Utah!

[SashaT]

Hi everyone!
Been so busy, but I do try to sneak on here to see what everyone's got going on. My parents are here and we've been ATVing in the mountains every free minute we have. This evening though, we're going to the Brigham temple.
I'm getting 4-5 eggs a day from 5 girls...they're doing really, really well! My GLW laid me a double yolker yesterday. That thing was a monster! Hedwig's eggs are a M-L size consistently now and are such a pretty...green. Where's the blue? Ah, well. She works hard and the eggs are pretty, and tasty.
Speaking of egg color, Lisa, that olive egg is gorgeous! So jealous.

Aravis-WELCOME to the wonderful world of chickens! I love it. I just got started this March myself. Jumped in with both feet and haven't looked back. I don't have a ton of different breed experience but I'd have to say my favorites are the bantam cochins. So, so friendly, followed by my Ameraucana. The bantam Polish are really friendly, but not cuddly. They just like to be where you are, close by. The Wyandottes are your best friends, only if you have treats! Haha

 

[the-bird-man]

i use cal ranch pine shavings, i did use ifa pine shavings for a long time but after two bales that were wet inside i now use only cal ranch shavings. i also get shavings from my uncle that is from his plainer, they are small but nice and fluffy and they are free and it helps him when i take them too so its a win win, and its mostly pine

 

[Cynthia12]

I let my girls out today for the first time in a long time since I saw that hawk! They were sooo excited..and they loved me sooo much.
Here is a picture for ara..she was wondering about coops. I have seen some cute ones on here..Lisa..post yours, and Kim..anyone else?


Finished? When that big beautiful Golden Retriever is gone, I will have an opening to the other side,
where they will free range, and not on the back piece of green lawn I have left there.
You can see the small grow out pen there at the end of the run that Scott just put together.
I have some of the NN's and the Birchen cochin bantams in there, along with Lisa's little
splash. They love it when they go in when it's warm enough. They flap those little wings
and run back and forth, and bump chest each other. They love it. Then at night, they go
back into that nursery hutch at the back of the coop..it has a light, and I pull down the
tarp flap, keeps them nice and cozy warm. at night.

The small coop, for my Silkies, the Polish, and will have the NN's in there next..they are all
hiding under the coop. I put up some board on top of the coop just for them to have shade at the beginning
of the summer, but now, the shade has moved. :/ Still needs paint!!

Here's the gang, three laying hens, and the rest I'm waiting on.

I love this bird! My fav out of all the different ones I have. She is going through a molt..
still Red..you noticed when you were here. She actually went two days in a row without
laying!! She's back to laying every day again, but she is still getting pin feathers back.

Purdy red comb )

Poor thing, will be glad when she is done molting..but she looks good in the sunshine..below

I love her comb. The whole gang minus the Welsummer, got a separate pic of her.

I was so excited for this one to be a girl. Now I can't wait for those eggs! She's really getting
pretty. One of my favorite chickens out of all that I've hatched. And, I'm excited to see what
that white EE mix will lay, hope it's as blue as he claims..right red?

So, got to show off my girls today..I keep running back outside and looking in the sky.

Last night, we were out there..all three of us, and Austin noticed first..Mom, there's a hawk. I look up and see it, and another, and another, and another, I counted six of them...but...they weren't after chickens. I'm not quite sure what these little hawks were. They were a little bigger than the sparrow hawk. They were sweeping up high and low, and sideways. At this time of year, we always have a very large number of dragon flies. That's what they were eating. Those dragon flies have really been out there lately, eating the other tiny bugs. Interesting how nature works.

 

[Lilwanis]

Hi Lilwanis, come on in and introduce yourself!   We love new folks to share with, so they can share their chicken news! 

Hi Cynthia. Just had a photographer come to take pics of my two year old, and left myself logged in on this page. I did write up an intro a while back and have been lurking since then. I keep meaning to take some updated pics of my girls and Henry since the most recent ones are from July.
I was catching up since we were out of town and was looking for news about the fair. Anyone here enter any birds?

