Yesterday (Nov 28) I took 20 of my bantams to a poultry show in Winston-Salem,
NC sponsored by the Forsyth Fowl Fanciers club.  I took eight bantam Welsummers
(2 Partridge cockerels, 2 Silver Duckwing cockerels, 2 Golden Hackle cockerels,
and 2 Partridge pullets); four Old English Game (OEG) pullets (2 Self Blue and 2
Mille Fleur); three Seramas; two Nankin cockerels (1 rose comb and 1 single
comb); one Naked Neck cockerel; one Cuckoo Marans pullet; and one LaFleche
cockerel: 13 varieties and 7 breeds.  The Nankins, OEGbs, NN, and LaFleche were
all from eggs I got from Dean this year.

Lots of what I brought are not accepted approved breeds in the American Bantam
Association (ABA) and cannot win anything past its breed or variety and win a
whole class and get a trophy or grand champion.  I brought them to just let
folks see something different and to get some good experience.  All but the 1 RC
Nankin, 2 Mille Fleur, and Seramas were the only ones of their kind there, so of
course each took best in variety (BV), reserve variety (RV 2nd place of
variety), best in breed (BB), and/or reserve breed (RB 2nd place of breed). 
They had a whole section for Naked Necks with a nice wooden sign and all, but
mine was the only one, large fowl (LF) or bantam.  There were some other Marans
there, but they were all LF and even though my Marans are my largest bantams, I
really realized they are bantams.

Of the 8 bantam Welsummers I took, one pullet won the BB (#1 of 8) and one
partridge cockerel took the RB (#2 of 8).  They got looked at and judged this
time, so I can see which was the best and try to see why.  Since there were
tones of OEG bantams there, the two Self Blue pullets only got BV and RV and
nothing in the breed.  There were a couple other Seramas there, and one of my
hens took RB.  My RC Nankin took 2nd, but there was only one other RC Nankin
cockerel, LOL.  Last year a breeder brought a bunch of Nankins, but his were the
only ones there last year and he did not think he was going to bother if there
was no competition and he was not there at this show.

There were lots of OEG Mille Fleur pullets, but one of mine took 4th even though
"COND" was noted on her card.  I asked the club secretary what that meant and he
checked the bird over and said that since she had the end of one of her tail
feathers cut off that she would have placed higher but for the defect.

This is only my second show I have ever shown at (did the same show last year
with 5 birds).  I am learning a lot.  It took tons of time getting these ready
for the show, cleaning things and checking out which ones I wanted to take and
then modifying transportations pens to get them there as I don't have the fancy
transportation pens the professionals have, and still there is lots more I
should have done.  I learned that the Mille Fleur pullet with the cut feather
probably had it happen at 4 months old by feather mites and that to prevent such
a thing, I need to start dipping my birds at 15 weeks old and maybe so once a
week for a while and to dust my show pens often.  And that I should keep each
show bird separated from all others in clean pine shavings during the 3 month
show season.  I do not have that kind of time, so I do not think I am cut out to
do much showing, maybe one or two breeds, but not lots of things just for folks
to see them, unless I do some for the state fair.  And it was a long day as I
drove 2 hours to get there at 7am and the judging was not done until 3pm.

Also, I am not sure if what I did was scoffed at by the chicken men that are
"real" showmen that are "serious" breeders (the OEG folks), but I heard one of
them with a group of buddies ask the judge as he walked by, "are you done
judging the Seramas and Naked Necks yet?" and then they all cracked up laughing.

Mark in NC

Donna,

(still too busy to get on much) In addition to the feed question.  About the
chicks comment.

Yes, it is crazy this time of year to have chicks, especially in MA.  My friend
had one of his bantam Easter Eggers show up in December in North Carolina with a
bunch of chicks.  He free ranged them all at the time (until they all got eaten
by predators) so these chicks were very exposed and would not have survived at
his place.  He gave them to me and I put the hen and chicks in a chicken tractor
with one of those brooder lights to help and they all grew to adults (only 60
watts for supplemental light so they can see to eat 24/7 and stay warm longer
out from under the hen).

