A Chickens Tribe's topics - tribe.net

Micoplasma

2008-07-08T23:22:50Z

I introduced some new (18 month old former commercial free range chickens) into my flock. Soon after they were all very ill and the vet tested them positive for micoplasma. I suspect it came in with the birds, but the vet has said that this is a common problem with wild birds as well, although previously my flock were okay. It looks like I will have to vaccinate mine if I want to keep them free range. So is that what everyone else is doing? I know the wild bird population has all these things anyway, but they all look healthy, and its always my birds getting sick! My idea was to get the ex-commercial birds because they have been vaccinated against some things and I was extending their life! Where do you draw the line with vaccinations?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

mixed coop

2008-07-03T22:04:48Z

Hi all. I am new to the chicken thing, with the way the economy is i have started a chicken coop, started a garden, and am trying to start a buisness. well.... my neighbors got me into chickens and raising different birds for food and eggs.. kinda a resupplying food source. so i went out built a 15x15 x5foot hi 1inch chicken wire pen for the chickens.. built a house in the middle for them and covered a corner for a breeding box , hang out area. i ended up getting 11 2-4 munth old chicks, a couple days later a neighbor gave me 2 3 week old chicks and 2 more chicks roughly 2 munths. a week goes by and the 2 baby chicks die a day apart.. i saw they got beet on some.. but they mostly stayed out of the way of the bigger birds. .i blew it off as dead loss.. something byond my knowledge.. well today I got a turkey chick.. prolly 2 munths old.. maby less.. I got it from a feed store. i released it in the coop and all at once the flock gangrushed the poor thing.. i snatched up the chick quickly after doing 2 laps around the coop chasing the flock and baby turkey.. looked kinda funny I would immagine. well now i have the baby turkey in with my quails. how are in a smaller pen inside my coop. I am hoping that the chickens will see that the chick is a turkey and leave him alone after a while.. my neighbor has quail, chickens and turkeys in the same coop. not alot of each but they are still in the same area and they dont fight .. granted his are older. anyone got any clues on how i can do this with out any real fighting? thanks for the help..
I am planning on getting a farm going with different eating and egg producing birds, so the 3 acres i have will end up with alot of inter connected coops and breeding areas. if ya got any ideas for that would love and heads ups you al can help me with. thanks a million.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

chicken food

2008-06-21T17:48:54Z

anybody tried to grow their own? we feed our gals organic pellets and kitchen scraps; i'm toying with the idea of growing stuff for them at home,food that is whole and nutritious for them. i'd love ideas and inspirations, or a reality check if need be. thanks folks!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

blood in chick poo

2008-06-01T17:46:25Z

Hi guys, i have just started keeping chicks and a couple of ducks. one of them ( i think my little maran hen) has blood in her poo? chicks are 8wks and ducklings are 4wks. any advice for a concerned rookie? xx thanks

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 1 reply

quinoa

2008-06-01T17:02:04Z

has anybody ever grown quinoa for their chickens? are the saponins toxic to them? does it HAVE to be washed first?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 4 replies

Hen just dropped dead

2008-05-27T02:44:25Z

Is this 'normal'? the first one I've lost to apparently natural causes; she was just lying on the ground dead under the perch in the morning. About a year old, she was kind of the runt of the litter. Her comb had been slowly turning gray for some time, now I wonder if that's some indicator I should have paid attention to. Ideas?

We were pretty sad, but at least it wasn't a raccoon!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 5 replies

the poo doesn't look right...

2008-05-22T15:41:17Z

I just got two young chickens ...they are 7 weeks old.. and their poo goes from "perfect little buns" of dark and white twirl, to dark little beebees with clear water squirts, to very seldom ..a black'ish and shiny poo that really smells bad. They are both acting normal, eating and drinking water fine... and they are inside for a big part of the day, so their environment is pretty clean (paper towel in the crate.. that I change out when soiled). They are outside in my organic garden for a few hours, weather permitting. (I usually set them up where there's just some grass or edible "weeds" ...they share the space with my tortoise ...in a pen, them)

The beebees and the really dark stuff is only about 40% of the overall poo factor ...with the latter being a very small part of that.

Is this "normal" ? Should I be treating them for anything? They are a little young for most things, still. Btw, one is a Sizzle and the other, a Silkie ...probably one Roo, at least. Their original Mom said she thought she saw a miniscule amount of blood in their poo on a couple of days ..before I got them... but I haven't seen any at all. I just don't want something to be wrong and I don't catch it in time to do something.

Thanks!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 1 reply

canabalism

2008-05-17T23:13:46Z

Has anyone had any experience with cannibalism within your flock. We have lost several of young birds to this brutality. They attack the butt of the bird until it is a large opening into the body cavity. It is really disgusting and savage.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

New chick needs help, Please help!

2008-05-17T00:28:51Z

Alright, we have been working on chickens recently. My daughter wants to be a vet. Well. one chick needed help out of its shell. It was fine for a few days, I thought it may have stradle leg, but it seemed to move fine. Well the other day my husband found a lump on its neck. And now its neck is turned to the side constantly. Does it have a disease? These birds were kept inside almost the whole time. We just have newly born chicks, and some older ones like a month old, all from the egg. And we dont know what to do for the poor thing. Should we seperate it from the others? We have just been keeping them all together. Please help!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 0 replies

dog got one of our chickens... ouch!

2008-04-30T18:18:17Z

we left our puppy unsupervised with the chickens a bit too long the other day, and she attacked our "alpha" hen.

not sure if she'll survive, but she's doing fine right now. $600 of emergency surgery, and now we have to see how she heals. she's missing skin off her back, and has some deep bite wounds, so the concern is about infection. quite traumatic for everybody. :(

i'm really amazed at how resilient she is. she never seemed to go into shock, and she's quite her usual self (temperment) by all outward appearances (except for a 1/4th of her back skin and feathers missing). i keep telling myself "its only money".

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 15 replies

Expanding the Flock

2008-04-24T15:36:23Z

With chick season here and some new folks just getting into it, what are some tips from some older hens on how to raise or integrate chicks into an established flock. Mine are

A. I never add a single chick, but always raise them in groups of two or more
B. When I first put the new chicks in they are physically separated by wire
C. After a few days, the wire is left open but there is always a "hiding place"
D. The hiding place needs to be small enough that big chickens cannot get in
E. There is plenty of room for the two "flocks" to be apart

This seems to dramatically decrease trauma for the new chicks, and eventually the flocks integrate. Other tips?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 1 reply

Someone's stealing my eggs!

