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Post by Hezz on Nov 15, 2015 0:41:33 GMT
Funny little fluffy-bums. Tilly sounds like the neat-freak of the flock.
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Post by ffiscool on Nov 15, 2015 0:59:25 GMT
I also didn't realise these things about chickens. Clever girl Lola, showing Tilly
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Post by samwiseg on Nov 15, 2015 8:17:23 GMT
It has to be the "I want what you got" syndrome!
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Post by Shirls on Nov 18, 2015 9:33:31 GMT
A quick update on the 'egg factory'. Yesterday we had an egg, in the nest box, a 54g one, thought it must be Lola's as she lays the bigger eggs. Tilly is still on the 46 - 48g weight. But lo and behold this morning when I went to clean out the bedding, there was an egg, quite a big one I thought. Well!!! When I weight it - it was 80g!! So that has got to be a Lola egg, the proof of that is that Tilly went in to lay while I was cleaning out the bedding and has since laid a 54g egg (in the run unfortunately and I caught one of the girls pecking at it - so naughty). Anyway it wasn't cracked, but I got out there just in time!
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Post by milliej on Nov 18, 2015 11:10:38 GMT
Wow exciting times Shirls fascinating what I've learned about chickens from this forum (as well as other stuff!)
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Post by OP on Nov 18, 2015 12:22:13 GMT
Well done Lola, the heavy weight champion so far. Well done Shirls for the egg rescue.
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Post by Shirls on Nov 18, 2015 16:35:42 GMT
Btw 80g is 2 3/4 oz in English money.
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Post by Hezz on Nov 19, 2015 1:13:55 GMT
Could it be a double yolker, Shirls?
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Post by Shirls on Nov 19, 2015 8:44:57 GMT
Could it be a double yolker, Shirls? Yes it WAS Hezz. I gave it to my daughter and her partner and the said egg is now gone!!
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Post by milliej on Nov 19, 2015 17:29:51 GMT
I always buy extra large eggs when I can get them (from local chooks people) I did once buy from a (fairly) local supermarket, 6 and they were all double yokers.....how does that happen? Or are they especially bred for that now too?
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Post by Shirls on Dec 12, 2015 10:18:32 GMT
A quick update on the girls: Lola is still laying very well, eggs most days and so is Tilly. Now we have Tuppence laying, she has laid three eggs (one each day) but gets very confused. Her and Lola had a fight yesterday as they both wanted the same nest box at the same time, but I put a stop to the fight very quickly. It was a good job we were watching. No blood drawn thank heavens and all has been calm since. We can't eat the eggs at the moment unfortunately because of being treated for lice. Some people do eat the eggs, but some prefer not to, so I am with the latter.
Have had 9 eggs this week already and I hard boil them and give them back to the chooks. They LOVE them. I crush the shells and put them in their grit pot and they devour them, in preference to grit too.
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Post by Moogie on Dec 12, 2015 22:22:10 GMT
FLUUFFYYYY BUUUUMMMMMMMM EGGGGS YUM
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Post by Hezz on Dec 13, 2015 0:05:44 GMT
I was hoping for a chookie up-date, and here it is! How and when did you pick up the lice issue, Shirls.
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Post by Shirls on Dec 13, 2015 15:13:21 GMT
Oh my! It was just about two weeks ago Hezz. It all started with POX!!!! Lola had a black spot on her wattle for quite some time, I thought it was tar or something, couldn't get it off. My very 'curious' daughter googled it and it turned out to be Pox. There are several sorts, Avian, Chicken, Pigeon...... Anyway, while I was checking them all for little black spots on combs and wattles I thought it was about time I checked their bums again! OMG!!!! What a shock!! If you are really interested, google 'lice on chickens' The Chicken Chick or Backyard Chicken websites will show you. Others go for the human type of lice. Two of my girlies had eggs all on the shafts of the feathers round their bottoms! I went into absolute panic mode and had to deal with it there and then on the spot. Got some lice powder, and dusted EVERYTHING with it and I mean everything! Pm'd starlingqueen who very kindly gave me a link to get some Pigeon Ivermectin. What brilliant stuff. They have had their second dose, on the back of the neck, this last week and it seems to be working. Only two treatments usually required. Fortunately I did catch it early. I do check their bottoms anyway from time to time for things like this, but never expected to find anything as I do keep them very clean. Lola and Tuppence were the worst, the others had only just got a few. I decided to bath Tuppence as her bum was really bad, so we both ventured into the bathroom. She was good as gold bless her. But those eggs on the feather shafts are like little bullets!! Could I get them off - no way! So once she was dry, I smothered the eggs with vaseline which stifles them and eventually they drop off. What a performance!! I didn't bathe Lola but she had the vaseline treatment, so they both have very dirty bum feathers now as everything dirty sticks to the vaseline. I bet you wish you hadn't asked Hezz??? As far as the pox is concerned it is a 'watch and wait' scenario and it is not getting worse, and actually some of it is going. Sometimes it can get very bad and vet intervention is necessary. Lesser infection takes about 14 days to go apparently. All chickens carry it, some evolves, some lays dorment. Once a chicken has had it, they are then immune for their future life span! Interesting isn't it???
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Post by Shirls on Dec 13, 2015 15:32:55 GMT
Just another little update, which I can't keep secret, well, just because I can't. I am going to have another two Orpingtons next Spring/Summer. Because I lost Morgana, I feel Pheobe needs a 'coloured' friend. She is the odd one out colour wise amongst the Buffs, so I hope to get another black one (like Morgana) and perhaps a Lavender. They will all be Orpingtons, just different colours.
I must say that Bea and Phoebe seem to have palled up, Bea being the oldest. They sleep together and wander round the garden and sit together. Bea has given up laying eggs which is a shame. They do posture up against one another occasionally, but I think they have decided that they are both equal in the pecking order!
As it is winter they are having porridge every morning for breakfast with just a (very) few sultanas in. They used to have weetabix alternately with porridge, but porridge is the favourite, so I just give them that now.
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