I had another friend borrow two of my Seramas to hatch 11 chicks from a new
breed of bantams he is working on (a head start for next year).  They hatched a
month ago and he had the two hens and 11 chicks in a small pen with a light (60
watt like above) and then after two weeks he turned the light off and that night
2 chicks died, so he turned it back on and they are doing well.

Good luck.

Mark in NC

--- In bantamchickens@yahoogroups.com, Donna Carkin <sunsetcreekfarm@...> wrote:
>
> Good idea -- I forgot all about those being available.
>
> On Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 9:30 AM, Tara <kidntyme@...> wrote:
>
>> > Try layer crumbles instead of layer pelets.
> >
> >  ------------------------------
> > >
> > >
> > Also, my dutch bantam hen has some new chicks as of last night.  She's been
> > hiding this clutch behind the hay bales.  Last night I heard the peeping
> > during feeding time.
> > What was she thinking have chicks this time of year; especially in MA???
> > ;)
> >
> > Donna
>

Ok here we go again. i lost the guys email that has them and am going nuts tryin
to find some birds for my hubby's flock. please if you know anyone who has them
please get ahold of me, i wan to get him a trio for christmas.

Hi Mark, I had book marked the free book from one of the anti NAIS sites. The
author is a PHd and wasn't interested in reaping any profits from the sale of
the book. He wanted it diseminated among the poultry and livestock breeders in
this country to let them know what was really going on. The printed editions
that were and are sold,the proceeds were given to an appropriate charity.

I found that if I put on my thinking cap and start looking for the things that
affect me personally, or can affect all of humanity if #1 the Mega Ari-corps are
allowed to destroy all of the privately owned flocks by having them wiped off
the earth. Or #2 they are allowed to become a total monopoly as a world food
producer and their genetic base collapses from inbreeding or from a disease
outbreak. This quickly takes on a gloom and doom type scenario of which the
elected government employees of the U.S. and Canada have obviously backed the
wrong side. They are either agriculture stupid, getting major cash kick backs,
or haven't a clue what will happen if the genetic base goes all to heck and
collapses. [I choose answer #3 all of the above.]

With all livestock and poultry enterprises BIGGER is seldom better and over
crowded is deffinately a precursor to a major outbreak of disease. All of the
major poultry breeding farms, broiler farms, turkey growing farms, etc. are
completely and always under staffed and as a result there is nobody paying any
attention to fine details. Birds look wimpy all the time from lack of natural
light and when they suddenly die they are rarely ever taken off farm for an
autopsy to find out the cause.

When a dozen birds die nobody gets excited. When 100 birds die it may still not
stir anyone to action. When 1000 birds die in a single 24 hour period then is
when the Veteranarians are called in and the news is usually severe. The sorry
part about a government intervention to depopulate one of these huge Commercial
poultry farms is that it is the average middle class tax payers and consumer
that foot the bill to clean up this mess and to reimburse the owner[s] for their
losses. That's right, they get to file a claim for losses, for the cost of
hiring clean up crews, dip into the public till and get reimbursed for those
losses! The rest of you can't even get insurance on your poultry but these
corporate farms get free welfare from the people and a do over from the national
treasury in the form of a giant subsidy check.

These corporate farms are usually operated by no more than 3 workers and these
are more often than not Illegal foreign workers that get paid minimum wage or
less. The ratio of people to chickens is around 1 to 50,000. The average egg
producing farm of the 1960s was one person to 600 or less birds that were ran on
free range every day. [I get my eggs from a similar free range set up but with a
few less birds in my own yards].

I also have my birds tested every year by the NPIP, a department of the USDA. If
the government comes out to depopulate my farm I get to put in a claim for every
bird, every chick, and every egg they destroy at replacement costs. [Just like
the big boys] Dean
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"MarkM" <mmontgomery@...> wrote:
Dean,
Your e-mail was a very good read, but I just saw the topic and started to read
without seeing who it was from.  Part way through I thought, "wow, this is very
informative like Dean's posts" and then I saw that it was one in the same.  LOL 
Good to hear you are on.  I will go look at the book now.
Mark in NC

In bantamchickens@yahoogroups.com, "lafleche49" <hobbyguy@> wrote:

Hi All, This book has been on the internet for quite some time and I thought
some of the material in this book could be helpful in understanding a lot of
things behind The Bird Flu,"The Great Needless Scare of the 21st century."

http://birdflubook.com/toc.php

Dean,

Your e-mail was a very good read, but I just saw the topic and started to read
without seeing who it was from.  Part way through I thought, "wow, this is very
informative like Dean's posts" and then I saw that it was one in the same.  LOL 
Good to hear you are on.  I will go look at the book now.

