Author Topic: LP Painted Chix  (Read 1684 times)

Offline paintponylvr

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LP Painted Chix
« on: August 18, 2016, 11:30:28 PM »
Well, since you asked...

I did get some pics the other day.  I have to jump thru hoops to get them to appear here, but at least I can go back to sharing...

I've never had Speckled Sussex before - we'll see how we do with these girls.  I actually have 7 of them.  The last is in my 3rd "brooder" box - with the White Leghorns.



I LOVE EEs (Easter Eggers) and purebred Ameracauna (especially blue & silver).  I want to get some more in Bantam size - but they were the first ones that I lost in June in the original heat wave we had...  11 of 12 succumbed!  These girls are the full size ones.  Will be interesting to see what color(s) they end up being...  Wish I had paid more attention in the feed store - while all of these girls will mature with slate colored shanks and beaks, not all will have good beards & muffs - what I find particularly cool on these girls and of course part of the breed for the purebred ones.  I started with 7 of these girls and 1 didn't make it when I brought her home.  So now I have 6.  I have 5 in the brooder w/ the last being in with the White Leghorns.  I decided to leave the 2 "colored" birds in with the whites, so that when I mix them together again later, they should be more accepting (I should & may this weekend mix at least 1 white in with the other 2 brooders).





I've had Ameracauna/leghorn Xs before (called Super Blue Layers) and they were great - especially the Roo...  The batch of white leghorn pullets I got last time (beginning July, i think?) are doing AWESOME, so I got 3 more pullets and a roo.  That will give us a total of 7 layers (white eggs, YEAH!) and the fella.  We shall see how it we do with these guys as well. 





The next two weeks or so they will be in the large brooder crates they are in.  Then, I will move the older chicks out of the dog Xpen nursery (to the 3rd coop) and put these guys in the "nursery" all together.  Right now, their "brooders" are strapped down to the roosts above the "nursery".  Can take more pics later, plus will get pics tomorrow of the birds in the "nursery" and the birds (hatched in late April) that I've moved out to the other coop.

Currently using shredded paper in all 3 brooder boxes and some in the "nursery" as well.  The brooders get emptied into the sand between the round pen and the water pump - hoping to get some decent amendments going eventually and grow grass where theres - o - maybe 6" deep in sand (or more???)...  Then GRASS, maybe????  Slow but steady will do it right?


Paula Hoffman
LP Painted Ponys
Cameron, NC

Offline Ryan

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Re: LP Painted Chix
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2016, 11:34:35 PM »
Very cute Paula , hoping they give you plenty of eggs :)


Offline paintponylvr

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Re: LP Painted Chix
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2016, 11:44:40 PM »
Everyone I've read and studied "under", say that you should always get birds (especially if breeding or wanting to become a sustainable homestead) from breeders rather than large hatcheries.  But I've spent much more money on birds from breeders that didn't make it or had BAD genetic faults that developed over time and had to be culled (after I spent quite a bit of money on the original chicks) in the past two years, then on the birds I've gotten from TSC or our feed store (called Carolina Town & Country) or even from other "breeders" who had hatchery stock rather than pedigreed stock...

All of these girls are from Privett Hatchery and we will just need to wait and see how they do.  I've lost a lot of birds this year so far - some from private owners/breeders; some from Privett Hatchery stock and some that we had from various other sources.  Most were lost due to getting out of the coop(s - dug out them selves) and some were lost to predators.  A good number of chicks just "keeled over" in the heat between June and now - but in June when we got a couple of bad storms - the temps were not just hot but then turned cold again, too.

Hopefully, with some changes we've made to the coops (working on putting hardware cloth all around the lower 1/2 of these hoop coops - w/ the edges flanged out like wings to be pinned down about 1 1/2' out on the ground, too) - we'll be able to get these girls to laying ages and maybe next spring see some chicks of our own, too! 
Paula Hoffman
LP Painted Ponys
Cameron, NC

Offline paintponylvr

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Re: LP Painted Chix
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2016, 12:12:39 AM »
This actually makes my 3rd "batch" of chicks since May. 

The ones from May Day purchase that are still with us (11 - 2 BA pullets; 2 pullets & 1 cockerel - Russian Orloffs; 3 PRs; 3 Buckeyes) will hit laying age around October and of those 2 are supposed to be good winter layers so maybe we will get some eggs over the winter...  Otherwise, it will be March or so next spring before we will consistently see eggs.

The "2nd" batch (actually more than 1) was gotten in Mid/late June & early July (I think?? - I was so discouraged from other things going on that I took no pics!!).  But of those - I have 2 Delawares, 4 White Leghorns, 1 EE Bantam, 2 EEs & 3 RIRs.  I had purchased 1 whole batch of 12 Bantam EE's and only the 1 made it.  Funny thing is - most died between 3 & 4 weeks of age and were already just about "feathered in" - I was devastated as I was so excited about my "mini EEs"!

