The New Flock 2021: Back to Basics

[speckledhen]

Seven of my hens are laying again, finally. Juliette is a holdout becasue she just got her feathers back, as is probably Cricket since she just got off a long broody spell. No Brahmas or Barred Rocks are producing, but they are from 8-9 years old now and no one should really expect them to lay anymore. It's the same every year, as I tried to tell newer chicken keepers when they were panicking over hens all quitting laying at once and they were blaming it on the same feed they'd been feeding the first two to three years of having their chickens. Not a shock to anyone who has done this for decades, though. Mine grind to a halt in September and generally start up again in late November to early December. They refused to believe me when I told them that, sometimes, they do all stop at once.

Bodie is still here, but I can't see him going back to the flock. He is weak, especially on the right side, comb flopped over. Poor boy. He's not ready to be euthanized because he still has enough feisty to resist being picked up. Nothing else going on at the moment, just seeing blue and green eggs in my cartons again, yay!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Congratulations on getting eggs Cynthia. I wish I'd get a few more, but it is the time of year, and the breeds I choose to add this year. Mine won't generally pick up until March or later. Than I will have too many.

 

[speckledhen]

Congratulations on getting eggs Cynthia. I wish I'd get a few more, but it is the time of year, and the breeds I choose to add this year. Mine won't generally pick up until March or later. Than I will have too many.

If I recall, you really don't eat eggs, do you, Lisa? I guess your husband does? We can't have enough eggs here. We eat a ton of eggs! My husband always has.
It's apparent that it's time to add new layers here. The old ones keep going like energizer bunnies, but rarely lay anymore. Two of Atlas's very elderly daughters and Bash's last original hen, Brandy, were all laying a couple of months back, but haven't since the molt started. I don't expect them to, of course, though many of my old hens keep producing at a much reduced rate into their "rocking chair years", just can't depend on them.
I guess it's just me and you having conversations lately, Lisa. Everyone has been AWOL for awhile, other than Julie in CA popping in here or there. Not much exciting going on in my chicken world so I guess it's to be expected. I miss Cheryl's posts, don't you? And @1muttsfan, how are you, Mary? Roll call, LOL!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I really miss Cheryl and her practical advice. So very sad she left us so soon.

I'm currently eating an egg sandwich. I do eat eggs, but sometimes the gross me out. I get to where I crave them, and I'm able to eat them for a bit. Of course I'm craving them when I'm getting only a couple of them a day. Nearly a 100 chickens and most are bums. We are expecting another dip in temperatures tomorrow, so that will put the halt on those couple of eggs again. Talking -25--30 wind chills. I bet @1muttsfan isn't looking forward to it either. Supposed to be just a couple of days.

Didn't you use to breed Delaware? Saw this post no one was answering and was wondering if you knew the breeder they are asking about,

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-delaware-line-any-help.1647046/post-28199711

 

[1muttsfan]

I'm still around, I check in mostly on the Michigan thread.
Funny, I just lost my last Delaware hen, she was my oldest hen and the boss of the flock, had to be at least six or seven years old. Just started losing weight and her legs swelled, but right to the end she would perk up for a little scratch.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Nice to hear you are okay @1muttsfan . Sorry about the loss of your hen.

 

[speckledhen]

Didn't you use to breed Delaware? Saw this post no one was answering and was wondering if you knew the breeder they are asking about,

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-delaware-line-any-help.1647046/post-28199711

I did, yes, but I don't know that breeder. I got mine from Janet Holtman, though she had quit breeding them after some health issues. I believe she was in Ohio.
Some days I don't want eggs, either, but it's one of our two main sources of protein, those and beef. Of course we want them when we don't have them, LOL. It's been a long drought. I don't miss those temps like you have. When we lived in Ohio while in the Air Force, I do recall -25* actual temp. We rarely get temps as low as the single digits, but they do happen on rare occasion.

I'm still around, I check in mostly on the Michigan thread.
Funny, I just lost my last Delaware hen, she was my oldest hen and the boss of the flock, had to be at least six or seven years old. Just started losing weight and her legs swelled, but right to the end she would perk up for a little scratch.

Mary, I'm so sorry! Those Delawares are a special bunch. I'm glad you're still kicking, thanks for checking in.

 

[1muttsfan]

She was a good old girl, the boss of everybody.

I have about 50/50 standard birds and bantam speckled Sussex. I've always loved Sussex, they are so friendly and such chatterboxes

 

[speckledhen]

We adored our last Del hen, Georgie. She was 12 years old and just expired without much warning. She had a unique personality, a no nonsense gal who was never picked on by anybody. If they did, they'd regret it. She never started a fight, but she sure could finish it. Loved that big old girl. And I love their shade of brown egg, sort of a peachy tan color, different from the other brown egg layers. I know you'll miss yours.
I did hatch one batch of Speckled Sussex, kept only one hen, Nelda. She was a round little thing with fairly small eggs. They sure are pretty birds.

 

[speckledhen]

Bodie was trying to stand up today. I brought him some meatloaf and his rear was off the floor as he ate. Then I went out awhile later to take him a bite of the egg salad I made for us and he was almost fully standing. He hasn't done that in a week. It may be nothing significant, but it was nice to see he felt better. His comb is completely laying on top of his head. I have come to think that he actually got a leg injury of some sort; those take time to heal, if they're going to at all. Not sure what this means, but I guess we'll see, but they can lead to soft tissue infection as well. Time will tell.
Gunnar and his son, Dane, were fighting last night and making everyone upset in the barn. Dane has never stood up to him, but i think he's trying to make a move up in the hierarchy.