What did you do with your flock today?

[Shetland lover]

I never met anyone else that takes the time to actually observe ants. For. Way. Too. Long. When i moved down south and was introduced to fire ants for the 1st time, well, thats a whole different type of observing. Its called from a distance!!! research how to get rid of them

Well I do have a reputation for being ever so slightly crazy to keep up! Yesterday, I was late for an appointment as I spent ages watching orb web spiderlings disperse from the egg sac...
I'd definitely keep my distance from fire ants!

 

[Shetland lover]

I took care of some maintenance on the run this morning. I pulled out the pitchfork and turned all the wood chip bedding over in the entire run. I switched out their waterer for a different one, filled with fresh, cool water.

Then I removed the old, worn tree branch roost from the rebar sections pounded into the ground. I figured it was about time. It's been there quite a while and the chickens' feet have grown some, so a bigger branch should be more comfortable for them.

Here are the old and new roosts together. New one is nine feet long.

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And here's the new one set up in the run, being tried out for the first time by the girls. That tree moss won't be stuck to the branch very long. LOL. They seem to like the new roost!

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More big eggs today. I'm kind of concerned that some of them are so big. One of the pullets was trying to lay an egg, and making some terrible sounding vocal noises. Then she layed her head down, and I had to look close to see if she was still alive. She finally gave up and got out of the box, acting normally walking around. Then she went back to a different box. I'll need to check in a little while to see what, if anything came out.

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They are HUGE eggs for pullets newly laying! Eggs tend to get bigger as the hens mature too.

 

[Shetland lover]

I have rubber gloves, but no recommended lubricant. I guess a little olive oil would be safe to use if I have to, wouldn't it?

Olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil are all fine to use in a pinch. Hopefully she's o.k.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

The Jasper Adventures: Part One

I decided to check and see if there were any more eggs to collect, and I discovered Farren, the Delaware, committing a crime: she was being broody. Knowing that she would attract predators if I left her in the coop to brood at night, I made all of the effort of stretching my arms and twisting my body to reach her while she was pecking at me and fluffing up, as if I was scared of her. I grabbed her after more effort, and put her on the ground, where she commenced to making loud and screaming egg songs like the weird hen she is.

That is actually not the point. But I am getting to it now. After I got done breaking Farren, I walked over to the Gemstone Flock's door so I could collect the eggs that were in their nesting box. But no, Phoenix runs up to me and stares intently at me. Of course, he wants food, as if he is starving and I never spoil him with too many handfuls of food due to him being a great rooster.

Anyways, I gave him food and continued on with what I was doing. I greeted Ruby and picked her up, petting her and listening to her funny voice that sounds like a quiet version of a baby crying. I set her down, and walked a few steps over to the nesting box. I crouched down, and before I could even say the words "There are two eggs," I felt something jump on my back, and heard the beating of wings. I turned around quickly, and saw . . . JASPER! Jasper had flogged me when I was least expecting it, crouched down. I thought that stupid Old English Game Bantam would eventually turn back into his friendly young self. But nope, his cockerel hormones were raging now that his pullets were laying. I grabbed his little butt and pinned him down underneath me, grabbing his neck and pushing his face in the dirt. I let him go after a moment, and I hope he learns his lesson: I'm the real boss here.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

So I discovered I’ve been a neglectful chicken owner :-( We’ve had soccer and school start this past week, and daughter came down with COVID…so I haven’t gone out and spent daytime time with the babies in a couple days, just out at night to make sure all the doors shut and the rats stay out. Well yesterday I went out to check on things and give treats and refill waters…and did a head count and discovered Sia missing. We looked everywhere I could think to look and she’s nowhere to be found. My best guess is she found some way to get out of the run and is either hiding extremely well in the yard or she got taken by something while wandering free. :-( Escaping is NOT her style and adventures are not her thing, so I don’t have a clue why or how she disappeared but I’m rather devastated She was such a sweet and beautiful Silkie . There’s no sign of feathers, no sign of damage, there’s been no chicken alerting of danger…so whatever happened happened fast or when we weren’t home. She’s also broody so maybe she found some really great spot to hunker down after escaping…but with a Fox and huge rats…I don’t feel that she has much hope for showing back up. :-( I miss her presence and think Duchess does too :-(

Today I spent some time with the Cooplex clan…they’re all such sweet birds. I think I will be moving a few of them to the general population bantams soon…especially with Sia being gone. There’s literally only 2 birds in one of the coops. All the others cram into the Omlet Cube like weirdos. Gonna move Brillo, Smokey, Paddy (Lav cuckoo satin boy), and Ruby Jr. at the minimum. I’m also going to be selling or taking to auction the roosters I can’t keep pretty soon. Lots of boys in my Ameraucana hatches and three have DQ flaws that shouldn’t be bred with at all sadly. They’re Al such nice chickens though, I just love bantams!