OK, getting too depressing thinking of how many we lost!  So onward.  Here are some pics of the original purchase of May Day chix.





and some pics of the girls holding chix! 









Grace helped me move them from the "nursery" to the other coop on Saturday last week (I knew I was going to get chicks on Sunday - just hadn't planned on getting 18)...  That went ok - after each mini "freak out" she had.  I will take pics of them tomorrow in their coop.  They were actually trying to roost tonight!  It was awesome seeing them.  I will be putting a solid 2x4 in their coop tomorrow for them to roost on instead of the little bars they currently have.
Paula Hoffman
LP Painted Ponys
Cameron, NC

Offline paintponylvr

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Re: LP Painted Chix
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2016, 12:25:12 AM »
Thank you, Ryan, we are hoping so too.

I miss having our own eggs!! We eat a  LOT of eggs and getting them in the store is ...  not so nice.

I am hoping by next spring to do better at having the chickens "work for us" by having them in garden spots and then moving them.  Not sure exactly how we are going to work all that out yet...  First - just want to get these chicks to laying age!

Then I'd like to get some broiler chix and also cockerels of heritage breeds that we can grow out for meat.  We'll see how they taste and how difficult it is to raise them here.  With the shorter times on the broiler chicks, I'm thinking they may be the better bet at them moment - we'll see.

In the past, I'd heard lots of bad things about the broilers - especially time frames they need to be processed by - which could be problematic for us...  But I've done a lot of studying on it and really looking hard at doing some broilers - having a freezer full of chicken in just 2 months growing time - hmmm!!!  Our oldest daughter, SIL & 2 grand daughters are  looking at moving back in with us for a while (knew we shouldn't have gotten the bigger house!!) and we will have the extra folk around to do chores and we all need to eat.  Like I said, we shall see how it goes.
Paula Hoffman
LP Painted Ponys
Cameron, NC

Offline dcwolcott

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Re: LP Painted Chix
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2016, 05:59:29 AM »
They are all adorable!!  And I love your stories!!
'Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.'

Offline paintponylvr

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Re: LP Painted Chix
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2016, 07:51:05 AM »
 :) :D :)
Paula Hoffman
LP Painted Ponys
Cameron, NC

Offline paintponylvr

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Re: LP Painted Chix
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2016, 04:20:35 PM »
OK, here are the older chix.

The group in the "Nursery".  Don't have any pics with all of them.  Have 12 altogether - 2 full size EEs, 1 Bantam EE, 3 RIRs, 4 White Leghorns, 2 Delawares.  They should all be pullets (Bantam EE may be a roo?).

The "Nursery" is a dog Xpen with chicken wire on it.  It's got a large feeder hanging on one end, 2 - 2 ltr bottles w/ nipples on it for water.  At this time, no roost in it.





Then in Coop 2 - I put the others.  Have total of 11 birds right now 10 pullets & 1 cockerel.  2 Black Australorp, 1 Austra White, 3 Russian Orloffs (1 cockerel) & 5 reds (? - not sure which are the Production Reds and which are Buckeyes since I mixed them.  Had 3 PRs & 6 Buckeyes at first, lost 4 birds). 

Here's a few -



I did the text wrong on the pic.  Only 2 BAs (2 passed) and there are 5 "red" pullets - I just don't know what they all are.



There are 5 red pullets in this picture.





Paula Hoffman
LP Painted Ponys
Cameron, NC

Offline dcwolcott

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Re: LP Painted Chix
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2016, 06:23:55 PM »
I love that speckled one and the one with the speckled head.  Very pretty!!
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Offline Holly

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Re: LP Painted Chix
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2016, 08:57:50 PM »
How cute are they!!
I love Americana's. I used to order from McMurray hatchery. My all time favorite the buff orps. Sadly we have way to many coyotes here to keep chickens or ducks.
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Offline paintponylvr

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Re: LP Painted Chix
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2016, 12:29:28 AM »
Holly - I've never had Orps.  There is a breeder of those here in NC, and I'd love to go see some & bend her ear for a while.  Orps are supposed to be a good all purpose bird for homesteaders.

On a sad note, I lost two of the White Leghorns on Sunday(8/21), then another White Leghorn & a 2nd EE on Monday (8/22).  Since then, we've had no other losses and they seem to each be doing well.  I moved another EE over with the last White Leghorn and the Speckled Sussex.

I lost a rabbit last weekend, too.  We didn't know for sure what killed her - think the grand daughters got them riled up (they are in a large pen on the ground, not cages at the moment) and that she died of heat exhaustion.  In any case, though we talked about it, we opted not to process her for ourselves or for her fur (maybe should have?).  Instead, I put her whole into the "bucket" hanging in the oldest chicken's pen.  The result - standing downwind is a bit odoriferous, but the chickens are getting a LOT of extra protein and not eating nearly as much feed!  All 4 of the chicks went into the bucket as well (well, 5 total)...