Mark in NC

--- In bantamchickens@yahoogroups.com, "lafleche49" <hobbyguy@...> wrote:
>
> Hi All, This book has been on the internet for quite some time and I thought
some of the material in this book could be helpful in understanding a lot of
things behind The Bird Flu,"The Great Needless Scare of the 21st century."
>
> http://birdflubook.com/toc.php
>

Dreaming,

I have been swamped due to work and travel and then chickens.  It also looks
like some of the other experts must be swamped too.

I personally do not think it is OK as they are more likely to get killed by
predators at night as well as get cold and die.  I have a friend that had some
of them roosting on a metal fence in the start of winter and those birds did not
survive long (predators and the heat being sucked out of their bodies by the
metal did not help).

It could be you do not have room in the coop or the older ones are just being
mean and protective.

I have not had your problem, but on solution would be to put them in at night
and not let them out for a couple of weeks until they got used to roosting in
the coop and then try them again.

If there are a couple of mean one, put them in a chicken prison inside the coop
in sight, but away from hurting the others for a while and then let them out to
see if they are nicer.

Mark in NC

--- In bantamchickens@yahoogroups.com, "celestialdreaming"
<celestialdreaming@...> wrote:
>
> well, winter seems to be coming early in PA!  temps are getting into the 30s
at night.  Our young chickens are still roosting on top of the fence.  It
worries me because not only is it cold, but is has been raining so much and they
still continue to stay out at night.  Is this OK?  All our adult birds go in at
night, but the young birds are not following?  Any advice?  Thanks!
>

Hi All, This book has been on the internet for quite some time and I thought
some of the material in this book could be helpful in understanding a lot of
things behind The Bird Flu,"The Great Needless Scare of the 21st century."

http://birdflubook.com/toc.php

I have always said that the enhanced Bird Flu began with the confinement poultry
houses owned by corporate agriculture. However their spokes people deny this at
every turn even though the disease has hit them the hardest and their facilities
have been at the very center whenever there has been a disease outbreak.

They claim that their poultry housing is the most Biosecure in the world.
Evidently if disease can't get in it must be eminating from the inside out to
the surrounding areas where the wild and domestic birds live and are contracting
this disease. Strangely and most timely it is always "shortly after these
outbreaks have been reported by the confinement factories" that the wild birds
and backyard flocks are blamed.

As always when their poultry gets sick the blame is laid on the small breeder
and the governmental powers that back the Corporate interests of these mega
factories make sure to lay the blame on the little people. They summarily send
in death squads to the surrounding farms to wipe out their flocks without even
testing to see if the flu is present. And it doesn't seem to matter that these
small flocks have been blood tested by these same agencies and proven free of
disease year after year.

Under chapter II section 6, Coming Home to Roost, the page on Monoculture is
interesting in that it states that in the very near future there will only be 3
suppliers and breeding farms that will supply ALL of the replacement stock to
the Corporate egg and broiler farms world wide.
http://birdflubook.com/a.php?id=73

Cut and Quote: Soon, the industry predicts, there essentially may only be three
poultry breeders in the entire world.

That statement should scare the pants off of everyone regardless if they raise
rare breeds or consume poultry. If the entire poultry propogation system crashes
then a great part of the world's food supply will be lost for many years and
possibly forever and there won't be much that can replace it.

If this worst case scenario comes to pass then we will see first hand how the
animal rights groups people handle the fact that being Vegan is going to be more
expensive than eating prime cuts of Kolby beef.

When one form of food disappears or becomes extremely scarce then the population
will shift over to the remaining forms of nourishment causing immediate price
increases via supply and demand. When the price of common mushrooms hit $5 per
pound and potatoes at $4 per pound you will be able to hear the Vegans screaming
and accusing the government and Big Brother of price fixing. Maybe that would be
a blessing in disguise and might give us all a little breather from their
trumped up treachery against the small animal and bird keepers.

