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Barnyard Buddies:  All Things Chickens  |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 24 2011 : 4:25:08 PM
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I have a broody hen. And she is quite stubborn about it so far. The past few days I have dunked her in a bucket of cold water. In 10 minutes she's right back on the nest. It's a milk crate on the porch of the little house next door. So I do it again. I did it several times in 2 days. She got me good on the right arm the first time. I was dripping blood. And it seems when I have broody hens that production drops drastically. Like from 17 eggs one day to about 8 the next few days. So I cannot have this. Plus I don't need any more roosters. I have 8 right now.
So last night I took her into the coop with the 5 younguns. I think she is their mother anyway. SO they got along fine. She stayed in all day today. And she was up too. SO maybe a few days of this will get her over this. I sure hope so.
I bet there are lots of broody hens right now. It must be that time of year. They are thinking of cute little chicks.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2011 : 06:19:39 AM
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well i could use a broody hen. send her my way kris. the girls here are laying like crazy. i am so grateful to have found these hens on cl. in a few weeks some of them will make the maiden voyage to pasture. i will only send a few till i know they will be safe. yes i bet i do lose some production too with the move. i have been trying to figure how to back my chicken tractor up to their yard. i could get them used to it before i move them over. i so need the eggs. i still have a few of my broody hens from last year. they are in a different coop. i hope they sit this year and give me chicks. i sure do enjoy all you farmgirls and your stories of farming. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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plantcarazy
True Blue Farmgirl
116 Posts
Jenn
Montana
USA
116 Posts |
Posted - Mar 28 2011 : 7:28:08 PM
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My husband and I would like to start having chickens but do not have any experience. One of the big issues we are considering is that when we travel , how long can chickens be left alone? Also, does anyone have suggestions for a really good starter book to learn about having chickens? We will not have a very big flock- we are thinking maybe 4 chickens.........
I often find myself wandering down country roads..................... |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2011 : 02:39:43 AM
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Hi Jennifer! A chicken must have water at all times, if it goes without water for 24 hours it starts going down hill & by 48 its all over....having plenty of water-ers is a big thing with chickensIt really depends on what type of traveling you do...a couple of days is alright if you have plenty of water-ers set up & a feed plus can you keep them in the coop while you are gone for those few days, is it big enough that they aren't stepping on each other....what is the weather like...if below freezing do they have a heat source...ie heat lamps...if its hot do they have low moving fans to move the air.....yeah it can be hard to leave the chickens...but if you also have someone that can come in & check on them thats good. Of all the animals this is one that even though only needs all of 5 mins in the morning & 5 mins at night they can't be left alone for long periods of time if they have no water or feed....if they are free rangers the feed isn't as big of a problem but the water is still the main issue with them. I am lucky that I have a 13 yr old neighbor girl I pay to come tend to my cats & chickens when I am gone visiting for a week or so....I tend to worry even when gone about them though I don't about the cats!...I have 3 large water-ers that I have set up when I am gone just so if the girl forgets to check on them they have water even if it isn't fresh.....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2011 : 07:06:07 AM
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hey there, i like storeys guide to raising chickens for a good atrter book. we have a feeder that holds 200 pounds. you can fing different size feeders. we have the water for them in a 50 gallon barrel. it is a colored barrel. this way the algae does not grow so easily in it. so then with a safe house they should do ok. we dont heat our hen house. they are in a insulated coop. so no heat. hope you can get some soon. we love our chickens. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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plantcarazy
True Blue Farmgirl
116 Posts
Jenn
Montana
USA
116 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2011 : 8:30:57 PM
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Yes, we are doing it! In the works of building our coop now, but we have a few questions maybe one of you ladies out there can answer..... First we have decided to insulate our coop since we hope this will help keep the heat in the coop more stable in the wintertime, plus help a bit with keeping it cooler in the summer. But, we are wondering if we need to go a bit further with the heating part for winter since we live in the good ol' Rockies! We will use heat lamp/light if needs be, but we were wondering if anyone has tried anything with solar out there? Just a thought...... or will insulation be enough? We will have only about 4 chickens, so is body heat factor in?
