# Chicken updates anyone?



## Marsha Cassada (Oct 10, 2013)

Our barred rock chicks are 5 months old now. I found the first little egg! She had watched the big girls and laid it in the nest like a pro. We have one of the hatched chicks left. She was a homely little girl at first but now is turning into a lovely bird. We think Modern Game, but maybe some aracana. We'll know if we get a blue egg.

One of the barred rocks chases my rat terrier. We worked to get him to leave the chickens alone, and now the tables are turned. She chases him across the yard and pecks him. Yesterday she got him good and I heard him snarl. Not sure how to deal with this. The silly chicken has no clue what she could get into. Last week he was lying in the grass with a nice bone and she came up. I hurried out to intervene, but he picked up his bone and took it somewhere else. I chased her off. I'm afraid there will be trouble.


----------



## Miniv (Oct 10, 2013)

Our spring chicks are laying now too. I'm learning which hen has laid by the color of the egg.

On a sad note, a raccoon found a small gap in the fencing a couple of weeks ago and killed one of our hens and two of our domestic mallard ducks. One of the ducks was my daughter's show duck for next year's 4-H Poultry project, so she was pretty upset. I've blocked the butter plate sized gap and so far so good....but it was a horrible sight to come out to that morning to feed them.....They all had their heads chewed off! And a couple of our other chickens had their tail feathers pulled out.


----------



## MindyLee (Oct 10, 2013)

My chicks I hatched out from Arkansas has turned out perfectly! The colors r just stunning and their conformation and personalities are perfect. I have almost every color in cochin now and starting a new project breeding with "chocolate" solid/splash/mottled cochins crossed with my new rare english chocolate orphington bantams.

I have...

5 english chocolate orphingtons

4 pure white cochins

1 lavander cochin

1 lavander splash cochin

3 buff barred cochins

2 blue mottled cochins

4 black mottled cochins

1 chocolate mottled cochin

1 silver laced cochin

1 gold laced cochin

2 black silkies

1 white silkie

2 Millie fleurs

1 black mottled Millie fleur

1 salmon fervorollie

2 frizzles

1 blue barred cochin

2 red cochins

1 partridge cochin

And

20 calico cochins... blue and reds.

Ooooh they are so pretty and yep... all 57 have names.

Only 7 of them are roosters and the rest are all hens.

Cant wait till chick season and already have a huge waiting list for hatching eggs and or chicks!


----------



## Reignmaker Miniatures (Oct 10, 2013)

Hmmm, is someone left out? I only counted 56.




They sound lovely.


----------



## Marsha Cassada (Oct 10, 2013)

Miniv said:


> Our spring chicks are laying now too. I'm learning which hen has laid by the color of the egg.
> 
> On a sad note, a raccoon found a small gap in the fencing a couple of weeks ago and killed one of our hens and two of our domestic mallard ducks. One of the ducks was my daughter's show duck for next year's 4-H Poultry project, so she was pretty upset. I've blocked the butter plate sized gap and so far so good....but it was a horrible sight to come out to that morning to feed them.....They all had their heads chewed off! And a couple of our other chickens had their tail feathers pulled out.


This happened to a friend of mine in NM recently. It's traumatic.


----------



## MindyLee (Oct 10, 2013)

Oops!

I forgot my salmon lavander cochin

Her name is princess.

Lol

Good call reignmaker.


----------



## MindyLee (Oct 10, 2013)

Oops!

I forgot my salmon lavander cochin

Her name is princess.

Lol

Good call reignmaker.


----------



## Reignmaker Miniatures (Oct 11, 2013)

LOL, I must have too much time on my hands that I added them up.






Princess sounds beautiful, any pictures?

My own update is a bit sad, last year I shared pictures of Manny (my rooster) with you all. I think he was quite an old man really, based on his spur length which easily reached 4" so I suppose that explains it, but late this summer Manny seemed unwell one morning and before noon he was gone. The girls stayed healthy and he showed no symptoms leading up to his last day so I suspect simple age as the cause. We miss his crisp voice telling us it was morning every day.Mostly I miss watching him fuss over his harem, calling them to try some tasty morsel he had discovered. Sigh, I am having a hard time deciding if I should begin the search for the next 'Manny' for my small flock or just accept that mine will be an all girl hen house. We did get 3 new pullets to add to the group, they should begin laying any day now.