I fully understand that this is a Bantam discussion board but it is also good to
understand those things that can affect us without any negative actions taken on
our part to cause it.

In the 1400s through the 1600s when there were still countries where only the
rich owned land and the peasants rented from them. The bantam chicken and the
products from them didn't interest these land lords and as a result these small
birds kept the peasant subsistence farmer and their families alive.

If the broiler, turkey, and egg production farms were to become ruined and
defunct tomorrow then there would again be a need to rely on the old breeds and
the bantams once again until there were farms that could again take up the
slack. Hopefully they would revert back to the privately owned 500 hen range
flocks that supplied America's egg needs since the late 1800s.

As an aside to this posting the economy is also hitting the large poultry
producers in their bottom profit margin line. They are beginning to sell their
broiler chickens at a much younger age and smaller size.

I was in a local grocery store a few days ago that sells ready fried chicken by
the piece, dinner, or bucket. I have watched the size of these chicken pieces
shrink by at least half over the past 2 years.

I know the meat department manager personally and I asked where they were
getting their bantam broilers from to get such tiny little drum sticks. His
reply was "I can remember when that size drum stick was the shoulder part of a
wing. You should see how small our whole dressed friers are when we get them
in."  Dean

well, winter seems to be coming early in PA!  temps are getting into the 30s at
night.  Our young chickens are still roosting on top of the fence.  It worries
me because not only is it cold, but is has been raining so much and they still
continue to stay out at night.  Is this OK?  All our adult birds go in at night,
but the young birds are not following?  Any advice?  Thanks!

FOR SALE: Wheat Straw available SE Arkansas

Jim's Farm Stand has 2009 wheat straw, $5.50 bale, picked up in Monticello,
Arkansas. We can deliver anywhere for the cost of fuel. 870/723-3724
http://jimsfarmstand.bravehost.com

Hi Fellowlisters,
  This is *not* me. Myself and my chickens are fine. I am not related to anyone
in all of this.  I lifted this from a small 5 member list. It appeared a
successful breeder has passed away. His estate is dispersing his flock of
waterfowl and chickens. If anyone is interested, give them a call. This is the
4th in a series of posts by the Estate. They really need to move these birds. I
wonder who this breeder was? According to the Estate, he was a successful
exhibitor. If any of these breeds interest you, this might be a way to save
years of work by this breeder.
  Best Regards,
  Karen Tewart
  in western PA
===================



============sent to a small 5 member chicken list this last week.
I believe this is the post of Oct. 4th.=======

Hello again!! I still have lots of chickens and ducks we are selling!! these
were my Dad's and since he passed away we inherited them. Unfortunately where I
stay we can't have them!! So here is what he has!! Moscovey ducks small and big!
As far as the chickens he has hen layers as well as lots of Old English game
bantams. My Dad was well known for winning in Chicken Shows for his breeds. If
you are interested please call me at 919-605-4961.

Wow, you really do a lot to keep the cold out, but I guess you have to way up
there.  In my new coop that has 8 5X14 pens, I will close up the inside part
(5X7) and have a chicken door out to each run (also 5X7 see cleanlegbantams
pics).  My runs are covered on top too, but I will cover two of the three sides
with clear plastic, I just hope it is not too toasty on sunny days.

