Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[LittleMissPurdy]

Vet says everyone looks good but I need to keep the babies better protected for a few more weeks as they are hawk bait (uhh YIKES). She came by to disbud the babies and Lucky me, TWO of them, and the boys at that! are polled, so they did not need disbudding. Here's a little cuteness for you, the 2 boys who are as yet un named...I need E names.

polled?..going to look that up..yes, even though Dh says "not now" to the goats, doesn't mean I still can't "know" about them

....They are adorable Blarney!
here are some Irish names & their 'meanings'...
Emrick -immortal
Enos -one vigor
Erin -Ireland
Eth -fire
Egan -little fire
Edan -full of fire
Ernan -wise one
Evin -swift
Ewan -young warrior
Eiri -rules the home
Elgan -bright circle
Eljin -noble/white
Elvin -friends of elves
***I also like the 'old school' name *Evert/Everett...it is an old English name: strong boar, brave, shepherd..
just a few for ya!! Have fun naming them!!!
Blarney- You mentioned "bee-keeping" supplies, did you have these things or did you pick them up at the auction?.....cause if you or anyone has bee keeping supplies that they are looking to unload for reasonable $$, i am interested in taking a look at them!!! Seriously, i am trying to acquire, to maybe have a chance at starting next spring,....I should have gone to this Green Dragon thing

...dang it!

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Question for anyone with time...
How long..generally, does a broody stay with her young?(chicks) Will I have to separate them, or will she just loose interest in them? I realize mine have only been with her, a bit over two weeks now..they still need her, curious to find out if they will be needing processed before she would have naturally left them...at least the meat birds, the turkey will need a bit more time.
Thank you.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

ahww-shoot, forgot to add another question,
Should I give the broody free choice egg shell? Right now she is eating what the chicks are "meat-maker". I don't know if she would have any interest in getting her egg laying started again..
I would like to know/understand from the experiences of others....
**What is 'typical' of these broodies?..**What are their general "stages" as they go through raising their young?
this is the first for me.. half-educatedly-'winging-it' through this whole thing..ahhaha...trying to let her do as much as she would naturally handle, just like to understand what to look for, expect..
Thank you again everyone!

 

[randerson846]

Is a duck coming out if the shell foot first normal

 

[troyer]

Question for anyone with time...
How long..generally, does a broody stay with her young?(chicks) Will I have to separate them, or will she just loose interest in them? I realize mine have only been with her, a bit over two weeks now..they still need her, curious to find out if they will be needing processed before she would have naturally left them...at least the meat birds, the turkey will need a bit more time.
Thank you.

This spring mine are staying with the chicks for 6-8 weeks and starting to lay again. I have found that if the hens are in small pens that are completely predator proof with plenty of feed they tend to leave them sooner than the ones that free range all the time. It seems that they "know" when they're no longer needed by the chicks to keep them warm and safe from predators. My free ranging hens will stay with the chicks for a minimum of 12 weeks before leaving them to fend for themselves and start with a new clutch. It also makes a difference at what time of the year it is, if it's in the fall they will often stay with them until they're 6 months old.

 

[wingstone]

Still can not find any info on when the east indies are considered mature ducks,
Mine are 16 weeks, so according to any other breed they should have 8 to 10 weeks to go yet, but since they are small ducks does that change the time frame.

Went thru the duck pen and still can not sex them, I do see a few curly tail feathers so I assume they are the boys.

The Rouen turned out to be 2 of each and the kc seem to be 2 of each.

 

[randerson846]

Is the other duckling trying to help :/?

 

[randerson846]

The last one hatched and is walking around with daffy i decided to name him lucky

 

[fisherlady]

Question for anyone with time...
How long..generally, does a broody stay with her young?(chicks) Will I have to separate them, or will she just loose interest in them? I realize mine have only been with her, a bit over two weeks now..they still need her, curious to find out if they will be needing processed before she would have naturally left them...at least the meat birds, the turkey will need a bit more time.
Thank you.

As Troyer said, this seems to vary based on season and even the hen involved. Most of ours stay 5 to 8 weeks, usually the longer time frames in cooler weather. It does seem like the broody understands that some just don't need them as long as others. When my Gracie hatched out banty types who were smaller (and the weather was cooler) she stayed with them 8 weeks, when she hatched out large fowl chicks (such as the EEs she just finished) she pushed them away at 5 weeks.
But remember, broody raised chicks at 5 weeks are nothing like brooder raised at 5 weeks. These chicks head out in the morning and free range all day, they were feathered from about 3.5 weeks old and have been dusting outside and doing their own foraging since 3 or 4 days old with the broody.
Generally I see a progression of behavior with all of the broodies and chicks... Day 1-3... mostly stay in nest or in immediate area, short trips to area within a few feet of nest to get food and water and maybe scratch a little (if that is an option)
days 3-6... roaming a bit farther from the nest, but rarely more than 10 or 15 feet from the coop, broody is taking them outside but frequently stops and sets to allow them under for warm ups (usually about 5 minutes out of every 15 or 30, depending on outside temps) Broody is heading into the coop by mid or late afternoon and settles the youngsters into her chosen floor nest then till morning.
1 week to 3 weeks... broody is getting them out and about as much as weather permits. Stopping for warm ups is getting less and less frequent but hen still gets them into coop well before dark and they all stay under her (as much as possible) for the night. Broody tends to keep chicks within a close distance at this stage, mostly see them moving as a group within a circle of 4 or 5 feet... though there is usually one explorer in each group that gives the mama fits.
3 wks+... their time outside is getting more like the other birds' schedule, warm ups are rarer, chicks are ranging farther and farther away from the broody and she isn't freaking about it, often one gets 'left behind' and will be heard cheeping frantically as it realizes it missed seeing the group move on while it was exploring. Mama usually goes back for it and it then rushes to rejoin the group. At night the mama still nests with them, but often some will be seen laying around her rather than under her... she will start trying to get them up onto a roost like the other chickens around week 4 or so many times (at least ours do)
When you notice mama hen starting to eat treats herself rather than immediately give everything to the chicks then you know it won't be long till she goes back to the roost and leaves them to fend for themselves.. Broodies can be vicious about it... once she is done with the chicks she may peck them any time they try to come close to her or roost near her... some hens are more gradual about it, but I have a couple who are absolutely finished the day they decide the chicks can do for themselves...

