Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[ronott1]

I have 2 broody seramas and 1 Ameraucana. No eggs for anyone. We are full up. I am getting a little tired of taking care of 4 sets of chickens- serama chicks in the garage, Buster and her 3 chicks in the yard and smaller pen in the layer coop, bantam coop, and layer coop. Will be nice when I can combine them to have only 2 coops. Have to sell the Serama extras first, and eventually the accidental EE cockerel.

Went out and checked on the Towhee. No sign of it or the parents, so hoping it made it back over the fence into the neighbor's where I believe they have their base of operations. 3 huge crows were in the backyard!

Now that the Towhee baby is safely away (I hope) the dogs can go back on patrol.

Crows keep the hawks away--Some BYC members encourage them to stay around. I saw some here chasing a hawk out of their area--away from my house!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Quote: Yes, so do the jays around here. It's just very unusual to see crows in the yard since the dogs keep them out. Last time I saw one a few years ago, it was in the process of killing a fledgling jay which died in my hands. I don't mind the crows, I just don't want them eating ma babies!

 

[ronott1]

Yes, so do the jays around here. It's just very unusual to see crows in the yard since the dogs keep them out. Last time I saw one a few years ago, it was in the process of killing a fledgling jay which died in my hands. I don't mind the crows, I just don't want them eating ma babies!

There is a murder of crows living in a tree across the street. They do not bother the chickens here.

I do not know about the Jays, but we do have some of the new invasive Persian Doves living in a different tree in my Front yard.

With West Nile, I am happy to see any of these birds around here. They have been spraying in West Sac(A town south of me in the same county) this week. They usually spray here each summer too.

 

[BullChick]

I dread the babies because my feed bill is too high, and any roos... Know what? I think I will sell the babies as soon as they hatch. Sorry to the moms (because they are moms, and broodies with babies are so cool!) but that is what I believe I will do.
I should be able to process by myself after this week, but... Why would I want to?

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Quote: We have those Eurasian Collared Doves too. They've been in Maui also for quite some time, and the first time I heard one here, about 4 years ago, I thought someone was playing a trick on me! I know the corvids can get West Nile, but didn't know about the doves. Mosquitoes have been bad this year. All the late rain storms coming through. Now it's just too hot. You must be roasting in the central valley!

 

[ronott1]

We have those Eurasian Collared Doves too. They've been in Maui also for quite some time, and the first time I heard one here, about 4 years ago, I thought someone was playing a trick on me! I know the corvids can get West Nile, but didn't know about the doves. Mosquitoes have been bad this year. All the late rain storms coming through. Now it's just too hot. You must be roasting in the central valley!

Yes, it is very hot here.

I saw a scrub jay here this morning so they are doing well too.

Magpies and crows were very hard hit by west nile. It is nice to see the crows recovering. Chickens can be carriers since they usually do not show symptoms. Chickens are used to test for west nile.

 

[mortie]

IF I EVER MENTION WANTING TO MIX BIRDS AGAIN, SLAP ME.

Thank you.

 

[BullChick]

IF I EVER MENTION WANTING TO MIX BIRDS AGAIN, SLAP ME.

Thank you.

 

[BantyChooks]

IF I EVER MENTION WANTING TO MIX BIRDS AGAIN, SLAP ME.

Thank you.

What happened??

 

[mortie]

Nothing really happened.

It went without bloodshed and what not. Overall it's been fine.

I don't like that we don't have the same kind of relationship with these chickens. I can barely remember their names half the time. They don't like us, we can't even give them treats becacuse the grannies (what's left of them, we got rid of half of them) are too mean to them. I don't like having 2 separate flocks. There's the grannies and the babies all the time and I liked it better when the flock was more cohesive. I have no idea how it's going to go when the babies decide to lay eggs...who knows if the grannies will be willing to share nest boxes. The babies don't roost because the grannies chase them away. At nearly 20 weeks they still try to sleep in the nest box all the time becaus ethe roost is not readily available to them. I tried giving them another roost and it didn't help. There's nothing else I can do, they have plenty of space, the grannies just won't let them really settle in. One in particular. I separated her to see if that helped and it didn't. It just isn't as much fun as when they all meshed better.

So like I said...nothing really happened. I am just tired of the whole 2 flocks thing. I will never do this again.