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[Dave C]

My brooder is full of table birds so I was hoping to foster my Buff Rock chicks with a broody.
After 2 broodies that I borrowed failed and spoiled there eggs I had to draft in a replacement late Monday night, I ended up with only 6 BR chicks but she has taken to them nicely.

 

[scifisam]

Those are lovely chicks, Dave!

I'm having problems with the new chickens flying out of their area. I think I'll have to put up an enormous fence or rehome those chickens and get quieter ones. Chased a fox away from them yesterday - at 8:30am!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

@Yorkshirecoop

Love the squeaky cockerel....bless him!

Thanks
I may have to keep him, by accident of course!

I agree Dave is a bluebell. Although that comb is quite red, I'm not sure if bluebells aren't a sex linked hybrid and if so, Dave must be an early developing Davina.  
I just lost my Blue Haze (Bluebell under different trade name) to a respiratory infection that resulted in an abscess in her throat. She was a real trougher as regards food too, so I called her Scranner Anna. Euthanizing her was incredibly difficult for me but necessary to put her out of her suffering. RIP Anna.

I agree that your flock looks like a Light Sussex, a Bluebell and either a production red or maybe a black tail but I would have expected more black on the neck and tail for a black tail. They are a lovely looking trio.  

@Yorkshire coop


Hi Kim

Yes your little cockerel with his pathetic little voice did give me a much needed chuckle too, especially after the week I had!

Chicks look great but it's a shame your hatch was so poor. Have you had any feedback from Durham Hens about their fertility again this time? I know going though the post gives them a hard time but that still seems a pretty disappointing result.
Frances is doing a tremendous job with her little brood. I am amazed each evening when she has managed to marshal all 9 around the yard and then get them back into the hen house at night, especially as I often go up there during the day and find two or three stragglers cheeping away like mad for their Mam and the yard is full of so many hazards, including horses feet! It was great fun watching them dust bathing the other day! The broody in the shed that I can't get to, seems to be doing quite well and is a week into it now. Unfortunately the welsummer eggs that I gave Tasha are a bit thin shelled and one has broken already, which resulted in one of the light sussex eggs sticking to Tasha and when she got off the nest for a break, it got trailed out and broken too..... so she's down to eleven already.  I think maybe I need those welsummer eggs to go in an incubator as they are probably just too fragile for a broody hen. I knew I was taking a risk with them but had hoped Tasha might manage it because she's just a small bird. I also have a pekin on one egg that must be due or overdue. Unfortunately I didn't take a note of the date when she started clocking and she moved nests one day about half way through, which may have caused it to chill, so I may need to remove it soon in case it explodes but will give it a couple more days just in case.

Pleased to report horses all seem to be on the mend which is a relief but more than I can say for my bank balance! Still having to be very careful about feeding and I now have a field full of grass that I have nurtured all spring but daren't let them out onto and of course my fences and gates are taking some stick from them because they can see and smell it, but won't be satisfied until they are tasting it too. May have to strip graze it with an electric fence.

Must crack on now and get some work done in the garden. 

Regards

Barbara

Hi Barbara

Pleased to hear everyone is on the mend even though your bank balance maybe suffering!! They're worth it though! Glad the little cockerel gave you a chuckle. Need a name for him? Frances sounds like a fab mother, keeping them all I mine sure must be a tough job for her. Now getting an incubator would be a fab idea. Once hatched you could slip them under a broody so no worries on brooding them yourself. You will get to see how amazing it is to watch them hatch then.

No feed back on these eggs, I feel very disappointed with them really. The little Pekin is proving problematic with its leg issues. Not just a bit of splay leg but a slipped tendon on the back of the hock. I've been trying everything to get its leg straight but it being so small is making for hard work. It's a wriggler and is getting out if most things. The feathered legs are making it harder too as I can't just bung tape on them
It's eating and drinking so will see how it goes.

Other than that all quiet here. Hope all continues well at your end
Catch you soon.

Kim xx

My brooder is full of table birds so I was hoping to foster my Buff Rock chicks with a broody.
After 2 broodies that I borrowed failed and spoiled there eggs I had to draft in a replacement late Monday night, I ended up with only 6 BR chicks but she has taken to them nicely.

Super cute chicks

Those are lovely chicks, Dave!

I'm having problems with the new chickens flying out of their area. I think I'll have to put up an enormous fence or rehome those chickens and get quieter ones. Chased a fox away from them yesterday - at 8:30am!

I resorted to a covered run to stop the escaping as they were driving me mad ~

Foxes out at all hours here too, feeding Cubs right now so they are even bolder. Keep an eye out as it will be back!!

 

[Rudies Roost]

Oh Gosh...don't mention the fox word round here! After wiping out 6 of mine....I'm baying for fox blood. My poor flock are shut up behind heras fencing all day now unless we're out in the garden with them.....they're getting bored so are being really naughty

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

I only let mine out when I'm at home. Have you tried hanging them a cabbage up on string to keep them entertained? A dust bath helps too to relieve boredom and corn to scratch around for.

 

[Rudies Roost]

I only let mine out when I'm at home. Have you tried hanging them a cabbage up on string to keep them entertained? A dust bath helps too to relieve boredom and corn to scratch around for.

Good idea. They have plenty of dustbathing areas but they are stuck right up by our house so my plants are taking a hammering (though i have now surrounded most of the plants with chicken wire...it looks terrible!!) and if there is even a slight sight of a bin bag...they fly on to the wheelie bins and it gets ripped to pieces. They do still have plenty of space but they were used to just over half an acre so they feel hemmed in. I'll def give the cabbage on a string a try. Thanks.

 

[Rudies Roost]

@Yorkshirecoop

Here's 2 off them troughing away on the bushes.....sooooo naughty!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

@Yorkshirecoop

Here's 2 off them troughing away on the bushes.....sooooo naughty!

That looks to be a good escape route on that fence!!

Do they come down or do you have to get them down! Last year I had silly pullet that jumped out of the chick pen and decided right on top of the conifer hedge was a good place to roost!! In the dark up step ladders in my PJ's trying to tackle a bird was a sight to behold!!

 

[Rudies Roost]

Ha ha! No...mine are very good, they come as soon as they're called. It's only the fence to my neighbours ..only trouble is, all of mine are large fowl and next door have all free range Pekins so the littlies over the fence get a bit perturbed! When the fox came, quite a few flew over and it saved their skins, I'm lucky my neighbours are friends of ours and don't mind....

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

I'm getting quite into the little Pekins, love the 2 I have out in the shed. I can see how they would be perturbed by a large fowl!! I've found this little cockerel to be quite the 10 men!! He rules the larger polish in the shed.

That's good your friends with the neighbours and that your birds went over and saved their skin!!

Not sure my neighbours are going to be happy I've been giving eggs away to them but then thought goodness Kim your missing a trick here!! So I'm going to start selling my excess eggs. Got my new sign delivered today and 300 egg boxes. Going to pop the sign up over the garden fence and see what happens!