2008-04-24T02:46:24Z

I've just come on-line to have a bitch about the human race.
We have alot of chickens (about 100) and I sell the eggs. I don't make money out of it. I just enjoy doing it. I leave them in a box and people leave me their money. I know there are always people who will steal anything that isn't nailed down, but I don't want to live my life like that!! I don't want to have my chickens locked up with 24/7 security! Didn't their families teach them anything growing up? I've a feeling its adults, not children. And I am just so mad I am spitting nailsl. I just wish animals could talk and tell me who's doing it!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 8 replies

Chicken Charity

2008-04-24T02:40:22Z

Today I was outside building a storage shed for my neighbor. I heard my chicken's clucking the predator cluck and went to investigate. Sure enough there was a huge St. Bernard jumping on the fence and coop. I got a rope around him and then chained him up in the backyard. Tomorrow at 5:30 am, when I go out to collect my morning newspaper, I will chain this dog up to my front gait so any motorists or pedestrians can see him/ her. I put a padlock on the chain so the dog is going nowhere. I'll let the dog sit out there until about 7:30- 8 and then the Animal Control people will come by and collect the dog. If the owner does happen to come and claim the dog, I ask that they call Animal Control and find out how much they would have to pay if they were to retrieve their dog from the pound. I ask that they pay half that amount to our neighborhood renovation of the historic Washington School which serves as our community center. So far I have raised between 4 and 5 hundred Dollars. In the four years that I have had backyard chickens, this dog is number 34.

Douglas

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

Horrible

2008-04-22T04:10:22Z

I went to check on my chics this morning and one of my Cornish X was dead under the heat lamp with a bleeding backside. Several of the other chics had blood all over their butts too. They have two brooder lights and plenty of room, I don't know why it happened. Starting a homestead is wonderful but death, on many different levels is something that is constantly challenging my psyche because it is so in my face. Dieing critters, processing my animals, the list goes on...and so shall I.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

Raising turkeys

2008-04-17T14:17:17Z

I am planning to get some midget white turkey chics in May. I want them to be pasture raised but am concerned about the fact that they can fly. Recently (yesterday) I dispatched the last of my Rio Grande turkey X. They were large beautiful birds, not the freakish large breasted things that you see in the stores, more like a wild turkey. The taste, AMAZING with the best, rich gravy we have ever tasted. I just hated to have to have them in a coop that was much like a jail,although they did have the whole barn to wander around and poop all over as well as a fenced in run. Otherwise they would (and did) fly away requiring my partner and I chase them all over the damn place. Any advise from you wise poultry folks?
thanks

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 0 replies

Absess or cyst

2008-04-10T11:07:56Z

I have got a brahma hen who has got an absess (I think!). It was a lump covered by a scab. Anyway I picked the scab off and got the lump out and it left a hole which looks like it has now closed up. I disinfected it etc.
Anyway I looked at her again today, and I am now wondering if it wasn't an infection from a wound, but it might be from an absess from inside because it looks like the lump is forming under the skin again. Should I try antibiotics? I thought she had got an infection after the rooster had stratched her back (she is missing some feathers from his amorous attentions!).

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 2 replies

The Olympic Torch

2008-04-10T11:05:39Z

I know this site is about animals, but don't you think this olympic torch thing is weird. There are all these protestors about Tibet (rightly so) trying to get the torch, and china has sent all these security guards (dressed in blue like smurfs) to stop anyone getting to the torch. What was everyone (international community) thinking of when they gave China the olympic games???

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

Incubating Goose Eggs

2008-04-05T00:34:02Z

We have got a trio of geese. Both females have laid clutches, but haven't gone broody yet. So we have taken one clutch and have just put a load into my incubator.
I have read that they are harder to incubate than chickens eggs.
I couldn't fit the rotator in as well as the eggs. So I am planning to turn them 3 times a day for the first 25 days. Then spray them with water morning/evening for days 29 onwards. Does that sound about right? Any other advice out there???

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 1 reply

duck question

2008-04-04T21:29:53Z

we were gifted a male and female duck last year... we loved them, they coexisted with the hens and rooster, free ranging around the land. I became a duck egg fanatic, with our egg per day i got the whole neighborhood convinced of the benefits of duck eggs. then she sat on her eggs and we had a bunch of baby ducks- cute cute cute... until daddy duck started gang banging the whole family and it was so violent and horrible all the cuteness there ever was dissappeared. after many failed attempts to seperate the family- we gave the whole bunch away. but now, after the horrors have faded a bit in my brain, i'm missing those duck eggs. does anyone know if duck eggs need to be fertile to have all the benefits? do all male ducks get so brutally violent, and how do you avoid an incestuous duck family,. or is it acceptable in the duck culture? maybe there's a duck tribe....
any input appreciated
M

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 11 replies

Keeping chickens under light

2008-04-03T22:04:33Z

I have just acquired 60 former barn hens, 18 months old, kept under light. They are now free rangers and have begun moulting. I have had them two months now. When I got them they were still laying but now they aren't laying at all. How long will it be before they start laying again?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 4 replies

Egg Hunts

2008-03-30T22:44:17Z

I love having free range chickens.....but the egg hunt is getting old! We built a delux coop for our ladies and Bubby the Rooster to keep them cozy and laying during the winter months. I was so happy when they actually started laying in the nestng boxes -instead of pooping and roosting in them as they did when they first moved it. But now that the snow has melted and they can range freely, they're back to their old habits of hiding eggs. They'll generally all lay in the same spot, it's just finding them that's hard. Then when i find the nest- which is usually nicely built in a bush or behind a hay bale, there's days worth of eggs and i don't know if they're good to eat any more. any ideas on how to get them to lay in their nests... or how to determine if an egg is still good for eating? Does anyone else's chickens have these laying habits?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 9 replies

jersey giants

2008-03-28T12:42:27Z

i have to say, now that we are finally getting eggs--they are big and brown and beautiful! very good layers of large eggs--the roosters are known to top at 20 lbs! they are slow to mature though, but good temperment too. they are a fairly rare breed, i recommend them!!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 7 replies

meat chickens

2008-03-27T20:24:14Z

having rare breed layers up until now....we've decided to do two runs of meat chickens(6-8 weeks) in move-able coops. any ideas of a weight gain grain ? like corn only or a scratch-grain mix?
what do you do?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 8 replies

Rooster lost his crow?

