Redinator's First Hatch-Along w Bonus Broody: And Everything Thereafter

[redinator]

I check the crops of the younger and lower ranking chickens at least twice a week. It gives me a good gauge as to whether or not everyone is getting enough to eat.

Thankfully our winters are mild here and, before I had chickens, even in winter I still had clover growing in the yard. We'll see if any survived all their foraging

 

[redinator]

After Sherry, I'll probably not get another sex linked. She started laying at 5 or 6 months and laid through her first winter. Molted second winter and then this last summer has been in a semi-molt and egg decline since June. Will now lay just a couple of times per week and the shells are either very soft or non-existent. Which means we're changing the straw in the nest box every few days. Supplemental calcium and protein do not help her condition. If she weren't the happiest of the bunch to greet me and her antics didn't make my heart smile she'd've been dispatched already.

Hopefully breeders are working on longer healthier lifespan for sex link chickens.

Sorry to hear that. Mine will be 16 weeks on the 21st of October and haven't started laying yet.

Yeah the 'production' breeds tend to start strong, but fizzle out pretty quickly from what I've read after I got them.

 

[redinator]

The 'gentle encouragement' plan to get Sweety to move to the new run.

Over the last week or so I've been stripping the small run bare. It was only holding the 4 older chickens and Sweety's 3 chicks. Slowly but surely 3 of them moved without too much fuss.

Sweety is the last hold out, with her chicks. I figured when I moved the chick hut she'd finally give in and move, but we know who won that battle. LOL

Today I moved the perch to the larger run.

Smaller run; stripped bare


Larger run, all decked out:
multiple feeders and waterers

plenty of room and options to perch on and sleep; two ladder perches, chick hut, shelves, even the top of the nest box, lol

floor space to scratch around and dust bathe
What more could a chicken want?

(I feel like I'm making an AD for an apartment, btw)

Who wants to bet Sweety will plop down in the dirt of the old run and still refuse to move?

 

[ChickenChick46]

After Sherry, I'll probably not get another sex linked. She started laying at 5 or 6 months and laid through her first winter. Molted second winter and then this last summer has been in a semi-molt and egg decline since June. Will now lay just a couple of times per week and the shells are either very soft or non-existent. Which means we're changing the straw in the nest box every few days. Supplemental calcium and protein do not help her condition. If she weren't the happiest of the bunch to greet me and her antics didn't make my heart smile she'd've been dispatched already.

Hopefully breeders are working on longer healthier lifespan for sex link chickens.

This is what scares me about sex links or production birds. Or even the various "eggers." I'm really new to chickens and there is plenty I don't know. And I have no doubt lots of people get long, healthy, happy, and productive lives from these birds. But I know some folks in real life and have read so many posts here where they did not.

Either cross break, reproductive problems, or just general illnesses off and on, etc. I'm a worry wart anyway, and I would hate to get one of the not so healthy birds. Even though I think they're beautiful!

 

[ChickenChick46]

The 'gentle encouragement' plan to get Sweety to move to the new run.

Over the last week or so I've been stripping the small run bare. It was only holding the 4 older chickens and Sweety's 3 chicks. Slowly but surely 3 of them moved without too much fuss.

Sweety is the last hold out, with her chicks. I figured when I moved the chick hut she'd finally give in and move, but we know who won that battle. LOL

Today I moved the perch to the larger run.

Smaller run; stripped bare
View attachment 4233169

Larger run, all decked out:
multiple feeders and waterers

plenty of room and options to perch on and sleep; two ladder perches, chick hut, shelves, even the top of the nest box, lol

floor space to scratch around and dust bathe
What more could a chicken want?
View attachment 4233167
(I feel like I'm making an AD for an apartment, btw)

Who wants to bet Sweety will plop down in the dirt of the old run and still refuse to move?

Heck I'd play in there!

 

[redinator]

This is what scares me about sex links or production birds. Or even the various "eggers." I'm really new to chickens and there is plenty I don't know. And I have no doubt lots of people get long, healthy, happy, and productive lives from these birds. But I know some folks in real life and have read so many posts here where they did not.

Either cross break, reproductive problems, or just general illnesses off and on, etc. I'm a worry wart anyway, and I would hate to get one of the not so healthy birds. Even though I think they're beautiful!

This is why I like my barnyard mixes, like mixed breed dogs, they tend to be healthier in general.

If/when I plan to breed any pure breeds I'll get a rooster from a different source than I got my pullets to prevent inbreeding in the offspring.

 

[redinator]

Heck I'd play in there!

Where do you think I hang out when I'm not on here, lol.

 

[ChickenChick46]

This is why I like my barnyard mixes, like mixed breed dogs, they tend to be healthier in general.

If/when I plan to breed any pure breeds I'll get a rooster from a different source than I got my pullets to prevent inbreeding in the offspring.

Agreed. I have a few in mind that I'd like to breed pure. But I'm not in a hurry to do so, and I'm going to order from different hatcheries combined with buying local to keep diversity in my lines.

 

[ChickenChick46]

Where do you think I hang out when I'm not on here, lol.

Same, lol. I'm down at the run now. For the second time in about 2 weeks, AT&T's contractors have dug up the internet lines while laying conduit for fiber. I get a stronger cell signal outside than I do in my house since I live in the sticks .

 

[kattabelly]

Hopefully breeders are working on longer healthier lifespan for sex link chickens.

I think it's more the use of production lines of breeds than it is the fact that they're sex links. Breeding chickens to churn out eggs like a factory just isn't very compatible with having them live long, healthy lives.