San Diego Chicken meetup and Chat thread

[Corimckee]

yep first time. I just checked on them and no one is peeping and it looks like she has been down and now she is sleeping in the door of the coop. If they make it through tonight I might take them and brood them. I really don't want to. Go mama go.

 

[perchie.girl]

yep first time. I just checked on them and no one is peeping and it looks like she has been down and now she is sleeping in the door of the coop. If they make it through tonight I might take them and brood them. I really don't want to. Go mama go.

If shes tending them DONT take them. Moimma hens are the BEST at brooding. But you gotto make sure those teenny beeny little fluffballs cant go outside the fence where momma cant get to them. Because she is their only protection.

I had a very small coop arrangement like six foot by six foot inside I had put a dog house for egg laying. That momma hen started brooding in there and the other hens kept adding eggs to it. I realized too late that she couldnt cover them all but she was trying to by rotating the fringe cooled eggs in. So I made a temporary hat out of chicken wire making a broody enclosure complete with water and feed for her and chicks. I put hardware cloth around the base. out of about thirty egg only about six hatched. Once The little ones had some wing fethers and could moter about a little I took the hat off the dog house. By then they couldnt get through my chicken wire. flock intros had already been done so momma and chicks went on with the flock.

I had to take that dog house out and finally invest in nest boxes. Gosh that was my first year with chickens up in the desert. By then the hens decided to brood in the Rosemary just outside my back door. Fenced yard thank goodness. And ALL my hens and roos could fly because they were game crosses so fences were only a "suggestion".... LOL.

sigh... I digress.... Congrats on your little ones.... That is a realllly pretty hen what breed is she?

deb

 

[Corimckee]

She is a silver penciled hamburg. The chicks I thought would all be polish cross, but no one has a top hat??? Our rooster went in the soup pot about 2 and a half months ago. I actually think she has been making the rounds with the local roosters because all the babies are so different. I don't know?? This is my first time having a hen brood, so I am a little nervous.

 

[perchie.girl]

She is a silver penciled hamburg. The chicks I thought would all be polish cross, but no one has a top hat??? Our rooster went in the soup pot about 2 and a half months ago. I actually think she has been making the rounds with the local roosters because all the babies are so different. I don't know?? This is my first time having a hen brood, so I am a little nervous.

I might consider a hen with white if she looked like yours.....

Once those broodie hormones take over completely there is nothing better for raising chicks. All you have to do is provide a safe place for the brood while the chicks are little. My place is on eighteen acres of wild desert. My little broodie hens were the only way I was able to replenish my chicken stock up there. And back then I didn't even realize I needed to provide chick food.... Now when I get my flock started again I will provide chick food for both the hen and chicks. While the hen is brooding she wont be laying eggs so medicated or non medicated chick food is fine if she eats a little of it. Of course If you use medicated then you need to exclude the rest of your hens from access.

BTW there is a school of thought that broodie hen raised chicks don't necessarily need medicated food because they develop immunity naturally. Not saying anything one way or another, but it seems logical to me.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: Oooh good idea..... You could also lay some boards down in a square then cover the whole thing with plastic, shovel in some DG or Sand and fill it with water. In the shade as the water evaporates that sand will stay cool a very long time. You could even set up a drip system. Just a plain old one gallon water container filled with water and a pin hole poked in the bottom. Thats how the previous owners of this house irrigated some of their "special" plants out in the yard. Of course tie a string to the jug so it doesnt blow away once its empty.... LOL.

deb

 

[aaajjss1]

I like that water jug drip Idea! if only i could keep the ducks away from it.


Ok for the meet up I have a pair of black mottled d'uccle 4 months old, a white bantam cochin cockerel 3 months old, a splash silkie roo that is the best boy ever, and 2 light Brahma cockerels about 4 weeks old , will be large guardians for the flock, came from a show breeder in Tennessee, or will make great meat birds in a few months,
does anyone want any of these guys? cause it will be hot and I don't want to stress them out by driving them all the way up to the meetup if no one wants them. oh will have some silkie chicks by then too, I can post pics

 

[aaajjss1]

SOOO sor

ry OGM

I know that is heartt breaking

 

[RyeRanch]

Does anyone have any fertile turkey eggs for sale? I am just looking for regular birds to be used for meat - nothing fancy. Thanks!

 

[Merry Lew]

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/ssd/bab/4035962974.html

Am I the only one that thinks this playhouse could be converted to a pretty awesome little coop? The one I have for the girls now is fine....but this would just be so cuuuuute.....

 

[aaajjss1]

verycute