2008-03-23T21:53:14Z

I have two roosters (really, cockerels), after not having any since I was a small kid (so I'm fairly ignorant of roostery issues beyond the obvious showing them you're top chicken so they don't attack you). They grew up together, and get along well, fighting very little, even when rooster #2 tries to hump the same gal at the same time as the top rooster. But recently, rooster #2 crows and a little squeak comes out instead of a crow. Anyone experience this before? It's hilarious, but I hope not a sign of sickness or something.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 2 replies

hatching the eggs

2008-03-21T15:14:17Z

hello from the big island. i've got six young layers (black giants and ameraucanas) and a rooster that's doing his business and taking care of the girls lovingly. they've all been laying happily for about a month and i'd like them to hatch some eggs for more baby chicks, which i've never had before since this is the first time i've had a rooster. i really look forward to have baby chicks that did not come from the feed store and mothers that protect them. i now keep a dozen eggs in one of their two brood boxes in hope that one of them is going to get the urge and start hatching them. is it too early to expect them to brood and how can i further entice them to do so?
thanking you all for your dedication and love for your chickens and wishing you happy easter.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 4 replies

chicks wont roost...

2008-03-20T21:15:57Z

our 12-week-old chicks don't go into the coop at night and they don't sit on the roost. is that odd? our other chickens went into the coop and promptly roosted at this age. at the end of the day they go "nest" in the corner of the yard, rather than going into the coop. its been two weeks now of rounding up the younger ones and putting them into the coop each night. then they sit on the floor of the coop until the morning.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 8 replies

Midwife

2008-03-20T21:07:14Z

I have nine hens, mixed breeds. All of them are pretty good layers as I keep all of my neighbors in eggs. However, I have this one Barred Rock hen who insists on being there when ever another hen sits in the nest and lays an egg. She sits there and clucks while the other hen is laying. And afterwards I get two hens proudly clucking their heads off, "I laid an egg, this has never been done, I laid an egg!!!" Some times the clucking really gets loud, every bit as loud as a rooster. I'm sure the neighbors do not appreciate it. If I'm home I usually go out to the coop and point a broom stick at them. I've even just used my arm and finger and pointed at the cluckers. This pointing business really freaks them and they immediately stop clucking. Anybody else have a midwife hen or pointed a stick your hens?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 11 replies

Chicken foot fungus

2008-03-19T22:02:10Z

I have a Bantam hen who has foot problems. Her nails have had to be cut because they've grown so long, and her foot is covered with a white, crusty fungus. Actually, we have two Bantam hens with this problem. Any suggestions as to what's wrong?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 5 replies

chicken with the runs

2008-03-19T21:49:18Z

I have quite a few chickens, and for some time a few of them have had the runs. It is usually a ginger frothy colour. All chickens seem fine and healthy. The only suggestion the vet came up with was to have an autopsy on one of them costing over £60.
They have been treated with antibiotics and wormed, but this made no difference.
Are there any old remedies out there that could be helpful, or any suggestions as to what might be causing it.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 0 replies

leg mites?

2008-03-06T04:57:21Z

i think a few of our hens have leg mites... they burrow under their leg skin and make them look aweful and scaley. i've read to dip them (legs only!) in petroleum and kerosene. anybody have any ideas about the best way to treat our gals? thanks!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 7 replies

did yoO no dat ....

2008-02-12T18:22:53Z

eggz Luk gud in hats?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 1 reply

planting along chicken fence

2008-02-10T18:12:58Z

i am growing sweet peas ( the flowers) for the first time.
i have read the seeds are toxic, and we wanted to plant them along our chicken fence....but we don't want to poison the birds
any body know if the birds will eat them and if they will be toxic to them as well?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 7 replies

That darn crowing cock

2008-02-10T01:10:23Z

Our rooster, who is otherwise quite charming, has developed the habit of sustained crowing from 3:00am to 7:00am. Not a problem for us, since the chicken spa is far from the house, but its starting to wear on the neighbors.

Any thoughts on convincing him to sleep in?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

sick turkey

2008-01-31T02:12:24Z

Hello fellow poultry enthusiasts,
I have five heritage breed turkeys under a year old. I notice last night that one of my hens has a very sore looking clocha. It is extreamely inflamed and prolapse to the sized of an egg. It almost looks like a feathery swollen egg on the out side of her body. It seems to be interfering with her ability to poop properly. I am concerned for her. She just started laying and I noticed some blood on her eggs but i thought that was normal but now I see how bad it really looks.
I am going to try to catch her today and see if she is bound, or what the deal is.
Any advice would be apprieciated.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

white polish rooster looking for a home

2008-01-25T21:03:50Z

we have a cockerel looking for a home. (roosters are not allowed in Oakland.) please let me know if you'd like him. i posted his pic in the photos. He's about 4-1/2 months old and has just begun to crow occasionally. (we got him "unsorted" along with some other chicks who all turned out to be girls.)

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 2 replies

Poultry Show, Stockton, Ca, January 28 and 29, 2006

2008-01-15T19:59:16Z

For those of you who could attend, I just found out there's going to be a large national poultry show at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds on January 28 and 29. There are supposed to be over 3000 birds being shown. The group putting it on is the Pacific Poultry Breeders Association.

I'm having trouble finding more specific info, but here's the fairgrounds calendar:
http://www.sanjoaquinfair.com/pages/calendarofevents.html

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 15 replies

Got THREE eggs today!!!

2008-01-02T00:26:32Z

So, we went from no eggs to 3 this morning. They are all egg-zactly the same color, so I am thinking they are probably from the same hen (Aracuanas here) and since we don't check everyday (we thought we were in for the long haul...) they have probably been there a couple of days at least..

Yippe Yahoo!!!

Loch.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

egg shell calcium

2008-01-01T23:00:15Z

A friend of mine has a large flock, well to me it is large at like 20 layers and a few roosters, and has offered me advice throughout out journey with out three ladies. She mentioned that she puts oyster shells into the pen with her chickens and that they nibble on those to get good calcium to make their shells stronger. Made sense to me, but we move our hens around the yard in their pen/coop, and I don't want to have to pick up oyster shells (not to mention look at them) all the time.
My question is this, do the ladies need the extra calcium if they are eating a balanced diet of layer food and also foraging in the yard, and if so can I just crush up their own egg shells after we use them and put them in with their cracked corn?

Thanks in advance.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 4 replies

a rooster swap?

2007-12-19T18:02:32Z

Hi folks,

I won the "10% of these chicks may be male" lottery! Woohoo! Now, I
have a beautiful 24-week old Plymouth Barred Rock rooster who would be
happier in a location other than Berkeley.

I also have a little Auracana hen that will be very lonely without him;
So, I would love to make a trade if you have too many hens.

Any other ideas you may have would be appreciated. Until we find a good
situation for our big boy, we'll keep him (he only crows a few times
late in the morning, sorry neighbors).

Thank you!

-- Kris

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 5 replies

eggs, eggs, EGGS!!!

2007-12-18T16:17:37Z

so back october/november the ladies stopped laying ...pretty much expected; it's cold, it's dark and I don't use supplemental lighting. I don't bother checking the nests for a few weeks and then this past week I peek in just to see how everything is doing in there and, WOW!! ... I have about two dozen eggs from three laying hens and I've been getting an egg a day from each of them since. I'm happy as pie, but what's going on?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 11 replies

update on winter lighting issue

2007-12-16T02:19:29Z

...so i posted a while back on whether or not i should put a light on my hens this winter to keep em' layin'. well, we opted to go natural and not put a light in their coop... and they are still laying! we have 9 hens , 2 of which are molting, and we are getting an average of 4 eggs a day. YAY!!!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

to light or not to light... that is the question

2007-12-14T06:06:18Z

so i've been reading lately about eating seasonally ,and that perhaps "forcing" chickens to lay in the winter by putting a light in their coop goes against nature (and the chickens well-being), and compromises the nutritional quality of the eggs.... and yet we spend over $40/month on quality organic feed so it's tough to ignore the math on that one if we don't get eggs this winter... i'd love to hear any thoughts/theories on what ya'll do in the winter and why that makes sense to you.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 11 replies

my rooster is sick PLEAZE HELP !!!!!!!!

2007-12-14T05:51:15Z

my rooster has been sick for 1 week now. His red thing on top of his head is has hard puple/ black spots on it . And he looks like he is gasping for air every time. When i Bought him he was fine but then like 4 weeks later he started having those symptoms. Pleaze help i don't know what to do.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 2 replies

Baby chick hatching series photos...

2007-11-28T03:43:51Z

I am psyched there is a chicken tribe! I'm totally new to this, so sorry for the roundabout way, but if anyone wants to see a series of photos of a chick hatching out of her egg, I just put them up in my photo album. my profile name is Sparepony so maybe you could get to it that way if you have any interest...

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 1 reply

Blood on the shells

2007-11-26T17:30:12Z

My white aurucana bantam has been laying eggs with streaks of blood on the shell.
The eggs are perfectly fine on th inside, but the outside is streaked with blood, not much, as if she was straining to get them out. I also noticed they have become more elongated, more coneheaded, altough the size hasn't changed.
I have no rooster. For the rest she is active, healthy eats well, and is feisty as ever.
Any ideas if I should worry or what causes this?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

winter concern for "bald" chickens- thoughts?

2007-11-25T21:09:35Z

Ok, so we have about three or four hens who have some pretty severe bald patches on their backs - you know, from the over-amorous attentions of the boys. :rolls eyes: Most of the girls have done their molting thing and are all grown back and ready for the winter (here in NJ, it's already frosting over at night now) but these few haven't as of yet.

I'm not so worried about them during the night- we put an infrared lamp on a thermostat in the coop to help everyone stay warm once the temps are hovering in the really cold - but i'm not sure if there's anything we can do to help protect them during the day when they roam. We have to grease the comb (vaseline) of one of our roosters at night during the winter to protect him from frostbite - but I'm not so sure that would be a reasonable thing to do for the much bigger exposed areas on the girls.

So, any thoughts, folks? ^^;

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 13 replies

is it safe to wash eggs in water?

2007-11-16T05:04:31Z

ours have been a bit muddy and poopy since the rains came. i thought read that there are certain times that the molecules in the shell are permeable and therefore unsafe to get wet... anybody know about this?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 6 replies

Did you know that chickens, pigs and calves can't move on many farms?

2007-10-23T00:44:10Z

I am collecting signatures for a very worthy grassroots cause. Californians for Humane Farms is trying to get a proposition on next year's ballot that would require farms in the state to have cages big enough for the animals to stand, sit and turn around. That is all this measure calls for. It has already passed in Arizona and Florida and is law in Oregon too. Let me know if you would like to sign my petition to give voters a chance to change this cruel farm practice. We need 650,000 signatures by Feb. 22, so please consider volunteering to gather signatures. The Web site is: humanecalifornia.org/. And if you know of events/venues that would be good for collecting signatures send them my way.
Thanks,
Elinor

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 0 replies

awards, chicken, chicken, chicken presentation

2007-10-08T18:47:35Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL_-1d9OSdk

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 0 replies

PLEASE HELP!!! SICK HEN

2007-10-07T18:42:48Z

My Silver Leghorn hen is probably four or five years old now. She has been blind since she was little, and hasn't ever had health issues until now. She looks pretty sick and I don't know how much longer she will live. One side of her face is normal, but the other is covered with wart-like sores. They keep getting bigger and worse. Her eye isn't visible due to the swelling and the fact that her eye is foaming. I have searched all sorts of poultry disease sites, but haven't found any close matches. She doesn't seem to have any other apparent symptoms. She has gotten a little lazier than she used to be. She has been staying out in the yard and on the porch for the past few days so the other chickens won't get sick. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. We put some iodine on them, but it didn't seem to make a diffference. We got a antibiotic for her water, but then realized it isn't for chickens over 16 weeks of age. Should I give it to her? I can send pictures if anyone thinks thay can help.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 1 reply

Question about chickens and their noises.

2007-09-18T23:30:25Z

So, for a while now we have been thinking that one of our chickens looked different, bigger, more defined comb etc... but we knew that chickens develop at slightly different rates and so hoped against hope that it wasn't a rooster. Well, last Friday, two hours before we were to leave town for an extended weekend away that bird started crowing. I suppose it is possible that it had been crowing for a while, but not being home for most of the early part of the day we never heard him. So, with two hours of time ticking away and not knowing folks who live outside of city limits who could hang on to him until our return we panicked. We checked his underside... it looked like the other birds to our untrained eyes, but he crowed again and again... so we no longer have 4 chickens.
The remaining three are better behaved and seem happier... not sure if that is related to not having the 4th or not. Prior to his demise they were not wanting to go into their pen during the day if we had to leave and were arguing a lot.

So here is the question, is it possible for hens to crow like roosters? Not that it is going to help anyway, but in case it comes up again in the future.

Thanks.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 8 replies

Some laying some not, what to feed?

2007-09-18T16:24:56Z

I'm anticipating this situation may come up for me soon.

What if I had 4 pullets (2 different breeds) and one or more pullets start to lay, but the others are not expected to lay till spring? (The breeder said spring is the typical time for commencement of laying for her strain of the breed.)

They are housed together, eating from 1 feeder. What feed do I buy? Do I keep feeding Pullet Grower, or switch to Laying Pellets?

I hope some of you can help with this. I want to do the right thing!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 5 replies

Hen with a vision problem

2007-09-12T14:07:44Z

Hi all,
I'm new to your group and new to raising chickens. I have three hens and a rooster. THey are all about 4 mos old. I have noticed that the white one, who is part brahma, seems to peck in the wrong place when going after food. i.e. I brought them raisins, which they go crazy over, and she 1. has trouble even seeing them, and 2. when she does spot one she pecks about 1/2 further then the raisin is. She tends to be aloof and she seems to walk with a half sideways waddle. I notice that when she comes down the steps when leaving the coop in the mornings, - well she waddles/slides off to the side and ends up half flying.
Could this 'nearsided-ness' be a breed thing? I don't see any visible signs of infection? The good news is that I feed them mash and she has no trouble eating that, but she's definitely missing out on many bugs, and virtually all of the fun leftovers that the others get to before her.
Any ideas?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 2 replies

our first chicks

2007-09-08T01:05:26Z

we're new to chickens, and just got our first chicks a couple of days ago. We got a buff orpington and a blue andalusian. i'm busy looking at pictures of coops so i can have it ready when they are ready to move out of the box they're in. we hope to get a couple more, to keep a flock of 3 or 4.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

Humanized Rescue Chicken

2007-09-07T18:53:58Z

We live on a corner near a busy street so lots of people have noticed that we have chickens, which is mostly great. When people find lost birds (chickens or ducks) they come to us, and usually the owners come around to us looking. Recently we took in a rescue pullet which had been raised in an apartment and was *very* humanized. After almost two weeks with the flock she is still very humanized, constantly following us around and escaping to try and come into the house.

Any suggestions on how to accelerate her accepting that she is a chicken and to help de-humanize her without being cruel?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 4 replies

caesar milan, dog vs chicken

2007-09-07T17:47:41Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps8g86khGFE

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 0 replies

First Poulet egg

2007-09-06T05:24:33Z

Chicks were hatched on 10th of February. This is a group of 26 rainbow layers from Murray McMurray Hatchery in Iowa. Didn't lose a single chick and only one turned out to be a rooster. 18 weeks and 5 days. Golden sex link is the first one out of the gate. Always exciting to get your first egg after months of care.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

Advice on hen when rooster goes to another home

2007-09-05T19:55:59Z

We have 2 chicks that are just 2 months old, and 1 has started crowing. We live in SF so need to find a home for the rooster (just sent post to Alchemy if still in need...). This would leave us with 1 hen. The rooster and hen seem to be close, and roost together. This may sound ridiculous, but do folks think the hen will be sad or upset when the rooster is gone? Would it be better for us to give them away together and start over?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 2 replies

Buying my first pullets, question about timing

2007-09-05T15:49:20Z

I've built my chicken tractor and it's ready for my very first backyard flock!

I have arranged to get 2 Ameraucana pullets the weekend after next at a local fall fair. I also intend to get 2 Rhode Island Red pullets from a local farm.

My question is this. Should I try to get them all on the same day/weekend, or can I safely get the RIR's a week ahead of the Ameraucanas? (I'm concerned the breeder may not have any more RIR's if I wait too long, and I can't pick up the Ameraucanas until the weekend after next.)

I've read lots of posts and other info on adding new stock to an existing flock, but these will all be new birds (no existing flock here) moving into a new space. Will the 1 week difference in arrival times be enough to make the first birds feel territorial?

Will it help that I'm getting two sets of two? All will be pullets around 5 months old.

Thanks!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 0 replies

Need a Moderator?

2007-09-02T17:21:29Z

I have kind of liked that this tribe did not have a moderator, but now I have seen poultry-related spam I am not so sure. Does anyone particularly want to do this? If no one else does, I would be willing to, if only to trash that $150 Australian with no friends...

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 8 replies

eating their own eggs

2007-08-21T20:01:46Z

My last chickens started to eat their eggs,they are free range but I lock them in a coop at night.ALways fed fresh greens and good quality pellets.Is there a way to stop my next lot from doing this?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 18 replies

STOP YOUR CHICKENS FROM EATING THEIR OWN EGGS FOREVER!! I HAVE THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION!!!!

2007-08-21T13:22:49Z

I have read a lot about how to prevent chickens from eating there own eggs. I have tried ALL methods but nothing worked. I have 31 chickens and i was collecting about 12 to 15 eggs a day and then for 3 weeks i thought my chickens went on STIKE! I then discovered that the eggs were being eaten by my chickens as i found traces of egg yolk in their laying nests. This was costing me a lot of money. I believe I have found the right solution as now I am collecting cartons of eggs and I have found no traces of yolk. IF YOU WOULD LIKE THIS SOLUTION EMAIL ME AND FOR $5 I CAN GIVE YOU THE ANWSER OR FOR $150.00 + POSTAGE AND HANDLING I CAN SEND YOU OUT THE ITEM. What do you have to lose?? NOTHING, $5 will only buy you a dozen eggs at the supermarket!!!! My answer will give you your eggs back and lots of MONEY $$$$$$$
EMAIL me for your solution
skata-31@hotmail.com

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 0 replies

I need a rooster..

2007-08-20T23:17:34Z

Ive got my hens..I thought one was a rooster..but then he started sitting on some eggs...Im a little confused..my chickens are about a year old..layin like crazy....their bantam chickens and they are HUGE!! they eat everything they see ...Id like to hatch some out but ( lets just say maybe I do have a rooster) what do I do to make this magic happen?And if iam roosterless- does anybody have a spare and local to the east bay?
i love this tribe.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

Looking for hatchery reccomendations!

2007-08-17T20:33:23Z

Hello! I want to order 3-4 bantam pullets, but can't find any in my area. Does anyone know of a good mail order hatchery that will ship in those quantities? Thanks, Valerie

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

Hen Worries - info please?

2007-08-14T02:00:21Z

We have a small flock, that's been pretty healthy and happy for the last year.
but one of our hens, a sweet pudgy little Brahma, we noticed her walking strangely today. Her belly was hanging very low to the ground and she was walking like it hurt.

This evening, we went in the coop to check her out. Her rear, all around her vent, is VERY swollen, red and hot to the touch. Her belly feels hard and squishy all at once.

I'm worried this is the "internal layer" situation.. but the Chicken Health Handbook and Google aren't giving me much else to go on. Does this sound familiar? Is there anything we can do for our fuzzy foot? :(

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 8 replies

It's SOOOOO hot....

