Sdwd

[joletabey]

I LOVE these EE/Del crosses!! They are the cutest things!
I was just out with my four baby hooligans and discovered Mama Harriet has started to lay again!!! She has been a crank to her babies the last three or four days, and now I know why. But. . . .I have a problem!

ADVICE NEEDED!!!!! I HAD planned on turning Harriet, who normally free ranges, back out with her friend Hermione and letting the chicks live alone- they are 8 weeks old, OR letting the chicks free range with Harriet and Hermione. HOWEVER- something got Hermione the other day. There was a pile of feathers in front of the Delaware run, and no Hermione to be found. With Luke gone, I don't have anyone on that side of the run complex to sound any alarms. ( This has been ONE CRAPPY WEEK!)
Should I stick Harriet in with the Del girls tonight and let her live with them? I think she is too small for Ultrasuede - she is a small black sex link.
We think it was a hawk - but have not seen one since I found the feathers Thursday night after work. In fact we, hardly see hawks. I really don't want to let anyone free range anymore, but am not sure whether to make Harriet stick it out with her kids, or put her in with the Dels until Alexander comes here and I break them up for breeding.
Any ideas?

Cetawin, you need that Suede son - just in case!!! I have two of his grandsons, or I would consider it myself!
Did you get the pictures of Joleta?

Kathy- pics soon- I promise!

 

[speckledhen]

All great-looking boys, Amy!

Beth, you are at the point I am with my two broodies. They want to keep the boys, but Nora is acting hormonal. I'm sure she's close to laying again. Can't put them in the flock with their babies because the babies don't need layer feed nor can they reach the feeders anyway. They don't want to be separated, but heck, I need to rehome these two guys. I'm tired of all the separate living quarters.

 

[joletabey]

I know- dragging water and feed to four separate places is wearing thin. In two more months, I figured I would have a layers pen, and Alexander with my four or five best Dels, and that the two young roos could hang out with their mama and Hermione, who was a BIG girl, big as an Orp. It was easy with the free rangers living in the horse barn. But it was hard on Hermione after Henrietta died, and I think Harriet won't know what to do all by herself, either. Well, I guess it will just have to be 5 pens and that's that.

Amy, I don't know how I sailed by those pics before - drat - too much on my mind. Chief is handsome, but Red has my eye- what a yummy color! I guess you need to get a little video of your Musical Butt Bird going and get in out there for the world to see - maybe you could make some money on him, ya know?

 

[kathyinmo]

I like the green sheen in Chief's barred tail !

Your roos look wonderful, Amy!

Good luck with all the pens, Beth. Try toting feed and water to 14 pens every day!

 

[joletabey]

Kathy, thinking of you is why I thought I would let Harriet and the chicks free range and live in the barn! I have to have some kind of self control!

Just kidding you, there!

Tote dat barge- lift dat bale! Only in our case, tote dat 50 pound sack of feed.

Seriously, folks. Should I just keep Harriet and chicks together? She is starting to chase them around a lot -

 

[rancher hicks]

Serrrin: Nice looking roosters.

Jole: sorry about hermione. I so far have had only one chick wounded while letting them stay w/ the rest of the flock. I think it was an accident as none of the other chicks with the flock have ever been harmed. At least 4 broods. I have a nest on the bottom and once I put the babies in there the mom follows and they seem to be ok. Hadn't done this before the one chick got wounded. The others pretty much ignore the chicks.

Now as far as Ee's go, I have two that were born the same time but only one is laying. Is there anything I should know about Ee's? These are my first. The one that is laying has been for nearly two weeks.

Also I have one that is insistant on sleeping in the nest box. I take her out put her on the roost and quick turn the light off. She does get picked on so I figure she is on the bottom of the totem pole. Even below the young roos. She is lavender, would that play a role n her getting picked on?

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Well, it sounds like she is done with them. You could go either way on this one .... I dunno .... I think Harriet wants to be back with some layers, as sounds like she is done playing the mommy role, and she is laying now, too.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
I had a girl (also bottom of the pecking order) sleeping in the nest box. This is the only time I ever had this happen. Anyway, I did like you, and put her on the roost and quickly turned off the light. It must have worked, because she does now roost with the rest. I think it took nearly 3 - 4 weeks.

Easter Eggers are just like the other chickens; no difference. I am telling ya, it took forever for my EEs to start laying. Then I discovered one was laying all along ..... it just wasn't a green or blue egg. It was pink. Beautiful shade of pink, too.

 

[Serrin]

Quote:
Beth, do you have any groups that are close to the same age as the babies, from another breed perhaps? Since we're talking only 8 weeks old, they could go in with just about any younger birds up until about 12 to 16 weeks of age I should think. If I remember correctly, my little motley mob didn't start exhibiting raging hormones until they were about 18 weeks of age. Failing that kind of scenario, I think I'd stick them in with whichever flock will accept them.

Eight weeks is such a tough age to try to introduce into a flock of adults. They're so much smaller than the adults at that point.

What is to stop you from putting them in with Harriet where ever you put her? Maybe having mama around might help them to adjust more readily to being around adults than if they go into a flock straight away without benefit of having mom around. You're right! This really is a conundrum, isn't it?

And I'm of absolutely NO help what so ever, am I?

Sorry to hear that something got your little Hermione.

It's changes in flock structure like this that can cause more trouble than you can shake a stick at, especially when you had plans for the bird that is now missing. I hope you find an answer soon sweetie.

 

[rancher hicks]

Here's some pics. One is my CM bantam friz hen. Not laying yet but should be. Then there is the wounded chick, wing and side bare and I noticed she (by feather sex) is not moving the wing much. I've been covering it with neosporing to keep it from sticking together. However it dries out and I will have to lubricate it each morning it would appear. Then there are some pics of two chicks for you to decide pullet or roos. Forgot to pic the tails but not much barring or black. Another is the Ee that is yet to lay according to the two finger test.
dels are approx 4-6 weeks. I have an offer to take them and don't want to let the go if there is any chance they are pullets.