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Post by mckenzygirl on May 14, 2005 10:10:47 GMT -6
This section has been kinda dead lately, so you have any interesting topics on pharm critters please post them here. Along with any questions! I am in noway an "expert on chickens", I'm learning as I go, and could use more info on them too. We have a new member here named Chickenguy. I can't wait till he tells us about his chickens and how he cares for them! How about it chickenguy? What can you tell us?  |
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Post by Strongtower on May 14, 2005 10:25:06 GMT -6
I have had lots of chickens ( and other things) but never had any serious problems. Read up on it lots just in case but all has been well on that.
My biggest problems has been neighborhood dogs. I have had run ins with coons,possums, skunks,coyotes,hawks, and owls, but it has been the dogs that do most of the killing.
Everything is in dog kennels now. ;D
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Post by mckenzygirl on May 14, 2005 10:31:59 GMT -6
Waving Hi Strongtower! I guess we have been very lucky with our chickens. We've had a few baby chicks killed I think by our barn cat. And a few adult chickens killed in the barn by something, don't know what it was. It sucked the blood and left the body.  Then we had 2 dogs kill one of our ducks, Ken was so angry he shot at the dogs and while they were dragging the duck around. The dogs must of thought it was fun sport! We had to shoot the duck he was in very bad shape after being dragged around most of the night. poor thing!  |
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Post by Pharmer Phil on May 14, 2005 15:19:16 GMT -6
first Question: why is the hen moving her eggs that she is sitting on around???
second question: are the newly hatched chicks good deep fat fried?
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Post by mckenzygirl on May 14, 2005 20:34:30 GMT -6
Cuz she want too! just pullin' yer chain!
Here's what we did with our 2 hens that are sitting on some eggs:
We marked them with a periment marker, so we know that those are the eggs they are sitting on.
Sometimes, the hens get confussed, after leaving the nesting box to get some to munch on, and they forget where their eggs are so they just lay any eggs they find.
She could be moving them, so the other hens won't take over sitting on them, or the eggs get moved when she gets up to go geti something to munch on.
It won't hurt the eggs getting moved around.
If you find that the eggs are COLD, they won't catch.
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Post by mckenzygirl on May 14, 2005 22:22:06 GMT -6
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Post by Strongtower on May 14, 2005 22:31:15 GMT -6
If she is moving them around in the nest, it is so the yokes won't stick. If hatching eggs are not turned the yoke sticks to one side and may not hatch or may be malformed if they do hatch. If she is rolling them out of the nest or something, she needs a better nest !! ;D I don't know about deep fried babies...(you know you ain't right) sounds like a southern thing and I've nevah heard of it !!  But you could try those that are incubated for 17 days then boiled and served. Very big in Viet Nam, Korea, places like that. ( That might be duck eggs....can't remember) Its called Balut. Or something like that. Nevah tried it myself !! Sounds nasty..everything but the feathers...Shew !! |
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Post by Laura on May 18, 2005 10:42:47 GMT -6
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Post by mckenzygirl on May 18, 2005 13:18:20 GMT -6
That's too bad! I was hoping you would have some baby chicks.
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Post by chickenguy on May 19, 2005 8:33:59 GMT -6
Hi. Sorry I'm late to respond, but I've been a bit busy. I love to tell you about chickens. First though, can you tell me how to post pictures? I can post small JPEG images but when I try to post a digital photo, it doesn't work.  One thing I'd like to say about your hen problem, hens do not keep track of how many eggs they have, the color, or the size. Ken |
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Post by Laura on Jun 12, 2005 19:32:57 GMT -6
8-)O.K., I have a question..Some place one of the Hen's got an egg with an unborn chick in it..cracked it open if that is possible? & ate the chick. Do they or can they find an egg & eat the un-hatched CHICK'S? & WHY would they do this? I had taken all the eggs away earlier today except for what the one hen is STILL setting on. |
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Post by chickenguy on Jun 12, 2005 21:22:51 GMT -6
Survival of the Fittest. Are your hens bored? Egg eating is a common problem. Do they have constant food and water available?
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Post by Strongtower on Jun 12, 2005 21:56:42 GMT -6
If they are crowded or bored they will peck at each other and everything else. If it is only eggs I would think it a calcium defiency. They can develope a taste for the shells and want to eat them. You can get oyster shells for this. Leave a pan out so they can eat what they want when they want and if that is the problem they won't eat eggs after a bit.
As for the baby chick...yes they would eat him too just cause he was there.
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Post by mckenzygirl on Jun 13, 2005 2:07:12 GMT -6
We give our chickens eggs that are real dirty, but we smash them on the rocks, so they can't tell it was an egg. I would think it is a "calcium defiency" problem. I would give them ground up oyster shells, we mix in with their food. Do you give them grit ? What do ya'll mean by "Bored chickens"? I always picture our chickens like the chickens in the movie "Chicken Run"! :  : : : |
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Post by Laura on Jun 13, 2005 5:16:29 GMT -6
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Post by Strongtower on Jun 13, 2005 8:09:50 GMT -6
Most feed stores sell oyster shells. Its not very expensive. My chickens watch for me too and act like they are staved to death, even if they were fed 30 minutes ago. Nah, no questions are stupid, how will ya know if you don't ask ?? I feel the same way sometimes in the garden section !! LOL It would be better (imho) to boil or scramble those dirty eggs before you give to chickens. They could possibly develope a taste for raw eggs. Bored chickens......sounds like kids doesn't it? I don't know.....I give mine grass clippings to scratch in, I get the shovel and turn a little bit of the dirt in their pen so they can scratch in that, they work themselves good over those two and it keeps them busy for a day or two. I wish I had one of those mulberry trees hanging over their pen. The berries could just fall in and they would be racing after every one. Good cure for boredom !!  |
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Post by Laura on Jun 13, 2005 20:23:17 GMT -6
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Post by Laura on Jul 31, 2005 14:44:19 GMT -6
When will the Young Rooster find his VOICE ??
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Post by mckenzygirl on Aug 1, 2005 8:45:44 GMT -6
 Our 1 old rooster still sounds pgunny! Do they ever "find" their real voice? i dunno  I think TV has something to do with the concetp of a perfect sounding rooster. They must inhance the rooster's cook-a- doodle-doo! You know like when you go to a concert of some singer, and they don't really sound like the CD did? Dewight Yokum had a cold at his concert, and he didn't sound the same at all!
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Post by Laura on Aug 1, 2005 8:52:51 GMT -6
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Post by mckenzygirl on Aug 1, 2005 9:01:27 GMT -6
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Post by Laura on Aug 1, 2005 11:00:05 GMT -6
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I got into the coop today. No hen's were on any of the egg's all were cold. SO...I took them all away. 2 dozen of them bugger's. Had no idea if any were freshly laid or not..so I destroyed them all. 
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