The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

But you have lunchbox & suitcase to keep them away to is year !!

 

[delisha]

Delisha is the black stringy thing the sac that was around the heart? I agree the liver looks great. I couldn't get the pics to go larger on my iPad so I will try tomorrow

That black string is actually the Superior Vena Cava or the Pulmonary artery. I am not sure what one. This was my first heart dissection. All the interior valves were white too. Very odd the bird was still alive with that heart. The sack around the heart was very fragile and it burst when I took the heart out of the chest.

 

[aoxa]

But you have lunchbox & suitcase to keep them away to is year !!

Not Lunchbox.. He was killed by a car on our stupid stupid road. Suitcase is now an indoor cat.. Angel is our only indoor/outdoor cat because she is smart. Suitcase is not.. he will go on that road, I'm sure of it. He's so lazy anyway, and Henry loves him so much.

 

[armorfirelady]

Thanks. It's hard to tell when I couldn't get the pic bigger. The sac around the heart is delicate. But I agree with kass their shouldn't of been fluid around it. In a human that's cause for infection or major heart issues. I bet that heart was the cause of death. Maybe the inside is white because loss of blood flow from a genetic problem?

 

[delisha]

Quote: If you have electric..it is worth the investment to get something like a pest chaser. You just plug it into the outlet.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...0827?cm_mmc=Aggregates-_-Shopzilla-_-Outdoors>Pest%20Control-_-168901

 

[aoxa]

If you have electric..it is worth the investment to get something like a pest chaser. You just plug it into the outlet.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...0827?cm_mmc=Aggregates-_-Shopzilla-_-Outdoors>Pest%20Control-_-168901

My mother has squirrel issues in the attic, and we used something very similar. It seemed to help

 

[lalaland]

Returned after the weekend to find both roosters looking good, so no fights to the death while I was gone. Getting home after dark, I miss any fighting at roost time, and only see everyone peacefully snoozing on the roosts. so far so good (what you don't know cant hurt you).

Now, these pullets are coming up on 25 weeks old and still not a single egg. I haven't ever started chicks as late as these, they werent hatched til end of May - so maybe maturing at the point of too little light during the day means they won't start til more daylight? I sure hope not.

I think this is the longest I've ever gone without a single egg from anyone. I actually had to buy eggs at the co-op!

In the past, spring chicks always started laying in nov or so....what do you think?

 

[aoxa]

Returned after the weekend to find both roosters looking good, so no fights to the death while I was gone. Getting home after dark, I miss any fighting at roost time, and only see everyone peacefully snoozing on the roosts. so far so good (what you don't know cant hurt you).

Now, these pullets are coming up on 25 weeks old and still not a single egg. I haven't ever started chicks as late as these, they werent hatched til end of May - so maybe maturing at the point of too little light during the day means they won't start til more daylight? I sure hope not.

I think this is the longest I've ever gone without a single egg from anyone. I actually had to buy eggs at the co-op!

In the past, spring chicks always started laying in nov or so....what do you think?

Soon.

I'm just starting to get eggs from my May chicks, but they are silkies - so that's even more surprising.

Chickens in their first year should lay with or without added light. It may delay them some though. I found when I hatched my chicks in December/January I had them laying around 20-22 weeks.

What are your breeds now? What are their combs looking like? Does it look close?

 

[lalaland]

yes, for most of them, their combs are bright red and have been for a month! Buster has even been showing two of them where to lay eggs (he picked the wrong spot, but!).

I don't want to put nest boxes in the half of the coop that is the pullets - have been hoping they will just move into the front half but that hasn't happened.
Lets see: I have 3 sulmtalers, 1 icelandic, 1 crested cream leg bar, and 3 americauna or ees.

I've always had chicks that lay all winter long their first year, but didn't know if they were late spring chicks if the lack of light would turn the laying swtich off.

 

[aoxa]

yes, for most of them, their combs are bright red and have been for a month! Buster has even been showing two of them where to lay eggs (he picked the wrong spot, but!).

I don't want to put nest boxes in the half of the coop that is the pullets - have been hoping they will just move into the front half but that hasn't happened.
Lets see: I have 3 sulmtalers, 1 icelandic, 1 crested cream leg bar, and 3 americauna or ees.

I've always had chicks that lay all winter long their first year, but didn't know if they were late spring chicks if the lack of light would turn the laying swtich off.

Well the EEs are late layers, but the others should start any day. Icelandic: 20-22 weeks Sulmtaler: 6 months (so 24-26 weeks) Cream Legbar: 20-24 weeks. Easter Eggers (the weeks vary) 20-40 weeks.