Washingtonians

[hallerlake]

Quote:
How wonderful. I'd block the nest box if I could, but I'm no expert. I would think the hen would be willing to go anywhere her chicks were, but again, I'm no expert..

 

[SadieSue]

Must be the sunshine? After not getting ANY eggs for the past 10 days since Whitey went broody, Mimi the barnie gave us her first egg 2 days ago, then yesterday Harper, the Ameraucana fussed and fretted and gave us her first egg! She was like Goldilocks jumping from one nest box to another, trying out all three as this nest was too hard, this one not enough straw, etc. Eventually I found her settled in the middle nest with her little Ameraucana sister snuggled in tightly next to her in the same box. Was she comforting Harper? Lending moral support? Or just learning close up what would be in store for her when she began laying in a couple of months?
This morning we also found another pretty egg from Mimi which was thankfully, larger than the first. And in other good news, Whitey is apparently done being broody! We had stuck her in a wire cage in the coop for a day. Yesterday I let her into the run and then guarded the nest box for the next hour while I worked outside, preventing her from getting back in. Later that afternoon I saw she had dug herself a nice cool hole to bathe in while her she soaked up some rays from a small sliver of sun on her face. Today, no more broody hen, although she is still as bossy as ever.
Oh, As The Coop Turns - these girls are endlessly entertaining.

Chicks are over 3 weeks old now. I'm going to have to find someplace new for them. They are outgrowing that brooder that seemed HUGE when I first put them in there! I'm looking at the bunny cage now. That could work for probably 3 days at the rate they're growing. Wishing I had a bigger grow out pen now!

Here's a couple of pics of Harper's beautiful egg - I am so pleased with her.

 

[SadieSue]

Quote:
How wonderful. I'd block the nest box if I could, but I'm no expert. I would think the hen would be willing to go anywhere her chicks were, but again, I'm no expert..

That's fun! Not sure what your set up is like - I guess we need to hear from the experts. But if you moved the chicks to a lower nest, would the mama follow to where they were? She wouldn't be able to get them to the higher box by herself again then, right? Oh, I see now. You need to keep her separate from the other hens. I'll be interested to hear any solution to this.

 

[herbandteas]

Quote:
The geese of course!
The duck wanabees are so ugly they don't need to bite and I'll be running...plus these are shinney and black!!

Ultimate scare machines. haha
So bout the diabetes thing, if you are going for the second test, the super sweet 7up tasting drink is soooo sweet you might want to bring your DH with you, just in case you pass out. I up chucked it

Then went crash. Good thing I had DH to take me home. But no worries. It will be OK.

Apparently, there are three "flavors," orange, lemon/lime and fruit punch.

I was thinking about that because I normally don't eat/drink much sugar because it does make me crash...so I avoid it all together.

I had to drink some of that stuff and omg it did just what everyone said . Good thing I only have to have a colonospy every ten years!

 

[herbandteas]

Quote:
I had my buff orpington chicks up on a high place as my nesting area is there. Once they were all hatched the broodies got out and the chicks tried to follow which I promptly took them to a brooder. As the last time I had tried this a year ago I came out to stomped flat chicks

 

[herbandteas]

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I am so waiting to see when my easter egg chicken lays an egg. I wanted them just for the colors and I just love ee hens too. Whats funny is the rooster sounds like he is blowing a fog horn .....Maybe that should be his name LOL

 

[Ogress]

4 chicks!!! All 4 eggs hatched! (with my batting everage lately, 3 will be cockerals). I'm moved them to my broody buster cage with no incidents. I lined it with cardboard so their little feetsies don't fall through the grid, and put a towell with shavings down on it so their feet can grip.

One poor little chick is having a tough time hobbling around because the toes on both feet are fused

. I'm going to look and see what to do about that. I think broody posted pictures? The other 3 are energetic, and already eating!

I will post pictures as soon as the batteries are re-charged.

 

[BarnChick]

Too bad for the one chick, hope he makes it, but nice that all four hatched out!!

 

[Stumpfarmer]

More egg pictures; I tried hard to get a picture of Terre last night because it seemed to me her comb had doubled in size overnight. Wish I'd managed, because it would document changes immediatly before laying, to whit:

(All four hens laying: this could get a bit overwhelming).

Oops, photobucket is weird, 'scuse, back in a minute: that's Terre on Monday night.

Here, I hope

 

[Ogress]

Baby Pix!!!

Please let me know what you would do about the webbed feet, and when you would do it.

Mama and chicks: (doesn't seem to notice that they are a different breed hatched from dark brown, not blue eggs!)

All 4 chicks:

I think this one is a boy!:

Cutie:

Funky Feet: