Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[okallthis4eggs]

and finally thanks once again to all of you for the kind words regarding the chick who died. It really doesn't bother me. I hunt deer and other game so I can handle a chick dying. I hate to lose it but figured it wouldn't last when I observed the slow development and its overall behavior. Figured it was a matter of time. Really the sooner the better for it so it didn't have to suffer the torment of the other birds. What puzzled me was the timing of the chick dying. It went from running and chirping to me wondering if it was going to take another breath in a matter of 5 minutes. Thanks for all of your input. Another learning experience.

 

[cheeka]

oh man OK, I hope you don't get hammered with too much rain like we did! we had the flooding, one main road still closed and the downtown main street is still a muddy awful mess. Sunday morning, wee hours of the night, we had a mudslide that took out the street below me. that road is closed indefinitely. the ground is so saturated that the news is discussing West Nile virus and how to deal with mosquito's... and all the 75 or so varieties of the nasty little bugs.
it's supposed to be nice out today... sure do hope so...
having never bought hatching eggs myself, until last week... I don't have experience to tell you that that was a good hatch rate or not. shipping is never good I guess... my hatching eggs should arrive by tomorrow. the seller finally shipped them yesterday. Violet is so annoyed with me for stealing all those unfertilized eggs. It would have been faster for me to fertilize my own birds eggs... oh well... the one's I want to breed are still missing so many feathers, I didn't want to put them with the boys til next Spring... I didn't realize it takes more than 3 months for feathers to fill in...

Mylee was a riot last night! she would go tearing out of the house whenever a deer appeared. Chase it right out of the yard... over and over... I asked her what/why she was doing it... and she said she wanted to catch one and go for a ride! so, I'll take her for a horseback ride, probably tomorrow. my horse is way too fiery for her, but where I stable her, there are many very mild creatures for her. we're supposed to have company this afternoon or I'd take her today.

16 Eggs yesterday.

W4W, I can't pass the aisles of frilly dresses without stopping... Mylee refused to wear dresses until this summer. she would cry and cry and beg for shorts... pink shorts tho', at least she was a little bit girly... at first, I thought it was because she was being raised only by her Daddy... but I was wrong, he bought her so many dresses, wanted her to be very girly... and was so bummed that she hated dresses... it all turned around for her when little Jax was born at the end of March. when we went to visit, her very very girly cousin, Isabelle... has a trunk full of dress-up duds, and she treated Mylee to a session that included the dress, high heeled shoes, necklaces, bracelets, clip on earrings and a tiara. She got the bug! now when I pull out a new dress, she's very happy and wants to try it on and wear it... I know it's a ways off for your, but I truly hope your sons will give you many beautiful grandchildren, with both boys and girls for you to dote on!

 

[BullChick]

Things have settled back to "normal" here. DH mowed the entire property that's open grass, and even bush hogged some more that was overgrown. He feels at fault because so much had overgrown this year. We have wild blackberry/raspberry and it takes over pretty fast. (Yummy too, hehe) He wont teach me to run the finish mower on our tractor or the bush hog.... and some of the grass was at 4 feet already! NOT ok! Can I figure it out, ya, prolly... but that was a pricy tractor. Not taking the chance of trashing the PTO or worse. I was out there with a hand chopper thing and he realized he best get busy

. Its one of the biggest reasons we had fox problems, and he knows it. Gives them places to hide and sneak up. I don't blame him, but if you aren't gonna show me how, then u better get er done!

Whew, rant done I feel better

Getting so many eggs now. Really happy, at least 2 dozen a day! Have a LOT of roosters too, so the freezer will be crammed full by winter. Have started freezing eggs in ice cube trays, then bagging. Need to sell them too, make a sign, and hang it out by the road. What signs does everyone do? "farm fresh eggs" is the best i come up with, kinda lame.

That is what my sign says. I agree it is not original. It does work though. I left room on the sign to add pictures or more words if I ever think of what to add.

Sully, I think it's best to wait until the chicks and the older birds are close to being the same size when you put them together. There are recommended ways of introducing newbies to a flock, but that can wait for now. As for getting them to go where you want, my girls coming running from any part of the yard when I call them. They, of course, are expecting treats, which they usually get. Lot of times, I don't even have to call. They see me and come charging up. Good thing I don't have hungry-hen-o-phobia, because it can be a little scary sometimes! After being in the coop for a few days, they will consider that home and return on their own before dark. Let them out an hour before dark for the first time so you can watch how they do. You might even find that they are a little leery of leaving the coop, the big chickens!

jchny, glad to hear from you! Mowing season is over for us already, but sounds like a pretty easy predator deterrent. Hope it works and you don't have any more losses. Yesterday I saw a little gray fox just down the street, coming out of the yard of some neighbors that have chickens. I have to ask if they've lost any. Those fox don't look big enough to carry off a large chicken, but I sure don't want to test it out with my girls.