The 'abandoned' chicks sound pathetic for a day or two, but they form their own little group and will run together all day and sleep together at night until they are nearly ready to lay eggs or crow, and by then they will often have established a small foothold in the coop pecking order. I often notice our broody raised 'siblings' will remain closer to each other than to other flock members even after a year or two, though not always. If all but one or two from a broody hatch are sold the remaining chicks quickly assimilate into the rest of the flock. (but ours are raised in the flock, not separately, so that may be why they mix in so quickly)

Your broody should give up the meat birds by about week 5 I would think... so well before butcher time.

ahww-shoot, forgot to add another question,
Should I give the broody free choice egg shell? Right now she is eating what the chicks are "meat-maker". I don't know if she would have any interest in getting her egg laying started again..
I would like to know/understand from the experiences of others....
**What is 'typical' of these broodies?..**What are their general "stages" as they go through raising their young?
this is the first for me.. half-educatedly-'winging-it' through this whole thing..ahhaha...trying to let her do as much as she would naturally handle, just like to understand what to look for, expect..
Thank you again everyone!

I won't hurt her to have the egg shell choice, but she doesn't need the calcium right now... she won't start egging until she has decided it is time to leave the little ones or even just that they are big enough to do things on their own, even if she is willing to let them hang around with her. Our hens eat whatever the youngsters are getting for the most part, though there is always an oyster shell dispenser available in the coop I never see a broody with chicks anywhere near it.

 

[chiques chicks]

Ok, I'm freaking out a bit now once again here.  And I feel like a terrible chicken momma.  D:

This Mt. Healthy Hatchery salmonella outbreak...  I had 9 hens and a rooster to start out the year.  All nine hens laying well and everybody fat and happy.  I bought 8 chicks from TSC between March 13th and April 12th.  Raised them separately in a brooder in my basement, feeding them medicated feed just like I did with the bigger birds last year.  Then about two weeks ago or so, when everyone was feathered out and growing well and the weather got warmer, I put them all outside and started introducing them to the established flock.  At this point, they're all getting along well and pretty much integrated.  A big happy motley flock of eighteen happy chickens.  

Now I find out that Mt Healthy is responsible for a salmonella outbreak.  I've been all over this website and all over the internet for the past few days trying to find the exact answers to my exact questions.  And I can't seem to do that. So I am coming to you guys because I know there's lots of knowledgeable people on here.  Some that even breed and raise chicks and sell eggs for profit.  So I know you guys know all about testing and disease prevention and safety and stuff like that.   

Anyway, I'm rambling. Too much coffee this morning I think.  

My questions are,

Are my chicks infected?  Will they actually look sick if they are?

If they are infected, does that mean my whole flock is now?  Again, if they are, will they show signs?  Because I've read that, yes, infected birds will be listless, runny poop, egg production will drop, etc.  None of mine are showing these signs.  And then I've read that, no, they won't show signs but will still carry the disease.

Next question.  IF they are infected, what are my options?
I know about hand washing, and cooking meat thoroughly, etc.  
Does this mean and end to dippy eggs in my house?
Does Salmonella go away on it's own?  
Can it be treated?
Do I have to cull and burn the entire flock, strip the coop and run, bleach everything thoroughly and let it sit, chickenless till next year?

I'm almost in tears here with the frustration of not being able to get a straight final answer.  
I don't want to cull my whole flock if they're not even sick.  But I can't even find a straight answer on that.  

All I know for sure is that I will never EVER EVER again buy a bird from anywhere else.  I will, if I don't have to kill all of my babies raise my own chickens from my own closed flock from now on.  I do NOT want to go through this ever again.  :C

Or am I just overreacting about all of this?  

My opinion:
You're over-reacting. These reports come out every year. Salmonella is everywhere.

Honestly, some store bought eggs contain it. Ever see the disclaimer on menus in restaurants about under-cooked eggs and meat? This is why. At one time they tried to legislate no dippy eggs be served because of it.

Wash hands, cook meat, go on with your life. IF your new birds had it, I think it will spread, but it really isn't that big an issue. They could just as well get it from wild birds or the soul

Chalk it up as slow news day.

Just my opinion, but I surround myself with dirt to build a naturally strong immune system. I avoid sanitizers and stick with old fashioned soap and water.