gave them veggies and egg shells for calcium. Could that be a reason she stopped laying?

Any change can interrupt laying. You said you just got them a few days ago? Give them time to adjust. Even rearranging a run can affect them.