VERY slowly... a friend gave us their old run when they ugraded and we started framing up a coop to go with it on Monday but haven't gotten any further yet. Current plan is to place them in the garden area (we let the garden rest this year) which is fenced, and make it our freezer camp coop for our extra roos and the roos that the same friend is going to give us (they only want hens from their chicks). He got a large metal water tub at work (not water tight) to use as a brooder (sometimes it's not a bad thing he works at a metal recycling place). The silkies are in there. Hopefully selling some tonight. We have the "chicken yard" 95% fenced off just have to figure out gate system near the coop. But we sold an extra vehicle today (YAY!) which took time, Lonny had a job interview yesterday, and had to make some phone calls about some medical stuff too, so hopefully he can catch up on sleep today and we can get going on it again tomorrow.
We sold all but 1 barred rock yesterday- YAY again! That really eased up the space issues. Kept one female for ourselves. Worked out really well for us, made money AND got a hen to keep. Someone is coming tonight to get some silkies, hopefully 4 or 5. I don't think we will keep any of those, but IDK yet. I don't see any point in keeping a roo and they are really hard to sex until about 6 months old, not sure I want to hold onto one that long "just to see." Still no bites on the lakenvelders, no eggs either. Eh we'll see what happens. They aren't a problem where they are. I think once they start laying again we can get a better idea of what they are and push the sale differently. I have to say they are VERY flighty, don't even like to be caught and held after the roost for the night- our other chickens are surprised when I do that but don't fight like the lakenvelders can. Also we have a very small gap at the top of our coop above the divider- and they can get up to it!!! I had read they are great flyers.
One silkie is still in isolation with an eye injury, but this was the first morning its eye was actually OPEN without me prying/unsealing it open. I was beginning to lose hope. If it's not significantly better by Friday cull may still be an option. Been putting antibiotic drops 2-3 times per day. Swelling is noticably down. At first I thought the poor thing's eye was gone, but thankfully now I can see it's not.
I'm a little surprised with the drop in heat our Ameraucanas haven't picked back up with the laying. Maybe they are getting ready to moult? Dunno. We get one egg roughly every other day, I'm pretty sure they are ALL coming from the little black hen, none from the big blue. Before the heat wave we were getting an egg from each nearly every day.
Our Black Copper Marans we got in June are getting big- Lonny saw the oldest roo trying to mount the oldest hen yesterday! Hopefully she will start laying soon?!? They are a beautiful pair we got from NEOCS, nice colors, good leg feathering, etc. The ones we got from the lady in Claremore are turning more and more into a motley crew, mostly destined for the chopping block or a layer only flock.
Not to mention our stupid dog somehow has ONLY killed hens so most of them are roos! Now that they are bigger she leaves them alone. I can tell she still has trouble leaving little ones alone so we are very careful with our new little ones around her.
The pens/barn is now secure,clean and ready......Thanks for asking!
