Raising Chicks has been a Joy

[viggo63]

I wouldn't trade my leghorns for the world! I have two leghorn hens that were special needs as hatchlings. Gumby had severe wry neck and needed weeks of treatment until she could be independent. Elsa had curled toes, two of which turned black and fell off! I tried taping them, but they didn't straighten out completely. It doesn't slow her down at all, though. They are my most affectionate birds and are the first to greet me every morning and insist that I cuddle them. They are also the best layers, of course.

Gumby

Elsa

 

[Grandmas Coop]

I want you all to know I will be starting a new flock in May, they will all be Welsummer's
Due to moving, weather conditions and no way to get a new coop built until March.
We had to make the very hard decision Dec. 20th, to cull our flock. It was a very sad and hard thing to do. But there will be more chickens.
I have pre ordered 16 Welsummer hens and one Rooster
This is what they will look like. Very much like the Brown Leghorns.



@BY Bob

 

[Grandmas Coop]

 

[Sequel]

I’m so sorry! That must have been traumatic! I applaud you for being so very responsible in taking care of your chicken business promptly. Too many people let things get too far ahead of them.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Grandmas new coop



and flock- hatch date 7-11-22
Nov. 17th 2022new flock is 18weeks old, they are Welsummers, the girls combs are still working on turning red.

These Welsummers are quite different than all of the other chickens I have had.
Some of the hens are very big. I have tried to find information as to what is "true to form" for them.
I have 3 different looks , the big ones have a blackish head, there are 2 or 3 that have gray legs the rest are yellow and yellow and gray,
some have deep RR deep red, some very golden and some blackish brown
I guess at this point it truly doesn't matter, I love the flock and they are so well tempered even Mr. rooster.

Why did you choose welsummers?
My #1 need was a mellow rooster, I love roosters but dont want to be run down and these have a high rating for dossal s/p?-- rooster chick #1 didnt make the cut due to how assertive he was with the other chicks, at 3 weeks he was letting everyone know he WAS the boss
#2 need was chickens that arnt anti people-- leghorns are great BUT- they arnt one to like being picked up- they run from everything

#3 heat and cold tolerant
and #4 it said they may go broody but on the low end of the scale-- I am hopping one of them will
AND #5 my husbands blood line is Dutch, his grandfather was named Cornelius and his fathers middle name was also

Dec.5th 2022
I noticed several days last week Mr. Rooster messing around in the nesting box. He was making a nest. When I went just a bit ago to fill the water jug, I noticed a hollowed out spot,,, and one of the hens was being extra loud. Up to this point they have been very quite. so I watched while I was changing out the water. She was fluffing and getting comfy and singing the pre-egg laying song. I am glad one of them is getting started. This is the start of their 21st week. I read Welsummers can take as long as 24/25 weeks. Typically, once one gets started the others follow shortly.
Dec.7th 2022
We got a first egg today
We had a lot of snow in Dec. the 9th-till the end of Dec.

Jan.4th
Well my hens started their 25th week on Monday, yesterday I got 7 eggs , this morning a soft shell was in the sand under the coop, typically a first egger so thats one for today---
so 6 more hens should start laying this week.


Jan. 13th and 10 of the chicks are laying now, so 3 more to go. the all are almost 27 weeks old

June1 2023
I have a hen that wanted to be broody in Feb. and I said not yet-- so she is again and I said ok, I gave her all the eggs from yesterday to sit on. she is only 10months old??

6/14/23
I have 2 broody hens-
#1 has 6 eggs from the 31st and #2 has 6 eggs from the 10th

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Due to a lack of info on broody hen behavior and the how to / what to do's on natural egg hatching I went searching this morning for info. I found 2 nice articles
I liked this detailed write up by The Chicken Chick
https://the-chicken-chick.com/carin...HAT IS A BROODY HEN,or less) until they hatch

This one was good to,
https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2013/05/annie-and-her-chicks-hatching-eggs.html

 

[Grandmas Coop]

 

[featherhead007]

View attachment 3541445

Interesting.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

I worked on hauling wood chips up from our neighbors sawmill, one big wheelbarrow at a time, a 4ish/5 min walk
I still need 6 to 8 more. I am not going to put woodchips where the flock dust bathes.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

good morning chickchick's
I just ordered 2 of these. I think they may work better than trying to put up chicken wire inside the coop, we'll see