Tales From Chickentown

[PrairieChickens]

Thank you!

Since my last update, we had some excitement. Someone who lives across the highway from my dad asked us if we were missing a rooster. We aren't, but I went over to check anyway, and sure enough, there was a big red rooster strutting through his yard. He said it just appeared one day, and he had no idea where it came from or where it goes to roost. I asked if he wanted me to catch it for him, and he said I could certainly try.

Long story short, I have mad chicken-catching skills, though I did get a good solid peck on the face and hand for my troubles. I suspect someone dumped him for being people aggressive. Since we're the only people in town with chickens, they were probably trying to dump him on us, but the roo wandered across the highway and ended up at the neighbor's house instead.

I'll try to get a picture of him soon. I really have no idea what breed he might be, but he's certainly unique. If he's as people-aggressive as I think he is, though, he'll probably just end up in the stew pot. The whole reason I was able to catch him was because he got fresh and tried to do the dance on me.

 

[PrairieChickens]

As much as I dislike reporting unhappy news, I am sorry to say we have lost eight more citizens of Chickentown. Although they weathered the storm well, afterwards, the temperatures dropped, and we had a night below freezing the next day. For some inexplicable reason, four chicks wandered out of the coop that night and didn't go back in. They did not survive the night. I lost both of my Jersey Giant pullets, my only Old English Game Bantam chick, and my cuckoo marans. It was a hard blow.

To make matters worse, a few days later I was at my dad's house, and my dog managed to kill four more juveniles despite being penned up and muzzled. It's as though the harder we try to keep him away from the chickens, the more he manages to kill. The four chicks he killed were all from my first hatch--sweethearts that I was very fond of and was looking forward to seeing as adults. And, of course, they were all pullets. Not only does my dog have a knack for killing the chickens I love the most, but his talent for doing financial damage is remarkable as well. I'm at a complete loss of what to do with him until his new family can take him... another casualty on his part, and he may not live long enough to be rehomed.

But it's not all doom and gloom in Chickentown. A clutch of eggs is hatching right now in the incubator (you can view it here!) and so far nine new inhabitants of Chickentown have entered the world! So far, Easter Egger and Barred Rock seem to be the most prevalent genetic stock, but we've also gotten some Polish crested, buff Orpington, and Welsummer going on. Five of the chicks were fluffy and dry already, so I took some pictures.



While I was away at work, four more chicks hatched. I knew at least one had, but when I tried to check the webcam, they had knocked it so that it was staring straight up at the incubator's fan, so finding four wiggly babies was quite a surprise! I needed it, though--it was a rough day at work! Coming home to so much new life and potential was just what the doctor ordered.

It's like all the barred rock chicks saw me leave for work and said "GO NOW!"

There's still twenty eggs in the incubator, of which all of them are showing signs of movement and most have pipped, at least internally. We'll see how many more chicks we get, but so far, it's looking good!

 

[PrairieChickens]

WHEW! Chickentown just had a population boom! Of the 29 eggs due to hatch in the incubator, a whopping 28 successfully hatched! I've already had to move about half of them to the outdoor brooder because it was just so crowded in the little setup in my office. One last egg is left--egg #30. It's not due until next week, though. It had companions, but none of them ended up being fertilized, so it will have the incubator to itself. Fortunately, it won't be alone--I have an order of chicks due to arrive next week that will make good company for the late arrival.




Just a few of the chicks who hatched in this batch!

I did have one scare during this hatch. I came home from work one day to discover that several eggs had pipped, but upon closer inspection, I realized one egg had pipped on the wrong end! How it became misaligned, I do not know, but it set me into a proper state of anxiety! For hours, the chick just poked its beak out of the hole it had made in the shell and peeped. LOUDLY. Finally, I thought, "surely it's distressed and needs my help!" So I took the egg out of the incubator and got to work.

Now, I've had to help a few eggs hatch since I started incubating my own eggs, and it's never a decision I go into lightly. I'm well aware of how easy it would be to kill a chick you are trying to help, so when I started picking away at shell and suddenly a tiny red drop of blood appeared on the membrane, I immediately wrapped that baby up and put it back into the incubator, just like the guide had said to do.

"That was a close one!" I thought. Obviously the chick wasn't ready to hatch yet, and it's apparent distress was all in my head. But then another hour of distressed cheeping later and I was once again convinced that it was in desperate need of saving. Once again, I took the chick into a hot, steamy bathroom and started carefully extricating it from the shell. No blood in the membrane this time! Surely the chick is ready now!

