The BANTAM ORPINGTON Thread

[Lacy Blues]

Yep, its possible she's broody again.

Look at it this way... at least she won't be overweight. She has probably eaten enough to recover from the last time. If you want the chicks, let her go for it.

 

[1crazychick]

I'm in IL.  Can't figure out why no AI in our state yet ; we're surrounded on all sides.  Our swaps, fairs, etc. have not stopped but I can't say I know of anyone willing to attend.  Friends in IN say that private sales are OK, but yes, all the big shows & County Fairs are not allowing poultry.  

yes and I am looking for hatching eggs, not chicks. If there were any issues with the eggs I doubt they would survive the incubation process.

 

[jeremy]

@1crazychick... I have hatching eggs available, check the link in my signature.

I think I'll have like 9-10 eggs from my girls now.

 

[Honora]

Said goodbye to my last 2 cockerels yesterday...I will miss them, but I won't miss having to put them in the garage every night & take them out every morning!

 

[Sagetown]

Said goodbye to my last 2 cockerels yesterday...I will miss them, but I won't miss having to put them in the garage every night & take them out every morning!

Amazing. Urbanized chickens. Although I read about it from time to time, it's still interesting to see it.
Read where one individual kept chickens in the spare bedroom of their duplex during the night, and turned them out inside their privacy fence during the day, and neighbors never knew the chickens existed. I've always lived on a farm, and never thought of what folks have to go through to keep pets.

 

[Faraday40]

Said goodbye to my last 2 cockerels yesterday...I will miss them, but I won't miss having to put them in the garage every night & take them out every morning!

Pretty boys. We have the same procedure for our chicks. They sleep in a dog crate in the garage at night & get grass time in a toddler's play yard during the day. Keeps them safe from hawks but carrying chicks back & forth does get old quick.

 

[Faraday40]

Amazing. Urbanized chickens. Although I read about it from time to time, it's still interesting to see it.
Read where one individual kept chickens in the spare bedroom of their duplex during the night, and turned them out inside their privacy fence during the day, and neighbors never knew the chickens existed. I've always lived on a farm, and never thought of what folks have to go through to keep pets.

I'm from the suburbs, but there are actually less restrictions in the city of Chicago than we have here. I met a person there with a small 1/4 acre yard that has 12 hens, 2 roos, 2 goats, & 5 dwarf fruit trees. Their "garden" is vertical in pots & on shelves. Here on a 1/2 to 1 acre, a family is allowed 6 hens, no roos, no goats, no outdoor cats. There are also all kinds of limits on the type of coop/run we are permitted. I'll admit that we keep roos from time to time b/c of DD's 4H projects. Also, when it's chick season, we go well over the 6 hens. We do this because our neighbors are terrific. They helped build the coop & even feed the chickens. No problem to get a chicken sitter when we travel. Payment is always in eggs. LOL

 

[Peanutsmomma]

Crazy Cookie Update.
My Cookie went broody in OCT 2014. We talked her out of it, so out of spite, she molted & didn't lay any eggs until Christmas.

Then end of JAN 2015, she went broody again. Again we told her "not a good time!" She finally agreed when the Arctic Blast hit with temps -40 to a balmy -15'F.

March comes, we're ready......Cookie's not. Mid March, she considers it, & a week later, she got her eggs. After taking good care of those chicks for 3 weeks, she started laying eggs. The night after she made the 1st egg, she slept on the roost while the little chicks stayed in the nest.

The chicks are now 7.5 weeks old & as big as she is. Cookie hasn't missed a day since she started laying a few weeks ago. Last night & all day today, she been in the nesting box. Could she seriously be going broody? We've been collecting all the eggs, so she's only sitting on a golf ball. Should I try to give her a cold bath? I'd love another round of chicks, but I'm not sure if it's healthy for Cookie to be a mom again so soon. Any advice?

I have been MIA for a few weeks and I was wondering how Cookie and her babies were doing? Are you going to let her sit again? She is an amazing little girl! We received our order of chicks from Papa's Poultry last week, all LF BBS, GLB and Chocolate Orps. The smallest Chocolate is so full of personality that I am thinking of naming her "Cookie" in honor your of "Cookie the Bantam Menace." That is if she turns out to be a pullet!

 

[Sagetown]

I'm from the suburbs, but there are actually less restrictions in the city of Chicago than we have here. I met a person there with a small 1/4 acre yard that has 12 hens, 2 roos, 2 goats, & 5 dwarf fruit trees. Their "garden" is vertical in pots & on shelves. Here on a 1/2 to 1 acre, a family is allowed 6 hens, no roos, no goats, no outdoor cats. There are also all kinds of limits on the type of coop/run we are permitted. I'll admit that we keep roos from time to time b/c of DD's 4H projects. Also, when it's chick season, we go well over the 6 hens. We do this because our neighbors are terrific. They helped build the coop & even feed the chickens. No problem to get a chicken sitter when we travel. Payment is always in eggs. LOL

That sounds great. Everybody benefits.

 

[Faraday40]

I have been MIA for a few weeks and I was wondering how Cookie and her babies were doing? Are you going to let her sit again? She is an amazing little girl! We received our order of chicks from Papa's Poultry last week, all LF BBS, GLB and Chocolate Orps. The smallest Chocolate is so full of personality that I am thinking of naming her "Cookie" in honor your of "Cookie the Bantam Menace." That is if she turns out to be a pullet!

A CHOCOLATE Cookie sounds great to me!

My Cookie's nickname at the moment is once again "Cookie Monster" b/c she went broody & is sitting on some eggs.(Fertile eggs were added 8 days ago) Her "babies" are 9 weeks & far larger than she. They're integrated with the flock & pretty well trained. In the am, they find the chicken tractor & put themselves inside. All I have to do is check the food/water & shut the door. In the pm, I tell them to go back to the coop & move the tractor to a new spot of grass. It keeps them safe from hawks & allows them to eat grass, bugs, etc. The hens free range in the yard, but without an adult roo at the moment, I'm nervous for the young & clueless.

This time, we left Cookie in the nestbox. I hung a piece of plastic mesh over the opening b/c the bigger hens kept moving in & depositing more eggs. Cookie looks like she's in broody jail. Each day, I remove the mesh so she can take care of herself. (Last time broody, she pooped as soon as she saw me, so I'd remove the waste right away. That trick got old quick.) This time, the temps are well above freezing, so she can afford a break from the nest.