I often find myself wandering down country roads..................... |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2011 : 12:53:08 PM
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Jennifer, with only 4 hens you will probably need some sort of heat..ie lamps or even extra bedding hay in the winter so they can dig down into it to nest/rest/sleep...The insulation is a great idea & I always recommend it even in hot areas. Even a small doghouse without insulation can be very cold in the winter so any improving on that for animals is always a good thing in my book. I would love to do solar up here in Massachusetts, we are within miles of NH so we get hammered in the winter & even on cloudy days your solar panels would gain some energy...or even sky lights that face the sun would be easy to clean off if the snow hasn't turned to ice. & in the summer you can cover them to block out the suns heat with tarps....just some ideas for you to throw around....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
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Tammyb
True Blue Farmgirl
511 Posts
Tammy
Bluffton
Ohio
USA
511 Posts |
Posted - Apr 05 2011 : 06:15:56 AM
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You sisters are gonna love the new girls.
I just love sitting on the swing and watching those birds.
Enjoy!
Tammyb
Live to leave a legacy
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2011 : 4:49:36 PM
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I have been really sick, and in my lack of apying attention I lost one of my favorite hens. She gor very egg bound and passed in my arms. I feel badly. I should have noticed earlier. I should have been there. Life on a farm.
Come visit my blog
http://angieruralliving.blogspot.com/
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
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Calico Hen
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Meg
Middle Tennessee
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2011 : 6:41:08 PM
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Angie, My heart goes out to you on the loss of your hen. Right now I am dealing with the same feelings of "I should have been there". I noticed one of my hen today acting strange, picked her up and looked at her vent. I don't know if she had a broken egg or what but she has a horrible infection involving her vent. I have tried to clean her up with warm water, found a few maggots and disposed of them and have put her in a cat carrier (with food and water) in our garage so the flies can't get to her. I am going to call the farm store tomorrow to see what they have to help her. I was out of town last week and there were several days it rained so hard the girls didn't come out of the coop. I should have noticed earlier.
I hope you are feeling better health wise too Angie. |
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - Apr 06 2011 : 6:53:43 PM
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Insulation is fine in a coop in really cold areas. Be sure to provide roof or eave vents for humidity escape. A damp coop is impossible to keep warm and increases disease risk as well. Enjoy your girls! They are such a delight to have around.
Angie I am sorry you lost your hen. I'm glad you were with her at the end.
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2011 : 03:30:18 AM
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Oh Angie honey, don't feel guilty. the thing with chickens is they can be normal acting up to the moments they die. i check my chickens daily over & over again & I still get ones that pass away from things like impacted crop, impacted gizzard & so on. They aren't like dogs or cats that you can tell right off the bat they are sick & in need of your help. ...though I wish they were so I could have saved the ones I lost. But they go to roost normal & the next day are dead....And a impacted egg is a very hard one to know about because they will still eat & drink & if they stay in the nest you think they are broody or getting ready to lay an egg.
