Let's visit on the Porch II (Helena: property tax, increased, helmet)

[Reziac]

Huh. Mine never changed their laying habits no matter what went on around 'em. Got chased by dogs, got in fights with each other and with snakes...

Those guinea fowl sure do make a racket. You got the black-and-speckled ones or with white on 'em?

[jimj]

Originally Posted by Reziac

Feed your cooped chickens some alfalfa flakes, some bone meal, and a high-protein ration and they'll be as good and as dark as the eggs from yard chickens. I always fed mine dog food! (Once they'd had dog food, they wouldn't eat chicken food anymore!)

Chickens lay according to the amount of light they get -- hang 'em a light bulb and it helps. Also different breeds lay different numbers of eggs. It varies from as few as six (yes, six!!) eggs per year to almost 300. My chickens that came from a Mexican flock only laid about 3 months of the year, and then only when they were young. When they got past 3 or 4 years old they'd lay one clutch a year and that was it. I kept them mostly to control bugs (and cuz they were purty to look at) so I didn't really care.

The chickens here are mostly good layers but they all pretty much stopped during that last prolonged cloudy binge.

Dang Mexicans, never want to work! <a little humor for the morning>. We had friends who kept chickens and when it was dreary they had lights hung to increase daylight time.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

We've had these chickens for years and they have been good layers. Very consistant unless bothered. For instance, a guy up the road has a half wolf/half huskechicky that for loose. Luckily the chickens were in their coop, but the his damndest trying to get in the coop. Snarling, snapping throwing itself at the fence, etc... No eggs that night and only about half the next night.

But we just got the geunney hens and now they have matured into watchdogs and make that terrible racket when disturbed. They also run in a pack, they stay together and will chase the chickens. Suddenly no eggs and they are not molting, so we suspect the g hens are scaring them.

Sounds like you got the Mafia hens, they're staging a gang takeover.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by Reziac

Huh. Mine never changed their laying habits no matter what went on around 'em. Got chased by dogs, got in fights with each other and with snakes...

Those guinea fowl sure do make a racket. You got the black-and-speckled ones or with white on 'em?

There are 6 of them. Three different . 2 dark gray, 2 medium, and 2 light ones, but all are grey, just different shades.

He, jimj, they are a gang. they hang together and get into trouble, or cause trouble together.

[Reziac]

New and different colors -- have you tried spray paint?

When I lived where there were guinea fowl, they ran with the loose chickens, but wouldn't associate with the peacocks. 'Course, nothing else would associate with the peacocks either -- they were like a gang of vandals. The guinea fowl weren't destructive like that.

That place had turkeys too, one was a huge tom that weighed close to 50 pounds. I know this because he fell in love with me and I couldn't get rid of him, and I had to carry him back to the barn and lock him in a stall to stop him from turkey-loving my leg every time I stood still for five seconds!

Turkeys are curious in a weird way. When I'd fill their water, they'd try to look up the hose, like they could see where it came from.

[jimj]

I think we need to come home for a visit! My wife is missing the mountains,trees,clean AIR and open skies.
Plus with all her hot flashes she could probably get a job as a sidewalk ice melter.

[MTSilvertip]

Originally Posted by jimj

I think we need to come home for a visit! My wife is missing the mountains,trees,clean AIR and open skies.
Plus with all her hot flashes she could probably get a job as a sidewalk ice melter.

Those hot flashes are great for reducing the winter heating bill

My wife, The She-Bear gets chilly, so she has the wood stove belching fire and heats the place to about 120, then she gets a hot flash and throws the doors open to let in the sub-zero air!
During the summer she keeps the house at about 50 degrees, but in the winter, she keeps the temperature at about 95+

in the winter I'll be covered with sweat from the heat and when that arctic blast hits, well it hurts to peel the ice off your hide.

It'll sure be nice when her thermostate reaches some sort of equilibrium and I can come in from the shop where I have control and can keep it set at one temperature (74) all year round .

[Threerun]

and the news from North Helena- It's snowing.

[MTSilvertip]

Originally Posted by Threerun

and the news from North Helena- It's snowing.

And sticking.....

Should make for an interesting rush hour on the way home if we get enough for a little slush

[Threerun]

Oh yes- first snow of the year always brings out the wrecks.