AL, sounds like there was some stiff competition. It must have been a lot of fun for you. Are you going to compete again next year?

SBM, nice looking eggs! We've been up and down this spring, what with girls going broody and now I have 2 girls laying either thin shells in the nest (that get broken and make a big mess) or completely without a shell that are laid on the roost and bring the ants if I don't get it cleaned up first thing. Trying different things to solve the problem, but no luck yet.

cheeka

No Mylee this week? Rats. But she's coming back.

How much longer is her stay?

MC, what's your total chicken count now? Are you still hatching eggs? Just wondering how bad a case of chicken math you've got!

OK, hope everything's okay! Were we right about the sex of the chicks? Gonna get some time off soon?

Sally, how's it going? Hope your chickens are doing better?

I only have 39 chickens (that I know of) right now. I have room for 40. I am still good!

The first 11 of 15 eggs are due to hatch today, and the other 4 over the next three or four days. I will turn on the incubator tomorrow I think. I don't expect Beth to stay on the nest for the last few when a dozen are running around.
Midnight is still cuddled up with her. I am hoping that she turned broody while recouping from her hurt leg, and these chicks get her active again.
The chicks born this week are going to a PA thread get together this Saturday. I don't plan on letting Beth keep any. I may break down, and let her have one or three. Any opinions on that? No chicks -3?

I lost my 6 chicks last night to a coon. Had just put them in the grow pen yesterday. All that was left was one little yellow foot and a tuft of black feathers.

And my favorite Amercauna, Cherry, is sick again. Same symptoms as last time. I've decided to have her put down, since I can't do it myself, I am taking her in tomorrow.

Right now is not my time

Hi everyone! I've been MIA for a bit (double ear infection, followed by my 7yr old getting Scarlet Fever--strep throat with a rash-- and then me getting a severe case of strep myself! Loads of fun!). I wanted to share this though thought you'd all find it a bit funny:



I just this afternoon found this egg in the middle of my bedroom floor. Notice the teeth marks? Apparently Leah's (my daughter) little dog (terrier/chihuahua mix) went into the run, up the ramp to the coop, into the coop and nabbed this from the nest box, then carried it all the way back into the house and into our room. This is definitely a first.

Sounds like something my husband's dog would do.

I guess its my turn to report a loss. Found one of my 5 1/2 week old chicks dead this morning. This particular chick (a RIR) is the one that was in question about which sex it was. From the beginning this little chick was not normal. Moved around slow. Watched the other chicks a lot but didn't join them. The other RIR chicks have most of their dark feathers on their heads now but the little one who died still had a fuzzy head and really didn't even look like the other RIR's. So last night I was tending to them and one of the Golden Comets grabbed the little chick by the head and picked it up. Then it dropped it and the chick ran to hide. I chased the big birds outside and closed the door so I could check on the chick. I did let big broody in with the other chicks so it was just big broody and the chicks inside the coop. I picked the chick up to see if it was hurt but it looked fine. No blood or marks anywhere. I held it a few minutes because it seem to be relaxing then I sat it on the floor and it couldn't stand up. It fell over on its side like it was passing out (or dying). So I picked it up and put it in a nest box. Figured too much stress done did it in. After the rest of the birds roosted I gave the chick to big broody and she had it close to her last time I checked. The chick was sitting up and nested close to mom just like the others. I had some hope it would be OK when I locked them in last night. I found it dead this morning still sitting next to its mom.

Broody coop still not done. Project on hold because of work obligations. Could finish the coop in a day and build the run in a day but I just can't find time right now. I need a broody to force me to find time. No not you ROGER!!

Bug zapper season is officially here. Roger the has learned how to get the bugs that don't fall out the bottom. She wins the race to the zapper every morning. Her favorite is the moths with one wing on and one wing burnt off and still alive. Almost as good as P.....I......E

Chicks are over six weeks now. All healthy little birds. When will these little roosters start raising hel crowing?

Any day now. Almost all of mine were crowing by then. The only exceptions were/are the 2 GLW I have (10 weeks) and the bad boy Red that didn't show any rooster qualities until he was about five months.

 

[Sallysec]

Rain Rain go away....I want some sun. So All is turning on the upside right now (knock on wood). I cleaned out the second coop and am debating putting in a real poop board or something easier to clean. I have to reach down to clean under the roost and its an odd angle on the townhouse. I also noticed something ate all my peas in the my big bed while I was gone. I think it is a bunny rabbit that hangs out in there ALL the time. I used to not mind because he would just eat lettuce....peas on the other hand are my favorite and now I am quite grumpy with him/her.