Mark in NC

--- In bantamchickens@yahoogroups.com, "molbaygun2001" <molbaygun@...> wrote:
>
> oh yeah - and one more thing.  I will cover the run with plastic sheeting or a
tarp if the snow is heavy and the wind is bad.  It is a covered run so I just
hang from the roof and weigh it down.  They do come outside for a bit when it's
bad out and this is up.
>
> --- In bantamchickens@yahoogroups.com, "molbaygun2001" <molbaygun@> wrote:
> >
> > We've been through 2 Connecticut winters with our girls (and 2 guys).  We've
had temps as low as -5 F. We have 2 coops - one is 12 X 8 and the other is 4 X
5. One holds 16 standard hens and the other holds our 9 banty hens and 2 banty
roos.  I have already started to winterize - little by little - since we have
already had some 30 degree nights.
> >
> >  First off I keep a thermometer inside both coops to keep track. In the big
coop I have a heated waterer.  I also have a heavy duty heat lamp that hangs
from the center ceiling beam.  To winterize I get hay bales and put them on the
floor on the inside on the longest solid walls (2 others have the doors) and I
will probably put some outside this year.  I caulked any cracks and made sure
there was none hanging loose for fear of them eating it.  I hang a towel in
front of their door to the run and pull up one of the corners since they are
still not too sure how to get in and out if it is completely covered. I hung a
towel in front of the people door so that all the heat d/n escape when we went
to get the eggs or change the water.   I try to allow the chips on the floor to
build up and try to get it up to 3 inches+. I put hay up into the air vents
between the ceiling and roof.  The I use the thick A/C foam to put in front of
that.  (they can't get anywhere near that)I figure with the door open they are
getting the air they need.  My goal is to get rid of those awful drafts.  We
also have 2 windows so I cover those with clear plastic sheeting on the outside
and seal those shut..  If I need more than one heat lamp I will use it and if it
is so cold then I open their door for a short time then close it and they have
to stay in.  Sometimes they don't want to go out and will hang out in the coop.
It maintains a comfortable temp when it is freezing out.
> >
> > As far as the small coop, I do the same thing except I don't have a heated
waterer.  The water typically doesn't freeze since it maintains a decent temp.
> >
> > Typically I hang the waterers outside for 3 seasons, once it gets to that
freezing point they are brought into the coop.  I keep extra waterers just in
case they do freeze then I can fill quickly before going to work in the morning.
> >
> > Yes I have pampered chickens and (Knock on wood) have not lost one during
the winter months thus far. They also get black oil sunflower seed every so
often as a treat (high in fat)
> >
> > Good luck!
>

oh yeah - and one more thing.  I will cover the run with plastic sheeting or a
tarp if the snow is heavy and the wind is bad.  It is a covered run so I just
hang from the roof and weigh it down.  They do come outside for a bit when it's
bad out and this is up.

--- In bantamchickens@yahoogroups.com, "molbaygun2001" <molbaygun@...> wrote:
>
> We've been through 2 Connecticut winters with our girls (and 2 guys).  We've
had temps as low as -5 F. We have 2 coops - one is 12 X 8 and the other is 4 X
5. One holds 16 standard hens and the other holds our 9 banty hens and 2 banty
roos.  I have already started to winterize - little by little - since we have
already had some 30 degree nights.
>
>  First off I keep a thermometer inside both coops to keep track. In the big
coop I have a heated waterer.  I also have a heavy duty heat lamp that hangs
from the center ceiling beam.  To winterize I get hay bales and put them on the
floor on the inside on the longest solid walls (2 others have the doors) and I
will probably put some outside this year.  I caulked any cracks and made sure
there was none hanging loose for fear of them eating it.  I hang a towel in
front of their door to the run and pull up one of the corners since they are
still not too sure how to get in and out if it is completely covered. I hung a
towel in front of the people door so that all the heat d/n escape when we went
to get the eggs or change the water.   I try to allow the chips on the floor to
build up and try to get it up to 3 inches+. I put hay up into the air vents
between the ceiling and roof.  The I use the thick A/C foam to put in front of
that.  (they can't get anywhere near that)I figure with the door open they are
getting the air they need.  My goal is to get rid of those awful drafts.  We
also have 2 windows so I cover those with clear plastic sheeting on the outside
and seal those shut..  If I need more than one heat lamp I will use it and if it
is so cold then I open their door for a short time then close it and they have
to stay in.  Sometimes they don't want to go out and will hang out in the coop.
It maintains a comfortable temp when it is freezing out.
>
> As far as the small coop, I do the same thing except I don't have a heated
waterer.  The water typically doesn't freeze since it maintains a decent temp.
>
> Typically I hang the waterers outside for 3 seasons, once it gets to that
freezing point they are brought into the coop.  I keep extra waterers just in
case they do freeze then I can fill quickly before going to work in the morning.
>
> Yes I have pampered chickens and (Knock on wood) have not lost one during the
winter months thus far. They also get black oil sunflower seed every so often as
a treat (high in fat)
>
> Good luck!
>
> --- In bantamchickens@yahoogroups.com, gothchickenlady <gothchickenlady@>
wrote:
> >
> > This will be my first winter with bantams.
> > I have them in a converted Emu shed which has the front covered about 3 ft
up with wood and the rest of the front is wire and a door.
> > There are chickens of varying ages from chick to pullet and a couple of
keets in there also.
> > The bantam hens all roost together on what looks like it might have been
some sort of storage/shelf unit that was in the shed to begin with. It is
closest to the "window". The roo and others on the far side of the shed.
> > The shed's open side faces the South.
> > Since they are small, do I need to cover the "window" during the winter or
would moving their roost away from it be better?
> > They do not free range, but have a covered run.
> >
> > Dawn in DE
> > The Goth Chicken Lady
> >
>