----------



## jacks'thunder (Oct 11, 2013)

My update is kinda sad also. This summer, my son and I lost my favorite Turken. She was so cool, lots of personality. My son was so sad, so this spring I will order some for us. 3 days ago My son got home from school and went to check on the chickens. I hear a shriek and he comes screaming up to the house saying everyone is picking on Kevin and she's bleeding everywhere. Well it's pretty bad. We worked together to get get her in a bunny cage where she is safe, fresh water, food, hay to sleep on. She's still hanging in there but for how long I don't know. I feel horrible for her. Man those chickens can be vicious!!!

On kind of an up note, I'm hoping to get my 2nd coop up and running before winter. Big word here hoping! LOL! Our power went out in the barn( and coop, same line) this summer so hubby has that to do. He had to run a new heavy line, put in a box, and a whole bunch of other electrical stuff. We are just waiting on one piece to get it complete. I still have no power but I'm closer!!!

And once it's up He can focus on the coop. I want a few from Mindylee so that's my goal! I want all the new little girls to have there own area where they are happy and safe from those big girls. One of my sons favorites is a little black banty named fuzzy feet. He loves her, always picks her up and talks to her. She's old, maybe 7 or 8 so....

Update: Miss Kevin passed away. Poor old girl, she gave me lots of good eggs. I wish her end would have been better. But I'm glad I found her this morning and not my son. Sorry Miss Kevin RIP.


----------



## Debby - LB (Oct 11, 2013)

Soo sorry about your Turken! I hope she recovers. Yes they are definitely vicious. When I used to raise Quail I had little green blinders I had to put on them.

We have free range game fowl. I love to see the little biddies but they reproduce like darn rabbits and the cocks..which out of a hatching almost 3/4 of them are.. get to almost 5 months then fight each other to the death, so we try to catch them about 3 months old and those go in the freezer. To be honest they go into my daughters freezer since once I watch and worry about the little dudes then I can't kill and eat them. Here is a cute photo of some who were born in Aug.


----------



## Miniv (Oct 11, 2013)

Sorry your Miss Kevin didn't make it.


----------



## jacks'thunder (Oct 12, 2013)

Debby - LB said:


> Soo sorry about your Turken! I hope she recovers. Yes they are definitely vicious. When I used to raise Quail I had little green blinders I had to put on them.


Thanks, Turken Passed this summer, but we miss her. The girl who Got injured is a barred rock who's name was Miss Kevin. She did not make it.



Miniv said:


> Sorry your Miss Kevin didn't make it.


Thank you


----------



## Shari (Oct 13, 2013)

The 26 Orpingtons, Speckled Sussex and Welsummers are doing well. Been working to keep them tame with meal worms... freeze dried ones.  
DS has taught a couple to sit on his shoulders. (rolling eyes) Just can't wait for the first time they try that with me, and get tangled up in my hair.
Need to take some photos of them soon. 

Sorry to hear about the poultry losses.


----------



## Marsha Cassada (Oct 13, 2013)

Shari said:


> The 26 Orpingtons, Speckled Sussex and Welsummers are doing well. Been working to keep them tame with meal worms... freeze dried ones.
> 
> DS has taught a couple to sit on his shoulders. (rolling eyes) Just can't wait for the first time they try that with me, and get tangled up in my hair.
> 
> ...


Tell DS to watch his eyes while a chicken is setting on his shoulder. Shining eyes look tempting. Chickens only think about food; they are not looking for affection.

Anyone have ideas for keeping chickens out of buildings? We cannot open our shop for two minutes without the chickens' radar telling them. NO CHICKENS ALLOWED IN THE SHOP! I have found them roosting on my cart more than once. That is not a pretty sight!


----------



## MindyLee (Oct 13, 2013)

I have a very affection lil hen.

She is at the bottem of the pecking order in the coop and is blind in one eye, and I believe shes a lil mental as her breeder has inbred to the hilts.

She was given to me and everytime she hears/sees me she comes running so I can hold her and carry her all over while doing chores. I stuff her in my big pocket in the front of my sweatshirt and she nessles right in as she belongs there. I love this lil hen (name is Candy) and she is def my fav of the coop ful. Shes my lavander splash cochin.


----------



## jacks'thunder (Oct 14, 2013)

MindyLee said:


> I have a very affection lil hen.
> 
> She is at the bottem of the pecking order in the coop and is blind in one eye, and I believe shes a lil mental as her breeder has inbred to the hilts.
> 
> She was given to me and everytime she hears/sees me she comes running so I can hold her and carry her all over while doing chores. I stuff her in my big pocket in the front of my sweatshirt and she nessles right in as she belongs there. I love this lil hen (name is Candy) and she is def my fav of the coop ful. Shes my lavander splash cochin.