2007-08-07T05:22:51Z

How hot is it, you ask?
It's So Hot That...
-The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
-The trees are whistling for the dogs.
-The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
-Hot water now comes out of both taps.
-You can make sun tea instantly.
-You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
-The temperature drops below 95 F (35 C) and you feel a little chilly.
-You discover that in July, it only takes two fingers to steer your car.
-You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.
-You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
-You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.
-Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death"?
-You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
-The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper and of course sour cream, diced onions and a few serving spoons of chile.
.....and, bumbum de dum!
-Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 0 replies

Eggs

2007-08-04T03:36:25Z

Yesterday Hennie laid her first two eggs. Naturally I was looking forward to two more today, but today she didn t lay. Is this normal? Do they need a, how shall I say it, a lay-in period...
I also heard people saying they gather eggs two times a day, but my husband says they should only lay once a day.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

Dropped eggs while roosting

2007-07-27T04:14:50Z

Has anyone here had the problem of a hen laying an egg at the night time while roosting? I have a very small coop so the hens enter the coop and then jump up to roosting rails. Twice in the last few days a hen dropped an egg in the night time while roosting. No big deal but I really don't want the other hens eating a smashed egg and then getting a taste for eggs.

Perhaps I am feeding the hens too much food in the evening? I usually let them do a free range thing from 4 pm to 9 pm and then I'm constantly running to the refrigerator getting them apples, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, top ramen, cantaloupe, shrimp etc. These ladies are SPOILED.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 5 replies

sick rooster

2007-07-22T20:53:12Z

dale,
i have a rooster doing the same thing only i think mine may be worse. i have him on the medication you get at the feed mill, and i have given him a couple of shots of antibotics, nothing seems to help, i have washed out his nose. I trying to find a vet that knows something about chickens, they all seem lost.I guess to a lot of people chickens are not worth doctoring.When my Steve gets better i will let you know. best of luck

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 0 replies

when it rains, it pours!

2007-07-20T04:12:07Z

So, last weekish I was worried about keeping my birds cool in the heat (which hit 104 at my place one day... pretty rare for the PNW in this neck of the woods) and got some great ideas about how to do it. SO we finished up their coop and got them out into the weather full time, and now it is rainy and coldish... poor babies won't know which end it up I swear!

Anyway, hopefully they get a chance at some normal weather here soon. Now I am wondering, could strange weather fluctuations like these affect their egg laying, should it happen when they are old enough to lay eggs? (They are all of 7 1/2 weeks right now) Or will I even notice?

Also, I couldn't find this on the web, but with Aracaunas, if they start by laying blue or green eggs, is that their egg color for life or does it change depending on what they eat?

Thanks.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

Chickens and water

2007-07-19T04:28:11Z

This may seem like a really dumb question, but do chickens like to take water baths? Mine seem to avoid water like the plague and it is really f'in hot here. I thought they might like to cool down a bit in a shallow tub of water, but nooooo.... they stay as far from it as they can and look at it suspiciously from the far corner of their pen.

Thanks.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 11 replies

looking for coop plans

2007-07-19T03:38:41Z

We're considering building a new coop. The plans in my chicken book will work, I'm sure, but I'd like something that's easier to clean. Please don't laugh at me like that, I'm serious.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 6 replies

Pulled grass is bad for chickens' crops

2007-07-17T05:58:00Z

Ugh. I just lost a chicken to crop problems, and after poking around a bit online, I've decided it was probably because of feeding my chickens pulled grass. Turns out if they scratch and eat it themselves out of the ground, it's safe, because they break it off in smaller chunks. But, if you give them chunks longer than an inch, it can block the crop.

If anyone knows of anything else that causes crop problems (that's under my control, anyway), let me know, but I wanted to let you all know that pulled grass can be dangerous. :(

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 4 replies

Who can she be?

2007-07-17T01:03:59Z

In early February I received 25 chicks from Murray McMurray Hatchery in Iowa. I got one white gal who I immediately called Madge because she was totally white but had green legs (remember Madge from the Polmolive dish washing soap commercials?) Well I thought that she was probably a Leghorn but no she started laying brown eggs. She is totally white. She now has yellow legs. Her comb is not huge and floppy like most leghorns and she is a bit bigger than a leghorn. Who can she be?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

f'in rooster!

2007-07-10T06:24:28Z

so we've had a small rooster for about 6 months... he was hand raised before we had him. everything has been going great (he sleeps in! crows at about 10!) no aggression. until now. all of a sudden he has begun to attack my legs when my back is turned. it totally freaks me out and my instict is to kick him (my partner says that's a bad idea). i've become a bit emotional, as i've never been attacked by anyone/thing before and i don't know how deal with him. we have a hen that's raising some baby chicks for the past 2 weeks and i'm wondering if that's the reason for his heightened security. any thoughts/ideas would be great, as i'm having cravings for rooster stew...

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 10 replies

What to do with Unwanted Chicks?

2007-06-22T13:23:56Z

I am a preschool teacher and I just got off of the phone with one of the parents who's child comes here. She desperately wanted to donate a dozen chicks to our school. Well, we can't take all of those chicks here but I promised to help her find some place here in the Bay Area that she can take those little critters!

Here's the story: She ended up with the chicks because someone accidentally sent them to her lab, but they don't test animals in her lab! So now there are chicks running around in her lab today (and that won't last long.)

So anyone want a few chicks? Anyone have any tips as to where I can take these chicks?

thanks!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 4 replies

Sick Rooster ~ Help, please!

2007-06-20T03:41:31Z

Aloha.

Our pet rooster, just now one year old this week, is sick!

He was fine yesterday, but when I took him to his outside house this morning, he wouldn't eat his breakfast. Wasn't his normal, feisty self, either.

Shortly after, my husband noticed he was standing upright and totally still, but with his eys closed and looking sleepy.

It's been about 4 hours now. I've got him with me where I can see him. He has had some water, but did not eat any of his normal food (chicken scratch corn, dried cat food and whole wheat "bread worms" - bread rolled into worm shapes).

We tried feeding him cooked egg yoke & teensy bits of sausage. He ate a veeeeeeeeeery small amount.

He is now cuddled in a towel, close to drinking water and the cooked egg yolk (which he normally loves). He is sipping water occasionally, but is ignoring the food. He is beak-down on the towel, not very responsive. He's been passing mostly clear, runny stuff. I saw him drool slightly twice. Eyes are clear, but he can't keep them open.

He seems to just want to sleep, which is so abnormal for him, since it is just Noon here.

Any suggestions? I love my chicken! Please help!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

Baby Chickens are here!

2007-06-19T20:12:45Z

So, we let our 2 broody hens sit on some eggs.

too many eggs as it turns out. We figured, maybe 20% would turn out to be fertile.

Well, now we have 10 babies hatched and, if the rest of the eggs we candled tonight hatch successfully, another baker's dozen on the way.

egads.

