Tutu - watchu talkin' bout!!! (I think I'll google myself and check what kind of stuff is out there...)
Thanks for the hugs, philly. Tonight I need them.
DKat - that's a fabulous idea! My dad uses play owls around his gardens to keep the birds and rodents out. I'll see him tomorrow and find out if he has an owl to spare! You're brilliant! Thank you!!!! Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
Hens, do you really feel sad when your birds die?
I lost 2 guineas last week, and I didn't feel the slightest bit of remorse.
You ain't gettin no hugs from me. You gotsta toughen up, girl! Posted by 17hens (Member # 23747) on :
I know, my husband doesn't understand either.
Well, I have a few favorites. Each one looks very different and 7 of them I raised from eggs in an incubator in my living room.
They give me creamy colored eggs, brown eggs, light blue eggs and olive colored eggs. So perdy!
Every day, I find a few things from my fridge to feed them and when I call them from my kitchen window, they all come running from different corners of the yard. Yeah, I get kinda attached to the girls when they run to me!
They're all just so funny, they make me laugh.
Ever feed your hens a half a watermelon and watch them all gather round, sticking their heads way down into it and all you see is a circle of tails way up in the air? Funny!
Or ever see chickens run down a hill? Waddle, waddle - hysterical! (Like the movie, Chicken Run!)
When I walk from my kitchen door down to the coop, they all come running from different directions and follow me down the hill, me in front, a trail of hens behind me, the louder ones talking, talking. Cracks me up!
Ever glance out your window in time to see a fat chicken running as fast as she can in circles, almost dancing across the yard? Takes you a minute to figure out she's chasing a flying bug!
So as they disappear one by one, I'm a little sad, yes. I'll miss them. Not to mention, being eaten by a hawk wouldn't be a very nice way to go.
But no worries, I'm way tough about other things!
Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
Okay, sorry I was being so insensitive.
I guess it's different when they come at your command.
My hens are dumber than bricks.
I kick them sometimes.
Have you ever tried to feed them yogurt? Now THAT is funny! I take pictures of them after they get yogurt all over their faces!
Posted by 17hens (Member # 23747) on :
Nah, I understand, James. I know it's weird for someone to be attached to chickens! I just can't help it!
I know they're just birds, dirty, so darn dumb, but they're also pretty and funny and they sure have brightened my days.
I'm just sorry to see them go, that's all.
My husband has trellises for beans and cucumbers against the back of the house outside of the kitchen and bathroom windows. Since I throw food out the kitchen window for the chickens, they've started noticing movement thru the windows panes.
A few times already, we'll be eating dinner (eat-in-kitchen) and all of a sudden there'll be a chicken sitting on top of the trellis, staring thru the window at us.
It's really funny when someone is sitting on the "toilette" and all of a sudden they find themselves eyeball to eyeball with a chicken! Ha! That happened to me once and I almost fell over!
OK, done mourning yesterday's chicken. Just hope the hawk is full for a good long while.
Thanks for endulging me! Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
good heavens. you have chickens??? i actually thought maybe you had 17 kids or 17 pets or something....
silly me....
Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
Randi, a lot of people have chickens these days. Even the non-farmer type people.
Every time you eat a regular commercial egg you're eating tons of toxins, plus antibiotics. Plus the store eggs aren't nearly as nutritious as eggs you grow on your own.
Even a dozen chickens is usually more than enough eggs to feed a small family.
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
my daughter HAD chickens,,,till the racoons had the chickens
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
wow, i think they're cute anyway... so yours would be considered "free range" then right?
do they lay brown eggs? i'd love to buy brown eggs but grocery stores charge so much for them.
Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
Free range, and they mow (and fertilize) your lawn for free!
The color eggs depends on what breed you got. A lot of them lay brown eggs. The Auracanas usually lay the light/blue green eggs that Hens has described above.
But some of the "free range" ones lay white eggs also. A lot of people don't know that the color of the egg shells doesn't affect the quality or nutrition of the product. The white eggs are just as healthy as the brown ones, as long as the chickens are treated the same.
The problem is that most of the white eggs in the stores are from sick chickens, so that's why they get a bad name.
I'd like to disagree with both Randi and Hens about how chickens are "cute". Do you really think it's cute when they have **** caked to their rear ends?! Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
well no, but i still think they're cute...
my mom was raised on a ranch and said there was (1) no worse smell that wet chickens and (2) no nastier creature than a chicken...
she hated chicken until she died.
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
we had several hundreds of chickens running around the yard, loose. We had a fence to keep them out of the flowers,garden, house etc.
Nothing cute about getting chicken do-do on your barefeet or good shoes and drag it in the car,,,house,,other places you didnt want it.
Always one that fell in the stock tank trying to get a drink. And if one got in the hog yard,,,they either got out fast or hogs gottem.
And scooping chicken poo out of the coup by hand every month or two,,,never your eyes will sting and lungs hurt as it will in pure poo and ammonia it makes.
Then limed and ground corn cobs installed for the next month. And little bitty doors to pitch it out of.
One facet of my youth not missed. Especially when we had like 600 laying hens for hatching eggs.
Posted by 17hens (Member # 23747) on :
quote:Originally posted by James1979: Do you really think it's cute when they have **** caked to their rear ends?!
DE is the answer to that problem!
