Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[mortie]

My chickens only get the crust.

 

[subhanalah]

My chickens only get the crust.

I take it back from them. I'll break off tiny pieces of crust, but I eat most of it lol

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Cheeka, looks like your Sunday was a good day! It was too hot here (98°) for me to get the coop completely debugged. Did some spraying and will look tonight after dark to see how bad the infestation is then tackle it early tomorrow before things heat up.

Spent most of the day dealing with the very strange behavior of the last chick to hatch. This one has been fine so far, but Mustacheio reported that it had been pulling on it's wing feathers and acting like something was biting it. We had it out for an exam but couldn't find any bugs, bites, or broken bones, although many of the feathers were messy and bent. It did not protest through the exam. Put it back in with mama, and 15 minutes later, it was cheeping frantically and started in with what looks like self-mutilation --- pulling so hard on its wing feathers that it falls to the ground helplessly. Never seen anything like it.

This time though, it was attacking its other wing. Checked to find that had broken of a couple of secondary flights, little bit bloody, but not too bad. Brought it in for treatment, VetRx on the feather stumps and Poultry Protector on the other wing (just in case there were some bugs we missed). Mustacheio had to hold it until everything dried out, or it would start picking again, poor thing. Put it back with mama, and checked half an hour later to find that all the feather stumps had been pulled out. Maybe that's what was hurting so bad. It seems to have settled down now, but time for another check to see if any more damage has been done. I've read that with parakeets, you are supposed to pull out broken feathers, especially when they're bleeding. If this chick has more broken feathers, I'll try that to see if it helps.

Don't remember if I posted, but we had our first casualty on Tues, the day before my trip. The second to last chick hatched, named Bueno, was killed by the other hen sharing the brooder cage. Bueno's mama was the Cochin, and she was very casual about her mothering, so I guess the other hen got a hold of him thinking to protect her own chick. Older boy found him and brought him in just barely alive, Mustacheio held him quietly for the 15 minutes left in his little life, much sadness and tears. I missed the burial, but hubs was here to help. Terrible that the only chick Mustacheio named is the one that died. We will forthwith strictly adhere to the don't-name-them-until-you-know-you-can-keep-them rule.

little Bueno

On a bright note, it looks like 4 of the first hatch of 5 are pullets! (Well, at least so far there's only one that is an obvious cockerel.)

The 3 with Fanny are probably 2 pullets and one cockerel, based on size, but we'll have to wait and see. The last one (the wing chewer) is a mystery, but is small, so hoping pullet. Oh, and two of the group look to be silkied, which means the rooster carries a gene for that, and probably the hen that we got with him as chicks. Not sure how I feel about silkied Seramas. Kind of messy looking, but I'm sure they'll grow on me.

 

[cheeka]

W4w ~ growing pains? poor baby, I hope whatever it is stops tonight... and I'm sorry about Bueno. Silkified Seramas will probably look awesome when they fully feather out.

Wilma jumped several times and tried to get a hold of my frankfurter. made contact at least 2ce, so I tossed some baked beans on the walkway, but she wasn't fooled. of course, I grilled up an extra dog to share... they're such pigs.

 

[cheeka]

a whole lotta cluckin' and crowin' at 8:45 PM had me dashing out in my jammies to see what was amiss... the 21st Egg had been laid! that's pretty late, although it was still quite light out.

 

[lularat]

That is pretty late to be laying. Most of my girls lay by 11:00. I did have one girl lay late one afternoon and when I went into the run, I did a head count and thought she was missing. I panicked and ran to get my husband and son. I thought she had gotten out and we looked all over the neighborhood and couldn't find her. A little while later my son found her in the nesting box. Never crossed my mind to look there.

 

[katekearby]

OK, another kind of newby question, how hi should the sides of a nest box be, can they be made of 2x4s? I'm still wondering if they don't like the straw in the coop. when I put it on the ground floor they seem to love it, play in it and make little 'nests' but the older hens won't even walk on the floor where it's in the coop upstairs?

I've got another issue with the new hens making the upstairs coop their day home it is needing cleaning more. Outside there are 2 little spots that could be used for nesting, a little alley behind the coop between it and the barn, and inside a 55 gallon drum.

We've had a slight reprieve from the drought and heat, several inches of rain the last few days, so today I'll be cleaning out the wet straw from out around the coop area. I use PDZ and dusting powder to try to keep everything happy and clean/fresh.

 

[chickenlindz]

W4W - Poor Bueno (and family). What a cute lil' guy!

That's why I'm not naming mine because I'm finding myself getting too attached. I'm naming them as something comes to me.

So I'm at work and I've currently got 4 chickies in my car. I can't believe I'm actually selling them. Gotta go check on them soon. Thankfully the woman who is buying them lives near where I work so it's pretty conveninent.

I think I've decided not to let Nugget hatch eggs this go round. I'll let her have a turn next time she goes broody.

Kate - Wish I could help with your nest boxes. My girls finally are laying most of the eggs in the nest box. I have sides that go all the way up so it's a three sided box with just the front part open. Mine also lay in the roof of the well we have on property so I know they like to feel safe and secure.

As for the straw I think you'll just have to use your chickens as a guide and unfortunatley they seem to be telling you they don't like it. I had straw in the nest boxes and mine pulled it all out. So now I have shavings in there and they work just fine.

 

[katekearby]

W4W - Poor Bueno (and family). What a cute lil' guy!

That's why I'm not naming mine because I'm finding myself getting too attached. I'm naming them as something comes to me.

So I'm at work and I've currently got 4 chickies in my car. I can't believe I'm actually selling them. Gotta go check on them soon. Thankfully the woman who is buying them lives near where I work so it's pretty conveninent.

I think I've decided not to let Nugget hatch eggs this go round. I'll let her have a turn next time she goes broody.

Kate - Wish I could help with your nest boxes. My girls finally are laying most of the eggs in the nest box. I have sides that go all the way up so it's a three sided box with just the front part open. Mine also lay in the roof of the well we have on property so I know they like to feel safe and secure.

As for the straw I think you'll just have to use your chickens as a guide and unfortunatley they seem to be telling you they don't like it. I had straw in the nest boxes and mine pulled it all out. So now I have shavings in there and they work just fine.

Thank you for your help, I'll see what I can do about the nest thing, more looking for a way the new girls can know they are 'special places' and not just everyday sit and poop places. Was kind of 'worried' about the straw thing, unfortunate since I have lots of straw. I do have some shredded paper, may try that in the box or 2 I think I can 'section off' more.

 

[mortie]

I didn't use any 2x4s building my next box. I just glued and nailed the plywood together. I made it a double wide and then slid a divider in there and secured it. It's external so I can collect the eggs from the outside. 3 sided with the front open to the coop and the roof opens for me to get in.