Virginia

[suyoder]

My first broody hen!! Penny (a hatchery Dutch bantam) is sitting on a clutch of 5 eggs! I think. She may have laid one or two more. I'm curious how this will end up, because she just started sitting on them yesterday, but I just left all the eggs in there for about two weeks. She started getting clucky about three days ago, screaming at everyone and walking around with her feathers fluffed. SO ADORABLE!

 

[HaplessRunner]

Well, I have only been keeping chickens for a year, but I can tell you that my silver laced wyandotte rooster didn't crow until about 15 weeks. I don't think he was interested in the pullets until after they were laying. These leghorn cockerels have been crowing since probably 10 weeks. It seems like the past week or so they have really stepped it up in terms of harassing the ladies. I even got a half attempt flog to the back of my legs by one of them on the way down to the coop. I think these guys mature faster than the heavier breeds, wyandottes and orphingtons (someone correct me if I am wrong). I have yet to witness my EE cockerel of the same age crowing or making moves on the girls.

Willie, the mature rooster does not harass the young girls, but he does try to keep them all close and share treats with them. He even lingers near the broody coop/run and talks to the 6 week olds and offers them food. He has done that since they were a week old. He earns major points from me for that!

I separated my young cream legbar roos from the young pullets. The girls needed a break! I added these seven cream legbar roos to a pen of older Swedish flower hen pullets. In a very short time these girls very quickly were teaching the young boys some chicken manners. They did not put up with their behavior.

I generally intentionally let young roosters get the short end of a hen's or older pullet's teachings. It helps them gain a little humility if for a little while.

 

[ApiaryandAviary]

I keep trying to put fowl on my list to go to the next Chicken swap and my son keeps saying please dont let him go. I put on my list to go to Eden my Red Shouldered Yokohama. He said, I want it. I put on the list the Barred Dun Fly-Tie and my son said, I want him. A dozen Chocolate Orpingtons I put on my list and ge asked why would I let them go? A few Buff, Red Black and Blue and and he said, but they follow me around. Meaning they follow him around. As I was out trying to make sure my Phoenix Bantams were matched up as best as possible he was saying but mom, they like me they call me by name. What Am I going to do?

 

[ApiaryandAviary]

I separated my young cream legbar roos from the young pullets.  The girls needed a break!  I added these seven cream legbar roos to a pen of older Swedish flower hen pullets.  In a very short time these girls very quickly were teaching the young boys some chicken manners.  They did not put up with their behavior.    I generally intentionally let young roosters get the short end of a hen's or older pullet's teachings.  It helps them gain a little humility if for a little while.

That humility part is really short lived around here. For what ever reasons we always have more Males than females being born and I have learned never buy straight runs! I know they have been picked through even if ever so slightly. Straight runs. Never again! I ordered a huge order of what was offered, only straight run. I got one female for every two dozen boys!!! Not from that hatchery again and not a straight run ever again. The male and female selection was gone.

Last week anwoman complained to me she went to a local hardware store and bought half a flock of a straight run offering. She was hit with all boys except.... One female that died. She was left with a bunch of male silkies. They were huge! They refused to free range and sat around doing nothing but eating. Well when she first told me I thought she must have bought some Cornish Rocks instead of Silkies. They were silkies. She asked when do they get their feathers? They had very little fluff. They had turquoise ear muffs and sparsely feathered. Their ears were beautiful so I told her how beautiful their ear muffs were. I do not believe any company that only sells straight runs. I believe somewhere, somehow, someone checks for females down the line and pulls some of the females.

 

[Our Roost]

ApiaryandAviary, Take your son to the swap meet to experience the event. Take a few birds along and let him possibly decide on an exchange. Hopefully he will find some excitement dealing with other breeds.

 

[ApiaryandAviary]

ApiaryandAviary, Take your son to the swap meet to experience the event. Take a few birds along and let him possibly decide on an exchange. Hopefully he will find some excitement dealing with other breeds.

thank you for your response.
I take him and he always, Always, ALWAYS brings something home. He is always picking up strays to bring home from under cars in the parking lots or off the side of the road. The usual stray cost appx $500. Vet bills and meds before we are able to find a home for the stray. The last stray cost is in excess of $500. But ultimately had to be put down by the vet. The stray before that cost very little bf we were able to rehome and she was pregnant with we heard, 5 kittens had on the lady's bed. What a surprise! And that dog! That doggie from the WalMart parking lot has attacked my chickens and hurt several and killed one! All pullets and were laying. I lost my best Calico/Mille Fleur. One side of her was Calico and the other side was Mille Fleur.
I think we are going to have a sit down about that parkinglot doggie!

 

[ApiaryandAviary]

My kness justify surgery the Doc said.
First one and then two to three months later the other. Protect those knees!
They said they are going to save my blood and prep me and I have to take a class bc the Doc said he will want me up immediately. I am scared. I have not gone through anything like this before. Complete Knee replacement. Like I said. I fell. I laid in pain. I accidentally hurt Myself in my own home and I am fully responsible for myself. I had my mind on things other than what I was doing. My fault. My mistake. No one else is to blame. Good thing I have insurance. Lesson learned.

 

[suyoder]

@ApiaryandAviary

Im so sorry! That's quite the surgery. Hope it goes well and you recover quickly.

And about your other post... When i was growing up, we had an airedale terrier that killed a couple of our new chickens... My dad took the dead chicken and tied it around the dogs neck, and left it there for about a week. Whew. Stank, but the dog never touched another chicken!! not saying it would work for your dog, but just thought i would share that story.

 

[ApiaryandAviary]

@ApiaryandAviary

Im so sorry! That's quite the surgery. Hope it goes well and you recover quickly.

And about your other post... When i was growing up, we had an airedale terrier that killed a couple of our new chickens... My dad took the dead chicken and tied it around the dogs neck, and left it there for about a week. Whew. Stank, but the dog never touched another chicken!! not saying it would work for your dog, but just thought i would share that story.

Your not kidding are you? That had to stink!
I really needed to go to the flock swap in Eden or hold one here Saturday morning. My knees are swollen like grapefruits and barely move.
Amazing being asked if I fell somewhere. I had already said at home. No one else was involved! My mind was else where and I did not have my mind on what I was doing. I also gave myself whiplash from the top of the stairs. The Doc said I should have kept the laundry basket infront of me going down the stairs. Was he kidding? No! The first jerk was my knees going forward as the dogs ran past me at the top of the stairs to beat me down the stairs. That big German (walmart parkinglot surprise) Shepard/Chocolate Lab mix got me in the back of my knees and then I jerked my neck back as I flew forward going down on my knees several steps down THEN some how I must have tucked my neck as I tried to throw my hands out that was useless because I went down on my back as I continued to move forward and down, all the way down with each wooded stair cutting my spine. My knees, my hips, my neck and each tiny backbone felt it. I sat at tye botom of the stairs sitting upright in mute nostril agony. Unable to even cry. All I could do was breath through my nose in Short shallow quick inhale -exhaling. With two big dogs jumping all around me wanting that promised treat. What was I thinking at the top of the stairs? not what I should have been. I should have had my mind on what I was doing carrying a basket of clothes down that long stair case. Long. Hard. Wooden stairs. Not rounded but sharp edged wood, hard, long stairs.

 

[bltchickens]

Does anyone have guineas for sale in northern Virginia? Loudoun, Fairfax, Clarke, fauqier county sorta area??? I also am getting a batch of chicks in a week and will had some extra wyandottes silkies and some mystery chicks!! Will be for sale for cheap/trade