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Barnyard Buddies:  Backyard Chickens  |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6995 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6995 Posts |
 Posted - May 13 2015 : 12:42:31 PM
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The chicks are doing good. Claude & Maude stick together and Modean is in her own little world. From the time I brought them home she has been a loner. Last time I saw her she was in a wire basket on the deck, and the other two were in the yard. After awhile she will miss them and catch up.
I never thought about chickens being different from each other, but Modean is defiantly a little odd. Claude is the largest and sometimes I wonder if she is really a rooster. Maude is the next in size and Modean is the smallest.
Have a blessed day, Sara ~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6995 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6995 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2015 : 05:16:58 AM
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I gave Maggie a small piece of ox-tail and watched as she ate it right at the back door. She usually takes her bones to the same place in the yard, but she won't walk past the chicks with a bone in her mouth. They blocked her way to the deck stairs. They sure have their bluff in on Maggie. After all it's three against one.
Have a blessed day, Sara ~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6622 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6622 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2015 : 11:47:59 AM
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Sara, it must be fascinating to raise these chickens and see how they are each so different. Who would know such a thing? I guess is Claude starting crowing you will have your answer about the gender!!LOL!! Unless of course, you never find any eggs under him?Her? Poor Maggie, she is probably wondering what sort of critter you brought to the backyard. Hopefully, she will get the hang of them soon and just go about her plans!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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Bonnie Ellis
True Blue Farmgirl
2474 Posts
Bonnie
Minneapolis
Minnesota
USA
2474 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2015 : 2:50:58 PM
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Sara: So happy to see you have chickens. They are my love. Our neighbors have them and I get to hear them clucking regularly. Animals do have personalities. Every kind of animal we have ever had farm or home were individuals. Enjoy!
grandmother and orphan farmgirl |
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Song Sparrow
True Blue Farmgirl
1010 Posts
Amy
Talleyville
Delaware
USA
1010 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2015 : 7:34:26 PM
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Bless their fluffy little hearts!!
Peace in our hearts, peace in the world
Amy (Sister#6098) www.danaherandcloud.com
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6995 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6995 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2015 : 10:45:02 PM
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Winnie, my sister Betty was over yesterday and she thinks they're all hens. Claude is just bigger. I never knew how entertaining chickens are. I'm home most days so I am able to watch them closely. When they are free ranging in the yard I check on them every 15-20 minutes because of stray cats and the occasional stray dog.
I let them out when I get up or at day-light. When I nap between noon & two I put them up and let them back out when my nap is over. I put them up for the night somewhere between 4-6 depending on how I am feeling.
Bonnie, so glad you get to hear the chickens. They do talk a lot among themselves. When Modean gets lost from the other two she will cry out and they will answer her so she can find them. The chicks are two months old and it doesn't seem like I have had them that long.
Amy, thank you for the blessing. I pray over them and Maggie. In Deuteronomy 28:4 Blessed shall be ....the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. I figure chickens and little dogs are included in that blessing.
Have a blessed day, Sara ~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
4919 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
4919 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2015 : 1:37:53 PM
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Four years ago I bought baby chicks, first time in about 25 years. They are delightful. I did not buy new babies this year. I have about fifty hens and probably a dozen watch roos who were mistakes or warm bodies while shipping. We have two up to four each of more than a few breeds. They are fun to keep an great entertainment. I love the roos who follow me to the car when I go to town. When the evening news comes on you cannot hear the people for the roos demanding their scratch grain dinner. I don't like the sex link chicks that grow up to be mean. My two fluffy mamas(Cochin Bantams)Are also pretty snippy with the big hens. I have found that hens are much like people. Some are happy and now and then one may seem depressed. I also found that they need one rooster per pen of hens. I had a pen that was being overly snippy. When I put the big roo in with them, we watched and laughed. It took maybe three minutes and they had an attitude adjustment. He made it known that he would be the boss. They love treats, especially corn on the cob and bread. We have a border collie, who loves to steal their bread treats. We also have a bird dog. They work really hard at night trying t o keep the coyotes away. The bobcat are another story. We have recently lost three roos to bobcat.
TexasGran |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6995 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6995 Posts |
Posted - May 17 2015 : 10:06:29 AM
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Marilyn sounds like you have quite a flock and are enjoying them. My chicks are golden sex-links and so far they are as gentle as they can be.
Have a blessed day, Sara ~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6995 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6995 Posts |
Posted - Jun 01 2015 : 11:09:29 AM
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A little drama here today. My sister and I trimmed the chick's wings so they can't fly over my 4' chain linked fence. Last time I saw them they were huddled under the deck just a talking. Betcha I know what and who they were talking about.
Have a blessed day, Sara ~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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hudsonsinaf
True Blue Farmgirl
3162 Posts
Shannon
Rozet
Wyoming
USA
3162 Posts |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6995 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6995 Posts |
Posted - Jun 01 2015 : 12:27:57 PM
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Shannon, I know you had to give up your chickens and I'm so sorry. Hope that in the future you will once again have a flock. My flock of 3 keeps me entertained and along with Maggie gives me a reason to get out of bed some days.
