San Diego Chicken meetup and Chat thread

[desertdarlene]

I have somewhat of a positive update on the two ducklings. They're still there, but the one doesn't have a fishing sinker attached to him anymore. I hope he didn't swallow it. Also, I didn't see any aggressiveness in the other one. In fact, they were very affectionate to each other and even laid their heads on each other's back while huddled together to keep warm. Plus, they actually foraged for food and I think both ate something. They're kinda watching the big adult Pekins, but keeping their distance.

 

[Aumlet]

Ugh. Last night I noticed one egg had pipped (day 20). Husband and I went to see Magic Mike (yeehaw) and when I came back, there was a fully hatched chick, deceased, at the far end of the large dog crate my experienced broody is in.

It hadn't dried off, so clearly she got it out of the nest. I feel frustrated that I wasn't home to possibly save it, but given her track record as a good mama I know it is probable that the chick was dead before she kicked it out or had something seriously wrong with it. I'm keeping an eye on her today just in case she's gone nuts. She still has 5 eggs, two of them have pipped.

In happier news, a chick hatched under my other broody! She has 3 more eggs, 2 of which have pipped.

Last night was a good reminder not to count your chickens before they hatch.

It's the first chick I've ever lost for any reason, and even though I know these things happen I've been spoiled so far and it's a bummer.

These guys developed quickly, though. On a 21 day schedule the chicks weren't due until this evening.

 

[perchie.girl]

Ugh. Last night I noticed one egg had pipped (day 20). Husband and I went to see Magic Mike (yeehaw) and when I came back, there was a fully hatched chick, deceased, at the far end of the large dog crate my experienced broody is in.

It hadn't dried off, so clearly she got it out of the nest. I feel frustrated that I wasn't home to possibly save it, but given her track record as a good mama I know it is probable that the chick was dead before she kicked it out or had something seriously wrong with it. I'm keeping an eye on her today just in case she's gone nuts. She still has 5 eggs, two of them have pipped.

In happier news, a chick hatched under my other broody! She has 3 more eggs, 2 of which have pipped.

Last night was a good reminder not to count your chickens before they hatch.

It's the first chick I've ever lost for any reason, and even though I know these things happen I've been spoiled so far and it's a bummer.

These guys developed quickly, though. On a 21 day schedule the chicks weren't due until this evening.

I think maybe the heat kind of pushes things along.

deb

 

[Aumlet]

 

[RHRanch]

I've got holes all over the property, and I don't know for sure who is making them. I know we have gophers, I assume we have rats, I have seen mice, bunnies and a few ground squirrels. My runs are converted dog runs, so only about 5' wide. I put 6"x12"x1" pavers all around the inside perimeter, with the short side facing the wall. I am thinking of going back and laying a sheet of hardware cloth right down the center, and setting the stones to overlap it. The stones are an inch high, so I could put an inch of dirt over the metal flooring. I might even trench it an inch deeper at one end, slope the HW cloth down, so it could make a better spot for dust bathing. Would this work?

Well I have hardware cloth buried 12 inches and then aproned out about 10 inches and the rats just dig deeper. The only way I have been able to keep them out is by lining the entire bottom of a run with hardware cloth, but its expensive so I have only done this in small pens, like for my moderns and my naked neck pen. But lining the pens with hardware cloth on the run floor works. I put the hardware cloth down, butilt a box around the perimeter of the pen then added 4' of sand to cover the run floor. So easy to clean, and chickens never get muddy. If you can afford it, I relally like this type of run.

By the way, I still am looking for a home for these guys: castor? Netherland dwarf (big brood doe) and Sable Point Mini Rex.

 

[MissusC]

Aumlet!

Adorable. I could die of the cute over here!

 

[Aumlet]

6 babies hatched so far, 3 under each mama. They are very tolerant and let me check a million times a day, and handle the babies. With my last batch I saw a huge difference in friendliness between those that were handled a little on day 1 and those that weren't, so I decided to handle these babies if the hens would let me. As we checked up before twilight, we found an egg half zipped and my daughter was able to hold the chick while it hatched.

While we were out there, the funniest stuff happened with the frizzled pullet. My broody's cage is a wire dog crate in the corner of the run. One side is wooden fence, the other is chain link reinforced with hardware cloth. There is enough room between the cage and the fences for the bun we recently adopted. The frizzled goes into the cage and runs the gauntlet past the pecking broody (who raised her) to the corner. She nestles down for bed. Bun hops behind the cage and *thumps* to make the frizzle leave. Frizzle is flustered, run back toward mama, and dives halfway into the nest. Mama sits there with a "WTH just happened???" look. She has no idea what to do with this half a pullet under her head.

Normally mama will peck any of the teenagers from her last clutch if they get too close, but she really had no response to the desperation of he poor bun-dominated frizzle. Then one of the other pullets from that clutch decides SHE needs to be in there again, and begins this crazed dance around the container the nest is in, with the broody landing sharp pecks every time the pullet gets within reach. I finally had to reach in and pull the frizzle out, so that everyone could settle down. Better than TV.

 

[enzolove]

Hello San Diego chicken friends! I am looking for a new home for my 1.5 yo black australorp hen. Louise is a sweet girl, affectionate, healthy & a good layer. She has not had a broodiness problem. No problems at all! I've been wanting a blue egger for a while & just got an ameracauna chick, which puts me at 7 chickens. My coop only holds 6. My other girls are an assortment, the only two of a kind I have are the australorps. Louise's sister Thelma is not as friendly, although she's not bad at all. But she rules the roost of my little flock, so I think it's best she stays, rather than upset the pecking order. Any interest?

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Quote:

Turkeys ARE awesome, it was definitely hard for me to process them, I just told myself that they weren't going to live long because they were the broad breasteds. These ones are going to be a lot harder. Turkeys definitely have the best personality of all the birds on the farm!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I am a total sucker for personality, so the stories here charm me. But at face value, they seem rather lumpy.

You know I really didn't like the face/ head either but then I actually owned them and now I love them, their personality makes up for it! Plus they are fun to pet it feels a lot like warm soft human skin.