JustDon, I don't even know what to say to that. That sounds completely awful!
Posted by TS96 (Member # 14048) on :
Hi. Another chicken lover here.
The kiddos and I just spent the good part of the day yesterday cleaning the coop out. I found mites in the nesting boxes so we cleaned head to toe and put the DE in and dusted the girls and roo good.
We haven't lost any yet. One day we found two racoons sleeping in the nesting boxes right next to the hens. They were so full on feed they didn't care to taste the girls.
My son scared them out with his bb gun and I with a stick in my hand and in my night gown at 7am. We fixed the door that they pried open and so far safe and sound. We got all Buff Orps. and we love to watch them. Good for the heart and soul, (00ps, I almost typed Good for the heart and soup.) Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
TS - it was nice to read your post.
Are the mites bad? What kind of damage can they do? I've been seeing light tan-colored mites recently.
I use a lot of DE on the bedding and in their food.
That's crazy that a racoon was sleeping in the coop!
I use a paintball gun to get rid of my pests. Humans too.
Posted by 2roads (Member # 4409) on :
You're so funny-
Thanks for the laugh, I needed it.
Hugs,
2roads
Posted by payne (Member # 26248) on :
Posted by JunkYardWily (Member # 24271) on :
in my area there has been a problem with hawks picking up dogs and taking off with them. also dive bombing people who are taking walks.
about a year ago i saw an eagle fly through the air and grab a squirrel out of a tree and fly away with it. an awesome sight.
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
we once had owls attacking all that moved, Mother owls are very aggresive. They ear alot of mice,,,so good for them.
Posted by payne (Member # 26248) on :
isnt that why you have a rooster to wart of attackers ?
Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
The roosters are good for nothin. All they do is make noise and mount the ladies. Some of my guy friends are like that too.
Posted by 17hens (Member # 23747) on :
TS, what a funny story! Made me laugh out loud!
2roads!!! Good to see you, friend!!! This is a funny thread, isn't it!
James, have you ever tried letting them dust in DE? Does wonders for my hens!
We got our weapon of choice from 5&Below. It's like a plastic bucket with a plastic bag inside it hooked to a slingshot. You pull it back and let it rip! It shoots air so far you can move someone's hair from across the yard! It makes a loud popping sound when you do it. So loud it chases the cat back into the house when he sneaks out to chew on grass. And it scares hawks away!
JunkYard, you saw an eagle grab a squirrel? I bet that was impressive!
just don, you mean the owl attacked all that moved...at night or in the daytime? Wow!
Payne, I don't have a rooster any more. When the 6 acre lot sold below ours, wouldn't you know they built a house 20 feet from our coop! We thought we'd better get rid of the loud guy before the neighbors made us get rid of everything. Sheesh!
TC, I can't believe you're letting this thread slip thru your fingers...
Posted by TS96 (Member # 14048) on :
We've had chickens for one year now, so I'm still learning all this stuff. Those mites can be pretty bad. They were tiny black ones and they bite and suck blood.
Our rooster looks protective and acts like top dog but he's a chicken when it comes raccoons. None of the hens did anything when they were sleeping with the coon. I think they must have looked like the cat, because our cat looks like a coon.
Our two dd's dress the hens up and treat the roo like a baby, so they are very tame.
I took the spurs off of the rooster with two hot potatoes.(ever done that?) That was fun. It's like pulling a tooth out. We did it because they were too sharp and cutting up the hens when mating.
This is what I do when I am in remission and enjoying life.
Posted by Garbagedump (Member # 26546) on :
Awwwwe, hens! I'm sorry. We've lost a few hens to the heat too. Even our wonderful pet that would sit on our arm. Egg production has almost ceased. We'll be outta the heat before ya know it!!!
A friend in cognito.
Posted by 17hens (Member # 23747) on :
Is the reason you're incognito a secret? If so, PM me! (I'm curious and curiouser!)
Posted by JunkYardWily (Member # 24271) on :
quote:Originally posted by James1979: The roosters are good for nothin. All they do is make noise and mount the ladies. Some of my guy friends are like that too.
Posted by Harmony (Member # 32424) on :
so sad for your chickens!
I am getting Guinea Fowl and I am sure I will get attached to the individuals and will loose some
Here's a thought: do you know the song...
"And when I'm dead!, and when I'm gone!, there will be - one child born to - carry on!!!"
I love that song
Maybe you can get some chicks to replace the hens and maybe - just maybe - there will be a very special one amoung them to bring you much joy!
Practically: the book "Gardening with Guineas" has some info on your rights to shoot predators but you may have to check with your Game Warden or State Wildlife Officer to stay out of trouble (jail) since some species of wildlife are protected
never thought of shooting anything? well, maybe it will be a whole new experience to defend your feathered friends
I am thinking about it....
Posted by jennie46 (Member # 20953) on :
Hens,
I certainly can understand your pain.
I get attached to anything that breathes...even feel bad if I have to kill a bug! LOL!
Posted by James1979 (Member # 31926) on :
Harmony - the first time you kill something, you can't sleep at night. By the third time, you snore like a baby.
Has anybody seen a rooster mount another rooster? I had a rooster like that last year. He would crack me up! Sometimes he would even mount the other roosters backwards! Posted by dmc (Member # 5102) on :
aww the memories your posts brought. Grew up w/Rhode-Island Reds.
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