Spring

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podstable

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---I decided it must be spring--- in the past week I have had 3' first time ' eggs from last years birds! :D Ros
 
the days are getting longer, i guess to chickens it must be spring
i'm getting 3 eggs a day from my lavender pekins, but none of the others are laying yet.
RIR's LS and jersey giants are all busy laying now, they were seperated into their breeding pens on thursday.
 
Yes!! Spring is definitely on the way - went out as usual this morning to let my stroppy geese out - they are ok apart from the breeding season and guess what? It's the breeding season!!!! The freindlier one of the two likes my to scratch the base of his neck, so I went to do it and he grabbed my leg with his beak ...OUCH !! :o I forgot how much it hurt!! :cry: Never known it start so early in the year - so that's it now until septemberish back to being the killer geese
 
No eggs my end yet! Though they now have a lovely new house, and are nice and snug. Hooray! I do wonder if they will ever lay... is it possible to have 'dud' chickens?!! :lol:
 
Pony Girl said:
No eggs my end yet! Though they now have a lovely new house, and are nice and snug. Hooray! I do wonder if they will ever lay... is it possible to have 'dud' chickens?!! :lol:
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YEAH USSUALLY CALLED COCKERELS :twisted:
 
LOl,not always,I've got a 'dud' hen that doesn't lay.yours will probably start Ponygirl,maybe end of feb,early march,when it is definitely milder.
 
had another pekin lay today and had my first egg from bertha my big cross breed chook today so spring must be on its way, even if i can't see it :?
 
I do hope they'll get the message and start laying. I keep having dreams about it!! :?

Are there any signs to be looking out that might indicate they're about to lay. I know their combs are supposed to go bright red, which they are. Does their behaviour change at all? Flo is very reluctant to get up at the moment, and was making quiet high pitched noises in the nest box this morning.

I know you're not supposed to let them sleep in their nest box, but since we put the new house up on Saturday, they've bagged it, and sleep higgedly-piggedly on top of one another in it. :lol:

Mabel thinks she's a cockerel, she's so loud sometimes, but is definitely a hen! :lol:
 
All of mine sleep in their nest boxes,it's the 'in' place to be.It's their home so I don't mind.I try to keep it pooh free,by picking up all droppings in the nest box daily,this does keep my eggs clean.
 
yup mine all pile into the nest boxes to sleep apart from Gordon the cockerel he goes on his perch. as long as you keep it clean I don't see a problem :)
 
I noticed a sudden increase in egg numbers last weekend and while I was in the field, I noticed some birds singing their little hearts out - so for me, it's the very beginning.. Yay! :D
 
Yepp, Spring is in the air, all the birds have started to lay, sablepoots & silkies hatching as we speak, further eggs getting stacked up ready to put in incubator when there is room...
All I dream about now is a day when it doesn;t rain :D
 
Yup, spring is definately in the air. I've penned up my breeding birds - not because they're laying, but the 3 boys are chasing each other around - the sap is rising. The Exchequers are laying quite well. The legbars combs are colouring up so I think they'll be next, but no sign from the orpies yet.

Ahh - yes and the geese are starting to get a bit naughty too. Alexander gander picked up his feed bowl and brought it to me the other day. Can you believe that :o Then I walked towards him to pick the bowl up and the devil wapped me hard on the leg. Bruise like a golf ball. (I completely understand what you went through recently Anne!) Have now got dustbin lid handy incase he tries it again. He also attacked the water bucket I was carrying the other day. It was a new one and he obviously saw it as a threat :roll:

Happy days :D
 
Hippie Chick said:
Ahh - yes and the geese are starting to get a bit naughty too. Alexander gander picked up his feed bowl and brought it to me the other day. Can you believe that :o Then I walked towards him to pick the bowl up and the devil wapped me hard on the leg. Bruise like a golf ball. (I completely understand what you went through recently Anne!) Have now got dustbin lid handy incase he tries it again. He also attacked the water bucket I was carrying the other day. It was a new one and he obviously saw it as a threat :roll:

Happy days :D
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Bless,the male of the species are a bit um thick,aren't they(Tim and Osric excluded ;) ) :lol: .
 
Yep Spring is drawing near. The icicles are getting shorter!!

2010snow004.jpg
 
Oh my goodness nnbreeder! That picture made me shiver!! :o Do you have poultry in that cage ? If so do they manage the freezing temps ok - I suppose they get used to it ? Brrrr :lol:

Yes Hippie Chick they are b****rs arent they these ganders :roll: It comes without warning doesn't it? One day ok and the next...... :o Still hoping to get some female geese this year - hopefully ( please God!) they won't be so troublesome - I can imagine though that although I will keep them seperate they will all shout to each other and make an awful din ! :lol:
 
We have loads of snowdrops too Ros - saw a few poking their heads up few days ago and today they are sprouting everywhere - gives real hope for spring doesn't it? :D

Talking of spring - my incy is anly a foot away as I type this and I have 4 little fluffballs knocking on the side of it looking up at me - sigh! What more could anyone want :D
 
This winter it has been cold longer and so far we have had three major snow storms and a fourth is predicted for later in the week.

Over all the birds are doing quite well. As long as they are kept dry, well fed and hydrated they will survive the cold temps. Of course some of the more fragile birds are in the house like some of the youngsters and some favorite Silkes.

Here is what the pen looks like when not covered in snow and ice. Usually there will be a breeding trio or quad in a pen this size but I have found that through the cold it helps to cramp the birds just a tad for body heat. The lack of space can produce problems however so at first the birds must be closely watched.

Just click on the pic to enlarge.



 
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