Chicken updates anyone?

[Marsha Cassada]

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]

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]

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]

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

They sound lovely.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

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]

Oops!

I forgot my salmon lavander cochin

Her name is princess.

Lol

Good call reignmaker.

 

[MindyLee]

Oops!

I forgot my salmon lavander cochin

Her name is princess.

Lol

Good call reignmaker.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

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]

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]

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]

Sorry your Miss Kevin didn't make it.

 

[jacks'thunder]

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.

Sorry your Miss Kevin didn't make it.

Thank you

 

[Shari]

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]

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.

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

First day out....