Stella's Social Club

[ronott1]

It would be funny if I didn't know she's in a losing battle. She was on the nest for a long time today and nothing. She's still perky, but she's a 4 year old hatchery hen, so it's bound to happen sometime soon.

I hope she gets back to regular eggs soon--well regular for a four year old. Did she just molt?

 

[mlm Mike]

Diva, here is the pic of the kid which was disbudded yesterday. It was a lot harder to get a decent picture than I thought. In person they just look very sad, but seem to recover quickly. This poor thing had to go alone, as she had some congestion in her lungs last week when we took her brother. We're kind of wimpy and take them to the vets to have it done.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote: She molted last fall. I don't think the shell-less eggs are from her, but she is laying a high number of fart eggs and/or sitting in the nest and nothing coming out.

Diva, here is the pic of the kid which was disbudded yesterday. It was a lot harder to get a decent picture than I thought. In person they just look very sad, but seem to recover quickly. This poor thing had to go alone, as she had some congestion in her lungs last week when we took her brother. We're kind of wimpy and take them to the vets to have it done.

Poor baby.

 

[debs_flock]

Diva, here is the pic of the kid which was disbudded yesterday. It was a lot harder to get a decent picture than I thought. In person they just look very sad, but seem to recover quickly. This poor thing had to go alone, as she had some congestion in her lungs last week when we took her brother. We're kind of wimpy and take them to the vets to have it done.

I had to take a LaMancha kid in to be dehorned once. I had bred my doe to a show buck and the lady said she would include any dehorning in the price. Of course my doe had one buck kid. I took him over, sat in her kitchen with that kid in my lap. I felt like crying. I can still remember the smell wafting up into my face (and this was decades ago)

He never even noticed the castration part. I don't think I could do the dehorning myself and we take tails and "parts" off our lambs every year.

Just had TWO MORE lambs born, I thought they were finished. That means every single ewe gave birth this year and we had a new young ram. We thought we might have a light lambing year because of his age. He thought differently.

 

[mlm Mike]

I had to take a LaMancha kid in to be dehorned once. I had bred my doe to a show buck and the lady said she would include any dehorning in the price. Of course my doe had one buck kid. I took him over, sat in her kitchen with that kid in my lap. I felt like crying. I can still remember the smell wafting up into my face (and this was decades ago)

He never even noticed the castration part. I don't think I could do the dehorning myself and we take tails and "parts" off our lambs every year.

Just had TWO MORE lambs born, I thought they were finished. That means every single ewe gave birth this year and we had a new young ram. We thought we might have a light lambing year because of his age. He thought differently.

Cute lamb photos to come? I didn't know lambs had their tails taken off.

 

[debs_flock]

Quote: I'll have to go down to the sheep with my camera. We had (I think) 17 lambs born this year (plus a couple that were lost with new/young mothers). Most have now been turned out into the pasture with everyone else. The two youngest are still in the lambing pen. There is one lamb that is the tiniest thing I ever saw. It was a first time mother and was one of the late born. We're hoping she does better next year. But the lamb is super cute, a little black lamb.

Yes, their tails are quite long at birth. If you don't take them off you risk fly strike when they have a full fleece. In the UK, tails are left long, here for the most part they are docked quite short.

 

[chiqita]

I've been getting a ton of fart eggs and shell-less eggs lately. (membrane only) I'm not sure who the shell-less eggs are coming from, it's either my light brahma that is 4 years old or one of my welsummer hens. It's irritating as they are getting broken in the nest. I'm getting about 5-6 shell-less eggs a week. And I'm gaining quite the fart egg collection.

But here is my strangest fart egg ever. Reminded me of those ocean worm creatures that come out of the coral type casing. This one I know was from my brahma as I caught her in the nest.



And it was open on the tip:

Ok, that is an awesome fart egg. Looks like a sculpture made by a chicken!

Has anyone here noticed chicks you grow out inside tend to be bigger then ones under broodies? It is getting noticible in my silkies. Not so much in the Marans. I give everyone 20% feed but the outside chicks run around a LOT... Do they catch up later or just always stay smaller?

 

[ronott1]

Ok, that is an awesome fart egg. Looks like a sculpture made by a chicken!

Has anyone here noticed chicks you grow out inside tend to be bigger then ones under broodies? It is getting noticible in my silkies. Not so much in the Marans. I give everyone 20% feed but the outside chicks run around a LOT... Do they catch up later or just always stay smaller?

That is a good question!

It may apply to colder places than California, but some say Winter hatched chickens will be smaller.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Has anyone here noticed chicks you grow out inside tend to be bigger then ones under broodies? It is getting noticible in my silkies. Not so much in the Marans. I give everyone 20% feed but the outside chicks run around a LOT... Do they catch up later or just always stay smaller?

I haven't noticed, but I would think it would be the other way around and the broody babies would be smaller. Mostly because the brooder babies can eat 24/7 under the light and broody babies huddle under mom for the night. But maybe she's better at feeding them than we are.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Ok, that is an awesome fart egg. Looks like a sculpture made by a chicken!

Has anyone here noticed chicks you grow out inside tend to be bigger then ones under broodies? It is getting noticible in my silkies. Not so much in the Marans. I give everyone 20% feed but the outside chicks run around a LOT... Do they catch up later or just always stay smaller?

My broody raised chicks seem much larger and heartier than my brooder chicks. But I only have 2 chicks with her and this is the first time I've let a broody raise chicks, so that's not saying much!