The Aloha Chicken Project

[alohachickens]

Oddly enough, we had a really hot, dry year last year and we've seen and heard lots of coyotes and some foxes. We never see them in the daytime. At dusk they start prowling around and making a ridiculous racket, but our neighbor has chickens and as long as they are shut in for the night they're fine. Our closest neighbor has two Weimeraners who sometimes run loose so I'm thinking shutting them in at night, sure, but a bit of electric wire here, electric wire there and no problems at all!

Yeah, watch out for the doggies . . . . they will wipe out a flock for sport, and it happens REALLY fast. I hear that Poultry Net electric fence is good for both keeping chickies in and doggies out. Though if they are out free-range, and there is no fence, just make sure someone is around to catch a loose dog. Keep them cooped if you're going to be gone for the day. You will certainly HEAR a dog attack, and can run out and stop it if you are home, but by the time you hear it, many chickens will already be dead.

Weimeraners are bird dogs, and they WILL go for the chickens. My friend used to let her chickens free-range with her Border Collies on her two and a half acres. Worked great because the Collies kept the Coyotes away, but didn't hurt her chickens. (My Aussies have also NEVER killed a chicken.) Then her son got a Weimeraner, and she had to coop them after that, because he went straight for the chickens! If there is a small tree nearby the Alohas will fly up there to escape if they can, but if there is nothing to go "up" on, chickies are toast if a dog comes by. Dogs will kill every last one, just for fun.

I've seen it happen so many times to my neighbors. One neighbor has Chow mixes, and every few years he loses his whole flock when he forgets to lock the coop door and the chickens get out. Every last bird is killed and he has to start over again.

 

[tazcat70]

LOL. I can see notinoz dropping off a bunch of wilted roses.
I'll take eggs for the Easter hatch, but not many please--I suspect Dar may be using bator space again.

Well, they would be bushes that you plant....but eggs are good too.

 

[tazcat70]

Taz and Karen -

Don't freak out too much because of the 200 eggies, the oldest eggs in there are pushing two weeks! I took the very oldest of them and set my 'bator with those, and when I candled yesterday, fertility on the oldies was barely 50%.

So if you get even 100 live chicks out of these eggs, I'd call it a huge success!

But then HALF (or more) will be roosters . . . .

So if you end up with 20 nice, colorful hens, after you pick out the best - and a handful of nice roos, it will be a success!

Karen, pass those numbers to your hubby if he starts to panic when he sees them. This many eggs doesn't actually translate into 200 chickens, ha ha ha ha!!!

I am not freaking out. I think it is awesome. The more eggs, the better likelihood that we will get some great keepers.

 

[LarryPQ]

It makes me giggle to imagine you going outside and digging up roses. And then Notinoz driving aaaaaalll the way back in a filled car, smelling like little old ladies.

 

[tazcat70]

It makes me giggle to imagine you going outside and digging up roses. And then Notinoz driving aaaaaalll the way back in a filled car, smelling like little old ladies.

Poor Notinoz!!!!

 

[alohachickens]

Poor Notinoz!!!!

Even worse, poor confused husband of Notinoz . . .

"Who ARE these people you are meeting on the Internet, anyway?"

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Yet again my plans to "improve" the Alohas were thwarted back then. Speaking of which, YET ANOTHER pure "outside" breed chick died yesterday! That's six out of ten, eeeek! And still, not a single Aloha has died. All 25 Alohas are thriving. The chick that passed was not pecked on or harassed in any way, and it did not have pasty butt. It just died.

So sorry to hear it. That's just discouraging. Mine got pasty butt, in the beginning, but I quickly learned (from excellent advice via Consolidated Kansas) just to pluck it off after washing the first few. After the first week, I didn't have any trouble with pasty butt and I lost two within the first couple days to unknown causes. Then, just last week I lost the Buff Cochin bantam for absolutely no reason I could determine. One day it was fine, the next morning it was dead. I watch my New Hamps closely since I only have two but they are doing great. Didn't have pasty butt at all.

The eggs arrived and are in the bator. Tazcat said she is putting hers in without turning this evening so I thought I would do that as well.

I'll be thrilled with however many birds hatch! You say there may be another trip in June? (I'm greedy)

Company's here, gotta run! Be back after they leave so if you have any great hatching advice, load me up!

 

[tazcat70]

Mine are in the incubator too. I ended up setting an even 100 Alohas!

If you are interested in the breakdown here it is.

72 unmarked (we determined that they were probably Sommers)
12 Marked Ray
16 Laree.
100!

Karen let me have a few more than she had. Wasn't that so sweet of her?

I was able to meet Notinoz right before they drove off. Thank you so much for doing this for us! I know when traveling all you want to do is get there. Hopefully the stop boosted your energy.

Laree, I will mail you some eggs.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

I have 88 all plain (Sommer's, we think). Since I already have 100 birds, I gave extra to Tazcat. It was great to meet Taz and Notinoz in person! Chicken people rule!

My incubator is working like a dream. I'm so glad I didn't have to "Tetris" my eggs, Laree. Now if it could just speed up the 21 day wait!

Laree, nothing says "crazy chicken lady" like a woman who leaves her 5 daughters at a baby shower to go pick up and divide Aloha eggs at the side of a highway!

Thanks so much for the eggs!

 

[LarryPQ]

Karen- You are welcome!!! Hopefully these eggs will do well for your both.

I am happy we'll have some major-sized flocks somewhere other than the Valley.


Tonya-- did you get your presents? I was sooooo sad, because after Sommer left, the chocolate siklies laid another 4 eggs. DOH!!