November Chicken Chat Thread~~~Join in!~~~

[3lilbubs]

nope, I set mine less than 24hrs from one of your batches, I have no idea which one now though, you've got chickens popping out of your house like crazy! LOL Mine are on day 17 now.

[sarahannecloud9]

Lol. I know right. I think that's also why so many troubles have happened. If you hatch 10 you may get one issue. You hatch 20+, the #'s go up.


You will NOT believe this crap! Another issue. It's actually an emergency! I was spraying down the chicks with the blue kote to stop the pecking and one of my little girls was extra sweet. It was weird, then I noticed how light she was. I looked her over and she appeared starved. Couldn't find anything elese so I did a compleat exam. She has no tongue. Well, a half pinkey nail sized one at the very back that never grew. She's inside getting every 5 min tlc and food. She is used to the chick started, but can't really eat it. I'm offering every thing you can think of. I made her scrambled eggs a min ago. Need to go see if she ate.

Have to go check her. I'll be back.

BTW, so happy your back Liz.

[stacieandtheboys]

Question. I am down to one hen. Can I introduce some chicks in the spring? I was thinking 2 or 3. She's a buff Orpington and is about 3 years old I think. I got her in a group of 5 but between my dogs and the heat she is the only one left.

[sarahannecloud9]

Sure, just wait till they are big enough to hide and defent theirselves. The higher the #'s being introduced , the better. That way they have numbers on their side and then on one is singled out. It's also good to let them be housed close to your hen for a while, introduce through fence. Then work your way up to letting them free range together. Small steps. They will have quarrels to establish a pecking order. In the beginning stay close to make sure it doesn't get out of hand. The orp is a good breed. I don't see you having much trouble. Just depending on her persionality.

I'm no expert, so hopefull others can advise as well.

[Bekki]

I have had my chicks for a week now, and BOY have the GROWN! They are about 3-4 weeks old now (not sure if the exact hatch date).

We switched from a heat lamp to an EcoGlow brooder, which has been great, because the chicks are getting themselves used to the cold of the basement. They all huddle underneath to keep warm, but they come out for food, water, play, etc.

They are still absolutely petrified of me. I try to hand-feed them several times a day. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Probably depends on how hungry they are at the moment. I have to come up with some treats or something to give them.

I had the break the "do not chase them" rule twice this week to clean out the brooder. I felt bad, but there was no way to do it while they were still in there. They are way too curious about the open door, and a couple of them have escaped at feeding time. One of them flew out and landed on my back. LOL

I'm not quite sure when is the right time to start transitioning them outside. Any thoughts or tips on that? It's the very beginning of winter, so I imagine it's best to let them spend some time outside during the day, then back inside for a while to get used to it.

They are really feathering out nicely, which is good.

[3lilbubs]

Bekki when they have all their feathers around 7-8weeks you can put them outside with a heat lamp in their coop.

Stacie, I think (were it me) that I would try to make her go broody. Put a ton of infertile eggs in the nest until she starts to want to sit. Maybe white ones from the store so you can continue to collect hers until she stops laying. Then swap them out for fertile ones. She'll love having something to occupy her and what mama doesn't love her very own babies? You'll have to put up with her not laying until the babies are grown but by spring you could already have a laying flock. Just sayin'.

Sarah is this one of the babies? I wonder if she's getting chased off the food. I can't imagine they need the tongue to eat, mine sorta just throw it back. LOL You have a picking problem now too?

[sarahannecloud9]

Sounds like your doin a great job! I have a batch now that there is one bad apple. They were friendly till I put them all in one bin and the scardey flighty one now has them all acting that way. Some were even snugglers.

Mine outside are 5 weeks. They have a run and a coop with a long perch and 250 bulb. They are doing extreamly well. They were getting flighty and aggrivated inside. Like cooped up kids in the rain. I made that queensize bed coop/run i posted a while back and it's perfect.

Yea, the picking has been going on a while. The one I mentioned around a week ago? You said it may be 2 mean cockerals. Also that you couldn't find pinless peepers for them when yours did it and were small. It's the big girls. No way it's the diet. It's 2 of them doing it. They are doing great now with the spray. Don't think I'll need the peepers!

It's deff the no tongue. She tries so hard to eat the chick feed. Then she slings it out of her throat unable to swallow. I put her feed with tons of goodies in a coffee grinder and made it all much smaller and she's doing great with it. She produces so much saliva. When she shakes something hung up in her mouth or throat saliva slings out. She ate ALL the eggs today! I'm so proud of her. I'm adding baby bird powdered formula to that mix too. Loads of vitamins.

[3lilbubs]

Originally Posted by sarahannecloud9 Sounds like your doin a great job! I have a batch now that there is one bad apple. They were friendly till I put them all in one bin and the scardey flighty one now has them all acting that way. Some were even snugglers. Mine outside are 5 weeks. They have a run and a coop with a long perch and 250 bulb. They are doing extreamly well. They were getting flighty and aggrivated inside. Like cooped up kids in the rain. I made that queensize bed coop/run i posted a while back and it's perfect. Yea, the picking has been going on a while. The one I mentioned around a week ago? You said it may be 2 mean cockerals. Also that you couldn't find pinless peepers for them when yours did it and were small. It's the big girls. No way it's the diet. It's 2 of them doing it. They are doing great now with the spray. Don't think I'll need the peepers! It's deff the no tongue. She tries so hard to eat the chick feed. Then she slings it out of her throat unable to swallow. I put her feed with tons of goodies in a coffee grinder and made it all much smaller and she's doing great with it. She produces so much saliva. When she shakes something hung up in her mouth or throat saliva slings out. She ate ALL the eggs today! I'm so proud of her. I'm adding baby bird powdered formula to that mix too. Loads of vitamins.