Have a blessed day, Sara ~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
4919 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
4919 Posts |
Posted - Jun 03 2015 : 3:38:14 PM
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I still have the Windows open, no AC yet. During the mornings I hear the chatter of contentment as the hens and roos scratch for bugs. They are wonderful cultivates, but also dig holes like dogs, so they can have their baths. The thing I did not remember is how much they love to play in muddy water. I have a hard time keeping their water pans clean because they use them for cooling stations. I have used every waterer on the market but finally settled on cattle floats on metal or plastic pans. Sometimes when I pull grasses to feed in their pens I am amazed that their favorite part is the roots and dirt. Oh well, country hens will be country hens. They are still fun to watch.
TexasGran |
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TexasGran
True Blue Farmgirl
4919 Posts
Marilyn
Stephenville
Texas
USA
4919 Posts |
Posted - Jun 03 2015 : 3:49:13 PM
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Sara, yes the crowing will begin quite young, especially if you have roosters they can hear. The roos will usually have a more rapid growth of their combs. I have only hatched one little Banty roo in an incubator. The others would never accept him. I would find him wet, because they tried to drown him. He lived in a smaller pen inside the hoop. Finally I let him out. He survived for several months, but as he ranged further from the others, something finally caught him. I said I would never hatch any more. It was a great science lesson for our granddaughter, she came daily to check the egg, and she was here as he left his shell.
TexasGran |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6995 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6995 Posts |
Posted - Jun 05 2015 : 06:02:58 AM
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Marilyn, what a good thing to share with your granddaughter.
This morning I have been on 'poop patrol' as I have come to think of my daily routine of washing the deck and walkway of any traces of the chicks. They don't spend as much time on the deck as they used to since they discovered they can get under the deck. It's 11' X 16' and a couple of feet off the ground so they have plenty of room to scratch and nap.
Have a blessed day, Sara ~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6995 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6995 Posts |
Posted - Jul 18 2015 : 07:07:04 AM
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1st Egg Today!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mo'dean, I think, has laid the first egg, and she did really good. She laid it right where she was supposed to ~~~ in the nesting box in the little red barn chicken coop. Since they free range in my backyard during the day I have been looking for eggs all over the place and hoping they wouldn't do it under the deck.
The chickens were 5 months old the 10th of this month, so I knew they were close to laying. I haven't been this excited since I brought them home at 3 days old.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2899 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2899 Posts |
Posted - Jul 18 2015 : 5:47:49 PM
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YEAH for you Sara! Now let's see how long it takes you to break down and eat it!
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R. |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6995 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6995 Posts |
Posted - Jul 18 2015 : 6:52:18 PM
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You mean I can't get it bronzed.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2899 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2899 Posts |
Posted - Jul 18 2015 : 7:53:11 PM
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I've saved some of my smaller ones, and even tried to mail to friends, but you know how that turned out LOL
Maybe the bronzing would fare better!
Hugs!!!
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R. |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6622 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6622 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2015 : 05:08:06 AM
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Yay, Sara!!! How exciting to finally get your first egg! Now to watch the others join ranks. Pretty soon you will be gathering eggs every day! Let us know how you used the first egg. So much fun!!!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6995 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6995 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2015 : 05:10:36 AM
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Winnie, I'm got 6 eggs so far and haven't cooked one yet. They look so pretty in MaryJane's white ceramic egg crate sitting on kitchen table. I just like to look at them. They're a very dark brown. Soon as I get another egg I'll start cooking them.
It's hot here (heat index 105 or over every day) and to keep the chickens cool I wet down the hole they scratched out under the big oak tree. They wallow in it like 3 little pigs.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6622 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6622 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2015 : 05:24:27 AM
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Wow, Sara, your Girls are on a roll now giving you beautiful eggs!! I bet they do look lovely just sitting on the kitchen table in that cute ceramic egg crate from MaryJane's store. Farmgirl perfection!! I had to laugh that your Girls love to wallow in the cool mud like little piggies. Who would know such things?? Your backyard chicken project has been the best fun ever for you! Are you working on one of the MJF badges with this project too? You have earned one for sure!!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6995 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6995 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2015 : 04:04:30 AM
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Winnie, I hadn't thought about looking into a badge but I will.
With it being so hot here I start watering around 5 a.m. First the front yard then the deck because both are well lit. The chickens hear Maggie and me on the deck, so they wake up, and want out of their coop.
They're on the deck now catching bugs under the light. Bugs and fresh collard greens make for a tasty early morning snack. Yes, I buy collard greens just for my chickens. It's their favorite greens and when there is only 3 chickens I can afford to spoil them a little ~ ok a lot.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6622 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6622 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2015 : 05:29:10 AM
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mmmmm, collards and bugs for breakfast! I bet the Girls do like that combination and it is healthy for them too. 5AM? Wow, life starts early on your little Homestead!! LOL!!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014 |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6995 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6995 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2015 : 05:37:56 AM
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Yes, Winnie, I get a early start ~~~ first nap is usually around 11 a.m. ~~~ 2nd somewhere around 2-3 p.m. I do a little and rest a lot. Some how I managed to keep up and get things done.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6995 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6995 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2015 : 4:32:31 PM
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The last couple of days I have been keeping a close eye on my Girls because of the heat. They are Golden Sex Link and what I have read about that breed is that they tolerant heat.
So far so good. They're not as active as they were when it was cooler, but they do scratch around and wallow in their mud holes. They move a little slower and no longer chase birds, but their appetite is good and they drink a lot of water.
At night they roost on the perch in the covered screen-in area so they do get a breeze now and then.
Next test of the breed will be how well they do in the winter when temperatures drop into the teens or lower.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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Barnyard Buddies: Backyard Chickens |
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Backyard Chickens