So, anyone in eastern PA or NJ interested in some chicks? Any other suggestions would be immensely appreciated.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 1 reply

Its that time again

2007-06-03T12:43:01Z

30 new chicks just arrived.
I'll post pictures shortly.
We are going to try a rooster again. Wish us luck.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 2 replies

Hen starts brooding, going on two weeks

2007-05-30T13:39:14Z

Olga, my saucy strawberry blonde hen, has been brooding for a couple weeks now. Now rooster on the premises, and no eggs in her nest. She just sits in her nest all day, fluffed out & puffy trying to look fierce. I was told dunking her in water would get her out of her broodiness, or a good shake. None have worked. I'm getting a bit worried as she doesn't eat much either. Any helpful suggestions to break her biological clock?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 16 replies

Adorable rooster seeking a good home.

2007-05-22T16:05:13Z

When we got our banties they were straigth run.
One has turned out to be a rooster, he is beautiful, absolutely not agressive, and he has started to crow.
His crow has not fully developed yet, but since I am residential he will have to go to a good home were he can crow his little heart out.
He is a banty, white, with the long trailing tail and sofar very gentle.
I can return him to the hatchery but I would rather have him go to a good home.
I am in San Jose and I am willing to come and deliver him to your coop, let s say within a 100 mile radius.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 0 replies

royal bummer

2007-05-22T05:17:14Z

My family was away for the weekend and had a family friend coming in to check on the chicks a couple of times a day. We got home tonight and they are all gone. Something got to them between the time that our friend checked on them this afternoon and we got home this eve at 8pm. We are all totally bummed and upset.
Amazing how close you can grow to something in 5 short weeks.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 6 replies

Peacock problems?

2007-05-20T00:10:30Z

Hey chickie people.

I just moved into a new rental and am planning for my chickens. There is a muster (ooh, new cool word) of about 8 peacocks that frequents our yard from some unknown neighboring residence. I am wondering if anyone knows if there are problems with peacocks and chickens or if I need to worry about this. They tend to visit in the daytime hours.

Thanks!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 1 reply

Cute chicken bumperstickers

2007-05-19T19:23:57Z

I may have to get one or two of these:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/bumper-stickers.html

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

Tour De Coops and Egg-vangelism

2007-05-19T13:49:00Z

Since this is the time of year when many folks are considering getting involved in chicken-ary I thought it would be worthwhile to mention a few things that I have done or seen done here in the city to connect with other poultry fans and promote healthy birds and local food.

Periodically let the chickens out where people can see them. Out of respect for the neighbors or concerns about dogs, a lot of city people keep their chickens hidden, but periodically on a weekend or an evening when out in the yard, it is often fun to let the chickens out as well. If your ladies will eat from your hand I suggest having some millet or treats to let curious folks handfeed them. (Kids especially love this.) I also have a few half-dozen eggs saved up to give to passerbys. It is a great way to build community.

Consider "loaning" new chicks out. Young chicks without a brood mother will always be harassed by larger, older birds, so it is a good idea to keep them separated until they are about a third to half the size of the flock average, and to physically handle them from a very young age so that they are "gentled" and don't freak out at human touch. Twice I have found someone who really wanted to keep chickens but could not because of where they lived. They were delighted when I offered to let them be "foster parents" to some chicks for a few weeks, though, just keeping them in a large cardboard box in their apartment and bathroom, respectively. With some water and some chick starter they got to have some of the pleasure that young animals bring, learn a little bit about chickens and make the first few weeks of life much gentler for the chicks involved. Besides providing all the materials they needed for this, I also made sure that they got eggs for a few months afterwards, and both ask me about their "godchildren" when I see them. Another woman I met this month has a snail problem, so I offered to bring the ladies over for afternoon lunch: escargot for everyone under two feet tall!

Help new owners build proper facilities. Not everyone understands even the basics of chicken care, and occasionally we will see chickens in suboptimal conditions. (The worst was one person who had a plain wire cage on her front porch with some straw for a single chicken.) Befriending these people and helping them to set up better facilities for their birds (or even understanding basic chicken needs such as laying boxes or companionship) are very important, humane duties.

Educate others. You may not be able to offer a community class in chicken-keeping, but in our area there is a once-yearly tour of local chicken coops, where urban chickens are displayed for one afternoon each year, and people get a map to visit and get ideas for their own coops, or just to enjoy chickens in a setting outside the country fair. Below are links to a couple of such events, usually organized by some sort of urban gardening club or organization.

http://www.growing-gardens.org/portland-gardening-resources/chickens.php
http://citychickens.com/

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 6 replies

Help

2007-05-03T21:46:09Z

In the past 12 hours we lost two of our new banties. Both Sebright.
In our first batch we also lost one of the Sebrights. Is this just a weaker breed? Am I doing something wrong.
The other two are doing really good. They feed, drink and are active, they are bearded d'Uccle.
I followed all the directions from the hatchery. I clean their water every other day put a bit of Terramycin in it, they get special chickfeed. I have a heatlamp on. WHich goes off for a bit in the afternoon.
COuld it be that the other two have been picking on the Sebrights? The other two are much bigger compared to the Sebrights.
The symptoms are , the Sebrights seem to get weak in the leggs, like they have trouble walking and then die.
Next time I have a mixed brood should I all seperate them.
Please help me with any advice, I feel really responsible for these little guys and I am heartbroken at my failure.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 13 replies

Ducks and Chickens

2007-04-23T04:32:02Z

Do they get along? Hubby wants to add a ducking to our small 4 chick flock (of which I have posted pics of the three that have names so far...)
What I am wondering is if they will get along in the same area because they grew up together or what. I don't want to add another bird if it is going to cause problems just because hubby wants duck eggs for baking with (he claims they work better than chicken eggs... I have never even eaten a duck egg to my knowledge so I am with out opinion on that aspect)

Thanks
Lochlainn.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 3 replies

Introduction from BC Canada

2007-04-03T15:18:39Z

It is currently snowing (again!!) and looks like medium sized chicken feathers coming down, so I bailed back into the house to work on the computer for a little bit and try to ignore what I see coming down. I do believe the calendar shows it is past the Spring Equinox, but Mother Nature up here has decided she will do as she wants for now. Such is the normal for living up here on our mountain, where I have seen it snow in July.

I call myself 'tenzicut' on the net and I live on a 40 acre farm with my family ("hubby" and 2 teenage boys) in the bush in northern British Columbia, Canada. Moose and bear are more of our neighbors than humans. We raise alot of our own food and all of our own meat. On our poultry flocks we try to have heirloom varieties of birds. I have a flock of Plymouth Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Dark Brahma and will be getting Buff Cochins from a friend who wants to have a 'safeguard' in case a neighbors dog gets into her flock again. I also have Bronze and Nicholas White turkeys, but I would like to get some Royal Palm, Bourbon Red and Slate turkeys next year after our breeding facilities are set up properly.

