Bruce's Journal

Hens and Roos

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We have Welsummers, they are the talkative one of our group, we like them and they lay a terra cotta colored egg. We(DD is good at it) were able to figure out at hatch which ones were pullets and which ones were cockerals. Our pullets had a dark V on their head and dark eyeliner above the eye.
 

Bruce

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I go for variety in bird and egg color. That way I can tell who is who and who is laying, plus I think it makes the flock more interesting. Never had any of these breeds but EEs (which aren't a recognized breed ;)) before so I don't know what their personalities will be like.

The 5 year old girls are:
1 Ancona (laying 2-3 a week but very weak shells, usually crushed by the time I find them)
2 Black Australorps (1 is laying 3 a week, the other started with no shell eggs last spring)
2 Faverolles (1 was laying ~4 a week again this spring until she went broody, then bailed on me)
1 Easter Egger (still laying 4-5 a week)

The 2 year old girls are
2 Black Australorps
2 White Rocks
2 Easter Eggers
 

Bruce

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Moved the babies out to the brooder area in the coop yesterday, they were a week old. Now the cats that like to sleep with us or sleep on the bed during the day can do so again.

Had to kill my favorite hen Sunday. Echo was a 5 Y/O Black Australorp. She had laid only shell-less eggs since last spring. Prior to that she was my best layer closely followed by an EE the same age (she is still laying about 4/week). Echo had a nasty bloody prolapse Saturday afternoon. It was clear her chances of recovering were nil. She had a lot of personality, survived a fox attack 2 years ago and what I GUESS was an infection last summer. I have graphic pictures of the necropsy, I think she had a lot of small, hard tumors in her abdomen. She was a very happy hen for nearly 5 years.

I now have 3 hens that think 5' is not a barrier. One of the 2 Y/O EEs and the 5 Y/O Ancona both fly up to the top of the 5'+ high gate between the barns and then over. The other 2 Y/O EE flew up to the 5' high hot wire on the new fence then over. So much for stringing wire above the fence because they won't try to land on something that thin! :he
 

CntryBoy777

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Sorry to hear about Echo there Bruce, but certainly nothing ya could've done for her....except what ya did, it can be tough to do...but, better than suffering. That is one thing I just can't stand. Something my Mom would do is get a couple of sticks, broom handles, 2x2s, or whatever ya have and attach them to the post to extend up about 1-2' and tie some rope, twine, or such to them and make 2-3 runs of it loose, with a little sag in them.....or ya can always clip a wing, or fatten them up a bit so they are heavier and can't get tbat high.
 

Baymule

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Sorry about your hen. She had a good long life for a laying hen. Echo was your favorite, that always makes it harder to do what you have to do.

I usually butcher mine on their second molt at 3 years old. I have one hen that is 6 years old, she was the Queen Of The Coop, now she is the old lady. LOL

I set my first clutch of eggs and they are hatching now! There were about 7 or 8 EE chicks awhile ago with more pipping. I set 24 eggs, we'll see how many I get hatched. My rooster is so darn mean, he hates me and tries to spur me every day. I go in with a 4' stick so I can keep him off me. This seals his fate. He has 3 hens, so I'll collect another batch to set, then OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!! It ought to give me enough replacement hens for the 5 I will butcher this fall.
 

Bruce

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And likely a replacement roo with a better temperament!
 

CntryBoy777

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Have safe travels and Congratulations on the Graduation....give that girl a "Pat on the Back" and a "Atta Girl" too.....:celebrate
I hope she has a "Bright Future" in all of her endeavors...:thumbsup
 

Latestarter

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It's been 17 days since your last post... do you know where your journal is? ;) <--- That old commercial just popped into my head... Anyway, saw in another thread that your trip to get DD#2 went well and that you're all back home. How is she liking being back under mom & dad's wings? Has she decided what she's going to do and where? It's almost 10am and I'm sitting here with the light on as there's a nice dark T-storm that's lowered the daylight substantially. How are your alpacas doing? You had said you were going to get them sheared and not sure if you've even attempted to get a look at their hooves for trimming. Are they any more friendly now?
 

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