Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

@rlh1 People have mixed results from trying to break a broody. I have never been successful at breaking one myself, I usually just have to let them set. I know it's a horrible time of year to hatch eggs though so it's worth a try. I had one little bantam Cochin try to hatch eggs this time of year but none made it.

I'm still trying to get rid of this chest congestion, if I could get the gunk out of my lungs I think I would feel a lot better. It just doesn't want to go away. Hopefully it will warm back up a bit this week, 40 degrees will feel like a heat wave after last weekend.

 

[HEChicken]

I agree with Sharol and Trish44. I've actually had hens go broody ON wire. I have a wire rabbit pen that I use occasionally to transition chicks out to the chicken yard. The last couple of years, I've had hens go broody sitting right on top of the rabbit pen, ON the wire. Another went broody sitting on the roosts. It took her 4 weeks to realize I wasn't going to give her eggs or chicks up there and she finally got down and brooded on the floor of the coop instead.

I really have found the only truly reliable way to break a broody is to let them hatch. I've had broody hens this time of year and I gave them no more than two eggs, figuring that any more and by the time the chicks are a few weeks old, they'll be too big to fit under mama - at a time of year when they really need to be under her at night for warmth. By giving them only one or two eggs they do great at raising them. I have pictures of a chick born this time of year, and when he was 12 days old, the thermometer dipped to -3. He was out zipping around like it was a balmy summer day. I watched and watched and he never did go under his mama. Finally my toes got cold and I had to leave. The only issue I found with hatching this time of year is keeping them in water. since the nursery pen is too far from electricity. However I transition them to the main coop fairly early where there is a heated dog water bowl. And, chicks hatched this time of year grow into really hardy birds. That chick I referenced earlier is now my head rooster - he is several years old and has never had a sick day in his life.

 

[rlh1]

These are the eggs we are getting now. I LOVE the colors! I have two silkies laying as well as marans and Americana and one buff

 

[HEChicken]

Pretty eggs rlh1 - that for me is one of the best parts of chicken raising, is being able to get all those different colors.

Well, I finally got one of my multitude of extra cockerels butchered yesterday. One down, several more to go. I should have done them all by now but kept procrastinating the task. I hate feeding them over the winter when I definitely don't need them in the spring. I want to get down to just the few that I keep as breeders and have all the extras gone before they start over-mating the hens in spring. Unfortunately with the holidays coming up, I probably won't get another done until after Christmas, but hopefully I can get the rest done in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Trish44]

@rlh1 Isn't it fun having a variety of eggs in your egg basket, I really like that about having different breeds. My customers think it's fun too getting different colors when they buy eggs. I had one guy who had never seen green eggs & he teased his kids about green eggs & ham.

@HEChicken Yeah I'm surprised you haven't gotten those roosters dispatched by now. I don't have any extras right now but I'm sure I will when I grow out these two new groups of chicks I have. I will keep two for breeding in each group & the rest will have to go.

 

[KalChickenCrew]

Add another Kansan! Just officially joined BYC today but have been reading the threads to answer questions I've had for the last 10 months. Was always able to find my answers without needing to post myself, so I never officially joined!
Hello from Manhattan, KS!

 

[Plinky]

Hello KalChickenCrew from that other college town! At least you have the KState poultry lab nearby!

 

[Plinky]

Hello all and Happy Holidays!
I just wanted to report that all four of our hens are doing well - made it through the cold snap. I was worried because their coop is not insulated and was not intended to be their permanent home. The coop consists of a roofed 4'x4' hardware cloth screened area (living room) and a 2' x 4' completely indoor area (bedroom). They also have a fenced outdoor run of about 90 sq ft.
I essentially wrapped the entire coop in a doubled plastic tarp, leaving the top ventilation screens open and screwed plywd panels on the screened door. I've just let poop pile up mostly, adding shavings on top- not exactly deep litter, but perhaps some heat generated.
Anyway, except for the coldest night their water did not even completely freeze in the "living room" area.
Except for the day that the high was 5 they have been outside in the run as well.
I did put vaseline on the Leghorn's comb and some vetRx (chicken vicks!) under the problematic Brahma's wings.
Gave some corn treats in the evening.
Leghorn continues to bravely lay almost every day! Love that chicken.
Merry Christmas to everyone and a Happy New Year.

 

[Plinky]

Last post! Three in a row!
For whoever was looking for a livestock guard dog... I saw on the Lawrence Craiglist in the farm and garden section that someone had puppies for sale that were a mix of (i think) three different livestock guarding breeds. They were asking $100 for them.

 

[Trish44]

@KalChickenCrew Welcome to our Kansas thread! We're glad you posted, feel free to ask any questions here that you have. Do you have chickens now or are you just planning to get some? We love hearing about everyone's flock & setup.

My birds all made it through the arctic blast but some of the roosters do have some frostbite. It's kind of hard to avoid that with that kind of cold all at once.