The road less traveled...back to good health! They have lice, mites, scale mites, worms, anemia, gl

[off-grid hen]

Aoxa where did you get your Ameraucanas?

 

[aoxa]

Aoxa where did you get your Ameraucanas?

Through a friend who had got them from someone in the US.

That's all I know!

I have blue, black and splash.

 

[stonykill]

I don't know what went on in my Pekin coop last night or early this morning. My 1st thought when I opened the coop and saw bloody birds was a weasel somehow got in. The evidence isn't adding up to that 100% . But 1st things 1st. My Pekin drake is dead. Bloody but no real visible killing wounds. My 3 girls are a mess but alive and in the bath tub. I'm heading out shortly to buy Nustock for their wounds. After I clean them up some more. The girls all have some feathers on their necks missing, one is missing some skin, and all have a few puncture wounds.

So 1st Nustock. Should I also pick up some Calf manna to help boost them? AVC? Need your help Bee!

 

[Pullet Surprise]

After the Pop Quizz yeaterday and Bee's question about why and what we want in chickens I had a good hard look at my flock. I slept on it, with dreams of chickens floating in and out and I looked at them this morning at breakfast in a whole new light. Actually, it probably wasn't really new, but 'repressed', things you don't want to admit or accept or think about. We have had these characters for 8 months now and have spent a lot of time with them. I had a talk with my DH (and the D does stand for Dear) and we came up with this:
1. We do not want more than a dozen birds....well, that's not etched in stone...but not too many more.
2. We are not looking to sell eggs, but to have enough to supply ourselves and enough to give to the kids and grandkids & a couple of friends whenever.
3. We want birds that will be a bit more than broth when cull time comes (for whatever reason)
4. No fancy foo foo high maintenence birds
5. We would like to have the majority of the flock be birds in it for the long run, DP augmented with a couple of 'egg amchines'
6. This is where it gets sticky, we would also like to let nature take its course and hatch a few 'replacements' now and then without using an incubator.
So looking at what we have and finally having had enough time, information and 'expeirience' to formulate a goal we came up with this:

1. Keep the Ameracaunas (2) they have been good steady layers, nice birds personality wise, they play nice with others and our boy likes them and they like him and they are eye candy.
2. Cull the DOM, I think she's a dud. She wants nothing to do with our boy even though he dances for her once in awhile. She spends too much time on the roost, is in a world of her own and has laid but one egg that I know of.
3. Keep the leghorn. I like her, she's a consistant layer, forages very well, not a pig and gets on well with everyone else.
4. Keep the New Hampshire .
5. Keep the "Barnevelder" but not add any more. She's been a great bird and I have to admit, I am very attached to her.
6. Let the 'White faced Spanish " girl run her course. She is young and lays consistanly, Morris likes her and mounts her and she is about as novel as I would like to get. I like her as a chicken, self sufficient. No drama, no trouble.
7, That brings us down to the three "what the heck are they?" Mickey goes broody at the snap of a finger. Nice eggs when she's laying, but has been broody three times in 8 months. Question is would she be a good mommy. And there is only really one way to find out.
The other 2 'what are they" girls, I could actually live without. I'll reserve judgement until spring on them.

So if this spring or later I was to add to the flock (after a cull of two or three or four) and leaning toward DP mostly sort of,,,I'm looking at one more leghorn or something similar and a few along the lines of RIR, NH or even BA

Thoughts? I know I've not thought of everything to consider.

 

[Leahs Mom]

So...will that friend of a friend sell me some blues?

Through a friend who had got them from someone in the US.

That's all I know!

I have blue, black and splash.

 

[aoxa]

So...will that friend of a friend sell me some blues?

Through a friend who had got them from someone in the US. That's all I know! I have blue, black and splash.

I don't know who that friend of a friend is unfortunately. :/ I do love the blues.. I desperately want some standard WHITE Ameraucanas though. I have white EEs, who are pretty darn close to the Ameraucana standard.. If it wasn't for their legs.. :/ Trying to breed towards slate! They laid those beautiful blue eggs I posted a few pages back.

Here's my whites. I never thought I'd like plain whtie, but I love it in the EEs and Ameraucanas. Excuse her beard. Bearded birds tend to get a lot of FF on their face.

 

[Melabella]

Here it is:

Why did I get my chickens:
Food Issues:
-Want eggs from hens that are raised eating and living as naturally as possible. (What would they eat if they were in their natural state?) Goal is that all purchased feeds be non-GMO, non-soy, (and also raising some worms/bugs for their dining pleasure); and as much foraged, chicken-chosen food as possible.

Good Morning Leahs Mom,


Just wondering what you are feeding your chickens? Now that I have used up my last starter/grower feed, I have switched over to layer pellets. I avoid soy at all costs for multiple reasons, the first one being from Dr.s suggestion due to the breast cancer that doesn't run, but gallops in my family. I am looking for a soy free/organic feed, but it is difficult to find. Most companies either make one or the other. Countryside organics makes a wonderful sounding feed, but it's super expensive, and with the added cost to have it shipped to the northeast,, it is impossible. I have chosen to go with Hearty Hen at the moment, as it is the only soy free chicken feed made that is available to me. It is not organic, but the agway distributor told me they strive to use "natural ingredients" whatever that means. Agway also makes an organic layer feed, but the first ingredient is soybean. So far my flock seems to like the Hearty Hen ok. I haven't started FF yet, but plan to very soon as I was thinking I can add whole grains as I wish. Some one told me of a wonderful feed mill that supplies all organice grains near me in CT. Might be worth the drive across the NY state border as I am very close to CT.

Anyone know of any other brands that make a soy free/organic chicken feed other than Countryside and the agway brand I mentioned?

Got to go back a few pages, way behind on the dailies. Got our Christmas tree set up...cut it down with my daughter yesterday. We both were laughing so hard I peed my pants. The saw I bought couldn't cut a stick of butter, and it took me F*O*R*E*V*E*R! Felt like I had run the NYC marathon when I was done.

 

[aoxa]

I have two girls that are what the heck are they type of girls. Great layers of small-medium eggs, and have both gone broody, though not often enough to be called serial broodies.

Anyone want to have a guess as to what they have in them? I'm thinking this one has brown leghorn in her blood. She lays a light brown egg though.

I'm thinking this one has some old english game in her. Not sure what else. Also lays a tinted egg. She was broody here. Wandering around the yard screaming at everyone during her poop break. It's snowing now.. I bet my birds are at home hating their life.

 

[Melabella]

I don't know what went on in my Pekin coop last night or early this morning. My 1st thought when I opened the coop and saw bloody birds was a weasel somehow got in. The evidence isn't adding up to that 100% . But 1st things 1st. My Pekin drake is dead. Bloody but no real visible killing wounds. My 3 girls are a mess but alive and in the bath tub. I'm heading out shortly to buy Nustock for their wounds. After I clean them up some more. The girls all have some feathers on their necks missing, one is missing some skin, and all have a few puncture wounds.

So 1st Nustock. Should I also pick up some Calf manna to help boost them? AVC? Need your help Bee!

Soooo sorry Stonykill....I dread my first dead bird..... we all know it's coming one day.......

 

[Melabella]

I AM SO STEALING AOXA'S CAMERA