Quite Simply, Chook Chat

[elizajay]

I am like that /\ /\

[Glutton4...]

I get someone else to dispatch. I don't have a problem with them being 'done' as long as I don't have to do it. They are the best tasting Chicken you will ever eat. Fact.

Can't wait for the Baby pics.

[Nicos]

G4....Here's a piccie of one of my chicks as requested...

[Glutton4...]

^^ WTF!?

Oh, I picked up my He/She today - she still looks like a Hen, but she weighs a TON! Batties usually weigh nothing, this one's as heavy as lead! Weird!

[Nicos]

^^ WTF!?

...date...time????

[Glutton4...]

...date...time????

Yeah, sorry! Got 'head-up-arris' syndrome at the moment. Just coming back down to earth.

[julesapple]

I think one of my chooks is on her way out.

Gladys Wheaten Marans. She's got to be nearly 5, one of the first chooks we ever bought. She has a massive tumour on her underside rear end, hasn't laid an egg in a year or so. I'm just watching her very carefully at the moment. Apart from a final trip to the vet, there isn't anything we can do.

[elizajay]

Sad when they go, one of my first chooks had to be PTS with the same problem as yours. The other two originals had a quicker departure by fox.

[julesapple]

Worked it out, Gladys is 4.

She's still all hunched up, but she did go for the spinach I've just given her. She hasn't laid in ages, I'm just hoping there isn't a stuck egg in there, or a broken one, although I haven't seen any traces of egg on her or elsewhere.

Might get the DD to come round and check. Don't really want to stress her out, but if needs must....

[Nicos]

Bit of nice news....our chicks are having their first day out ranging with the flock ..can't believe they are a week old already!

The 3 boys have come up and had a close inspection and looked quite chuffed with themselves.
Just hope the clumsy Light Sussex don't tread on any of them...but the chicks are fast and nippy so they should be fine!

[Feral007]

Out in the paddock today giving the old horses some feed and worming pellets. DD says "here comes the cat" - and I look the other way and say "here come the chooks".

Slightly crowded we were! Those chooks are such sticky beaks, and the battie's are so people friendly it's weird.

[Glutton4...]

I do believe we are still waiting for chick pics, Nickers!?

Worming pellets, Feral?

[Feral007]

G4 worming pellets for the older horses - they are very crafty about worm paste, so take the easy way out with them (and more expensive) The other horses just have to suck it up

[RichmondHens]

Some good news, one of my big old Buff Orps managed to hatch 3 welsummer chicks on Sunday, all out today in the sun for the first time. Two girls and a boy I'm pretty sure.

The bad news was she sat on 9 eggs - one turned out to be clear, four others DIS. The 9th egg mysteriously disappeared and I have now been out and turned out the bedding but no sign so assume she ate it, mad old bat!

More bad news is my incubator is full of goose eggs, all of which have candled infertile unfortunately. Will set a new lot and if the same thing happens need to think about what to do with the gander - I'm sure you can all come up with tasty suggestions!!!

[elizajay]

I have been worming my chickens for a week withholding their usual evening snack (apart from a very small amount of corn to persuade the errant Victoria Plum into the run and prevent her from sleeping in a tree. When I looked at my flower beds I realised that several geraniums that looked as if they were doing very well from a distance are good heads of stalks. I have had to cover my flower beds with sticks to give things a chance to grow before being shorn by the chooks. They have also had a good go at the rhubarb leaves.
I hope they have had enough medicated pellets to work on their worms!