Quite Simply, Chook Chat

[Glutton4...]

Especially as within five minutes of the Chooks going in a clean run, it'll look like armageddon! LOL

[RichmondHens]

The only cockerel i have seen getting any action is the silkie. I won't start incubating until I see 'activity' in the breeding pens! What a busy day, mucking out mucky duckys, fixing fencing, coop doors, making gate for the new growers pen - so satisfying laying fresh shavings in their new shed! I need to get a life!

My cocks are getting quite fired up since the snow melted. The lovely Mirabelle is still escaping and laying in the flowerpot, now accompanied by her beau who stands guard. She's still not broody though (which is good). When they got out today they set off the grower cocks (soon to be despatched) who ran up and down the fence desperate for some action - really quite funny. Then Parsnip, one of the rescues who free ranges with his harem, was going mad attempting to mount one then another of his girls and eventually pinned one down under a chestnut tree - isn't there a song about that? My two Light Sussex cocks both got out the other day from their respective enclosures and had a fight but I grabbed them before they did much damage, clipped their wings and chucked them back in. So I think the mating season is upon us once more ..................

[OverWyreGrower]

Yup, my boys are getting rather amorous too... even my Barnevelder who is last years hatch and still a baby compared to the other boys.

We are just waiting for the darts to finish to go outside and move the gang of Welsummer cocks into a different pen. They are rabid at the moment, so have to be moved in the depths of night!

Really this year, I want to reduce my cockerels now I know what I'm breeding. That's a Cream Legbar to go, plus 2 Welsummers; then I'll have room for a Vorwerk boy.

[Glutton4...]

Here's a few up to date piccies of my youngsters. They are 20 weeks today.

[RichmondHens]

They look great. I'm intrigued by the colouring on the cocks - one looks like a Brown Leghorn (especially with those flashy white ear lobes) and one looks almost lavender coloured, or that may be a trick of the light, my eyes or just how it has come out on the 'poota. And two of the girls look like Light Sussex. Did you ever find out what breeds/crosses they all were?

[julesapple]

Question....

When you buy hatching eggs on ebay (or anywhere really) do you have to incubate them straight away?

Forgive my stupidity if this is a silly question.

Barbara, our olive egg layer, came from an ebay seller. She was a 'farmyard mix' and we had more success hatching the hybrids than we did pure breeds - two lots of which (from same seller) turned out to be not as advertised. Blue Leghorns that were farmyard mixtures and Friesian Fowl that weren't anything like FF. We did eventually get some replacement FF eggs but they were banties not light fowl.

I wouldn't say don't do it, just be aware that ebay is extremely hit & miss.

Jules

[RichmondHens]

Question....

When you buy hatching eggs on ebay (or anywhere really) do you have to incubate them straight away?

Forgive my stupidity if this is a silly question.

Hatchability drops after about 7 - 10 days from date of lay, you don't really want to be trying to hatch anything older than that. Naturally a hen will lay into her chosen nest site for about 14 days before starting to incubate, and these eggs usually do well, but then they won't have been disturbed at all except by the hen moving them around a bit as she gets on and off the nest.

If you buy eggs in to hatch from anywhere, let them settle for 12 - 24 hours then start to incubate them as you can never be quite sure of how old they are unless you know and trust the seller. I do now and again set eggs freshly laid literally transferred from the nestbox to a broody, without cooling and all the time handling carefully, but usually I collect a boxful of what I want over several days then transfer to the hen when I decide I have enough.

[Glutton4...]

They look great. I'm intrigued by the colouring on the cocks - one looks like a Brown Leghorn (especially with those flashy white ear lobes) and one looks almost lavender coloured, or that may be a trick of the light, my eyes or just how it has come out on the 'poota. And two of the girls look like Light Sussex. Did you ever find out what breeds/crosses they all were?

The supplier says that the dark Cock is the image of his father who has Bantam and Game Cock in his blood. He is smaller and finer boned than the other three, and has a really loud screechy voice! He does indeed have white ears, as does one of the dark Hens.

One of the LS Hens is as big as the Batties already, the other is finer and smaller, as are the dark Hens, so I guess they have Bantam in them too. The odd Cock (no matching sister) is a bluey-grey with yellowy hackles and saddle.

The eggs were from mixed stock; Light Sussex and Rhode Island Red Cockerels with a Red, Grey, Cream, Speckled, and Brown Hybrid Hens - so all mongrels!!!

The boys are destined for the pot, around mid February, but free to good home if you want one!

[petal]

You can get some interesting colours when you cross a pure breed cock with a hybrid - our bluebelle has produced lovely layers and excellent meat boys when crossed with George the buff orpington. George is very happy today, he has June and May in his own little pen ready for the breeding season. Edward the gold brahma is in with Georgina his wife in their own area and gandalf the second is busy with his light sussex girls in their own pen.Its so cold, how can they be bothered??!!

[Glutton4...]

Perhaps it's their way of keeping warm! Asbo was at it yesterday with a very reluctant Battie. He doesn't seem to care if they're willing or not, he just grabs them and humps them!

[RichmondHens]

Perhaps it's their way of keeping warm! Asbo was at it yesterday with a very reluctant Battie. He doesn't seem to care if they're willing or not, he just grabs them and humps them!

Know just what you mean! Rambo, one of my Light Sussex chaps just decides he's going to have someone, and runs them round and round until they give in. He then has about a two second recovery, quick shake of the feathers and flap of the wings and then starts all over again.

Another method employed (by Rambo and several others) is to burst out of the pop in the morning, and then lay in wait round the corner of the hen house until the hens start to appear. He then pounces on them. Needless to say the time taken for all the hens to come out takes longer each day. You can see them all saying "i'm not going first, no I'm not, it's your turn, no it's yours". Eventually the need for breakfast becomes too great and they have to risk a run to the feeder.

[Glutton4...]

LOL, RH I can picture it very clearly!

[country chic]

purring chooks

My Welsummer was purring today i kid you not, it was a bit like a cat purr but more chickeny. The girls were just enjoying a dust bath in the sunshine under the dustbath bush and were clearly enjoying the experience, I was trying to tidy up the garden a bit when I heard the purring noise. I think perhaps they were so happy to see sunsnine and get out of the frozen run which they have not ben able to scratch for weeks now due to the permafrost ....lol

I am fairly new to chooks but never new they made such a noise, tis the first time I heard any of them purring ( thats as best as I can describe the noise ) anyone else heard theirs making similar noises ? Cc

[Glutton4...]

LOL - Yes, mine do it when they are contented too. Funny things, Chooks!

[chris]

My Welsummer was purring today i kid you not, it was a bit like a cat purr but more chickeny. The girls were just enjoying a dust bath in the sunshine under the dustbath bush and were clearly enjoying the experience, I was trying to tidy up the garden a bit when I heard the purring noise. I think perhaps they were so happy to see sunsnine and get out of the frozen run which they have not ben able to scratch for weeks now due to the permafrost ....lol

I am fairly new to chooks but never new they made such a noise, tis the first time I heard any of them purring ( thats as best as I can describe the noise ) anyone else heard theirs making similar noises ? Cc

two of mine purr as well! magpie and black rock - the black rock when I hold her and the magpie if I have something she wants and give it her then stroke her.