Pets chickens

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Teriyakicat said:
Oh dear!!! :(

Was just looking for pics or videos to show you what candling is but read that you shouldn't do it past about 2 weeks into the incubation period. Basically what it is, is a method by which you can check to see if a) you've got fertile eggs and b) how the embryo is developing. I used to just take a good torch out at night, pick up an egg from under the chicken and shine a light behind the egg, so I could see through the shell, into the egg.

This will explain it better:

http://chickenbreedslist.com/Egg-Candling-What-It-Is-and-How-To-Do-It-Correctly.html

And this site has a few pics:

http://www.raising-happy-chickens.com/hatching-chickens.html
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Wow, you learn something new everyday!
 
My Austrolorp (Michael) is still broody and obviously not laying at the minute. Furthermore, my Leghorn (Jackson) has gone off the lay, out of sympathy I suppose.

What is really freaking me out is Michael's not protecting anything!! She was nesting on Jackson's eggs, but now that the Jackson is off the lay, she nests on nothing. All day and all night.
 
I love the names of your ladies, PP!

Yeah, I steal my eggs out from under my hens and they continue to sit on nothing. You need to lock her out of the area if you want to stop her from brooding. Or she'll stop eventually. The hatching time for chicks is 21 days and the mums usually sit for a bit longer while their babies are very young so maybe she'll be broody for about a month.

As for your Plymouth going off the lay- she shouldn't stop for long. According to the website below, she should lay about 300 eggs in her first year.

http://blog.chickenwaterer.com/2012/09/how-many-eggs-to-expect-your-chickens.html?m=1
 

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I locked the broody one out for a while but the problem I have is the other one lays her eggs there. I cant just lock it out for one.

Might have to see this one through...
 
Could you lock the laying hen in for a few days?
Or, if the Plymouth has just recently stopped, maybe lock them both out for 3-4 days?
I know mine sometimes find sneaky places to lay, so perhaps check around under bushes and in plant pots to ensure she isn't squirreling away a little stash to sit on later ;)
 
I mowed the lawn yesterday afternoon. 3 chickens following me around getting in my way. They would walk right infront of the mower then scurry away as I got close. Scratching around to find bug I disturbed I guess and picking up stray lawn clippings. Two ISAs and an Austrolorp looking to get mown down.
 
Mattrox said:
I mowed the lawn yesterday afternoon. 3 chickens following me around getting in my way. They would walk right infront of the mower then scurry away as I got close. Scratching around to find bug I disturbed I guess and picking up stray lawn clippings. Two ISAs and an Austrolorp looking to get mown down.
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Lol
That's quite cute -great imagery! I'm amazed that the chickens aren't afraid of the mower.

I often watched next door's horse as he ambled around in our back paddock. He was almost always accompanied by a willy wagtail, who rode on the horse's back.
Whenever the horse would stop to have a snack, the bird would jump to the ground and peck around at the grass near where the horse was grazing. Obviously it had the same idea as your chickens. Let the horse/human do all the work and I'll come in and reap the benefits!! :D
 
My wife's grandma used to stuff broody hens into a pillow case and lock them in the cupboard.

I have four new chickens & am getting two eggs a day.

If that bastard fox comes back I will be devastated.
 
The Austrolorp (Michael) is really testing my patience. Locked them out last and let them in this morning to lay. Jackson (the Leghorn) laid an egg and Michael then sat on it - and broke it. As she has done to the last 4 eggs.

Good weather for chicken soup over in Perth at the minute....
 
Teriyakicat said:
Definitely dead?
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Yeah 0/6, silly thing is still under there.

But the old Sussex did end up with just the 1 hatching! It also looks after it well, it's quite funny because the chickens actually know who belongs to who even though it looks exactly the same when it mixes in with the other lot.

So hatched overall..
5/12 Light Sussex
3/3 Pekins
Not a disaster but still a little disappointing.
 

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Kram81 said:
Yeah 0/6, silly thing is still under there.

But the old Sussex did end up with just the 1 hatching! It also looks after it well, it's quite funny because the chickens actually know who belongs to who even though it looks exactly the same when it mixes in with the other lot.

So hatched overall..
5/12 Light Sussex
3/3 Pekins
Not a disaster but still a little disappointing.
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The young ones will always know which one is mum.

Now we need pics. Pretty please. Video too if you're up for it :)
 
IMGP2088.jpg

IMGP2086.jpg

IMGP2089.jpg

The big hen is a very old Sussex, the little hen a cross of a few things including Sussex, it has a sort of feathered 'hat', maybe a little Araucana?
IMGP2092.jpg

A little buff Pekin.
 
The little white ones (plus the 1 B/W) are the lot from a couple of months ago, could end up being wrong... but I think 5/6 are hens. Only one is obviously a rooster with a noticeably larger and redder comb.

That would be really weird, almost always get more roosters I've found.
 
Teriyakicat said:
*says she, with her 10 roosters.. :(
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That's just way too many lol, why don't you just give some away? Or are you worried about them not used as pets and getting the chop :D I'd take that Mohawk rooster but I'm not even supposed too have even one anymore in town since the council changed the rule and it will be hard enough for us to just try and keep a Sussex rooster to breed them next year without getting in trouble.
 
Kram81 said:
The little white ones (plus the 1 B/W) are the lot from a couple of months ago, could end up being wrong... but I think 5/6 are hens. Only one is obviously a rooster with a noticeably larger and redder comb.

That would be really weird, almost always get more roosters I've found.
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You lucky bugger! I got 7 Roos, 4 hens :(
Kram81 said:
That's just way too many lol, why don't you just give some away? Or are you worried about them not used as pets and getting the chop :D I'd take that Mohawk rooster but I'm not even supposed too have even one anymore in town since the council changed the rule and it will be hard enough for us to just try and keep a Sussex rooster to breed them next year without getting in trouble.
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I've advertised a few times- got rid of one up near Wanneroo- the lady drove all the way here to pick him up.
One bloke replied and asked to "borrow" one. Lol. I told him I wasn't in the rental business.
If you ever move and want Einstein, plus his two ladies, just sing out. :)
 
Kram81 said:
I suppose it's a bit easier for us to offload them out in the wheatbelt with proper/hobby farmers that can keep them plus as a last resort I know a bloke that eats them.
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The bloke who gave us the roo with the mohawk said if we found any were male, we could give them to him as he had an Italian bloke who loved chicken...

There was no way my daughter was giving anyone a chicken dinner!! :(

I think you can get a device for roosters that acts like a dog's bark collar. I wonder if that would work for your Sussex? I'll see if I can find out more and let you know.

Here you go:
http://nocrowroostercollars.com

you can even buy him a bow tie!! lol :D

Screen Shot 2014-12-02 at 2.55.03 pm.png
 
Kram81 said:
IMGP2088.jpg



The big hen is a very old Sussex, the little hen a cross of a few things including Sussex, it has a sort of feathered 'hat', maybe a little Araucana?

A little buff Pekin.
Click to expand...
Couldn't see the detail of your little red hen when I was on my phone earlier. Her head looks a helluva lot like the head of my Polish hen. I'll dig out a pic and post it in a tick- have a few to sort through but you'll see what I mean when I show you. Both the comb plus the little 'helmet' are identical to one of my girls.
 
In the first pic, you can see the comb of the black hen clearly- looks a lot like the comb of yours, I think. You can't see her 'head feathers' very well in that so i've added a photo from a different angle.
Screen Shot 2014-12-02 at 3.00.15 pm.png Screen Shot 2014-12-02 at 3.00.48 pm.png
 
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