TeaChick's Chicks

[TeaChick]

That sounds like a pretty good plan!! When you start your Hatch-along tell me please! =)

Absolutely!!! =)

 

[chickenboy190]

Absolutely!!! =)

Thanks!!

 

[TeaChick]

BEAUTY:
- She slept somewhere outside last night; only God knows where.

I've been working so hard to keep track of her during the day and giving her special food, etc. I didn't know there was going to be torential downpour from late afternoon until after their roost-time.

- My rooster keeps trying to mate her, which tells me that either he's that inexperienced (which I know to be true) or she's laying or kind of laying or something like that??? I don't know; I don't know enough about chickens to know anything about this, so anything that anyone wants to share would be more than welcome!!!

- I put her in the old coop, so she doesn't have to be bothered by him. I'll get her an egg as soon as I get a chance. (BYC isn't the only thing I'm doing right now, lol; hooray for multi-tasking).

- I'll keep up with putting her in the nesting box until I absolutely cannot catch her and putting her in the old coop and feeding her infirmary goodies until then as well. I want to leave it open so that she can fly out whenever she's ready, but I know the other chickens will get in there and bully her and/or eat her food, so I can't do that.

- I really want to do this chicken keeping thing very naturally, but I can't watch her go through all this. =o/

 

[kingsfarm]

Hello again, again I have enjoyed your journal and have compaired it to MY way...so similar....have read all 72 posts so far and you are really doing well, congratulations...your thought on the building up of a flock are /or seem to be on the right order...always with trials that come inbetween (such is life) you struggle to get the order and timing straight so you don't have to "back
track" ...each time I was to make a suggestion on something, you addressed it as I would (encouraging me at the same time)...in post #43, I agree the little egg is the bantums...You will know if a hen is laying by checking the amount of space between the "hip bones" two fingers for large fowl and I don't know about bantums....old way but true....I have found that by seperating the mom and chicks from the flock (but in view of the flock) is easier and safer..feeding them is easier because if feeding commercial starter feed to chicks, mom can eat this also..the adult birds will eat it before chicks .....I have built a hoop coop 10x20 and have had 4 sets of hatches at the same time, eliminating the hen that begins to give trouble (chicks mothered by others) .. as chicks got older, feathers in , started letting mom's out one at a time...till one mom ended mothering 21 chicks...what a laugh to see her with chicks sticking out under her, one top of her and all around her...wish I had taken pics but no camera...I name the hen "big nannie" she is a barred rock/astralorpe mix and INVALUABLE....when I removed her the little chicks grew up in this pen, visable to the flock , until it was time that they could eat and free range with the adults....no squabling, fighting etc...they eventually all migrated to the henhouse and adjoining pen to roost...had to "carry a few for a while" but all is well and so easy to do.....am now in preparation for spring to start all over again...as you, planning for breeding to begin..a pure breed, stronger than what you can buy from hatcheries,they will KNOW how to be chickens....productive....and being/doing the purpose God gave them to do....G

 

[TeaChick]

Hello again, again I have enjoyed your journal and have compaired it to MY way...so similar....have read all 72 posts so far and you are really doing well, congratulations...your thought on the building up of a flock are /or seem to be on the right order...always with trials that come inbetween (such is life) you struggle to get the order and timing straight so you don't have to "back
track" ...each time I was to make a suggestion on something, you addressed it as I would (encouraging me at the same time)...in post #43, I agree the little egg is the bantums...You will know if a hen is laying by checking the amount of space between the "hip bones" two fingers for large fowl and I don't know about bantums....old way but true....I have found that by seperating the mom and chicks from the flock (but in view of the flock) is easier and safer..feeding them is easier because if feeding commercial starter feed to chicks, mom can eat this also..the adult birds will eat it before chicks .....I have built a hoop coop 10x20 and have had 4 sets of hatches at the same time, eliminating the hen that begins to give trouble (chicks mothered by others) .. as chicks got older, feathers in , started letting mom's out one at a time...till one mom ended mothering 21 chicks...what a laugh to see her with chicks sticking out under her, one top of her and all around her...wish I had taken pics but no camera...I name the hen "big nannie" she is a barred rock/astralorpe mix and INVALUABLE....when I removed her the little chicks grew up in this pen, visable to the flock , until it was time that they could eat and free range with the adults....no squabling, fighting etc...they eventually all migrated to the henhouse and adjoining pen to roost...had to "carry a few for a while" but all is well and so easy to do.....am now in preparation for spring to start all over again...as you, planning for breeding to begin..a pure breed, stronger than what you can buy from hatcheries,they will KNOW how to be chickens....productive....and being/doing the purpose God gave them to do....G

Thank you very much for the wisdom and encouragement!!!
I'll check her hip bones and get onto a Bantam thread here to ask about size, etc. =) I've read that about LF, but I hadn't seen it about Bantams.
I like the idea of a communal type of brooding/chick raising situation; I want to try to do something like that.
I completely agree with raising chickens who know how to be chickens; being and doing what God created them to be and do.

All the best to you in your chicken endevours and adventures! =)

 

[TeaChick]

Change of plans with Beauty:
If she's not better tomorrow, then I'm going to have to cull her.
After much research, it appears to be "failure to thrive".
I discovered today that she's in pain. (Hold the chicken up by the wings; if they curl up the feet to the body, that indicates abdominal pain; they would normally hand straight down, toes toward the ground.) She curled up her right foot.
I'm not giving up on her; I have done absolutely everything I can. (That doesn't make it easier or hurt less.)
If she's not better, then I can't make her suffer any longer.

I guess that's it for now. I'll let you all know what tomorrow morning brings as soon as I can.



ETA: egg count: 2 & 2

 

[kingsfarm]

well as adventures will have it...gathering eggs, entered the coop area and found a half eaten BR hen..the second this week....I checked all possible entry places and realized one from inside the henhouse it self..nailed a board over it, checked the whole outside area and am satisfied to have a fortified lock-in unit again...the two hens killed were two of the ten pure barred rocks I bought and plan to breed for meat.... I realize I didn't lock them in for the night...in another area I made a chicken house/coop out of an old pipe swing set....yes an "A" frame with small area on side....the roosters occupy it for now and they do like to stand up on the swingseat and crow as loud as they can..Ha..what a sight...am making a 20x20 run to attach to this structure...will house 24 Isa Brown's..
Just felt like talking....G

 

[TeaChick]

I'm sorry you've lost two hens. Glad you have eight more of that breed.

Sounds like a good plan with the swingset and future run.

Please post pics. IDK what Isa Brown's look like.

 

[chickenboy190]

I'm sorry you've lost two hens. Glad you have eight more of that breed.

Sounds like a good plan with the swingset and future run.

Please post pics. IDK what Isa Brown's look like.

Dang it! I forgot to get a pic of my ISA Browns for you.Sorry about that.

 

[TeaChick]

Dang it! I forgot to get a pic of my ISA Browns for you.Sorry about that.

Oh, that's alright. I know you're a busy guy. ;-)