Ribh's D'Coopage

[Shadrach]

Tribe 2 are coming around on quite a few evenings now. They are looking for food as it's near roost time and I haven't served supper by then.
Nolia has come in a couple of times now. given the only other times she's been in the house was when she was ill and I carried her in, I'm a bit surprised. Young Rivit is pretty fearless as well.

 

[Grammy60]

Good morning everyone

The babies are adorable ❤

 

[WhoDatChick]

OMG!!! I just can't stand it! I won't get to see the babies until tomorrow afternoon and I don't think I will make it!

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This is the little EE that hatched from the green egg.

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This little one was from a brown egg, and I believe is a full barred rock between Stanley and Veronica.

There is also at least 1 more egg with an external pip.

Oh ma ga!! So so sweet

 

[pspatbyc]

That beak is quite scary. I am worried for your fingers for sure.

Hattie does that swipe with her break. Her's is also quite sharp. Lilly also does it every once in a while. I noticed the other day how worn down Lilly's beak is. It's quite round comparatively speaking.

Speaking of beaks . Do chickens ever need their beaks touched up with a file?? Now don't hit me cause I'm not talking about debeaking which I consider cruel. More of a touch up like horses get their hoofs done. I noticed two of the roos look like maybe they chipped the end of their beak. Any thoughts ??

 

[Shadrach]

Speaking of beaks . Do chickens ever need their beaks touched up with a file?? Now don't hit me cause I'm not talking about debeaking which I consider cruel. More of a touch up like horses get their hoofs done. I noticed two of the roos look like maybe they chipped the end of their beak. Any thoughts ??

Unless some beak deformity is preventing them from eating and grooming beaks are best left alone.
This is why.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1166494/I have done some very minimal beak shaping on rescue hens here who have had the tips of their beaks cut off square.
I don't think anyone who reads the above article and understands it can consider any form of cutting advisable. Fro beaks and spurs I use a file if something has to be done and I do a little at a time. It can take many weeks to adjust a damaged beak.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I've just been watching Knock encourage her chicks to rip a dead mouse to shreds so I guess mice could go on the menu.
For what it's worth, I wouldn't feed meal worms, cracked corn, barley, wheat and only a very limited amount of oats as an addition to commercial feed.
I used to feed household scraps but they get some of that from the compost heap.
What I'm most interested in is the various herbs they eat a bit of here and even more so what it is that the hens search for during moult.
Every time a hen here has a heavy moult she goes off the commercial feed. There is something or many things that they think they need that they find foraging.

Mmmm, protein! Lucy will eat baby frogs when she finds them and Charlie is quite partial to Huntsman spiders. And they all love cockroaches, so we’ve stopped poisoning them and instead, catch them and give them to the chooks.

Alice caught a baby frog today so she got some extra protein.

My girls show a marked preference for comfrey and flat leaved parsley. Their “herb tyres” have sage, basil, parsley (both flat and curly), marjoram, oregano, mint and coriander.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

We have ourselves a biter.

No. Not Morrigu.
Beatha.

Not sure what is going on. The Araucanas & Campines have decided I'm *safe* & will take tidbits from my hand. The Wyandottes are more reserved but being lower down the pecking order are usually forced back.

However Beatha has decided being hand fed is the way to go & has quickly become quite imperious, standing on *her* log & demanding. She did try getting in my lap with Lottie but Lottie stood there & gave her the evil eye until she removed herself.
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She has a lovely strong beak which is sharper than Lavender's & she likes to rake it through the feed which is on the ouchy side. However she really likes to bite my fingers. It doesn't matter how I hold my hand or how I pool the food eventually she decides a good nip is in order. It feels like a parrot bite so I will be discouraging her from now on. I'm rather fond of my fingers & have no intention of allowing them to become chicken fodder.​

That’s a wicked looking beak Ribh. Are you quite sure that she’s not an albino currawong?

 

[rjohns39]

Good evening folks

 

[Grammy60]

Good evening everyone

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

Oh my the chickens gods have been smiling on me!!

In addition to the wonderful chicks hatching, I found the perfect broody/rehab coop for free!! It was sitting along side the road just around the corner from my house! I'm so excited!