Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2015 10:36:49 GMT -5
How old do they have to be to know to go up to roost at night? Our coop is a small one with a draw bridge ramp to the upper level that we close at night so that if a fox or coyote dug under and into the coop the chickens are still safe. But every night they are all just huddled in a corner on the ground and I have to put them up top. They at least come down the ramp in the morning on their own now. Not sure. Mine never had ramps to get in the coop, but they were probably 6 months old before they were jumping up on the roosts and hay bales I have in the coop to sit on. Before that they preferred to pig pile in the corner. Now they all try to cram onto one hay bale I have double stacked in there.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2015 19:42:16 GMT -5
The two new hens are stupid. They keep changing boxes they want to sit in and letting the clutch of eggs go cold. I don't think they're going to pull off hatching anything at this rate. The hen in the doghouse appears to be doing ok...aside from eating the one egg.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2015 7:29:59 GMT -5
First morning without FB. After all the bitching I do at him for crowing at me in the morning doing chores you'd think it would have been nice, but it just seemed too quiet. We had a love/hate relationship for sure. Hens have been sitting on their eggs for 3 days now. Maybe they will do ok.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Apr 27, 2015 10:29:38 GMT -5
First morning without FB. After all the bitching I do at him for crowing at me in the morning doing chores you'd think it would have been nice, but it just seemed too quiet. We had a love/hate relationship for sure. Hens have been sitting on their eggs for 3 days now. Maybe they will do ok. How many are still sitting? 3?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2015 10:37:12 GMT -5
First morning without FB. After all the bitching I do at him for crowing at me in the morning doing chores you'd think it would have been nice, but it just seemed too quiet. We had a love/hate relationship for sure. Hens have been sitting on their eggs for 3 days now. Maybe they will do ok. How many are still sitting? 3? Yep. The first batch of 6 is due on Mother's Day. The other two 4 days or so after.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Apr 27, 2015 10:58:23 GMT -5
My Dad's family did raise chickens when he was a kid.
I also learned that his Mom was the post mistress for a year. I do not get why I find that charming - I think it's the way he put it.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Apr 27, 2015 11:05:45 GMT -5
My Dad's family did raise chickens when he was a kid. I also learned that his Mom was the post mistress for a year. I do not get why I find that charming - I think it's the way he put it. Ever read the Mrs. Murphy Mysteries?
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Artemis Windsong
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Post by Artemis Windsong on Apr 27, 2015 11:24:39 GMT -5
I'm afraid for your chickens with the bird flu in MN.
I could not kill a chicken.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2015 11:43:31 GMT -5
I'm afraid for your chickens with the bird flu in MN. I could not kill a chicken. Eh...there hasn't been a single person that's gotten sick from bird flu including ones that were in direct contact with hundreds (or thousands) of infected birds. I think biggest risk is my chickens all keel over, but I'm not even real worried about that. Seems to be more of a big operation problem.
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Artemis Windsong
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Post by Artemis Windsong on Apr 27, 2015 19:17:37 GMT -5
It is a big operation problem but very contagious.
I worry for your chickens.
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justme
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Post by justme on Apr 28, 2015 18:26:59 GMT -5
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msventoux
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Post by msventoux on Apr 28, 2015 21:21:27 GMT -5
The tag on the shelf says chicken halters (as in goes around the head). I wanna see a chicken in a halter! I can't imagine walking a chicken in a harness. Although, the success rate shouldn't be any worse than when I tried to put one of my cats in a harness to take her for a walk.
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justme
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Post by justme on Apr 28, 2015 21:41:59 GMT -5
It'd be worth the money just for the entertainment of trying to put one on!
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Apr 29, 2015 7:26:12 GMT -5
The tag on the shelf says chicken halters (as in goes around the head). I wanna see a chicken in a halter! I can't imagine walking a chicken in a harness. Although, the success rate shouldn't be any worse than when I tried to put one of my cats in a harness to take her for a walk. I used to sit for a family who had two Cockatoos. The girls were supposed to'walk' them a few times a week by puting them in a harness (like the chicken halter) and clipping on a lead and taking them outside to play in the grass. It was 'interesting' when I had to help, as I am not particularly fond of birds, and ones flying around on leashes is completely foreign to me.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2015 7:46:01 GMT -5
It'd be worth the money just for the entertainment of trying to put one on! eh..mine would let me put one on. Once you catch them, they're pretty "whatever" about being messed with.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2015 22:17:52 GMT -5
They sent me a picture of him today. Said he's settling in and really takes his job serious. They just love him.