Omg, thats' so sweet!


----------



## MindyLee (Oct 14, 2013)

1st pic is Candy & I.

The rest are some of my chicks almost all grown up.

I wish I could post the viveo I have of my chickens cause its so funny watching them fight over who can sit on my lap. Plus I was feeding them breed and thats alsways fun watching them go bonkers for their bread. They all eat from my hand so its fun to see 57 chickens all trying to get a piece. I def have some spoiled rotten birds! LOL


----------



## Shari (Oct 14, 2013)

Yup, DS was has been around chickens for goodness... 19 years, there about. He is careful. However, I told him, if he teaches one of the turkeys to like sitting on shoulders,,, he would be in trouble. LOL

Mindylee... love your chickens, they look like little bits of colorful confetti. VBG

The chickens have learned to stay out of where ever we are in... use a broom to scoot them out. The Turkeys.... at this point in time, they think their names are OUT, and OFF.... LoL.... I just gentle herd them out, with my cane.
Hopefully they will learn in time.


----------



## Marsha Cassada (Oct 14, 2013)

What a nice picture of that gentle girl on your shoulder!

Shari, mine are starting to think their names are SHOO and OUT OF THERE.

One of the buffs eats out of my hand while sitting in my lap. But the barred girls are too rough. They can't peck a sunflower seed up carefully, they try to get my skin with it. I have to feed them from a little bowl when on my lap.


----------



## Shari (Oct 15, 2013)

First day out....


----------



## MindyLee (Oct 15, 2013)

I love the blk & gold mix. And the shed.

I love all chickens!


----------



## kaycee (Oct 16, 2013)

i just got a pick-up box load of ear corn. the chickens won't eat the corn i shelled for them so i assume i will have to crack the kernels. what do you use to crack the corn?


----------



## jacks'thunder (Oct 17, 2013)

We use a grinder or a very cool, antique, belt driven mix feed maker. I know, hardly any one has one of these but it so neat to watch it work. The guys take it to shows and use it for demonstrations, and I get the corn all beautifully cracked!

If you don't have a feed grinder *maybe* you can mix it in with other feed and they will eat it whole....? From experience mine will not eat it whole unless it's on the cob and only give once in a while as a treat.

I use cracked corn all season long mixed with my feed to make it stretch a little farther. One time I bought a bag from TSC ( first few months owning chicks) and OMG I did not hear the end of it for weeks! I didn't know I could use the cattle's corn for chicks! LOL!

Good luck!! And remember you can always crack it by hand if you have too!


----------



## Debby - LB (Oct 17, 2013)

for some reason the last bag of cracked corn we bought the chickens aren't eating it? it's weird, this has never happened before.


----------



## MindyLee (Oct 17, 2013)

My birds eat pheasant scratch.

Also get blk oil sunflower seeds

Critter blocks

And of course layer mask.

Oh

And bread.

But the pheasant cratch I get at work and they love that stuff. Its great feed!


----------



## Reignmaker Miniatures (Oct 17, 2013)

I would think a coffee grinder would crack corn if you don't need large amounts at one time. My mother used to grind wheat for the new chicks using an antique coffee grinder. It was cranked by hand but the new ones are electric and very powerful.


----------



## Shari (Oct 17, 2013)

Something I have noticed... if I tried to feed my Chickens and Turkeys... just plain old bagged corn. They won't touch it.

But if I feed them certified organic Non GMO corn... they eat it like candy.


----------



## Marsha Cassada (Oct 24, 2013)

_We went on a little trip and had a neighbor check eggs while we were away. I thought her little girl would be charmed to gather eggs. NOT. She was horrified to think of eating them because they had babies inside._

_I guess she remembers that we hatched some. Hard to explain the facts of life to a 2 year old--- No rooster here._

_I left the feeder full and two water sources. But I didn't want to leave the eggs ungathered. Horses and chickens could be self sufficient for a few days if it weren't for the eggs._

_The chickens were sure happy to get out and scavange today! And I think they missed me._

_Dog, chickens, horses--we are all in our places again. Home is where the heart is._


----------



## Debby - LB (Oct 24, 2013)

my update is I found my oldest Rooster dead this week. I sure hate that he was so pretty and his hens are a little lost still. I have to get all these young Roosters slaughtered and in the freezer.