We've been through 2 Connecticut winters with our girls (and 2 guys).  We've had
temps as low as -5 F. We have 2 coops - one is 12 X 8 and the other is 4 X 5.
One holds 16 standard hens and the other holds our 9 banty hens and 2 banty
roos.  I have already started to winterize - little by little - since we have
already had some 30 degree nights.

  First off I keep a thermometer inside both coops to keep track. In the big coop
I have a heated waterer.  I also have a heavy duty heat lamp that hangs from the
center ceiling beam.  To winterize I get hay bales and put them on the floor on
the inside on the longest solid walls (2 others have the doors) and I will
probably put some outside this year.  I caulked any cracks and made sure there
was none hanging loose for fear of them eating it.  I hang a towel in front of
their door to the run and pull up one of the corners since they are still not
too sure how to get in and out if it is completely covered. I hung a towel in
front of the people door so that all the heat d/n escape when we went to get the
eggs or change the water.   I try to allow the chips on the floor to build up
and try to get it up to 3 inches+. I put hay up into the air vents between the
ceiling and roof.  The I use the thick A/C foam to put in front of that.  (they
can't get anywhere near that)I figure with the door open they are getting the
air they need.  My goal is to get rid of those awful drafts.  We also have 2
windows so I cover those with clear plastic sheeting on the outside and seal
those shut..  If I need more than one heat lamp I will use it and if it is so
cold then I open their door for a short time then close it and they have to stay
in.  Sometimes they don't want to go out and will hang out in the coop. It
maintains a comfortable temp when it is freezing out.

As far as the small coop, I do the same thing except I don't have a heated
waterer.  The water typically doesn't freeze since it maintains a decent temp.

Typically I hang the waterers outside for 3 seasons, once it gets to that
freezing point they are brought into the coop.  I keep extra waterers just in
case they do freeze then I can fill quickly before going to work in the morning.

Yes I have pampered chickens and (Knock on wood) have not lost one during the
winter months thus far. They also get black oil sunflower seed every so often as
a treat (high in fat)

Good luck!

--- In bantamchickens@yahoogroups.com, gothchickenlady <gothchickenlady@...>
wrote:
>
> This will be my first winter with bantams.
> I have them in a converted Emu shed which has the front covered about 3 ft up
with wood and the rest of the front is wire and a door.
> There are chickens of varying ages from chick to pullet and a couple of keets
in there also.
> The bantam hens all roost together on what looks like it might have been some
sort of storage/shelf unit that was in the shed to begin with. It is closest to
the "window". The roo and others on the far side of the shed.
> The shed's open side faces the South.
> Since they are small, do I need to cover the "window" during the winter or
would moving their roost away from it be better?
> They do not free range, but have a covered run.
>
> Dawn in DE
> The Goth Chicken Lady
>

You might do something to the run too.  What has worked for me (even though
North Carolina is not as cold as lots of places) is to cover 2 or 3 sides of
their run with clear plastic.  It keeps the wind and rain out of most of it and
gets quite warm in the day to defrost the water so I don't have to work as hard.
I did it on some small coops and I will do it this winter on my big new one.