Just last night we set 79 chicken eggs and 5 turkey eggs (the turkey eggs are probably sterile, but what the hey, the incubator was running anyway) and so in 20 days-ish, we should have a hatch. Since none of the girls were in the 'honeymoon suites', I am considering all of these crosses and destined for the freezer.

As well as the poultry, we have a 3,500 sf organic garden and greenhouse, have milk goats, trail horses, dairy cow, and beef cattle. We get pigs in May of each year. Have Californian meat and show rabbits and 7 sled dogs. i am a recreational musher, but with 7-9 months of snow up here, hitching the dogs up to the sled to haul water, feed, hay and firewood makes life a lot easier.

I worked as a veterinary technican for 20-some years until I was dumb and fractured my back in 4 places 18 months ago. Laying on a sofa for 10 months was driving me crazy, so I am now an editor for an organic homesteading magazine.

Besides the animals, I love to cook, knit and handspin on my spinning wheels, read (most anything) voraciously, hike and rock climb and about 1,200 other things.. I want to cram it all in now, as one day I will be 90 and if you really only do have one life.. I want to get it all done.

tenzicut
http://www.downtotherootsmagazine.com

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 9 replies

IT'S CHICK TIME SOON!

2007-04-02T15:00:51Z

One of my garden members gets eggs from the hatchery, and hatches them around Easter. The hatchery won't take back the chicks or rent incubators anymore, so this gal bought one and asked me if I knew a farmer who'd like the chicks after they were done playing with them. I told her about my pasture poultry frame (see my photos) called a chicken truck and agreed to take them. Then to offset the cost of the incubator, she rents it out to other families and schools. When they bring them out, the families may experience a farm (ours is really a wanna be farm but has egg laying chickens, horses, dogs, cats and the veggies later) setting, which some have never done. I get to raise the chickens for meat. There are 2 others who're going to help with the feeding, and butchering in exchange for some of the chicks. I'll house them in my milk house 'til it's warm enough to go outside, then the others can take their share.

We don't want to count our chicks before they're hatched, but there are 5 weeks of 12 eggs each, so the potential is 60 chicks. fun fun! I love stuff that works for many people!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 2 replies

THE CHICKS ARE HERE! THE CHICKS ARE HERE!

2007-04-02T00:01:01Z

A crew of 10 just brough 9 chicks "plus Sid" (one that they thought might not make it) to my place. They've all settled in quite nicely. Hubby built a nice little space for them (seems big right now because we'll be getting up to 12 each week for the next 4 weeks, plus they are SO little!).

I can hardly wait til the kids get home.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 5 replies

guinea fowl

2007-03-31T16:39:58Z

yeah so i know this tribe is for chickens, and we've got a gorgeous flock that we adore... but now i've found myself intrigued by guinea fowl. i'm told they can erradicate ticks almost completely (we have some goats and sheep and a llama who would love to be tick-free!) and that they are excellent "watchdogs" alerting us to any predators in the pasture... so has anybody here ever had them? easy to care for? fun? friendly to chickens and pets?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 4 replies

4H chick cam

2007-03-29T18:41:28Z

It was a stuffed hamster for a few days, due to a storm, but now it's chicks again.

http://lancaster.unl.edu/4h/Embryology/eggcamera.shtml

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 9 replies

Cheap feeder that works

2007-03-26T23:35:42Z

I just got my spring chicks (26) feathered out and sent them outside two days ago. They still have a 150 watt light for the night time. However, I have always had problems with feeders. It seems as though the chicks either knock them over or jump on top of them and poop in them. I think I have come up with a pretty good solution. I have taken a plastic cottage cheese container and cut it down to about two inches. I then took some liquid nail and glued the cottage cheese "bowl" to an ordinary red brick. The chicks get their cheap thrill by climbing on top of the brick. the brick and bowl are too heavy for them to upset. They can't poop in the bowl because they can't roost on top of it. Two days now and nobody has knocked over any feed and nobody is pooping in the feed.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 5 replies

weasels

2007-03-24T21:14:51Z

Does anyone out there have a problem with weasels in their chicken coops? We are about to move and there is a resident weasel, or more there. I'm looking for a way to keep them out of the chicken area that does not involve killing them. Thanks.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 2 replies

Banties.

2007-03-24T01:27:44Z

4 banties joined our household over the weekend. And guess what, I seem to be allergic to chickens, because I am congested and stuffed and heavy in my face after we had them i n the house for 24 hours.
At the end of april they should be able to go outside in the coop, so I am just going to grow some hair on my chest and get through it. I am also allergic to antihistamines, so please refrain for recommending them :-).
The coop is what I want to talk about, how do you clean it and how many times a day/week. Do I go in there with a bucket of Lysol and scrub down the nesting boxes ? Do I hose the entire coop down with a disinfectant or what?
Right now they are in a box in the sunroom and I change the straw in it everyday.
All comments and bits and pieces of advice are welcome.
At what point do I switch from chickfeed to regular feed, the lady at the farm said they could be on chickfeed forever, yes they will get to roam.
What are your experiences?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 5 replies

coloured chicks

2007-03-21T05:20:27Z

http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh/henloops.htm

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 7 replies

Nest box or no nest box?

2007-03-17T16:42:59Z

My husband and I are disagreeing on this matter. I have read here and there that it is a necessity for your hens to have a different place to lay there eggs than the plance that they sleep. What do you all think? Is it like the shack compared to the condo or is there a real reason we should have nest boxes.
My argument is in nature they most likely would lay there eggs in a safe place where other hens don't hang out and sleep. Second they don't seem to poop in the nest boxes like they do in the hen house (less poop on our eggs to wash off). Third more productivity because they feel safe. Fourth they feel no need to lay them on the ground or around every so often.
Thanks you guys!
P.S. Can't wait to get those cutie pie little chickies. I could just squeeze them to death!

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 8 replies

Getting started in Denver, where can I get pullets?

2007-02-27T18:06:01Z

I'm new, just building my first chicken coop (that is FUN) and wondering where to buy pullets and which breeds are best for city in terms of quiet and lots of eggs?

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 0 replies

Butchering

2007-02-21T06:38:52Z

Someone suggested we start a separate thread for tips and observations on butchering chickens, whether you are raising the birds for meat or unexpectedly need to cull (because of egg-eating, unwanted roosters, etc). What are the procedures, tips and tricks that people have for this sacred and often ambivalent task.

posted in A Chickens Tribe - 8 replies