Also, Shadow has been allowed in the house more now that he’s been to the vet and started vaccinations. Still not allowing interaction with Miyuki till he’s gotten all the shots, but he definitely loves being inside

Oh man!!! I hope you find her I’m so sorry!!! Sending good vibes that you find her safe and sound!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

I also have no issues with house chickens. We keep other birds indoors, why not chickens? (my long-suffering DH probably disagrees).

The bunnies will be much safer from flystrike indoors. I'd love a house bunny but DH has put his foot down.
They are really easy to housetrain as they naturally poop and pee in one place.

My husband didn’t really have much of a choice…I just came home with them after seeing my friend. I never do that. I ALWAYS talk to him first. A little back story. I took my roosters and some chicks to a swap meet. Well my friend went to this one and her daughter was selling them. Well her daughter didn’t sell one. I felt so bad. But then she bought another one. So they asked if i had an extra box. So i gave her one and my friend was like “wanna triad these bunnies for the box”. Uummm, no the box is a gift . The only reason I didn’t take them then or buy them from her daughter was because she said they were meat rabbits and she couldn’t process them. Well what made her think i could?? No way could i EVER process a bunny. Well, i never owned bunnies before so I didn’t realize it wasn’t like a broad breasted turkey or your meat chickens, where if they get to a certain age, they get too big and can’t survive. Little did I realize she just couldn’t keep them because of all the others she has.

Anyway my friend was like “you want the bunnies?”
Me: no….
Friend: here let me get you some feed in a bag, oh and some bedding.
Me: Sarah…
Friend (Sarah lol): you can keep the kennel too until you can get them something.
Me: fine but you are going to have to deal with my husband if he says no .

But he loves them too so there wasn’t a problem.

And no, there isn’t a problem with house chickens, ducks, etc. I would but with the dogs they would have to be in kennels. Well either the dogs or the animals. Momma dog will be ok. I’m just not sure about the babies. They will be a year old in November and are just still rambunctious. Momma wasn’t like them at this age.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Hey gang, Happy Aloha Saturday!!
I don't have the bandwidth yet, to go back and read posts, looks like this thread is moving. I'll get there... been a whirlwind here. My head is so jammed I did not check my chickens water and Kekaha coop was out and Kokee 3 waters were low. Such a bad mom... especially since it is so hot in Kekaha and I am so close. 50 ft... and I could not do it?!! Well, when it dawned on me, and I filled the water, the chooks sat around it like elephants. Thank goodness no one got sick from my negligence.
Last group of guests left the cabin last eve. Others left during the day, and the sweetest left the day b4. So lots of goodbyes and hugs and such.

My boy. He is still on Maui, where he wants and needs to be right now. He is at the Maui War Memorial that is seen on TV and he says they are taking good care of him. He will hopefully get his unemployment set up there and then be willing to make a decision. Is this redundant, like did I mention b4?... feel like I got beemed up by a spaceship
So I apologize. Some really horrific stories coming out of there...
Anywho, just waiting for his thumbs up.... or maybe I won't wait.. .I'm still hoping to go get him, maybe go see him today. It has been nice staying in constant contact with him, I'm just unsure of what the next move is. Waiting for a sign, but maybe just need to make a move.

I’m so sorry!!! You have a lot going on. Give yourself some grace. We can’t always have it together. We all know you love your babies. Human and animal babies. You know we are all here for you!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

I just love that this little girl doesn’t run from me. I had no intention of keeping one more hen but another hen never hurts. Might help my boys not kill each other next year. I believe my other single hatch baby is also a girl. I don’t think I will keep her though. I will have 5 hens as it is. Plus my silver pair and my East Indie trio.

 

[Nomadicus]

I may have made a mistake by letting out the dark Cornish and white giants but it is hot and I feel like they needed to be out to where they can wander in the shade f the oaks and scratch in the sandy spots making a dust batch here and there.

 

[kurby22]

Thank you. He's the only lavender I've had so I don't have anything to compare the effects of his genetics to. He was 3 or 4 days short of his first birthday and it rodenticide that killed him. Perhaps if another of my birds with less rarefied genetics ate a poisoned mouse, they may have survived it. Who knows?
Ferdy is so like his dad in personality and vocalizations, it still feels like I have Sylv with me.

The fact you haven't hatched a female lavender quail is really interesting. I know less than nothing about quail. Does the lavender gene favour hatching males? Or are they like chickens in that mom decides the sex of the chick?

It’s really awesome you have Ferdy to keep Sylv with you in spirit! I wish I had a Nohope son to be with me now. I miss him :-(

I haven’t figured out the lavender (silver) gene yet. When two silvers mate the babies die or are born with major issues that generally cause early death or blindness. My theory is that it must be either attached to a male chromosome somehow, or the females just rarely ever make it to hatch because there’s some other stuff that compromised genetically in the females when they have the silver gene. It’s interesting and also annoying when you love the color but don’t need anymore boys!