Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[ParrishChicks]

Btw, if you want, it is a legal matter. The neighbors will get a fine if you report their failure to control the dog.

You know, their son i have issues with who doesn't live here he was visiting. As for my neighbors. I have one house within sight of me and its them. I give them a dozen eggs or two a month and they share what they have out of their garden and what not. I'm really lucky that I have neighbors like them their son on the other hand. Oh well. I spoke with them and they offered to reimburse me for the loss.

 

[dheltzel]

Actually, I always want a green-egg layer for kids. Ameraucana (and mix) chickens look so gorgeous. But they are not autosexing, and I cannot have any rooster.

That is exactly why I started making my own black sexlinks from Ameraucanas, so I have an "Ameraucana-like" bird that is easy to sex (all males are barred).

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Maybe tentatively plan for a Tuesday in Ebensberg? As they tend to do stupid things with the roads around these parts over the weekends.

Sure. Sounds like a plan

I appreciate the response.  They were Gold laced Cochins and Black Australorps. I could only hope for some CCL or Ameraucanas.  Maybe that is what I will look to replace them with next spring.  Another question that just popped into my head.  I have a rooster.  He isn't really pretty, in my mind, he isn't aggressive at all which is nice but,  would a good rooster have attacked the dog to protect his flock? Cause my rooster is perfectly okay, he did nothing.  Are my expectations of what a rooster should do exaggerated? Or am I alittle justified in naming him Souper today?  And if I do find a rooster that would protect the flock would I have to be concerned about him being aggressive towards my family?

It depends. Most of my roosters would run from a husky but they are all great flock guardians when it comes to sounding alarms and watching the skies for hawks.

 

[fisherlady]

Sure. Sounds like a plan
It depends. Most of my roosters would run from a husky but they are all great flock guardians when it comes to sounding alarms and watching the skies for hawks.

I agree on the roosters, most are more geared towards early warning rather than aggressive defending. They just don't have the size to offer a fair fight and they know it, you may find an individual with a more aggressive stance, but it would be more an individual trait rather than a normal occurrence.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Of course they are going into the incubator - I "have" to test their fertility, after all (don't I?). Next time you have a broody hen, I *might* have a few extra BF eggs that need hatching. I have to warn you that the males are quite handsome, you might not be able to let them go to other homes . . .

You need to get an incubator to loan to him and let him hatch some chicks. I'm sure his parents would be onboard if you present it as a learning experience. I'm also sure you'd have the discipline to not use the incubator to increase your flock (too much).

Like I have to ask! I am hoping I get a broody soon, I could use some cuteness in my life right now. Would love to hatch some bielefelder eggs for you if I see any broody activity. I have been saving egg cartons for your niece too. I must have close to thirty!

It's a case of my neighbors son has a new husky, that he decided he was going to let run. I guess I don't have to point out where the story is going.  I was wondering about what I should ask for.  The worst part is after he grabbed the dog, he set it back down again and it took off and got another one.......

So sorry. That's so sad when you have raised them from little peeps.

 

[stake]

It's rough. I got them as little peeps. Have raised them and cared for them for this long on top of that this is my first flock ever. So I guess I'm alittle more attached that I should be.

Parrish:

Nothing wrong with being attached...they are pets not livestock....imho, you should understand 4oz of feed per day for 6mos....then your time and energy to get up in the morning to feed/water and care for you chooks and same in the evening to take care of them....if your chooks are heritage/ exotic that's an addition cost to replace...hope thing work out for you,

 

[emorems0]

I appreciate the response.  They were Gold laced Cochins and Black Australorps. I could only hope for some CCL or Ameraucanas.  Maybe that is what I will look to replace them with next spring.  Another question that just popped into my head.  I have a rooster.  He isn't really pretty, in my mind, he isn't aggressive at all which is nice but,  would a good rooster have attacked the dog to protect his flock? Cause my rooster is perfectly okay, he did nothing.  Are my expectations of what a rooster should do exaggerated? Or am I alittle justified in naming him Souper today?  And if I do find a rooster that would protect the flock would I have to be concerned about him being aggressive towards my family?

I have some experience... Our rooster (black australorp) was very friendly his first year, after the Spring when he turned 1 year old he had a hormone rush, we changed some things around the coop and run, and we started getting some intense predator pressure. He became aggressive toward my kids and eventually towards me. I couldn't let them free range anymore and we seriously contemplated the soup pot. Then we figured out what was going on with the predators and expanded the run and he calmed down a lot. He is much better now, but he is often on 'alert' so I still won't let them free range. He has protected the flock against predator attacks although he doesn't seem to protect young pullets (or they just do t know to listen to him). We found him early one morning VERY strung out and nearly half plucked after getting into it with some predator - none of the hens were missing or injured. The most recent incident when we came home to find a neighborhood dog had ripped into our pens, all the hens were safe in the coop and Romeo was standing guard in the run - he did not retreat to the safety of the coop with his girls (the dog did get a young pullet and a turkey, but I think that was a case of the pullet not knowing to follow his warning). It takes home a few days to settle down after an attack which I think is completely understandable. It stinks that I don't feel comfortable letting my girls run around outside with the chickens free ranging, but they are young and don't pay attention to how their playing could be viewed as a threat to the rooster. They do come in the run with my husband or I to feed the chickens and as long as there aren't predators stressing him out, Romeo is pretty good with the girls.

 

[dheltzel]

2nd batch of Reese CCL's hatched today. There are 7 chicks from 8 eggs. I find that CCL's seem to hatch better than most of my other breeds (the black Ameraucanas almost all hatch too). Even more impressive is that these 8 were collected and held over a 2 week period, usually I try to set every week, but I got so few eggs back then that I just kept them a second week.

Not sure of the genders yet, it's not easy to see in there with all the condensation (RH was 92% at one point).

Got a 3rd Bielefelder egg today. I really need to take a pic comparing them with the Rhodebar and Welsummer eggs.

Free ranged 4 "extra" tom turkeys yesterday. Boy, are turkeys dumb about free ranging, They pace outside the main pen all day trying to get inside. I'm not sure if they are eating or drinking either. This might not end as well as I hoped.

 

[dheltzel]

I took pics of the eggs:

Top row:
2 Reese CCL's - different pullets, obviously
1 Rhodebar
2 Bielefelder
1 Welsummer

Bottom row:
1 non-Reese CCL
1 Bielefelder

I'm surprised by the darkness of the BF's, certainly not as dark as a good Welsummer, but sometimes the Welsummers lays eggs about the same shade as the BF's that are in this pic. Definitely darker than the Rhodebars.

Also very happy with the very blue Reese egg. Assuming the colors stay consistent, I think I will need to separate out some of the bluest eggs to be next year's breeders.

 

[troyer]

These make good flock protectors.