I am debating turning the incubator on....sighs....I have been so good about restraining myself but I want to use it, and take it on a test spin. Well we shall see...


Best Wishes that the rain stops for those who don't need it.

P.S. I got the first aid kit $25
It is from First State Vet Supply
These are the medications inside
Oxytetracycline
Wazine
Sulfadimethozine
Turmeric
Amprol
Replamin
Vita Pro B
Probiotic
A Lyte Amino Acid

 

[Sallysec]

askthechickendoctor.com

In case anyone wants the info.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

I only have 39 chickens (that I know of) right now. I have room for 40. I am still good!

The first 11 of 15 eggs are due to hatch today, and the other 4 over the next three or four days. I will turn on the incubator tomorrow I think. I don't expect Beth to stay on the nest for the last few when a dozen are running around.
Midnight is still cuddled up with her. I am hoping that she turned broody while recouping from her hurt leg, and these chicks get her active again.
The chicks born this week are going to a PA thread get together this Saturday. I don't plan on letting Beth keep any. I may break down, and let her have one or three. Any opinions on that? No chicks -3?

Oh, you have plenty of room then!

I would think that letting Beth (this is a chicken, yes?) keep a few would make her happy and get her up and around and lessen the chance of her going broody again. 3 is a good number, a pair and spare, in case one doesn't survive.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

askthechickendoctor.com

In case anyone wants the info.

Cool. I'm guessing it comes with info on dosing and what the stuff is good for. I haven't heard of a few of those things.

Glad to hear your flock is getting better! I'd gladly trade you a day of sun for some rain if I could!

 

[cheeka]

15 Eggs from the gang and my hatching eggs should be here tomorrow! Violet is so broody, I really hope they arrive in good condition. I saw some fence panels up the street, same size as Peach's pen, will stroll up tomorrow and see what they might want for them, the panels are at the end of their driveway... I could make an additional space with them for Violet and move her into a nice nest... if I can separate her that easily, it would be great... no extra eggs getting added to her clutch...

we had a nice day. my elderly friend came up for lunch, porkchops, potatoes, peas... Mylee was very entertaining and sweet and she was super excited to take the ride to bring her home... we spent some time with the Parrot, she had an ice cream cone and we went salamander hunting, found 4! I didn't bring my camera

but we'll go back, Mylee was interested in the lake nearby... she didn't want to leave, but once I told her the Cluck Clucks needed dinner... she was all set to head out. so glad she loves the chickens!

Sally ~ excellent info!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Busy around here as always. My OEG rooster Harry has started crowing! I will try to get my girls to take a video, its just too adorable!

they are a little over 3 months old, so it sure is early. They are the prettiest lil birds. He has 3 hens, each is a different pattern/color. Victoria, Diana and Kate. The sebrights are probably even cuter if thats possible! I haven't named them yet, they just are not staying very friendly as they mature. I think I have 2 roo's and 3 hens tho. Hate to think of giving either boy up. Guess will wait to see if there is fights. I caved and bought 3 more white silkie chicks last week.

They were all alone in the huge trough! and marked down to 75 cents each!!!

I need more hens. so far, I have 1 hen and 2 roos, Butters is the buff color, and a white male named Buff. (Puff is the hen

) My luck will be that the 3 chicks i got will all be boys.
My geese have stopped laying this year. I have a few dozen left in the incubators, and that will be it. Disappointing but I know they are seasonal layers. I am talking with a member on the indiana thread, we may go in together and get some browns from Meyer. We were both hoping to add a few more but really don't want 9!
got 23 eggs today

I am giving my quail and guinea chicks chopped egg pretty often, they sure like it. Seems to really keep them healthy and lots of energy. I have both on 24% game bird feed, quail actually need the higher protein than that. They are interesting little birds, and the eggs are super healthy to eat.

 

[Sallysec]

Jc I was really considering quail after a chicken meetup I went to and the guy there raises them and he had me hooked. He was talking about them because in most towns around here you can have quail and some places don't allow chickens but quail are ok yada yada yada...long story short he was saying they are the best bang for your buck when it comes to the quality of meat and eggs you get in such a short turn around. Don't they lay in like ten weeks or something crazy like that? Best wishes with yours.

W4W yep it did come with dosage instructions and symptoms etc.

I am debating letting the girls out today, only a ten percent chance of rain
I have a ton of little errands to do though and I hate letting them in and out ...I might see if my husband wants to watch them outside for a few hours later, the yard needs to be worked on after all the rain.

Cheeka, I hope you can get her a pen setup for herself. Let us know how the eggs come. Where did they come from? What breed?

Off to do some work, have a great day all!

S