----------



## Reignmaker Miniatures (Oct 24, 2013)

I'm sorry you lost your rooster. I was given 2 last week and lost one the first day (he just vanished) then yesterday I came home to find the other one had flown over the coop fence and my roti pup (14months +-) has had a fine old time playing with him. I thought sure he was dead but he showed a few signs of life so I put him by himself in a large dog kennel with a dog house and waited to see if he would last the night. He has no open wounds (dog is actually pretty careful with her teeth) but he has bruises and contusions and has lost a great deal of feathers including all but 2 short, tail feathers. He used to look so proud but now he is pretty bedraggled. Still it does look like he will survive and we are now calling him Lucky.


----------



## Debby - LB (Oct 25, 2013)

that's a shame I'm sorry you lost one too, sounds like you got home just in time I hope he makes it!


----------



## Reignmaker Miniatures (Oct 25, 2013)

Thanks, it looked pretty positive yesterday. He was up eating and drinking, but he is much subdued. One of the reasons we were given him was because he is a noisy guy. He would crow pretty steadily from first light until dark, which some people dislike - I happen to like the sound. I have heard no crowing from him since his near death experience. I suppose once he can go back in with the girls he might start up again. Right now he is feeling vulnerable and doesn't want to attract attention to himself I expect.


----------



## Marsha Cassada (Oct 25, 2013)

Reignmaker Miniatures said:


> Thanks, it looked pretty positive yesterday. He was up eating and drinking, but he is much subdued. One of the reasons we were given him was because he is a noisy guy. He would crow pretty steadily from first light until dark, which some people dislike - I happen to like the sound. I have heard no crowing from him since his near death experience. I suppose once he can go back in with the girls he might start up again. Right now he is feeling vulnerable and doesn't want to attract attention to himself I expect.


Chickens are pretty fragile. He must have a strong will to have survived. Hope he makes it.


----------



## Reignmaker Miniatures (Oct 25, 2013)

Well, it looks promising. Lucky was talking to me this morning when I gave him fresh water and more food. He still hasn't come out of the dog house into the pen part but he is moving around in the house his eyes are clear and he holds himself alert/proud again. I told my husband the first night, if he survives the night he has a chance and if he lives he is one tough bird. Every day that passes I think his prognosis looks better. He will be getting his wings clipped before he goes back with the hens, I had forgotten that young roosters are pretty light weight and can fly quite well until they put on more pounds. Clipped wings will keep him where he belongs after he is healed up. I feel bad for not assuring that he couldn't fly before this happened since I know my dog likes to chase things and a flapping squawking chicken would be too much to resist



. Now I have an injured rooster and a dog that will always need to be watched carefully.


----------



## Marsha Cassada (Oct 25, 2013)

You only clip one wing. There is a very good diagram and instructions for clipping at

http://poultrykeeper.com/ search: how to clip a wing

We just went through this with my nephews barred rocks and black beauty. They were really flying high! Our barreds do not fly up like that, thank goodness. We did the minimal clip on the girls and that will probably be enough for them. Your rooster may need more.

Hope he stays Lucky!


----------



## Reignmaker Miniatures (Oct 25, 2013)

Interesting site, thanks for sharing it Marsha. I have had chickens of and on for many years and grew up with chickens as well so I just do what my mother did when it comes to wing clipping.



She would clip the primary (and sometimes secondary) flight feathers on both wings every spring so I do too. I can't say whether it is really necessary to do both wings (it seems reasonable that just doing one would work) but it sure does keep the birds grounded. Poor Lucky has already lost his glorious tail and now I am making plans to chop the ends off his wing feathers too. Good thing his tail will grow back (I hope) so he won't feel so embarrassed.


----------



## Marsha Cassada (Oct 25, 2013)

Reignmaker Miniatures said:


> Interesting site, thanks for sharing it Marsha. I have had chickens of and on for many years and grew up with chickens as well so I just do what my mother did when it comes to wing clipping.
> 
> 
> 
> She would clip the primary (and sometimes secondary) flight feathers on both wings every spring so I do too. I can't say whether it is really necessary to do both wings (it seems reasonable that just doing one would work) but it sure does keep the birds grounded. Poor Lucky has already lost his glorious tail and now I am making plans to chop the ends off his wing feathers too. Good thing his tail will grow back (I hope) so he won't feel so embarrassed.


If both wings are clipped it makes the bird more stable to fly. If only one wing is clipped, he is lop sided and cannot get airborne.


