Maine

[lazy gardener]

Hubby and I just finished replacing the screen to the back door a couple of weeks ago. We put a piece of 12" aluminum at the bottom of the screen to keep the cats from reaching up and snagging the screen with their claws. So far, it's worked. Just now, I was sitting at the computer, beside the back door, and out of my peripheral vision, I see movement at the screen, then, a sharp object snagging the screen above the aluminum... Drat, that cat is now jumping up AT the screen, so I get up to give him some advice about his current behavior, look out the back door, to stare into the eyes of one of the Dom pullets as she's getting ready to take an other lunge at the screen. Foolish bird.

 

[dowgirl71]

LG, I'd love to come and see your Roo, now, since he spent some of his first days in my brooder.
I'm sure I wouldn't even recognize him!

This is the handsome boy, now!

 

[dowgirl71]

Lazygardiner, I enjoyed meeting your "crew," today!

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks. He's now tidbitting the girls, letting them pick the choice morsels from his beak. He'll actually stand back for a little while when I give them special treats, though not for very long. He finds a comfy spot in the flower bed, or under a bush and climbs in, wiggles his butt around to make a nest, and clucks to invite the girls to partake of his wonderful nest. "Put an egg here! See how nice it is???" No takers. He'll keep up the act for a few minutes, then run off to tend to his other chores. he's super busy with 17 girls to take care of!!!

 

[ashandvine]

Why do birds insist on trying to go broody this late in the year? Its not the geese, so I can't call them silly goose. Its the Muscovies and chickens. I have one Marans who has tried twice in the last month or so. She already raised some so you'd think she'd want a break.

 

[lazy gardener]

How've you been, Ash?

I bet they do it b/c the weather is perfect for brooding... from a chicken's perspective. Those hot days mean Mama can be off the nest longer while setting, and chicklets won't need as much brooding attention after hatch. But, not at all convenient for the flockster. Though, just thinking out loud to myself here... Would a late summer hatched chick actually fare just as well, if not better in terms of overall productivity and onset of laying than a early spring hatched chick??? It would be fun to run a control flock, allowing late summer broody hatches, and comparing to a flock that was managed conventionally. (taking into account artificial brooding, electricity costs, etc.) Do a cost and egg productivity analysis.

 

[Cknldy]

I only have two EEs, one got a red comb and wattles really early so I had it pegged as a cockerel. The other one still has a small pink comb. Well, well, well! The 'cockerel' was pacing then jumping on the roost then sitting in the nest then pacing again. I thought it was acting like it was going to lay a first egg crazy boy. Then crazy boy laid an egg!!

The one in the back. No blue or green eggs though, it's the color of the Russian Orloff eggs. They were labeled as Americaunas and almost dead so I got them free. Thought I had a pair but 2 pullets is fine They are only 17 weeks old.

 

[lazy gardener]

EE are supposed to have pea combs. Congrats on your cockrel's first egg. It's a bit of a rarity, and should be worth a lot of money. Perhaps you should try breeding them, as any breed where both pullets and cockrels both lay eggs should have folks beating down your door to buy those chicks!!!

What a nice surprise!

 

[Cknldy]

Lol! I really hit the lotto with that one;-)

 

[ashandvine]

Busy clearly LG. I want to mention too that EE do not have to have pea combs. There is no standard at all because they are not a breed it just means they lay a blue egg. This can happen when cross any blue egg trait carrying bird over another to produce bluish or even teal eggs. The Legbar has a single comb so it could be what was used to make the mentioned EEs. It doesn't have to be an Ameraucana that was crossed in, in which case you wouldn't see muffs or beards like you'd expect either. When crossing pea comb over single you still can get singles. It doesn't happen often but this is something I know about in practice given the nature of my 'projects' here.

I am getting ready to cull out a few birds here and there. I have to down size and it maybe that I have to down size a lot more than I'd like... well, that might be normal