UK Member Please Say HI

[Yorkshire Coop]

@rebrascora

Hi Barabara

How's it all going for you? All well I hope Same old here, eggs doing well in the incubator. I candled last Friday and had about 5 clears but left them just incase. Going to candle tomorrow evening as it will be day 14 and remove any that are definite clears. The ones I saw veins in last week looked very good
The little lavender Pekin out in the shed is really going for it with the crowing!! Sounds like a broken gate but he's getting lots of practice in. I'm still not sure on the Orpington chick, it's exactly 7 weeks today and I'm still no wiser as to gender.

Have you been out riding yet? Still helping Ian with his? Hope the jump training is going well if you are. I'm shocking myself here and managing to get out in the week and on the weekends. Poor old Harry not so keen right now, he was thinking he had semi retired and I'm sure H would like to go back to that. I'm just so pleased I have the bit between my teeth again. I'm trying a new farrier tomorrow as the one that we did have has been given the heave ho. His work was getting sloppy and forgetting to even clench up etc!! Always rushing and only giving 5 minutes notice was just the last straw. I'm trying one of the other liveries farriers who you can book with a date and time and she says he's never let her down. I'm hoping he does a good job but if not back to square one looking for another.

Hope Rebel and all the other beasties are doing well


Kim xx

 

[GGBEAR]

I've come to the conclusion that I'm not wanted on that forum it's for Americans only they ignore me or just type sh*t I wouldn't mind but what is being put is incorrect.

And yeah the ducks do poo

alot but their so funny

and lay yummy

eggs and my chickens wouldn't be without them they love

them to.
Plus Aiyla thinks there ace

 

[rebrascora]

Hi Kim

Good to hear that you are getting out on Harry. Afraid I haven't had mine out.... the lady who was riding out with me has taken a part time job and unfortunately each time I have suggested riding she has been busy. I'm riding out nearly every day with Ian though and tonight I took little Zak out on his own.... first time hacking out solo. I half expected him to nap but he was an absolute star. I do quite a bit of schooling whilst I ride... it's a habit my sister got me into since I don't have an arena, so we did lots of transitions, stopping and backing up, leg yielding etc and just standing still on a loose rein.... the country lanes round here are very quiet so I don't have to worry about traffic although he is very good with most things. On the way home I even turned him around and asked him to trot off in the opposite direction and although a little reluctant, he didn't refuse and as soon as he went forward willingly, I turned him around and we headed back home. He could do with lots more of that but I have to say, he feels really safe. Unfortunately someone had moved the log Ian put across the track in the wood, so we didn't do any jumping today.
I have to say, I've surprised myself and put Archie over a big tree trunk the last twice we have been out, even though it was way too big for Zak to attempt, so it wasn't like I had to do it to give him a lead. There was a lot of deep undergrowth either side, so I didn't realise how big it was the first time we went over it, but having done it I felt confident to do it gain next time. Not sure I would have dared to jump it going down the hill though.

Getting very frustrated with my pekin broodies and their chicks. I am still having to lever and ladle them out of the back of the coop and up the ramp. The chicks are quite capable of negotiating the ramp if the hens would just take them up, but NO they have to plonk themselves down in that far back corner where I can barely reach them, even at full stretch with the ladle and of course they are now wise to it and jump out of the ladle and run back into the corner before I get them onto the ramp....Arrgghh! I must confess, I am getting rougher with them each evening as my frustration rises. They may get starved tomorrow and then tempted up the ramp with food when they are ravenous. All eleven of their chicks are doing fine and I can't tell which one was the weak one that got pecked and flung out of the nest when it hatched, so I guess they aren't bad broodies, but I don't have the confidence in them that I have in Tasha and Frances. Tasha and her 10 chicks are growing so fast it's amazing. She goes out on a morning with 10 chicks and free ranges all day and then she has them all tucked into a nesting box at night, when I go to lock them up. I open the sideboard, put their chick crumb in there and then pick up the nest box with them in and carry it to the sideboard and they troop out one by one into the sideboard for the night. I kind of feel like it is some sort of magic tardus for them....I've left the sideboard open but she hasn't cut out the middle man and taken them directly into it. I'm not complaining though, picking up a nest box and carrying it 3 yards to the sideboard is infinitely easier than getting on hands and knees and wedging myself in a little side door and trying to ladle chicks out of the back corner, where they are almost but not quite out of my reach and escape and run back more often than not.

Your little pekin boy sounds like a hoot.... maybe literally

. Mine wouldn't dare try to crow with 3 large fowl cockerels in the flock, but I do sometimes catch them chest bumping. I've split the pullets off and brought them and Frances down home into the coop with the non broody pekins and rooster, but integration is not going well so far and I'm half toying with taking them back. It seems strange that she can happily hold her own as the only bantam in a large mixed flock of large fowl, but can't stand up to 3 female pekins and a rooster and she is not even standing up for her little girls either. He is being mean to the young pullets too and I'm starting to lose my patience with him.... he doesn't seem to realise that he has at least 6 sons, any one of which would be happy to replace him!!!

Not candled my eggs yet but both new broodies are doing a good job so far. There has been a little nest swapping but it's not a problem since they are side by side and neither clutch has been left unattended for more than 10-15 mins I think. I am still having to fish the odd new addition out of the nests as other hens are occasionally laying in them. These two broodies are funny though, they don't growl or peck much, but when I put my hand underneath them, they press down really hard with their breast and wriggle from side to side, like they are trying to squash my hand. It's very odd.

Anyway, that's all my horsey and chicken news I think. Must head up to the stables now and let the horses into the field.... they are now out at night and in through the day when the flies are bad. Clegs are becoming a real pain the last few days as well as midges of course and several of mine get sweetitch, so I have to wait until after dark to let them out. Feeling a bit dead on my feet tonight.

