AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Took me a minute to figure out what you were talking about for a minute without the quote jo

LOL to ya friend

Ya wouldn't be off topic would ya Dazza?

oh my goodness......How Embarrassment!

They ate the layer mash, or at least we think they ate it, anyways we have left more tonight for them, my intensions are to feed them up all week and go down at sun up next saturday, hopefully they might realise we are the hands that feed them so to speak and we might have better luck trying to catch some of them..

Along with my sister and three daughters I headed down to the Gold Coast this afternoon for some good old fashioned chook chasing.

Kylie wasn't exaggerating about their flying abilities. Once they got in the trees, it was best to wave good bye and walk away. We did catch three on the ground. Photos possible in a day or three.

Popped into Kylie's to show her what we managed to catch. Kylie reckons at least one appears to be OEG and I tend to agree (based on photos I've seen). Advice from other members (after-photos) will probably confirm this.

As for sex, with Kylie's help and knowledge, we can lean towards them all being hens -- especially if they lay eggs in the next few days.

Kylie showed me how clean and healthy the one her brother found last week is and gave me that one, too.

And, finally as if my day wasn't already going well enough, I walked away with a very broody hen. Awesome! I had been waiting impatiently for one of my bantams to go broody. Now, I don't have to. (and I bet one will go broody within a week now)

When we got home at about 9:15pm, I unlocked my toybox-to-nesting box from the outside and placed the broody hen in with the five eggs sitting in one of the nests. She sized them up to make sure they'd fit under her, then checked out the other nests...looking for more eggs I hope...before returning to the eggs. I hope she is still there.

I also put the four dumped chooks into the pen. We don't have a quarantine pen and they "look" fine to me. The last time I saw them they were roosting with the others. I don't know if there was any pecking or fighting going on before that as I could only hear them. Thinking back, the only noises I heard was them getting onto the roosts and getting settled and a few greetings back and forth. You know, "Nice to meet you. We're all in bed here. Now go to sleep. We'll do the pecking order thing first thing tomorrow."

That's what I'm worried about. The chooks get up at dawn, but I won't get up until between 8 and 10am (I work tomorrow night). By then it will all be over. I hope it's not messy.

And, then my biggest worry. The broody hen. She is new. She is sitting in their nest. Kylie generously gave her to me from her own very well looked after flock where she was probably quite content. There's no way I want that hen upset or hurt.

I'll set about finalising her own pen tomorrow as a priority, but for tonight and tomorrow morning to keep her safe from outside predators or from wandering off and getting lost, I had to leave her with the others.

My wife and kids will check on things in the morning and wake me if there are any issues.

My original Isa Brown X and four bantams only laid 5 eggs in three days, despite laying better in previous few weeks. If they can lay me another couple first thing tomorrow, I'll give them to the broody hen. Making seven total. And...if I'm really lucky I might even get an egg or two from the new girls. They're all small eggs, but 10 would be my absolute limit. Better to have 5 or 6 hatch from 8-10, than only 2 from 12-14 because the broody couldn't keep them all warm.

That's only my inexperienced opinion. I have no idea how many eggs a broody hen can sit on successfully.

Well done @catching the elusive dumped birds

Just 1 thing...You did worm and parasite controled the newies before letting them with your existing flock?

No check is perfect, but I couldn't see any mites, lice or any other creepy-crawlies on the newbies.

As for worming them, no.

I did worm all mine last week, though.

Yer, prolly pay to give the newies a good worming too. If they've been running feral for what sounds like a while, they're gonna have worms

good luck with the new girls,

I'm no eggspert but by the looks all 3 were hens, the only reason i think one is oeg is that she looks eggsactly the same as my oeg i picked up of Tahir.. The other 2 i really couldn't say, was hoping some of the more eggspearenced poultry farmers would be able to give a better idea..

Hey Charles, i wormed my 2 that i gave you last week, i make it a habit to worm them when ever i get any new choox.. And the little one my Bro brought home was quarrentined for about a week...

BTW, hows the broody going? Hope shes on your eggs.. It will be good for her to have them hatch..