Ira Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 I don't know how early you can sex a chick :-? A few hours, once they're dry. You can vent them or compare some of the feathers on their wings. Sometimes Dirty Jobs can teach you something. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4g_WCmznW4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carznkats Posted September 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 I think I will get 6 rhode island reds, so that hopefully I will get at least 3 hens. There don't appear to be many orphingtons down here except for fertile eggs which I am not ready for yet. If i do end up getting roosters they will end up in my oven (yum yum). Will get Jennifer to teach me how to clip their wings so that they don't escape Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 scissors, it's real easy. just cut them but not really short. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 Will get Jennifer to teach me how to clip their wings so that they don't escape scissors, it's real easy. just cut them but not really short. The FEATHERS, not the wings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zayne Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 and only on one side http://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-wingclipping.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 Gareth and Dena have a golden-laced wyandotte and a couple of brown shavers. He says the shavers are more reliable egg factories but the wayandotte looks more impressive :lol: None went off the lay from the quakes either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinytawnykitten Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 Simon Morton on This Way Up (Radio NZ National) did a wee series about keeping chickens and it was really fantastic. I can email you the podcasts if you like. Let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 I have a couple of pekins and a partridge wyandott, and they lay quite well. The yolks of the eggs are bright yellow, and are great in baking. You don't need to clip their wings; it is pointless, and they'll still find a way to escape if that's what they want to do. They are very clever creatures. Ours have a small run that they sleep and lay in. It has a door that we leave open during the day, and they rome free around the property all day. We live in the middle of town, next to a very busy street, and the chooks never run out onto the road. We feed them plenty of scraps. They like worms and bugs too, which they get from the garden. They also need a bit of grit if you aren't going to let them out of their run. Ours don't need it because we have sand and fine stones lying around the house, which they peck at. You can also get them calcium and mineral cakes, but that isn't completely neccecery. Plenty of clean water is a must. We give them fresh meadow hay in their run. Wood shavings are messy, and they aren't very soft for the chooks either. The chooks come inside sometimes and steal catfood, and even pieces of meat that my mum puts on a plate for the cats when she's making dinner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 You don't need to clip their wings; it is pointless, and they'll still find a way to escape if that's what they want to do. They are very clever creatures. i disagree, clipping one of their wings stops them from getting over fences. If the fences are good they will keep them out as long as they cannot get over them. They are clever indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zayne Posted September 29, 2010 Report Share Posted September 29, 2010 i disagree, clipping one of their wings stops them from getting over fences. If the fences are good they will keep them out as long as they cannot get over them. They are clever indeed. + if the chickens get spooked they would just fly over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matildanz Posted September 30, 2010 Report Share Posted September 30, 2010 Hmmm.... think I might need a higher fence! Wee Weka sat on top of the fence playing Lady Muck in the sun yesterday. AND I clipped her wing on Sunday! Fence is the same height as the gate which she never sat on :-? Tart!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carznkats Posted September 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2010 Well I will be picking up some RIR chicks in the weekend and have bought some food etc for them. look forward to seeing how my little miss likes them :lol: Thanks for all your help, I hope I do get more hens than roosters though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danni Posted September 30, 2010 Report Share Posted September 30, 2010 Hey... Brown shavers are good layers. We have chickens and have got some eggs in an incubator right now Also, you can easily tell if they are roosters or hens, unlike some other types which are hard to tell until the rooster start crowing. And, if you live near a farm they will probably take any roosters you get rather than having to kill them. Someone probably said this....sorry, I didn't read through all the posts first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axolotl-danio Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 We have red/brown shavers and they are excellent layers, there eggs are so big that they don't fit in the egg cartons properly. I used to have a silky bantam that never layed and a Japanese bantam which was also a good layer but layed quite small eggs. It's a good idea to invest in a large feeder and drinker so your not filling it up all the time. Ours get a mixture of pellets, wheat and bird grit as well as any vege scraps we give them. They are in a coop and run but they have enough space to still be classed as free range (I think) and we let them out most weekends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinytawnykitten Posted October 3, 2010 Report Share Posted October 3, 2010 Hi again, I can't find the podcasts on my iTunes but I found the link on the Radio NZ website. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thiswayup/chicken/meet_the_birds The first page (Meet The Birds) doesn't have any audio associated with it, but the rest (from Breaking Ground onwards) do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carznkats Posted October 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2010 We picked the chicks up yesterday and my little miss is absolutely delighted with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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