Sdwd

[speckledhen]

Well, I didn't expect this of Riley. Other than Olivia, she's the only one to have these symptoms who hasn't been straight from the hatchery. Her mother, Charlotte, a Cree Farms line Ameraucana, did die at about 4 years old suddenly, unexplicably, while laying, no crop issues, no swollen abdomen, nothing, no symptoms other than a day of lethargy, but I doubt that is related at all. Riley has the classic symptoms of EYP and/or internal laying, though she could simply have ovarian cancer like Reba, just younger than you'd expect. You know I don't add daylight hours to my coops, either, expressly because of all those who have died from the same thing. It may not add much to the problem, but why take the chance?

 

[Cetawin]

Kathy, mine is under control until April usually then I hatch like mad through about August. Plus I always come home from Cyn's with eggs. Hahaha

Cyn, aside from Speckles who was internally laying before she died and Hedwig who was egg bound, I have not had many issues yet but I do not want them either. I am just gonna let the girls be girls and do what they want. I want them comfy in winter and summer but that is all I am going to try to alter. Poor Riley.

 

[speckledhen]

BTW, where is Scott????

 

[seminolewind]

Cetawin, that's a wonderful story (s) . I think it's amazing that Lancelot and Hector get along so well.

 

[seminolewind]

Kathy, looking at your SLW, I can see the Big difference in them and my 2 from a hatchery. (I needed 2 chicks in a hurry). There is no comparison.

 

[Cetawin]

Seminolewind I have been very very fortunate with "Rooster Teams". Beloved Thor was flock leader and he had a second in command, an EE roo named Severus. They were broodermates. When Thor died and I acquired Lancelot at about 5 - 6 weeks old, I raised him with girls from Cyn's, in a playpen inside my main coop. Severus and Lancelot interacted everyday through the fencing of the playpen....when Lancelot was about 4 1/2 months old he started jumping out of the playpen and I let him run around inside the coop with his girls and slowly integrated him into the flock over several months. When he decided he was ready to be flock leader, he issued the challenge and Severus backed down, happy as number 2 again.

Severus was rehomed and Lancelot was alone until I hatched some eggs from Cyn and got three little boys and one girl. Hector was my buddy from hatch to this day and I decided he was staying because he was my Son of Suede. So, I raised him and Nutmeg in that same playpen inside the main coop so he and Lancelot could interact and then I separated them with plastic fencing for a couple of weeks and then I let Hector and Nutmeg out inside the coop and let them mix into the flock on their own. Lancelot accepts Hector because he has not challenged him and I do not think Hector will as long as Lancelot is leader and strong...should his health fail or he get injured or something, Hector might issue a challenge but for right now he is watching, mimmicking and learning from Lancelot and he has his own girls...Lancelot chases his girls away so they stay with Hector.

Lancelot did kill my little White Rock cockerel....there was something about Orion that Lancelot never liked from day one and I think it was because Orion was not raised here and was not "mama's boy"....He spurred Orion right in the chest, through the wire fencing and poor Orion bled to death before I knew it. So...I am not sure why Lancelot accepts Hector but would not accept Orion and I know he would not accept my OE Maxwell....he growls at Max everyday and chases behind me when I am carrying Max in and out. Lancelot would kill him in a second if he had the chance and Rufus too most likely....Rufus is small but he is feisty and if Lancelot could not back him down immediately he would most likely kill Rufus too because Rufus thinks he is a 1 lb pitbull and Lancelot immediately answers a threat and he answers it viciously. Rufus would have to back down to survive and I am not sure that My Little Love would back down.

The rooster dynamics are really intriguing and honestly a total crapshoot I think. Cyn has seen it with Isaac....one male he would chase and try to kill if he could and another one he ignored. I just watch them closely and take months to integrate them and when I do, I stay with them when they are out together for the first few days to week or so.

 

[speckledhen]

I really want that dynamic in my main flock with Isaac and one of his sons one day, hopefully Gideon. Ike accepted Ranger in the flock, but I wasn't mentally ready to give up and just have a truly mixed flock at that point so I rehomed him. I won't rehome Gideon unless Isaac refuses to allow him to live there.

 

[speckledhen]

Nugget is clucking and flaring more and more, but hasn't starting sitting yet and is still laying. The bad news is that Emily, my Black Rock who abandoned three different sets of eggs she was incubating, two of them on Day 17, is clucking again. That heifer ain't gettin' no dang eggs!!


ETA: Dottie is going into Day 19 with her two eggs, one pure Delaware and one DelaBrahma. I candled when she was out for her dustbath and both were dancing around in there, look quite healthy, so we'll have babies in a couple of days. I hope she's a good mother-you never know with first-timers.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Kathy has set me up well with broody hens, she knows how I kept wishing for them.
I haven't candled yet. The BR's are vicious

. I have 13 from Wynette under one of the BR's. I will probably try to move some of them next door.

 

[speckledhen]

That picture is proof that true heritage stock still broods!! Love it!