Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

[magsrags]

Good grief............now not only is my cochin broody, with silkie right next to her on stolen eggs......but last and not least my BLRW named Pearl won't come out of the coop now this morning either???? Is this common? Never had this happen to me before all at the same time. .
Chicken math tells me I need more eggs if this is the story!

I candled the 6 eggs I've left in my house bator last night and not looking too good actually. I am thinking only a possible 2 are viable. :<( think the PO played football with them.

I'll wait a few more days and what is good will go under the broody girls and the others will get tossed.

 

[queenchick16]

Rosie you are too funny!
I think we should all put our heads together and write a small paperback with our funniest chicken tales in it and sell it with our own art work. Even a calander with a funny story of the month for each one.

Great idea only the calendar would have to have about 60 months

 

[queenchick16]

11 and still counting My luck all 20 will hatch Their father is an incredible looking bird. He can be seen on the NN/turken thread #4064. I'll get pictures soon.I have to put them in the garage tonight.I should camp out in there and see what my husband has to say then....

 

[magsrags]

Great idea only the calendar would have to have about 60 months

 

[magsrags]

11 and still counting My luck all 20 will hatch Their father is an incredible looking bird. He can be seen on the NN/turken thread #4064. I'll get pictures soon.I have to put them in the garage tonight.I should camp out in there and see what my husband has to say then....

I like turkens! I hatched out 2 and both were roos last fall. I was so dissapointed.
Such a curious and friendly breed in my experience. I kept them both till they began to crow and then a friend took them. They now have a harem out in Queens.

 

[Cheeky Chick]

So anyone have plans this weekend? Today my husband and son are building the nest boxes onto the henhouse, mowing lawns, whacking weeds, and all of this before my husband has to leave for the FH at 3.

I'll be food shopping, and staying out of their way. My two younger sons have baseball games today, daughter has 2 jobs to work, so I'll be chauffeuring, coaching, cheering, and picking up as needed. For a party trick Im going to cook dinner, and do laundry.

My oldest son had his middle school graduation last night, he received 5 music and chorus awards, 2 music medals, 2 Athletic awards, and 1 scholastic award. Heck, I'm proud as can be, he can read, write and do math. He's just better at singing and sports. He's made it to high School, whew!

 

[smkchick]

So anyone have plans this weekend? Today my husband and son are building the nest boxes onto the henhouse, mowing lawns, whacking weeds, and all of this before my husband has to leave for the FH at 3.

I'll be food shopping, and staying out of their way. My two younger sons have baseball games today, daughter has 2 jobs to work, so I'll be chauffeuring, coaching, cheering, and picking up as needed. For a party trick Im going to cook dinner, and do laundry.

My oldest son had his middle school graduation last night, he received 5 music and chorus awards, 2 music medals, 2 Athletic awards, and 1 scholastic award. Heck, I'm proud as can be, he can read, write and do math. He's just better at singing and sports. He's made it to high School, whew!

Congratulations! Your son sounds very well-rounded. Singing, sports and scholarship awards? Good for him!!

I'm heading off to my mother's house to meet up with my sister around noon. Then it's off to our elementary school closing party, then a sleepover at mom's. Really looking forward to it. Except I have to do laundry, weed the garden, run to the local Italian deli, stop at the library and the post office and finish doing my pedicure first. Good thing I went to bed at 2am so I'm really well-rested for today.

And since today is going to be so restful, I'll be working tomorrow.

Only 10 more days of employment.

or

, depending on my mood...

 

[smkchick]

Here's a dilemma for all you chicken people: My 4/11 chicks and 5/1 chick are out in the coop with the big girls. But they rarely come out of the coop and into the run because the big girls chase them. And they won't roost on the bar with the big girls. They sleep in the #1 nesting box, which means the big girls are laying eggs in chick poop every morning.

Do you think the lack of outside time is bad for them? Lavinia doesn't seem to be feathering out very well - she looks like a NN when she stretches her neck out.

I tried putting them onto the roost after everyone was asleep, but they climb back down. I don't want to block off the box, because it's the favorite of the big girls.

Any sage wisdom?

 

[ChickenAl]

Here's a dilemma for all you chicken people:  My 4/11 chicks and 5/1 chick are out in the coop with the big girls.  But they rarely come out of the coop and into the run because the big girls chase them.  And they won't roost on the bar with the big girls.  They sleep in the #1 nesting box, which means the big girls are laying eggs in chick poop every morning.

Do you think the lack of outside time is bad for them?  Lavinia doesn't seem to be feathering out very well - she looks like a NN when she stretches her neck out. 

I tried putting them onto the roost after everyone was asleep, but they climb back down.  I don't want to block off the box, because it's the favorite of the big girls.

Any sage wisdom? 

Suzanne, I'm going to take a stab at this, having never had the experience of integrating young ones into a mature flock. It may just be that the 4/11 and 5/1 are just simply very low on the pecking order and trying to stay out of trouble. They do not seem to have a problem sleeping on the ground, so it may not be such a problem, even though we all want them up on a roost bar. The issue with the nest box may be more complex as they want a safe place to sleep. You may have to make them a cozier box to sleep in and hope they use it. As far as not going outside, well, they should be getting sunlight, and the inside of your coop certainly had the look of being bright. I would not worry about it too much unless they are not getting enough light. They are probably afraid of getting pecked on. Also, check Lavinia and see if she is getting her neck feathers pecked off rather than them just not growing in. Our feather picking and pecking problem still exists, even with the peepers on. It has gotten better, but not enough for my taste. There is one hen that continues to look the best out of the lot and she may be working on an invitation to dinner.

Good luck with this. Let us know what the fix is when you find it.

 

[smkchick]

Suzanne, I'm going to take a stab at this, having never had the experience of integrating young ones into a mature flock. It may just be that the 4/11 and 5/1 are just simply very low on the pecking order and trying to stay out of trouble. They do not seem to have a problem sleeping on the ground, so it may not be such a problem, even though we all want them up on a roost bar. The issue with the nest box may be more complex as they want a safe place to sleep. You may have to make them a cozier box to sleep in and hope they use it. As far as not going outside, well, they should be getting sunlight, and the inside of your coop certainly had the look of being bright. I would not worry about it too much unless they are not getting enough light. They are probably afraid of getting pecked on. Also, check Lavinia and see if she is getting her neck feathers pecked off rather than them just not growing in. Our feather picking and pecking problem still exists, even with the peepers on. It has gotten better, but not enough for my taste. There is one hen that continues to look the best out of the lot and she may be working on an invitation to dinner.
Good luck with this. Let us know what the fix is when you find it.

Thanks, Al! Good to see you here again. It seems like it's been a while. Or have the Broody Moms just been taking over?

I'm going to try converting another spot to a roosting place for them. Also, I'm going to make a small ladder so they can get to the roosting bar without going past the big girls. I guess everyone likes the nesting box because it's in a corner and feels safe (thinking like a chicken here).

Lavinia doesn't appear to be getting pecked. Just not growing in. That's why I started worrying about sunlight. I can segregate the big girls in the run. I may try that for a while tomorrow after noon. I can put the big girls into the part of the run that has access to the coop (so they can lay) and put the little girls into the big part of the run with the toys.

And in another few weeks I can complicate the process by adding the Memorial Day chicks.

Thanks for the help!