Hope you have a great weekend.... are you doing anything special? We are going to see Kynren, the open air theatrical production at Bishop Auckland... it's supposed to be a bit like the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, with lots of horses and fireworks. Just hoping the weather is kind!

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[Gge23]

Happy Friday Everyone!
I hope you have all had a good week ^_^
The chicks are coming on leaps and bounds, started giving themselves sawdust baths and eating everything in sight...all looking very fit and healthy.
Anybody had any new arrivals this week?
One thing I have been meaning to ask...one of our Welsummers (not sure which one coz I can't really tell them apart!) keeps laying eggs that always have some sort of shell deformity and blood spots around the yolk...is this normal for some hens to lay like this all the time or is there something wrong with her that I should know about?
I haven't really been worried about it, because she seems fit and healthy otherwise...but sometimes the shell on her egg can be really thin, or it'll have holes in it, or big brown bumps.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

I've come to the conclusion that I'm not wanted on that forum it's for Americans only they ignore me or just type sh*t I wouldn't mind but what is being put is incorrect.

And yeah the ducks do poo

alot but their so funny

and lay yummy

eggs and my chickens wouldn't be without them they love

them to.
Plus Aiyla thinks there ace

Don't worry, just differences of opinions and things being different from country to country.
I bet Aiyla thinks they are ace
She will make a great duck keeper in the future! Did you get anywhere with selling your eggs? My sales have been hit and miss

Happy Friday Everyone!
I hope you have all had a good week ^_^
The chicks are coming on leaps and bounds, started giving themselves sawdust baths and eating everything in sight...all looking very fit and healthy.
Anybody had any new arrivals this week?
One thing I have been meaning to ask...one of our Welsummers (not sure which one coz I can't really tell them apart!) keeps laying eggs that always have some sort of shell deformity and blood spots around the yolk...is this normal for some hens to lay like this all the time or is there something wrong with her that I should know about?
I haven't really been worried about it, because she seems fit and healthy otherwise...but sometimes the shell on her egg can be really thin, or it'll have holes in it, or big brown bumps.

Great news on your chicks

My new arrivals are due in one weeks time! Day 14 today so going to candle them later on when it gets dark and check what's going on in them all
Your hen may need a little more calcium to strengthen the shell. Do you have them on layer feed? You can oyster shell seperatly on the side. I just keep a small coop cup in the run for any hens that need a top up. The blood spots happen when a yolk is released from the ova, a small tear can sometimes occur when this happens and it becomes encased in the shell. Here are some other egg quality problems ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems

 

[Gge23]

Don't worry, just differences of opinions and things being different from country to country.
I bet Aiyla thinks they are ace
She will make a great duck keeper in the future! Did you get anywhere with selling your eggs? My sales have been hit and miss


Great news on your chicks

My new arrivals are due in one weeks time! Day 14 today so going to candle them later on when it gets dark and check what's going on in them all
Your hen may need a little more calcium to strengthen the shell. Do you have them on layer feed? You can oyster shell seperatly on the side. I just keep a small coop cup in the run for any hens that need a top up. The blood spots happen when a yolk is released from the ova, a small tear can sometimes occur when this happens and it becomes encased in the shell. Here are some other egg quality problems ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems

So there's nothing really I can do about the blood spots then by the sounds of it?
Yeh I got some grit and oyster shell mix the other day and started mixing it in with their food to try and disguise it...they used to have it in before but they only ever ate around it, never actually touched it at all and their eggs seemed to be fine, it's just this one. So I've tried adding it again to see if they'll eat it now...they may have grown up a bit since then and not be such fussy teenage picky eaters!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

@rebrascora

Hi Barbara Sounds like you, Zak and Archie are having some great fun! Great to hear you got out on Zak on his own, that really is great news Feeling safe on him sure is a bonus. Had the new farrier today and I have to say he was very thorough! Not what I'm used to at all but all in all he did a good job. Harry has seedy toes which he has started to treat today. My previous farrier said oh it will be ok just leave it but this one wants to get it sorted out. Cut it all out today and treated with iodine that I have to carry on doing. Once all the fungus and rubbish is killed off he's going to fill it with acrylic. As he was getting it all out I was thinking goodness he's not going to have any hoof left. They do look a lot tidier with new shoes on and I'm quite pleased how he has done them. Time will tell I guess as his feet grow from now on.

Sounds like you are having a right time of it with the hen chicks and ladle!! Sorry I really should not laugh but the thought of you tackling a hen and chicks with a ladle really makes me giggle! Musical nest boxes too! As yo say not as bad as escaping chicks.

No plans for this weekend, just the usual. Horse, chickens and the dreaded house work! Hoping to get out on Harry (weather permitting) and if he's not lame from his seedy toes work today. Hope you have a fab time at Kynren, that's sounds really interesting and I'm sure great fun to see.

Catch you very soon Barbara

 

[jemini212]

Anyone in north east interested in 3 free roosters??? They are 4 weeks old tomorrow. They are outside during day if warm and on heat on evening. I don't mind if someone wants to take them with the intention of eating in the future but can't do this myself. Im in Leadgate, County Durham

p.s not sure what breed they are.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Good luck finding them somewhere

I know just what you mean about not being able to do it yourself
I just try to think they have had a good life with me and been well cared for. The end is quick and it's for the best.

 

[jemini212]

Yeah, I would prefer them to go to a use rather than be culled now but one of the fellas at the allotment has offered to do it if needed. Just thought I would give them a chance first. Even if they will be eaten in 6months+.
I dare not post them on any selling sites incase they get used for dog bait.