ON a great note, Kechi is doing much better and is now standing (and laying down/getting back up) w/o the sling and doing ever so much better.  See her post for more...
Paula Hoffman
LP Painted Ponys
Cameron, NC

Offline dcwolcott

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Re: LP Painted Chix
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2016, 08:15:11 AM »
I have a friend, who when I would discuss various things I'd do, would say, "You're such a farmer!"  I'd tell him that yes, farmers make lemonade out of lemons.  Wonderful "farmer-type" idea for getting benefit for one species by the death of another.  Gotta keep making that lemonade!
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Offline Silver City Heritage Farm

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Re: LP Painted Chix
« Reply #12 on: August 27, 2016, 07:15:51 PM »
I have a friend, who when I would discuss various things I'd do, would say, "You're such a farmer!"  I'd tell him that yes, farmers make lemonade out of lemons.  Wonderful "farmer-type" idea for getting benefit for one species by the death of another.  Gotta keep making that lemonade!

I completely agree Diane. I'd take that as a compliment and say "Thank you!" most sincerely if someone said that to me! I believe Americans have gotten entirely too removed from the whole natural cycle of life. I think it causes us to be too judgmental and unwilling to respect-and appreciate-how the loss of one life sustains another.

Paula, I didn't have a great success rate with the TSC chicks either. Of 8 bantam mixed selection of breeds, two survived to the current age of 4 months. I lost one the first night, which they replaced. Five others I lost at about 3 weeks. They just didn't thrive. Had I not also had my 14 Polish (that I purchased from Carolina Town & Country) in that same brooder, I'd have blamed "newbie" poor poultry practices. I accidentally squished one under the brooder mat. Waaaaahh!! The West Fayetteville TSC chick supplier is.......wait.....WAIT......Mt. Healthy Hatcheries. Sooooo inappropriate a name, in my experience. The two survivors are a pullet and cockerel Japanese. The cockerel, however, is very immature mentally. He still peeps like a chick, begs his flock mates for food, screams for help when separated. Good thing he's got the Campiness to take care of him :-/  He is, however, developing into quite the attractive bird.

My Privett Hatchery birds are also doing very well. All 14 made it to the grow out pen from the brooder. They're a only about a week older than the bantams. I've culled down to 6 that are fairly close to the breed standard.

Yes...I'll go get the pictures that I owe you all!!
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Offline dcwolcott

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Re: LP Painted Chix
« Reply #13 on: August 28, 2016, 06:52:45 PM »
You're quite right, I ALWAYS said thank you to him!!
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Offline paintponylvr

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Re: LP Painted Chix
« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2016, 09:25:56 AM »
Saturday (last) was made a little "brighter" when we went out in the afternoon to find that "Blackie" - the little mixed banty hen who has been free ranging with Blue Roo (blue Ameraucana) for the past 2-3 months - had hatched 4 out of the 6 eggs she'd been setting on. 

Again, we thought she'd disappeared.  BUT we noticed all of a sudden the none of the 3 boy rabbits would enter their hutch...   Blackie was sitting broody on a "nest" (we didn't bother her at all, so had no idea how many or?? exactly when).  We did see her now and then come out to eat w/ Blue Roo and once I thought she may have died on the nest (hadn't seen her move).  I put feed on the ground outside the little hutch.  Now I know that she shared the boys' rabbit drinker (2 ltr bottle w/ drinker nipple on it) and she did eat that feed.

The "bug" kept me from being totally enthusiastic.  But we were able to corner/catch Blackie and the 4 chicks and put them into the partially, freshly cleaned rabbit cage.  Since Saturday night was to drop in temps, we added some alfalfa hay (didn't have to go out to the pasture to get it - feed rabbits with it) to what was still in the cage, put an old 1/2 dog crate in upside down for them to use as a nest box & used a 2 lb coffee can lid to put feed on.  Another bottle drinker was added to the outside - in the same spot it had been in when housing rabbits.

Right after we caught them and finished setting up the cage.  The other 3 chicks are safely under Blackie (tried to get them out...didn't work).



& some pics of the chix on the 16th - 4 days old.









and a pic of Blackie in May 2014 when she raised a brood of chicks from a collection of eggs.  A couple may have been hers, but now that I fully know she lays a cream colored egg, pretty sure none of these were hers.  They were sired by a white "Super Blue Layer" rooster (Din-Din) who was a cross between an Ameraucana and a White Leghorn.



We lost the last hen from that batch 2 months ago - about a week after she hatched a group of 5 chicks.  We couldn't catch the mama hen (couldn't figure out where she had hidden them after I found them on original nest - big mistake not to catch her right then).

I suppose you can say there's always a silver lining!  It DID make me happy, when I originally let dogs out this morning, to hear the "birdies" chirping happily in their cage under the carport. 

I haven't moved them out to a permanent coop yet.  I want to catch Blue Roo & move him out to the coop that only has 5 hens left in it.  Then move Blackie and chicks (still in the cage) as well.

Paula Hoffman
LP Painted Ponys
Cameron, NC