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Post by deckman22 on Feb 1, 2019 1:53:23 GMT -5
I thought I was getting 2 kinds of chickens in the new batch, 4 of each kind. Turns out I did not get 4 barred rocks, I got 2 of those and 2 others that I'm not sure what they are yet. Possibly those 2 are not the same kind of bird either. A month old and growing like weeds.
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Post by gardendmpls on Feb 1, 2019 15:43:10 GMT -5
I've heard that at the feed stores, the chicks often get mixed up. I order from a hatchery or hatch my own. The hatcheries usually guarantee 90% females, but the percent is usually much better. Hatching should be 50/50, but I have been lucky to get mostly hens. Last batch, however was mostly roosters. All but one of the swedish flowery, and the blue laced red Wyandottes were also male, except for one I am not sure of yet. Did have some French copper marans hens, but alas, the beautiful, double laced barnevelder was a roo.
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Post by deckman22 on Feb 2, 2019 14:45:24 GMT -5
I've always have got hens from the feed store. This is the first time the breed of chicken was wrong. I'm actually happy about it cause I want a variety of birds. Next year I'll get some of the pretty birds.
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Post by gardendmpls on Jul 2, 2019 19:18:23 GMT -5
Chick fever again. Hatched 2 buff orpingtons and 2 speckled sussex at school that are ready to go to the teen chick house, after I staple the wire on low again so they have a place to escape to. Ordered three sets of hatching eggs:
Blue laced red wyandottes- they are expensive to buy as chicks, even though last year I had the misfortune to hatch a bunch of roosters. Silver double laced barnevelders- also expensive as chicks Gold spangled appenzeller- the white version looks like something Cruella deVille would love, but the gold is beautiful
The rest I decided to order as chicks from Meyer Hatchery, so I wouldn't have too many roosters to dispose of. I can always sell extra hens at point of lay for $20-$30 here in NYC.
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Post by gardendmpls on Jul 2, 2019 19:20:23 GMT -5
Forgot to mention, tried to time the chick order to align with the hatching so I can put them together. Have two broody hens, but they shift nests too much. Maybe next year I'll build a broody pen in the coop.
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Post by gardendmpls on Jul 18, 2019 8:48:12 GMT -5
Candled the eggs today. All the blue laced reds were not developing. The gold spangled appenzellers were almost all rotten, including three that exploded in the incubator and another few which exploded in the sink after being culled for not developing. It got so instead of cracking them while doing the "eggtopsies", I held them over the sink, dropped and ducked. (Glad they weren't duck eggs or I would have to duck the duck.) One egg had a yolk that looked hard boiled and almost no albumin (white). Never had rotten eggs the first week of incubation, so either something happened in shipping or the seller was not very careful. Many of the eggs had large pores, indicative of low calcium in the hens' feed. Those are more susceptible to bacteria, which could account for the explosions. The other eggs were possibly developing. I'll know next week.
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Post by tom π on Jul 18, 2019 10:34:20 GMT -5
Candled the eggs today. All the blue laced reds were not developing. The gold spangled appenzellers were almost all rotten Are the eggs being shaken in transport? I did not have this problem when I incubated eggs.
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Post by gardendmpls on Jul 18, 2019 14:40:08 GMT -5
Generally I have good luck with eggs, which are sent by USPS. All it takes is one idiot tossing your box around, although clearly marked, or even a rough plane flight, a really bumpy road or an extremely hot room. Hens don't tend to schlep around their eggs, so they are not built for rough handling.
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Post by deckman22 on Nov 27, 2019 10:26:08 GMT -5
Recently I've noticed one of my hens is getting picked on (pecked on actually) by the other chickens. This morning I notice she's lost quite a bit of her feathers on the back of her neck, then watched as one of the other chickens pecked that spot. I quickly decide the top dog here doesn't like that so since the garden hose is in my hand I'd spray the offending chicken letting her know that behavior will not be tolerated, hopefully. I wonder if this will work keeping the hens from pecking her?
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Post by tom π on Nov 27, 2019 10:46:11 GMT -5
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Post by gardendmpls on Nov 28, 2019 21:26:28 GMT -5
If it is red from picking, the color is like a big "peck me" sign. You can spray on Blu-Kote, which has the dual properties of healing the area and dying it purple, which is not an attractive target for the other chickens. Just don't get it on yourself unless you are trying to emulate the purple people eater for the time it takes to wear off. Another product I've used is Pick-No-More (a lot of these products use dashes in their names). It's a stinky, sticky stuff that is also purported to have healing properties.
There are several reasons for hens to pick on other hens. One is when establishing or shifting the pecking order. Another is if a hen is ill. The flock members attack and drive away or even kill a sick bird because it will attract predators to the flock as well as spread anything contagious to the others. Then sometimes you just have a mean bird, and the couple I have had experience with were Rhode Island Reds. They ended up in a neighbor's soup pot.
Spraying the birds with water will not usually have a long term effect and is not fair if the hens are merely following their instincts while establishing their pecking order. If the bird is ill, it should be separated from the flock. If it seems everyone is picking on one bird to the point of injury, sometimes it is better to send the weaker one to live with a flock that's a better fit.
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Post by tom π on Nov 29, 2019 11:40:12 GMT -5
If it is red from picking, the color is like a big "peck me" sign. Could putting up red dots around the chicken yard distract chickens from pecking each other?
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Post by gardendmpls on Nov 29, 2019 13:31:56 GMT -5
I don't know; they'll probably peck both. They do like the taste of blood, which is why you have to spray on the purple stuff or separate the affected chicken.
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Post by deckman22 on Dec 9, 2019 2:07:32 GMT -5
Well so far the other chickens have laid off pecking the one chicken. She doesn't seem to be sick. She's one of the younger birds who is a good layer so I did not want to get rid of her especially since I just lost another to a coon. If it starts up again I will give that stuff a try gardenmpls, thanks.
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Post by gardendmpls on Dec 9, 2019 21:28:18 GMT -5
Right now I've got a rooster who started crowing yesterday. Have no time to find someone who likes fresh chicken. Hope I get him out before my neighbor calls the city ($1000. fine). This neighbor calls right away- doesn't give you any time to deal with the problem.
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