meg if your hen is still alive you might want to put her in warm water so that she is sitting in it & with your fingers open up the vent area so that water can get in there to clean some of the infection out also this sounds awful but put some cooking oil on a finger with a very short nail & work your finger up into the vent you will need to hold her so her head is between your arm & side like a football rump area slight up towards your face, do it slowly & go upward inside her once you are in. you will feel that you can go downward towards the gizzard or up towards the back. Feel if there is any broken egg shell in there, if there is & there are maggots coming out of her vent you need to put her down she is slowly dying from the infection from the egg shells cutting her inside. I know this is so hard but if there is no eggshells or maggots inside the vent area if you have a turkey baster mix very warm water with something like neosporin so the neospronin dissolves in the water (do a good squeeze into the baster)& gently work the turkey baster(oil the outside tip area) inside about a inch or so & very slowly shoot that inside her, do this over the sink or tub you want enough inside that it comes pouring out as you shoot it in so it flushes the tissue. Look to see if the water comes out red/pinkish (blood) or green/yellow (infection). if either one show up you should try to do this flushing twice a day for her if you can. If there is blood you will probably lose her, The infection you might be able to save her with this type of flush. also Give her a wet feed with yogurt in it & chicken or baby liquid vits...just a drop or two into the feed & a drop or 2 of apple cider vinegar into her water. You will also need to keep her warm as she fights this so if you have a hot water bottle or smaller soda plastic bottle or juice bottle get as hot of water as you can in it wrap it in a towel, once the towel is warm & you know she won't get burnt lay it under the back part of her so the vent area is getting some of the warmth....Ok now that I have written you a book...lol....I hope this helps you...& if she should die read above to what i wrote Angie :)....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2011 : 06:11:35 AM
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Angie, so sorry about your hen. So how does that happen? I don't give my hens alot of attention and they are fine. They are all over the place. I guess they do get talked to all day because they are right out in the yard and all over the place. At the front doors, at the windows.... They see me all day.
I still have a routine in the evening with the 5 "babies". While the big chickens are eating their evening scratch, the baby chicks gather and follow me back to their coop for their dinner. It's so cute to see. If they were ducks, I'd have all my ducks in a row! We still do this every day.
I still need to get these roos in the freezer. Why am I dragging my butt about this? I just need to get some help. I can do it. Just need help. 2 of the baby chicks are roos. And Jimmy Buffet attacked Kansas agian yesterday. Darn rooster. So he has got to go. I will keep one of the younger Buff roos. The 3 gane roos have to go too. One of them has been outcast from the flock. Poor guy. He's way out away from the others. the other roos won't let him come closer. It's sad to see, but when there are 8 roos too many and only 20 hens, that happens. So I think this weekend it has to be done.
And my eggs went down yesterday. I wasn't here that afternoon. When I got home I only found 9 eggs in the usual places. They might have found another place to lay. Again. But I heard alot of hens singing the song just now.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2011 : 07:12:41 AM
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well angie, so sorry about your hen. when sickness hits we have to roll with it. sad you lost her but glad your better. we are dragging the pastures and moving the chicken tractor this week. i have too many hens to check every day. i am putting some cull chickens over first. we will see how they do. i am concerned when i move the real flock they may stop laying awhile.. i need the money from the eggs to buy hay. i think its so cute kris that your babies follow you for food. i have a few fryers left to do here. may do them on sat. we are butchering the buck sat. if esther is bred. he is jumping fences and RUNNING wild.LOL so maybe the few fryers left also. my girls slowed down a little too. i am hoping it is NOT a trend. hoping you all have fine farm days happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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Calico Hen
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Meg
Middle Tennessee
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2011 : 07:34:19 AM
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| Thank you Michele, you are a wealth of chicken information and I love learning from you! I posted on my "sick hen" topic that after closer inspection, my hen has a large infected wound across her backside and the swelling was covering the vent. On Vet's recommendation I am going to wash out the wound with Betadine (until healed) which will kill germs and any fly eggs/maggots that may be in there. I am thankful it is still cool enough here that I can keep her in a cage in the garage to keep her isolated from the flies. |
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amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2011 : 08:29:58 AM
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Thank you all! I am glad I, we all have such a supportive place. Again Thank you!
