Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[Serrin]

Hmmm...lemme think....I collected eggs yesterday, after not picking them up the day before, for a grand total of 30 eggs. That's from 18 girls ranging in age from 10 months to nearly 5 years. Not too shabby, huh?

Do the red heat lamps count as extended daylight hours? I'm kind of thinking maybe it does, but then again, maybe it doesn't. It seems to me that in order for it to affect their pituitary gland, the optic nerve has to transmit reception of a specific wavelength of light. From everything I've read, that wavelength is absent in the red heat lamps.

I could be wrong. Has anyone else ever investigated this? It would be interesting to know. Ooooh Kaaaattthhhyyyy!!!! Care to check this theory out? You are the Queen of Internet Digging you know!

I know of no one else who is so proficient at finding information online!

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
Morning Serrin!

To my knowledge chickens cannot see the red light so it would not aid in extending daylight hours. I know red lights are used on commercial chickens farms that raise the birds for meat. The barns are emptied in the middle of the night using only red light. This makes it very easy to walk in and pick the chickens up and load them on the trucks. I rode along with my ex-husband

many many many times when he was under contract with FF for live haul and was amazed at how fast a barn could be emptied out but as I stood there and could barely see anything I noticed that the chickens couldn't see anything. Though they were quite startled as soon as a hand touched them. I tried grabbing a few like the other were doing (those guys could get 9 birds at once), I scared the poor things trying to do it, so I know they couldn't see a thing. I also have a friend who has 2 of the chicken farms here in town that contracts to FF and raises the chickens. He walked me through the operation one day and explained everything .....not exactly my idea of a nice way of raising chickens but that is a whole 'nuther topic.

Here's a tid bit of a little conversation that was had the other day about roosters, artificial light and fertility and egg laying. I was curious about so I went searching for some answers and found out about Circadian rhythms and the pineal gland. Hope this helps!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5295533#p5295533
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5295899#p5295899

 

[joletabey]

Sheila, well Privett must be getting some nice stock from somewhere, yours is the second nice Privett Del I have seen! More power to them!!! And you- the Delaware personality is fantastic!

My girls are molting and on strike!

 

[Serrin]

Quote:
Thanks Pink! That's the term I was trying to remember! Pineal Gland, NOT Pituitary! Also Circadian rhythms!

I think the red light I have must be completely different than the one that your friends with the chicken meat farms must be using. My girls can quite easily see everything inside of their coop at night. So much so, in fact, that they will go outside long after dark and have themselves a snack in the run. I have a huge window on that side of the coop, which allows a great deal of light from the heat lamp to wash the yard in light. I do know one thing about that light though. Whenever I spend more than ten minutes [give or take] all white light afterwards has a distinct green cast to it. It's as though viewing everything in shades of red has some kind of affect on the rods and cones in our own eyes. That's what got me to thinking that maybe it could have a very similar effect in chickens. Hmmmmmm....

 

[rancher hicks]

Ok no one ask and I've been reading and trying to keep up with too many posts.

My WNY girls lay much better than any of my other birds. They can be picked out from the two hatchery girls easily enough. The pic I have on my wall , shows you can see the barring on the hacles of both hens and roos easy. Seems to me if you need to pick them up and check the feathers that's not good.

My WNY roo , Nick is stocky and I think shorter than my Geogia boy from Speckled hen. Some of Nicks boys are wider. Nick is older of course, I don't know how old so if anyone is wanting his eggs I'm not sure how much longer he'll be around. He's going to be on my business cards.

I've got pics from the fair and posted them. I'm working on fat girls, she's not the best, but you can clearly see the barring. This is Nicks daughter and the mother is non hatcher. I got Nick and four hens.

HATCHERY GIRL? see the difference?

 

[Cindiloohoo]

rancher I can definately see the difference between those two girls! Wow what a distinction! That roo is pretty nice loking too

I lost a hen last night

The new stupid dog got her. The dog is leaving today, dead or alive. I hope alive, but if it comes down to it.....*sigh* I really hate making that decision, but she is a chicken killer. We lost a girl last week and wasn't sure it was her. But now, we're posistve it was her. Never had an attack here before, and now 2 in a week. I called the guy who gave her back to me. I know NOBODY that will take her, have been trying all morning. I explained either he find her a place, take her back himself, or I'd have to put her down, no other options. We can't let her run in the front or keep her seperate from the chickens...anyway...he's looking. I'm hoping he finds her a place. Either way, she's gone today. It sucks, but I will not have a chicken killer in my yard. I wish he would have taught her some obedience and manners when he had her before....maybe we wouldn't be here in this position now. Then again, if I'd never gotten her to start with we wouldn't be here either, but she would have been put down as a pup then, soooo I guess at least she has had a bit of a life this way. It just all around sucks though. Stupid dog. I hate it because I know she is just being a dog, and I have tried so hard the last week or so to train her, she's just not coming along.

 

[Serrin]

Quote:
Oh Cindi!

Sad news indeed, as she's such a cute little cuss. But I'm 1000% with you! I will NEVER tolerate a chicken killer in my midst again. I can't afford it, either monetarily, or, more importantly, emotionally. I've lost four of my sweetest girls over the years to a neighbor's evil beast that they never even attempted to control. I wound up calling the folks at Animal Control Services. I wish I had called much sooner. Maybe two or three of my dear little girls would still be with me if I had. My call was the call that sealed the chicken killers fate and they came and took her and four other dogs from that home that very same day. I guess there had been a rather large number of complaints about her killing ways before.

I hope you can find a solution that precludes putting her down Cindi, but I fully understand and empathize with you if you aren't able to find that kind of a situation for her. It's so sad, because if your friend had been more mature and responsible with her, she probably wouldn't be in this predicament at all! Hang in there sweetie. Either way, this situation has only a few more hours to wind itself down. That is, of course, if you keep your resolve!

Keep us posted on how it all turns out, either way.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Still ACTIVELY looking for a CHICKENLESS home for her, but nothing yet. I may tie her out to a tree in the side yard for a week or so with water/food/shelter to give her a last chance to be homed. Darn dog, if she'd just listen, and with ears THAT big I KNOW she hears me!!!

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Cooper has a new home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She will be relocating to Brownsville, TN on Christmas Day to get the lovin of a little boy!

ETA: A little boy whose mother hates chickens due to a childhood rooster incident

What a coinkidink? Suits me fine if she can't kill any more birds though.

 

[ca]

Quote:
GREAT! I am so glad! I love chickens but she was just being a dog... nothing wrong with that really. It's up to us to teach them - or rehome them if they just won't listen

Very sorry for your chicken!