My older girls are now 18.5 to 20 weeks, so I am really looking for eggs. Ironically, the youngest girl, looks closest to being ready to lay (she was supposed to be a GLW, but is something else, maybe a black sex link or some guessed that she might be a wellie). My DH said that he saw Henry mount her earlier today, and she squatted for him, so maybe that is a good sign. Peaber and Ophelia are not looking ready yet, no wattles and combs are small and pink still :/

My younger four (a 13.5 week set and an 11 week set) are all finally integrated. They still break off into their respective age groups but they are not terrorized by the older girls and Henry any more. Henry is even protecting them now, so good boy. So, there I am with a bit of rambling.

 

[Cynthia12]

Sounds like you are going to be getting some eggs real soon. How fun. I remember waiting for my first eggs years ago.. and guess what? It's still fun waiting for the new pullet to lay, to see what her egg will look like.

Take some updated pics of your GLW, there are a couple on here that know their GLW, and I know the look of the Wellies.

 

[Lilwanis]

Oh, I also noticed that someone has SFH on here....they are number one on my OMGgottahavesome list...just saying'

 

[Lilwanis]

I'm pretty well convinced that she is not a GLW, but definitely will have to get some new pics to see what y'all think. I waited a long time for her tail to recover from Ophelia de feathering it, then when it looked good, I thought I would get pictures the next day. The next day she was missing all but two tail feathers So...be forewarned. Will have to make an effort to get some tomorrow. Gotta run errands now.

 

[Cynthia12]

Lil, I have some Swedish Flowers on the way, the 29th. I am soo excited to see them. I want more to hatch.

Waiting for pics.

I will give you until tomorrow, then..well, then..shoot, I can't scare you with a rooster drop off..I don't have any roosters, but oh yeah, you can have roosters anyway. So, just post pics when you can.

 

[auntie hattie]

Cynthia I love your chickens. The comb on your leghorn is huge. Fun chicken. Thanks for the info on the Cochins. I'm still trying to decide if I have any pullets or not. About how old are they do you know? I have one bantam mottled Cochin from my sister that is almost 5 weeks old. It acts like a rooster but no red wattle yet and yellow comb. I really hope it is a girl but with my luck it won't be. It is one of Michelle at QUC Poultry.

So I got more bantam wheaten Ameraucana eggs today. 10 to be exact. 7 have loose air sacs. I have really been having bad luck with shipping eggs.

We will see how it goes.
Sasha congrats on all they eggs! My Silkies have finally started laying again so I'm getting between 3 and 4 a day.

Lisa you have made me want a olive egg layer. I need to get ahold of gamebirdsonly. Doesn't she have bantam olive egg layers? Hummmm

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Cynthia I loved your pictures! Such a fun bunch of girls you have, and so many places for them to hang out Hattie, Gamebirdsonly does/did have bantam olive eggers. And lives around here, Lewiston maybe? Really close. Then you could come visit....

One fun thing about those pics, is it helped me realize what one of my birds is....Michelle (qcu) sold me two project marans, half marans. Did not ask what else they were when I was over there...well they do not have the Marans look, but one of them looks EXACTLY like your Welsummer Cynthia! So that must be it! Welsummers lay darker eggs too don't they? Mine is a little thing, surprised how small she has stayed.

I will post pics of my coop tomorrow. Have been planting around it, it is coming along....added two bunnies to the run today! A little white albino one 8 wks old and a tan one that is 6 months old. Both male (hopefully!) I thought it would give my girls something to do out there. Soooo at first they hold completely stil...stare....and the bunny hops and they all flap and run. Big ball of dust. Then they approach....stare....same thing bunny hops they go nuts. Pretty funny. It will probably mess up their laying for a few days but it is really funny to watch them. The bunnies are like--whatever! The girls are like---ooohhh scary what are those! There was a lot of bagawking. Will put pics up of those cute bunnies tomorrow too when the sun is out. My little Maynard (the white showgirl Cynthia gave me) does not scare at all. She goes over to the little white one, sits down next to it, kind if snuggling up to the side, and craning her neck around to get a good look "Hey! What is your name?" Too funny!

There is a space under the little coop---with a little doorway that leads to it. Their food and water is in there, the girls cannot get to it. So the bunnies have a hideout if the girls get bossy. Anybody had bad luck with bunnies mixed with chickens? Blujems do your girls peck your bunnies?