----------



## Reignmaker Miniatures (Oct 25, 2013)

True, its been my experience tho that once their wings are clipped they can't lift off well enough to fly. Never had one fly after I clipped the wings but clipping one would be quicker for sure.


----------



## Marsha Cassada (Oct 27, 2013)

I want to mention the chick that our hen hatched. We had no idea what the rooster/hens were and this chick was the funniest looking bird. Striped like a chipmunk and no tail. The last few weeks she has turned into a beauty. She is colored rather like a robin. Very gentle. We had a successful hatch of three chicks from the fertile eggs. One was eaten by a snake, one turned out to be a black cockerel. He was just gorgeous. He went to a home where the folks want to teach their children to show chickens; they named him Ninja.

So, we still have Stripey, but we may change her name to Robin. I need to get a photo of her in case anyone recognizes her breed. We thought it might be modern game at first, but aren't sure now.


----------



## kaycee (Oct 29, 2013)

went "online" and found a hand cranked grinder from of all places walmart. ordered one and have ground a couple of shelled ears of corn. it took a couple of meals but now they slick it up. that should lessen the feed bill.

now i need to find some one to butcher a few roosters(i cannot kill them and neither can significant other!). they are just tooo pretty-if you can apply that to a male!!!!


----------



## MindyLee (Oct 30, 2013)

too bad ur not close enough...

I butcher all my "too many roos"

and for a friend as well!


----------



## Marsha Cassada (Oct 30, 2013)

I got a pretty good picture of our Stripey. We think she is a modern game. What do you experts think? I've stopped at the house where we got the fertile eggs a couple of times to try and find out more about the rooster/hen but no one answered the door.

www.cassphoto.com/stripey.jpg


----------



## paintponylvr (Dec 17, 2013)

Have a question - do any of you have any experience with the "super blue layers"? These are Ameraucana x white Leghorn crosses. I went ahead and purchased a trio - believe the hens are F1 and the roo is F2, but might be the other way around OR I may have purchased brood stock that is F1 and the resulting chicks will be F2. I need to call the woman I purchased them from (once I re-sort the papers/addresses I got at the show this weekend) to figure out which way they are. These are young - won't be laying eggs for a while. Because I have two hens and one roo, I expect that I will also have chicks resulting from "clutches" (right term?) when they are older.

I don't have a good coop or small pen situation yet, they are pretty wild - so they are still crated. I am pulling them out each day and handling them some. Need to get some mealy worms - so that I can feed them from my hands.


Don't have other pics yet...

I also got a little bantam, red, roo. He's very happy here and so are my BIG girls (production reds(4), ameraucanas (3) & cucko marans (1)..








& who says they can't live together?? Here's Tigger, the cat; Monkey the dog and Roo, the new bantam rooster. In my living room! Actually, Roo stayed in my lap for a couple of hours - before I put him in his box for the night. He's already "running loose" with the girls - roosting up on the outside of the dog kennel in the carport.


----------



## Marsha Cassada (Dec 17, 2013)

Very pretty birds!

Leghorns are flighty, so they may not tame down as much as heavy birds. If your pen doesn't have a top, you will likely need to clip a wing. I don't think leghorns are very broody, so you may not get chicks, unless you incubate.

Your rooster is so handsome. Sort of makes me want one, but not quite!

How fun to go to a chicken show!


----------



## paintponylvr (Dec 17, 2013)

If I need to, they can become dinner. Shoot even my "heavy birds" got their wings clipped (right one) as youngsters, trying to slow the flying around and out of here business!

See I hadn't really resaearched the leghorns, but I believe what some are saying is that you retain the blue laying w/ them (whereas my brown laying hens would produce chicks that have olive coloration. Too funny - why would "we" cross a low rate sitting/laying bird on another that is the say way along with the extra flightiness. ah - live and learn. It's been fun and they are "purty"!


----------



## Reignmaker Miniatures (Dec 18, 2013)

Well, they might not be great setters but leghorns* are* great layers so the cross should give you hens that will lay plenty of 'blue' eggs. You can always slip some under one of your heavy hens if she starts to go broody since she won't give a hoot who's eggs she hatches out. BTW leghorns are not ideal as eating birds, just not all that much meat on them.  when I process the young roosters from a group of mixed chicks (in my case still a bigger bird than leghorns -called a dual purpose - but not a meat bird IMO) I just call them soup chickens. I also find even processed young they are not very tender so they make good soup but not much for roasting or frying.

Love your new addition btw


----------