Come visit my blog
http://angieruralliving.blogspot.com/
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2011 : 09:45:01 AM
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Oh Meg I am beyond thrilled to hear that about your hen....beleive it or not I have thought about it all day today just hoping everything would turn out alright...& a infection like that will heal up, she may have a bare area that no longer feathers but that won't hurt her none. I have a few like that & I do have to watch out for sunburn...lol....can't have the hens getting sunburned thats for sure...I bought baby sunblock just for them that is in my medical kit! Well I have some news too.....Bess hatched 2 or the 3 eggs I put under her today...so we now have 'Star' a pretty little yellow girl with a two toned brown strip down her back & Patunia a beautiful black baby with a white dot on her head...I checked the last egg & it had a pecked area so don't know if that one is hatching or Bess accidently cracked it moving it....will leave it under her as I candled it & it is dark. So I am a new grand momma again...Big smile :)...Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
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Calico Hen
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Meg
Middle Tennessee
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2011 : 09:43:32 AM
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| Congrats on the babies Michele! I slid two fertilized eggs under my broody cochin yesterday and I hope they hatch successfully. What fun. |
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violetrose
True Blue Farmgirl
960 Posts
Ruth
Epworth
GA
USA
960 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2011 : 6:13:39 PM
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I am so excited! We are joining the Chicken Coop group! We got 11 baby chicks today - will get two more tomorrow, then we will just have a fun time watching these cute little fuzz balls grow up to be pretty hens (hopefully). we are really wanting some good fresh eggs from our own "girls"! Thanks for all the great info I have been reading!
We had Bantum's before, but wanted "real" eggs this time around.
Hugs, Ruth.JPG)
Farmgirl Sister # 1738
God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us!
St. Augustine |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2011 : 6:47:45 PM
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Ruth, that is so neat that you got some chickies! It looks like several different kinds too. I am so happy for you! And you already have the cutest little hen house. They will be so happy there with y'all. Now I will have to come visit you and the "girls". Have fun with them. What kind is the one with the black line on her head in that group of 4 on the right?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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violetrose
True Blue Farmgirl
960 Posts
Ruth
Epworth
GA
USA
960 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2011 : 7:01:14 PM
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Kris, The one with the stripe on her head is an Ameraucana, as well as the one behind her. The yellow one is: DeKalb Amberlink, the beige one: Buff Orphington, the black one:Black Sex Link, the Red on is RhodeIsland Red. Tonight we got: 3 Copper Black Marans, and two Silver Wyendotts (sp?) They are not sexed, so hoping they are not all roos :(!
You will have to come visit - when are goaties due???? How is Maizy's baby doing?
Hugs, Ruth
Farmgirl Sister # 1738
God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us!
St. Augustine |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2011 : 7:06:06 PM
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my newest babies born 4/6/2011  michele'
Star is the yellow one & Patunia is the black one!
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
Edited by - batznthebelfry on Apr 08 2011 7:06:56 PM |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2011 : 7:14:14 PM
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Ruth, goaties are due the 19th. 11 more days! And Chuck is growing like a weed. He'll be 4 weeks tomorrow. He's a stocky boy. Mazie's a good momma. And has good milk. Although I have only had a taste so far. Chuck drinks her dry before I can get any. But it's good. It must be very nutritious because he is thriving. I would love to find another calf for him to play with. I might look for a little heifer. Come any time you want.
Michele, are these the chicks that one of your hens hatched? They are so cute. I think I will have to get some more soon. I just don't know if I want little chicks. I'd rather have some already old enough to start laying.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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ChickieMama
True Blue Farmgirl
303 Posts
Angela
Banks
Oregon
USA
303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2011 : 11:22:39 PM
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I have 30 chickens here at Lazy Jo Ranch. I love chicken keeping!!! I sell the eggs that I don't need to co-workers and will begin to sell eggs "roadside" this summer. I get $3 a dozen for the free range eggs. I love a colorful basket...I have chocolate egg layers (welsummers and Cuckoo marans), blue and green eggs from the Easter Eggers and Americaunas and the rest lay brown eggs- barred plymouth rocks, columbian wyandottes, and partridge plymouth rocks. Please check out my blog for pics. ;D
Farmgirl Sister#2808
"Happy Hens make Happy Eggs"
http://lazyjoranch.blogspot.com
http://etsy.com/shop/lazyjoranch
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Barnyard Buddies: All Things Chickens |
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All Things Chickens
I am praying he's the only one of the barred rocks. I am hoping we can sell eggs via roadside this year.