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I have a starling problem, hundreds coming to eat the feed. They poop all over the place and have passed their lice onto my chickens. Has anyone ever use the distress call systems they sell to drive them off? I wonder if it would make the chickens upset to play those sounds.

A reminder to everyone that they should check for lice from the wild birds, and might want to consider worming them now also. If egg production is low anyway, there would be few eggs to discard.
 
stake said:
Good evening all:

Spent the day making turkey soup and playing with leaves....seriously thinking about firing up the bater for either a Christmas or  New Year hatch....thinking silkies....well a few questions.

1. what's your experience in ordering hatching eggs this time of year??? I've never ordered hatching eggs....
2 Have to think 8wks in the brooder before moving outside...(assuming weather cooperates)....

Your thoughts???
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I have serama eggs in my incubator right now, due this Thurs/Fri and under my broody serama hen also. I'm hoping she will raise whatever hatches, but if I get a large bunch, I'll keep some inside for a few weeks.

As far as eggs, check out the 24 Hour Auction here, and ask for silkies if that's what you decide you want. RubyNala97 is in NY and does a wonderful pack job, and has gorgeous silkies. AbbevilleOz and RavynFallen have pretty ones too, and all 3 have listed some recently. I would be comfortable with eggs from any of those 3 members. I'm sure there are more, but those come to mind first. Oz is in SC, and Ravyn in TN, so not too far from PA. Closer travel helps, but I've had pretty decent luck with shipped eggs so far. It's more riskly than local eggs, but plenty doable.

Eta link to the auction thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/754060/the-new-crazy-24hr-auction-thread/12780#post_17782368
 
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Alright well I know I said about getting rid of my mixed flock a while back but I finally decided to get out of my mixed flock the only thing I see having a mixed flock is to take bad birds out of my breeding pen so I can still get eggs out of them. But once the mixed flock dies of old age I will be turning my two 4x8 coops into 4 breeding pens.
 
One of my baby chicks drown in the duck pool today they walk up the ramp and stand on the side to get a drink and it's shallow enough they can keep there head above the water but I think he was struggling to get out and just drown. I thought it was daisy the duck in the pool and I got closer to notice it was one of my baby's floating in the pool.
 
TillyPeeps said:
AnneInTheBurbs said:
Painted the coop today. In the dusk lighting, it is hard to see it is a darker blue. Started on the trim after this picture. Unfortunately, it is supposed to rain on Tuesday when I have my next day off, so the rest will have to wait until the weekend.
700
700
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Really nice! You only use concrete blocks to lift the coop? Is it stable enough? I'm still thinking about how to lift my next coop. Find a near by place selling used 10 x 12 sheds for 150 each. Really good deal. It's the sheds used in construction sites, so they are supper heavy duty with large windows. Some have insulation and electricity, even air conditioners installed.
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I did use Cinder blocks to elevate my coop. Two in each corner, two more in the front and the back, and a few in the middle for extra support. That sucker isn't moving anytime soon. I would ask the people who are selling it what they recommend. My ground is fairly level, but you may have trouble is yours is not. $150 is a great deal! Mine was $375 delivered and needed a new roof badly. For reference, my shed is 10X12 also. As far as the lifting goes, you can just use a car jack, that's what the shed guys told me and it worked well. Just don't attempt it alone! :)
stake said:
AnneInTheBurbs said:
Painted the coop today. In the dusk lighting, it is hard to see it is a darker blue. Started on the trim after this picture. Unfortunately, it is supposed to rain on Tuesday when I have my next day off, so the rest will have to wait until the weekend.
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Anne: Some paints won't set under 60 degrees...hope your efforts work....my two cents....
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It felt pretty good this morning. Time will tell! If not, I'll just have to wait until spring.
fisherlady said:
AnneInTheBurbs said:
Painted the coop today. In the dusk lighting, it is hard to see it is a darker blue. Started on the trim after this picture. Unfortunately, it is supposed to rain on Tuesday when I have my next day off, so the rest will have to wait until the weekend.
700
700
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You are making great progress! Especially with the moving in hassles on your plate too! :bow
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Thanks! I still have boxes to unpack, but I figure that can wait until it's too cold to do outside work. :lol:
dheltzel said:
I have a starling problem, hundreds coming to eat the feed. They poop all over the place and have passed their lice onto my chickens. Has anyone ever use the distress call systems they sell to drive them off? I wonder if it would make the chickens upset to play those sounds. A reminder to everyone that they should check for lice from the wild birds, and might want to consider worming them now also. If egg production is low anyway, there would be few eggs to discard.
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Thanks for the reminder. I don't know how I would treat all my bird for lice, since I usually use the powder. Is there an easier way when you have a good number of birds?
Chicken Egg 17 said:
One of my baby chicks drown in the duck pool today they walk up the ramp and stand on the side to get a drink and it's shallow enough they can keep there head above the water but I think he was struggling to get out and just drown. I thought it was daisy the duck in the pool and I got closer to notice it was one of my baby's floating in the pool.
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Eek! That's a shame. :(
 
AnneInTheBurbs said:
Thanks for the reminder. I don't know how I would treat all my bird for lice, since I usually use the powder. Is there an easier way when you have a good number of birds?
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I use a few drops of pourable Ivermectin on the back of their necks, like you would put Frontline on a dog for treating fleas. It works great but is not labeled for this use and so any egg withdrawal period is a guess. Very few of my eggs make it into a carton to be eaten. Even when I'm not incubating, I trade or sell them all.

Yesterday I relocated 28 chickens and I treated each with Valbazen (orally) for worms and Ivermectin (topically) for lice. I hope there are no casualties from too many treatments at once, because that is my plan for the other 300+ birds, once I find a way to keep the starlings from re-infecting them right away.
 
fisherlady said:
AnneInTheBurbs said:
I saw Rusty Shackleford trying to mate with some of the girls yesterday! How long does that take? It looks like he got on and off so quickly.
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Only a second or two once the rooster has his balance on her back.
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Maybe he got it then! The one hen is the one that is laying. I'll have to check her eggs to see if they are fertile now...

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