Chickens on the homestead

[Hinotori]

Our normal summer high is like 83. Low in winter is usually lower 20s or high teens. All breeds do well here for the most part. Silkies are probably the worst because of the rain and their feather type. Next worst is everything with foot feathers. The brahmas use them as paddles I swear.

I have my wheaten ameraucana and hatchery easter eggers that do the very best for me. They slow down in winter but still lay. That's expected with the lack of sunlight and heavy clouds.

My silkie pens have lots of tarping as the silly things are quick to learn that a wet head means the crest is out of their eyes so they can see. They lay pretty consistently for most of the year with just a bit of a slowdown as it gets hot. Even if I have no other eggs, I always have silkie eggs. Just takes three of them instead of one. But then, they eat a quarter of what the big girls do. There is always a broody silkie here. I have 19 adult hens. 2 pullets just started laying so if they follow the normal pattern, they will be broody in a few weeks.

I have two female culls on the chicks now that I can sex them. No good for breeding. Extra toe on one and bad split wing on the other. I have a waiting list for female culls. At $10 each they will pay for feed for a month for all the silkies.

They are from my giant silkie project so may be bigger. Side trait that came from their grandmother is they are all friendly and curious even without handling. I need to set that trait in the whole flock.

As much as I like the ameraucana, it's been silkies pulling their weight around here on costs. This large mutation may help out even more as others want eggs after I get it stablized. If they can pay for all of their food and needs, I'll be very happy

 

[Beekissed]

That's some great weather, Hinotori. Nothing extreme, just pleasantly warm or pleasantly chilly. I like that!

I think the highest we've ever gotten here that I can remember was 105*-110* and that's with some really high humidity, so it feels hotter. Same with the cold in the winter...it always feels colder because of the humidity levels. When it's truly cold, 15-20 below zero, it doesn't FEEL as cold as when it's just in the 20s but with high humidity.

That's when a person sees most of the frost bite on chickens here...not when it dips below zero, but when it's steady in the teens and twenties for several days but with that high humidity in the coop, usually after a really wet snow that stayed on the ground.

 

[Hinotori]

In strange years we will get extremes. We had temps over 100 touching 106 in 2009. It was offshore flow from the east side of the mointains so it was just hot. Humidity isn't an issue so much with the heat here.

I grew up on the desert east side of the Cascades. 110 in summer was normal as was single digit highs in winter. Plus the winds whipping down the Columbia River Gorge.

Spent 15 years in Virginia Beach and I do not miss the heat and nasty humidity.

I like the moderate temps here. Doesn't kill me. Lack of sun heating days does make growing plants tricky. It's now time to plant sweet corn. I picked an early produced as it should ripen before fall rains and cool weather comes back at Labor Day. Some things just don't do well here. But I can grow peas for the entire warm season.

 

[sumi]

Our temperatures is very similar to yours, Hinotori. Not too cold, not too warm, a little snow in winter, though the locals swear it does NOT snow here lol And lots of rain.

Your Silkies sound amazing. Perfect fun little homestead birds

 

[Beekissed]

I've overworked my DL this year in many ways, so it's down to a thin layer. Didn't save enough leaves to get me through the summer, so had to break down and get a bale of straw today. Applied a thin layer all over the coop.

Been very wet here this spring and summer, so the DL is breaking down rather quickly in the coop now that I have the leaky shade tarp on there.

That's all good....I'll use some of the remaining litter and the newly placed straw to fill in my carrot box I'll plant in August, along with potting soil, chips, etc.

 

[Country homesteader]

First pic is of MAMA and her babies. Second pic is a closer pic of the babies. ( I photo enhanced it). Just found out today I had babies-what a shocker and a surprise!! Almost had a heart attack! Lol

 

[Country homesteader]

I was just able to get very close to Mama and babies. This is what I saw:

I need advice and assistance on what I should do. Please

 

[Beekissed]

Watch where they are bedding down tonight and remove him/her from the nest site for examination. Could be nothing, could be a puncture wound. If a puncture wound, flush it out with peroxide, apply an antibiotic ointment topically and just watch how it goes. Chicks are amazingly tough.

I wouldn't take it from the mama for any longer it takes to treat him, though...he'll experience less stress with his family and will stay on the move, keeping a puncture wound open and draining like it should.

 

[Beekissed]

Been invited to give a butchering demonstration tomorrow at the other end of the state. The last one I was invited to was quite a fiasco, so I'm hoping this one turns out better. It will take place at a church, of all places.

Don't know why they are choosing to do butchering in the hottest part of the year...most likely inexperience.

 

[Country homesteader]

Please don't butcher the baby! I'm going to do my best to save it.
Here's current pic:

I was told to separate it seeing how it had been attacked. Right now I have it in a small cat carrier in the kitchen on the table.
It sure is noisy!
If I have to be up all night I will do that.