I'm sorry, I remember that discussion now that you mention it. I'm a little "off" in the conversation this week. Sorry about your meanies.

I had just taken Hazel and Livy's peepers off the other day and today after being cooped up two days in a row I caught both of them pecking other girl's backs. Back on they went! My girls shouldn't even get "cooped up" because they have like...3x the recommended yard area by the poultry books. Jerks. I noticed that Fred's having a H#LL of a rodeo with the girls or something too, b/c his favorites have broken and missing feathers at the base of their tails. Hope he chills out soon. Shouldn't have any hens looking like that when he has his pick of 14 of them. Sheesh.

We had a little bit of a hiccup with the bator tonight, the fan started making a horrible noise all of a sudden so we had to replace it really quick. Need to buy a new one I guess but I just want this one to make it thru the hatch! Tomorrow's lockdown!!! Well I guess.. "today" in a half hour. LOL

Started getting my brooder ready, tub is clean with shavings, and I have the feeders waiting to be filled. Couldn't remember the exact amount of electrolyte for that size so I just put a tiny pinch in the bottle. Probably won't need it really but can't hurt right? Kids and I are getting so excited to see them! The eggs felt heavy when I turned them tonight. I candled the one I thought might be a twin egg b/c it is so heavy. Too dark but the air cel is nice and big so here's hoping I get 5/5!


That's crazy about the disabled chick. How are you going to deal with doctoring her all the time?

[sarahannecloud9]

Originally Posted by 3lilbubs I'm sorry, I remember that discussion now that you mention it. I'm a little "off" in the conversation this week. Sorry about your meanies. That's ok. 100% understandable. I just didn't want you to think I had others doing it to. If it happens again I just don't know wht I'll do other than put the blinders on those 2. I had just taken Hazel and Livy's peepers off the other day and today after being cooped up two days in a row I caught both of them pecking other girl's backs. Back on they went! My girls shouldn't even get "cooped up" because they have like...3x the recommended yard area by the poultry books. Jerks. I noticed that Fred's having a H#LL of a rodeo with the girls or something too, b/c his favorites have broken and missing feathers at the base of their tails. Hope he chills out soon. Shouldn't have any hens looking like that when he has his pick of 14 of them. Sheesh. Oh no, that fast. You'd of though they would have broke from that mind set by now. Sorry Liz. Could Fred being rejected by them because of the approaching winter and him forcing it? Solomon is being rejected a lot with this cold. He just goes and picks someone elese now. We had a little bit of a hiccup with the bator tonight, the fan started making a horrible noise all of a sudden so we had to replace it really quick. Need to buy a new one I guess but I just want this one to make it thru the hatch! Tomorrow's lockdown!!! Well I guess.. "today" in a half hour. LOL Shoot. Glad you had the extra fan. Hope the temp adjustment wasn't to much of a pain. I'm so excited for you! Started getting my brooder ready, tub is with shavings, and I have the feeders waiting to be filled. Couldn't remember the exact amount of electrolyte for that size so I just put a tiny pinch in the bottle. Probably won't need it really but can't hurt right? Kids and I are getting so excited to see them! The eggs felt heavy when I turned them tonight. I candled the one I thought might be a twin egg b/c it is so heavy. Too dark but the air cel is nice and big so here's hoping I get 5/5! Almost time!!! I wish my 2 little blue/green eggs had hatched. Hey, I do have the batch we set near eachother. Their my 11-7 batch. Day 18 is today. I put them in the hatcher for lockdown last night and only found one fail. Not bad with the new steady fans, vent, bator, humidity, and temps. I'm so far happy with these lower humidity numbers. Only the one fail. I'll know how much better it really is at hatch time. Hope I don't have as many late hatchers as before. It's been 100 deg and 35% humidity. Now for day 18 it's 100 deg and 55%-59% humidity. Can't get the numbers higher if I wanted with the heater going. That's crazy about the disabled chick. How are you going to deal with doctoring her all the time?

I don't really know Liz, but I know I can't fail her. She deserves a happy life. I don't want her to be one of our spring meat birds. But, if I have to feed her this way till then, I guess she will be? She's so lovely and so dang sweet. Sh'd make a wonderfull addition to our egg flock. My heart is really breaking for her. Also, what do I do about not wanting to put her back out there when she is better? I don't want her to have to stay inside. The whole point is her happiness. She's lonely and needs company, want's to be held. How the heck has she made it this far?! I have MIL picking me up hand tube feeding supplies to help give her a faster recovery. She's in a real bad wat right now. Doing better than she was though. Ate all the eggs and likes that new smaller feed mix. If we keep her for eggs, wouldn't always have to feed her seperate? Without the tngue, she can't seem to swallow anything average sized. She's doing well with swallowing the small bits and soft foods. Ugh. What to do.

[sarahannecloud9]

Bekki- How old are they now? I looked at the baby calender and mine that are outside are 6,7, and 8 weeks. They've been out for around a week I think? Do you just want a daytime playground? or, do you have something like a growout pen for the? For a playground for good weather, they can spend the whole day in something like this: set some pvc poled to cupport the chicken wire, make a corral for them where nothing can get to them, provide a warm spot out of the wind, a light is very helpfull if they get a chill. Sounds like they are getting cabin fever like mine did. Just ready for some sun and spread their wing time. I starte dwith a cpl mins in my lap and then went to an hour in their play ground. Then it wasn't enough so they went in the tractor grow out coop I made for them. They are so much happier. Especially since I sprayed them so the 2 hellyens would leave them in peace.