Washingtonians

[FlyRobinFly]

Love, Love, love. They are the cutest babies! Adorable photos Robin- not sure how you got them to sit still. Mine were unhappy during photo sessions unless I held them.

This sounds weird, but we just talked to them. They love to have conversations, if we speak to them they stand still and look up and listen and sometimes talk back! Here is a pic that shows what I mean.

 

[FlyRobinFly]

we saw them too and resisted!!

Probably for the best. They weren't terribly spectacular or interesting...I was hoping the hen would have some sort of colorful firework egg. But it was still fun to have a roo and hen fireworks.

 

[FlyRobinFly]

Well, the only animals I was worried about with the fireworks were my cats and the chickens. Cats stayed inside all day and the chickens could not care less about all the noise. But I will be very busy trying to find my great dane Jazz. One of the kids left the gate open and he walked out, which normaly is fine and he is such a momma's boy he never takes off. He has never had a problem with fireworks either, so we think that maybe he was walking around out by the street and some one thought he was a lost dog and picked him up. Or the big mortor booms scared him this year. I am losing my mind with him not being here. If I had not had a fewe drinks last night there is no way I would have been able to sleep. I hope we find him soon.

Hope no one elts lost a family memeber (pet) to the fireworks. Also I hope that you all had a great 4th of July!

Oh no! I hope you find him soon and he is none the worse for wear.

 

[SadieSue]

Quote:
LOL, they look so tiny on your coffee table! I had forgotten how small mine were just a short 7 1/2 weeks ago.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Guess I should get used to the fact that when the weather is nice nobody is around? What a slow day here! I just hung out with the kids all day, didn't do much at all. Had a fight with DH and wished we'd both kept our mouths shut but it's too late for that. I'm ready for bed!

 

[FirewifeJess]

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Would it work fairly well to begin keeping them in the run all morning and only allowing them to free-range in the afternoons? I've read that most chickens get their cue to lay from the sun coming up so most of the laying *should* happen in the morning right; keeping them confined to coop and run should give them no other choice but to lay in the nest boxes, right? Wonder if that would help train them at all, along with the golf balls in the nest boxes.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote:
Would it work fairly well to begin keeping them in the run all morning and only allowing them to free-range in the afternoons? I've read that most chickens get their cue to lay from the sun coming up so most of the laying *should* happen in the morning right; keeping them confined to coop and run should give them no other choice but to lay in the nest boxes, right? Wonder if that would help train them at all, along with the golf balls in the nest boxes.
I wouldn't count on the idea of them laying mostly in the morning. We gather several times a day and have some that will lay just a bit before they roost for the night!!

 

[FirewifeJess]

I wouldn't count on the idea of them laying mostly in the morning. We gather several times a day and have some that will lay just a bit before they roost for the night!!

Oh wow, guess I got some wrong information somewhere! LOL Hmm, well any other suggestions as to how to train birds who already free-range to lay in the nest boxes? I do have some empty cat litter plastic buckets I could use around the yard...unfortunately there are TONS of super secure, dark places under overgrown bushes in the backyard that they LOVE to lay in all day long. Maybe it's going to be harder than I think...

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Look what a friend gave me:
It is a little old. 2 of them have holes in the bottom, but I think I can fix with with some plywood or something. Little rust here and there.....but other than that great. I am going to put it somewhere protected for now. I plan on doing up a nice "layer" coop - probably next year - I want to be able to sell eggs.

 

[Imp]

FWJ,
Everyday is Easter with free ranging hens.

I have found with mine that they mostly will return to the coop to lay in their nests. They have on occasion decided to lay in the bushes, usually the bamboo litter. I watch them to know where to look. Rarely I found one just dropped 1 the yard somewhere.

Russ