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msventoux
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Post by msventoux on Apr 29, 2015 22:20:19 GMT -5
Looks like he's about to go show the dog who the boss is...gotta look good in front of the new girls.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2015 7:51:18 GMT -5
They kept his name Fluffy Butt too. ROFL.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Apr 30, 2015 8:05:00 GMT -5
They kept his name Fluffy Butt too. ROFL. Well he DOES have a fluffy butt. Reminds me of a kitten I raised. I called him 'Chompers' because he'd chomp onto a feather toy and run around holding it for way too long. So when my friend L came to take him home, she said 'I like Chompers.' The cat's almost 3 now, and his name is Chompers.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on May 1, 2015 9:28:54 GMT -5
I have a small amount of hope for my dumb chickens. They will go up to the top of the coop in the heat of the day, and while we still have to put them up there at night they at least weren't stupid enough to walk back down it last night when I forgot to pull the drawbridge up.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2015 9:40:48 GMT -5
I have a small amount of hope for my dumb chickens. They will go up to the top of the coop in the heat of the day, and while we still have to put them up there at night they at least weren't stupid enough to walk back down it last night when I forgot to pull the drawbridge up. I don't think chickens ever hit a level where you can call them "smart", but I'm sure they'll figure out your coop eventually.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on May 1, 2015 9:59:21 GMT -5
I have a small amount of hope for my dumb chickens. They will go up to the top of the coop in the heat of the day, and while we still have to put them up there at night they at least weren't stupid enough to walk back down it last night when I forgot to pull the drawbridge up. I don't think chickens ever hit a level where you can call them "smart", but I'm sure they'll figure out your coop eventually. That's all I ask! I don't need them to be smart, but not extra dumb. They are pretty cute though.
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2015 12:29:56 GMT -5
Well, I thought one of my hens was going to become a mamma (actually a sister since they're sitting on their siblings!) on Mother's Day, but I don't think the chick made it. It was pipped on Saturday night, had a pretty good crack Sunday morning, but this morning when I checked there was no change. 24 hours is too long to have gone without any progress. I think by tonight I may have to pitch it. She still has 4 more eggs, but no signs of hatching in them yet, hopefully she gets at least ONE out of all this. She's my serious hen. The one that never left her nest. The other two hens eggs are due later this week, but they were the ones that Chicken CPS would have got involved with if there was such a thing. Not the best Moms...but they did get better towards the end.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on May 11, 2015 15:23:39 GMT -5
I love the picture! He looks very regal and bossy!
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2015 22:12:36 GMT -5
Nothing happening with Egg Watch 2015. I tossed the cracked egg this morning, but no new pips. I did candle two eggs and saw a chick in each of them, so that's promising, but the one was in with the batch that was due on Sunday and I didn't see any movement. The other was in one of deadbeat mom hen's nest and it was actually moving. Go figure. Those aren't due for a day or two yet.
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on May 12, 2015 22:19:07 GMT -5
Fluffy Butt does look regal, prancing among his harem! The dog best watch himself.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on May 13, 2015 7:33:17 GMT -5
Nothing happening with Egg Watch 2015. I tossed the cracked egg this morning, but no new pips. I did candle two eggs and saw a chick in each of them, so that's promising, but the one was in with the batch that was due on Sunday and I didn't see any movement. The other was in one of deadbeat mom hen's nest and it was actually moving. Go figure. Those aren't due for a day or two yet. Hatch Damn it
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on May 13, 2015 9:57:28 GMT -5
I hope you get some chicks soon! And 7-8 weeks is apparently when our chicks figured out how to go up the ramp to put themselves to bed. Thank goodness or I think we would have ended up with some fryers.
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2015 7:56:18 GMT -5
We have peepers! No chicks yet, but one of the hens have two eggs that are making all kinds of racket.
The stupid red hen was sitting in the nest box next to the one with her eggs in it and and the eggs are ice cold. I put her back on this morning and she's sitting again, but it was in the 40's last night. Tomorrow night I'm tossing all the first hen's eggs. I feel bad for her. She's the one that really tried, these other two are just in it kind of half-assed.
The incubator is easier! I hatched 27 of 31 eggs I put in there on my first try.
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on May 14, 2015 8:09:53 GMT -5
Damn it - I shouldn't have opened this thread
I've been toying with the idea of getting chickens, but too chicken to actually do it.
With the kind of winter we just had - it would be sooo much work to keep them warm and snow shoveled away...
But I would trade my first born for some fresh eggs!
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