Then I saw the yolk sac.

My heart sank. It wasn't ready after all. This poor little chick was just minding its own business and I had to go and get involved. Now I've probably killed it! I sat there for a moment and just looked at it, thinking. Well, I decided. I hadn't really taken it out of the shell yet--it was still attached to the membrane and everything else. Maybe it still had a chance, albeit not a great one. Could a chick finish absorbing its yolk sac even if the egg was open? It was worth it to give the chick a shot, at least. Carefully, I settled the chick snugly into its shell, wrapped the washcloth around it, and then tucked it into a corner of the incubator where it would be gently wedged--enough that it couldn't accidentally kick its own shell off before it was finished. The odd thing was, the whole time I was doing this, the chick who had been all hoots and hollers the entire evening was now completely...

...silent...

I closed the incubator, not sure if the sudden silence was a good thing or a bad thing, and every time I checked in on the chick after that it was quietly sleeping in its washcloth nest. Was it resting, I wondered, or dying? An hour and a half passed with no change. The chick slept soundly, silently, and then... I heard a cheep. I got up to see if the chick was awake, and discovered it running around the brooder, trailing a perfectly healthy, dried-up umbilical cord. It had survived my fumbling attempts to help it, and managed to finish absorbing its yolk. After a night spent in the incubator to be on the safe side, I allowed it to join the other chicks, where it has thrived so well that it is completely indistinguishable from the other chicks.

Whether my attempt to assist the chick helped it or harmed it, I will never know, but I am nonetheless glad it had a happy ending. With any luck, this little chick will grow up to be a fat, happy citizen of Chickentown!

Current Population of Chickentown: 123

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Congratulations, that is a great hatch rate! They are adorable.

 

[PrairieChickens]

After I posted yesterday, we had a casualty. Nothing dramatic or surprising--a hen who had been ailing for some time from a genetic condition finally passed away. She was active to the end, still up and moving around less than an hour before she passed, and she got to spend her last hours enjoying the sunshine with her fellow chickens.



Arizona was a production red hen with a calm, sweet personality and patient temper. While other chickens fussed and squabbled, she seemed to rise above it all with a zen-like energy, and she never took out her bad day on the chicks or smaller chickens. For two years, she has been a wonderful hen and companion, and she shall be missed.

Rest in peace, Arizona. Thank you for being a part of our flock.

Current Population: 122

 

[PrairieChickens]

April 13, 2014

Bad weather is rolling in, so I strolled over to Chickentown while I could to spend some time with my feathered friends. I was delighted to see Kismet, the second chick to ever be born in Chickentown, sitting in a nest. I had suspected that she was laying now, but this was my first time catching her in the act. Unfortunately, I had to leave before I could solve the mystery of just what exactly her egg color is! I've wondered ever since she hatched if she inherited the blue egg gene from Gryffindor, her father, or if she would lay plain brown eggs like her production red mother. We have been getting some odd eggs from mystery hens lately, and I was curious to find out if one of them was hers. Oh well, maybe next time!

Another hen delighted me by paying a visit to a nest while I was over today. Pipsqueak, our old English game bantam, took a long break from laying during the winter, but I was delighted to see her hop into a nest while I was visiting today. There was already an egg in the nest, left there by Strawberry, the remaining production red hen, and Pipsqueak spent several minutes trying in vain to tuck the egg under her tiny body before I finally took pity on her and removed it. Without the distraction of the awkward egg, Pipsqueak was able to return to the task at hand. Once again, I wasn't able to linger long enough to collect her egg, but it will be there later, and at least I can tell her eggs apart from the others! I am hopeful that the egg will be fertilized, and I have plans to attempt to incubate it, as well as any others she may lay over the next couple of days.

Other than that, I spent some time talking to my babies in the brooder, watched the young roos try--and fail--to win the admiration of the ladies, and ended up with an uninvited barred rock with VERY muddy feet on my head. (Really, Sweet Basil? Really?) The very last egg in my incubator has pipped, and somewhere in Ohio, my order of chicks from MPC is being born...

I have a feeling this is going to be a very exciting week!

 

[okjenyp]

Wow. What a journey! Sorry to hear about boomer and his taste for chicken. My dogs want to get my chickens but listen to me and stay they still wimped and run along the fence but leave them alone.y moms dachshund is not allowed at my house any more. He tried to climb the baby gate to get to the brooder and was going nuts!! I think once a dog gets a taste for the kill, there's no going back.
And this stupid ks weather. Yesterday I was hot and sunny. Today, well, the weather man is drunk... Warm and sunny. To cold and rainy and snow coming. What part of kansas are you? I am in Wichita and just starting out. I have 25 total between three batches of chicks. I don't have the space for 100!! I think I am at my max until my husband butchers all the Cornish cross... And roosters.

