Quite Simply, Chook Chat

[petal]

they are cunning - well the hens are- our hen called Cranberry is always at the back door waiting for treats. she is crazy about rose wine and insists on 'sharing' a glass on summer evenings.....!
by the way, turkey poults are the most stupid things on this planet and I have found its best to hand rear so they don't commit mass suicide. Even our buff orpington found them irritating and impossible.

[OverWyreGrower]

I must admit, when we had the (Christmas) turkeys, I could understand why we eat loads of them... they are so silly when small...

I remember moving the feeder once, and all the poults (about 10 of them) just stood and looked at the empty space where it used to be for hours... I'd only moved it about 4ft away!

[jessmorris]

I don't think haemorhoid cream is the answer...I'll try and find the advice I came across which explains why. http://www.avianweb.com/Prolapse.htm is an article by an avian vet about cloacal prolapses. He does recommend lubrication, but with a water based ointment like KY jelly.....

By the way, my OEG had a prolapse and it did retract after a few days. Is the answer to keep them in the dark on light rations for a bit so they don't lay and further strain the vent?
Good luck,
JM

[Nicos]

Oh- interesting read JM- thanks.
.....Best put KY jelly on me shopping list then!

[RichmondHens]

One of my Orps is going broody. Goose eggs on order!

[Nicos]

Goose eggs?
Oh wow- fantastic!
How many can she cover? ( just in case one of my 'big gals' goes broody in a couple of weeks

What type of goose have you ordered?

[RichmondHens]

Well I am getting some eggs from "farmyard type" white geese (probably an Emden cross) from a friend of a friend. They are an experiment really. The eggs aren't going to cost much so if it all goes horribly pear shaped it doesn't really matter. I shall see what size they are before seeing how many will comfortably fit under the Orp (she's a big gal though). I've ordered four, and if she can cover four all well and good, if not i'll give her two and put two in the incubator.

The plan is to handle the babies as often as possible to get them really tame to minimise aggression when they are adults, although I appreciate mature ganders in the breeding season are a force to be reckoned with. I want to get eggs from two different sources, choose one gander from one hatch and one or two geese from the other and create an unrelated breeding trio for the future. The surplus youngsters will be fattened and eaten.

At least that's the cunning plan .................. if I hatch anything I will be lucky I think, they are supposed to be very difficult to hatch and apparently the eggs will be too heavy for the hen to turn so I will have to do it for her.

[jessmorris]

Ooo, roast goose is lovely.

[Munch]

I am wondering if anyone would be able to advise me on something....
We have just had out first hatch of the year, 5 hubbard x's from our own chooks, hatched in incubator.
4 are fine, 1 of them pipped Friday morning, Saturday morning it had made a bit more of a hole in the shell, still chirping away, not wanting to "help out" I left it be. This morning I came down to find it was still alive!!! only this morning it had managed to get an entire leg out and was frantically trying its bestest to get out, so (i know i know) I just broke a little of the shell off its back and it did the rest. However, it was in the shell for so long it still has a bent neck. the little thing looks left all the time.
My question is...... do you think it will iron itself out, or will it always walk around in circles???
Has anyone experienced this before, we have hatched around 40 chicks in the last 2 years and never seen anything quite like it!

[Ali Apple]

All I can suggest is maybe a gentle massage on the neck area. It is amazing how often chicks adapt to the problems that arise from hatching.
I remember one if my chicks could not open it's claw properly, and stumbled all over the place.
Day by day I massaged the foot very gently, just for a few minutes, and It made such a difference over the next 4 weeks or so.
You have nothing to lose by trying..... good luck!

[Nicos]

Gosh- not heard of that before!
Certainly sounds muscular to me though- I like AA's idea of massaging/gently stretching the neck...lovely to hear of a little un desperate to survive!

[Jax]

Bit sad this morning, we had to rehome the 3 big white ones as the aggression was too bad. On the smiley side though, we got a visit last night and ended up with chicks!! They are about 10 weeks I would guess and in my guinea pig cage as we speak. So cute, I dont know why people keep turning up with animals. I shall take it as a compliment!!

[julesapple]

Jax, we ended up with thirteen cats that way. Down to ten now.

Just popped out to the henhouse to check all was well and discovered that our girls snore....sooo sweet!

Also, our Blue Cochin girl has taken to hopping the fence every evening, at bedtime, and tapping on the door with her beak so that someone will put her to bed! Why she doesn't follow the flock I know not. It'll be funny in the summer months when all the doors are left open to catch the evening sun!

Seriously considering getting a webcam in the chookhouse!

[Jax]

Hehe, my 4 chickens have turned into 10 chickens and 8 chicks in 2 months! Only knows where all of them will go!! Luckily half of them are bantams and barely take up any space. I have an odd cochin aswell. She follows all of the others in when they go in to lay and once they hav laid she announces it for them!!! Funny creatures these chickens hey!! I have put my foot down now as I am NOT having anymore chickens! or any other animals for that matter!

[julesapple]

Yep, I said that too....only had four chooks at the time. They turned into six, then ten etc etc. And I know that DD is planning to hatch some of our girls eggs now that Ed (Lavender x Splash Cochin cockerel) is covering them.....DD doesn't know that I know....but I know how her mind works! Don't know where she gets her sneakiness from....