BYC Café

[Mtn Margie]

What does the coconut oil do? The stuff I have here has no flavor and I use it instead of butter in recipes but I do not put butter in my coffee ??? Confused once again, must go get more hot coffee....

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Seedless grapes. I forgot to mention. I only buy the seedless ones anyways. And only give them during the hot days of summer while the broody is doing her thing. It got so hot here last summer that she got up and ran around for quite a while....to cool off. But they all hatched.

 

[krista74]

Krista- have you considered feeding the broody some cold grapes? Mine can't resist grapes, and it gets pretty hot here in the Southern USA in the spring and summer.

Well, the grapes were not a success.

They had a bit of a peck at them and then gave up. I squashed a couple so that they could see what was inside - but still no interest.

Oh well, their loss is my gain, lol.

They don't seem to like anything sweet really. They won't eat fruit, except for the occasional over-ripe banana.

They would trample me to death for some left-over spag bol though!

- Krista

 

[krista74]

Greetings everyone. I am one cup of black coffee and two pieces of toast into the day already!

Well, it's still hot here

You probably all get sick of hearing it, but 10 days over 95 degrees can be rather oppressive. The poor chooks are at their wits ends with it too, and some are even allowing me to give them a quick dunk in the wheelbarrow filled with water to help cool them off. They are tired and cranky and THREE of them are broody again. Darn hot weather! Now my eggs are going to drop off again, and we were doing so well getting 6/8 two days ago.

Interestingly, I have figured out who is (and who isn't) laying in my flock now. One girl laid an egg two weeks ago but has not laid one since. This does not come as a great surprise to me, as she had not laid prior to that for about 3 months. Poor girl, she had constant issues - an impacted crop (followed by surgery), and then went into a full moult, blowing out all her feathers! I suspect it will be a fair while before she is laying properly again.

The other non-layer is one of three I adopted about 4 months ago. I was told that two of the three were a year old, and true to form they have been great layers. This last one I was told is "two years old", and was the last of the farm's RIR breeding stock. She had a broken toe (which had bent into a 'c' shape), that was an injury sustained as a chick. They sold her to me at half price because of this, but I suspect that (a) She is a heck of a lot older than two years old - let's try 5 or 6 instead, lol and (b) She does not lay eggs anymore. At all. Truly, she has not set foot in the nest box since she got here!

She is old and doddery and talks to herself as she walks around. She will not run for any reason, is super-fat, and needs to have a companion walk her to the rest of the flock if they all run off to free range, because she can't/won't find her own way! It's sweet actually, when I take her she talks to me too! She spends 90% of her day staring into the chick pen. Mind you, The Chicks are now 16 and 19 week old, lol. She was so happy when I started the integration process, and now spends ALL of her time with them, and none with the main flock!

So there you go. They are my two non-layers. They are safe as houses here, I won't be getting rid of them. The old, the sick and the lame all have a home here with me! Honestly, "Momma" is my favourite, because she has so much character. I suspect her days on Earth are quite limited now, but I take comfort in the fact that she is living out her final ones in peace here with us

- Krista

 

[3goodeggs]

She is old and doddery and talks to herself as she walks around. She will not run for any reason, is super-fat, and needs to have a companion walk her to the rest of the flock if they all run off to free range, because she can't/won't find her own way! It's sweet actually, when I take her she talks to me too! She spends 90% of her day staring into the chick pen. Mind you, The Chicks are now 16 and 19 week old, lol. She was so happy when I started the integration process, and now spends ALL of her time with them, and none with the main flock!




- Krista

I Like her!
We have stuff in common.

 

[krista74]

I Like her!
We have stuff in common.

Yeah, I can relate too!

Here's a pic of Momma (I warn you, she looks very old, lol.)



- Krista

 

[Mtn Margie]

Everyone needs a Grandma to boss them around!

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Aww....how sweet. Gramma hen.

 

[lularat]

Yeah, I can relate too!

Here's a pic of Momma (I warn you, she looks very old, lol.)



- Krista

Aww.......she's a cutie.

 

[KingOfFools]

Y'all's posts are great to read. We have an interesting group. Love granny hen by the way. I've been keeping real busy at work lately. I had about a hundred evaluations to process, same with awards, plus I am processing some Sailors out of the Navy for Physical Fitness Assessment failures, security clearance issues and non-compliance with some minor paperwork. I'd like to study for my own advancement exam that is in a couple weeks, by have had zero time for it. Still trying to find the time for going back to college now that my son is not a newborn anymore. My chickens are all sick... Respiratory illness. I almost euthanized one this morning before work but the wife please, and as usual, she was right, as she seems like she still might make it. Her eyes and two others are so puffy and red, and they are all sluggish and coughing and sneezing. Looks pretty ridiculous. I feel like a bad chicken farmer. They've all pretty much stopped laying. My "queen bee" lays an egg every day, but that's about it. Poor girls. We gave them a powerful antibacterial by mouth (syringe), and will again on Sunday. Hope they all make it.

My wife and I celebrate our 6 year anniversary tomorrow (21 Feb)! We found a babysitter (thank freaking goodness) and from there I don't care what we do. I could sit in traffic for all I care, we need a break! Sounds like I am the only one loving the weather. It sigs between about 65-85F from night to day. Only bad thing is the pollution now. Smog is real bad now. That Los Angeles cloud of yellow tail-pipe scum drifts through the valleys and sits low like a dense fog. Hope it goes away out of a safety standpoint. Feels like I'm poisoning my kids.

Planted our tomato plants, jalapenos, anaheims, lettuce, and wildflower last weekend. Already have some garlic and onions doing their thing. My wife's fodder system is working out great so far and our meal worms are about to hatch the first set of beetles.

Well, just checking in, for now. Hope to participate more soon. Stay warm and safe to my American friends that are shivering, and cool and dry to my Aussie friend (hope those cyclones went around you!).

Trib