 

[PrairieChickens]

I'm about 100 miles east of you, right on Highway 54. We got all the same weather you did--it's been ridiculous. Fortunately it's supposed to start warming up again tomorrow. The low will only be in the forties. The warm weather is timely--I'll need to move the indoor chicks outdoors to make room for the shipped chicks on the way.

I have grand ambitions for my chickens, that's why I have so many. Most folks don't have the space nor the reason for so many birds. lol

 

[Pipizzy]

Love reading your stories!

 

[PrairieChickens]

Hurray! Spring has finally arrived in Chickentown, and boy golly, has it been a busy one!


"How long 'til cherries?"

I was an anxious mess last week, waiting for my new chicks to arrive from MPC, but arrive they did, whole and well, and they have been thriving in their new home. Not only did I get the white silkie pullet I've been wanting for years, but I also received two ameraucana boys to replace the cockerel my dog killed. I also got two Jersey giant chicks to replace the pair that tried to sleep outside on a cold winter night, and in my rare breed assortment, I was delighted to discover I'd received TWO Polish crested pullets. That's kind of a big deal for me, since Polish crested are possibly my most favorite breed ever. (They're tied with Easter Eggers, but for totally different reasons)

The anxiety is about to begin again--I have another order of chicks due to ship tomorrow, and unlike this batch, they didn't get express shipping. (I may call and see if it's too late to upgrade the shipping.) In this next batch, I'm hoping to get black copper marans and a variety of unusual breeds I don't have yet. After that, I'll be about done for the season, with just one more hatch coming out of the incubator before I put it up until the fall.


"How do I make this thing go?"

The chicks I hatched out from my first batch are growing fast. Unfortunately, my dog's last killing spree claimed most of the pullets from that batch, so almost everyone left is a cockerel, including--much to our surprise--the super-friendly Polly. Polly earned his name by being eager to climb onto the shoulders of anyone who offered a hand to him. He remains an extremely friendly chicken, and is to this day the only rooster I've ever had that will fly up to perch on my arm. I may breed him to my friendliest hen--a barred rock named Sweet Basil--and see if that "fly up and perch" trait of theirs is genetic. Who knows--soon I may have a whole flock full of birds who like to sneak-attack unsuspecting visitors with cuddles!


We are either cuddling, or conspiring. I leave it to you to decide.

Chickentown saw another first this week--for the first time since we started keeping chickens, I acquired a bird as an adult! It happened by chance, really--a friend wanted a ride to a house where a dog was up for adoption, and while I was waiting in the car, I heard a rooster crow. Not just any rooster, either--I could tell from the crow that it was some kind of banty, and my curiosity was piqued.

"You have chickens?" I asked the man.
"Yeah, I breed odd kinds of chickens that no one seems to want," he said.
"Really," I replied. "What kind?"
"Silver duckwing," he answered.
"Old English game bantams!?" I exclaimed.
"Yeah," he said, seeming surprised by my sudden enthusiasm. Little did he know--I've had an OEGB hen for a year now that I've been dying to find a mate for, a silver duckwing in fact! And I heard a rooster, which meant....
"Can I see them??" I asked excitedly.

He led me back to the shed where he kept his chickens, and sure enough, there perched on a pile of filthy, ancient mattresses was a handsome silver duckwing OEGB rooster.
"How much do you want for him?" I asked.
"Eight dollars," the man replied.
"I'll go get my purse!"

Now I'll be honest with you, this isn't a guy I'd want to do business with regularly, just because of the substandard conditions the chickens were living in. It came as no surprise upon closer inspection of my new little roo that the poor fella was infested with mites, though he didn't seem to be in poor health otherwise. I took him home, treated him for mites, and set him up in quarantine. With any luck, he should be able to meet his new lady in a couple of months. I just hope Pipsqueak likes him--she's known to be rather choosy about her men!


In the end, the final stamp of approval will have to come from her.

The current population of Chickentown is 130, with several more chicks coming next week and a clutch of over 40 eggs in the incubator. After that, we'll be taking a break from new additions to give my dad a chance to catch up on coop construction.

The chicks (and the webcam) have been moved outside. You can check them out here: http://www.chickentownusa.com/Webcam.html