Mark in NC

--- In bantamchickens@yahoogroups.com, "lafleche49" <hobbyguy@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Dawn, I assume that it freezes water there in the winter and that you have
ocassionally strong winter winds. It sounds as if your building is not insulated
so it would probably be a good idea to cover the window with thin window plastic
to block the wind and retain some of the warmth.
>
>

Hi Dawn, I assume that it freezes water there in the winter and that you have
ocassionally strong winter winds. It sounds as if your building is not insulated
so it would probably be a good idea to cover the window with thin window plastic
to block the wind and retain some of the warmth.

Make sure that the litter on the floor [bedding] is dry and at least a constant
3 inches deep. This keeps your birds dry and helps prevent frost bite to their
feet. I have seen times at my place where the chickens left their roosts and
buried themselves as deep in the floor litter as they cloud to stay warm during
a severe cold spell.

Small birds do not winter over as well as more mature ones and more often than
not some will die from hypothermia while others will remain stunted in growth
the rest of their lives. Retain as much heat as possible, slightly warm water
once a day,high quality feed, lack of cold drafts,and good strong light from a
natural source will often prevent stunting while keeping these adolescent birds
growing at a slower rate during cold weather. When needed I often hang a 60 watt
light bulb in a metal heat lamp shade about 14 inches above the floor where the
smaller ones can sit and knock the chill off of them when it gets unbearably
cold for them. Good luck. Dean
--------------------------------------------------------------------gothchickenl\
ady <gothchickenlady@...> wrote:

This will be my first winter with bantams.
I have them in a converted Emu shed which has the front covered about 3 ft up
with wood and the rest of the front is wire and a door.
There are chickens of varying ages from chick to pullet and a couple of keets in
there also.
The bantam hens all roost together on what looks like it might have been some
sort of storage/shelf unit that was in the shed to begin with. It is closest to
the "window". The roo and others on the far side of the shed.
The shed's open side faces the South.
Since they are small, do I need to cover the "window" during the winter or would
moving their roost away from it be better?
They do not free range, but have a covered run.
Dawn in DE

Reb,

I have heard, once an egg eater, always an egg eater.  I have slowed them down
with golf balls and ceramic eggs so that they think twice before the peck an
egg.  I have also heard to add Tabasco sauce to an egg, but then that might not
work as they do not have the capsin receptors to feel the pain of hot.  I need
to probably get rid of the main culprits as once a bad egg eater breaks the egg,
all go for it and she has probably taught others.

Mark in NC

--- In bantamchickens@yahoogroups.com, "rebgal2u" <rebgal2u@...> wrote:
>
> You know I was beginning to wonder myself if the chickens were laying and then
eating their own eggs. How common is this, and does it only happen during the
molt? They are really looking scraggly now. Even my rooster is losing his
beautiful tail feathers, and I think he is suffering from an ugly complex right
now. LOL!!
>

You know I was beginning to wonder myself if the chickens were laying and then
eating their own eggs. How common is this, and does it only happen during the
molt? They are really looking scraggly now. Even my rooster is losing his
beautiful tail feathers, and I think he is suffering from an ugly complex right
now. LOL!!

Reb,

Mine have slowed down too, but one small coop had almost nothing ever.  Then I
went to check on them one night and shined the flashlight in there and there
happened to be an egg where it was not supposed to be and I thought, "Oh now an
egg," but as I saw it brightly shining in the light, so did a bantam Marans hen
and she pecked and ate it right there.  I almost wrung her neck right then and
there and would have, but for the fact that I only have two bantam Marans hens
(lots of pullets now, so her days are numbered).

Mark in NC

--- In bantamchickens@yahoogroups.com, "rebgal2u" <rebgal2u@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks for the info Dean. I was beginning to wonder if my girls were getting
ready to kick the bucket or something equally worse. I have always kept their
home nice and clean, and their run. I put down a light coating of lime as well.
But you are onto a good idea about debugging the birds when they are half naked
as they are. Geesh I never knew chickens could look so pug ugly with only a few
sparse feathers here and there. And yes I will administer the parasite treatment
as well while there is no egg laying going on. I guess the Good Lord times
everything just right dosen't he? Even where our chickens are concerned. I
really appreciate your answer to my question, and I am greatly releived that
this is just a normal chicken thing. Thanks and God Bless.
>
> Reb
>

Thanks for the info Dean. I was beginning to wonder if my girls were getting
ready to kick the bucket or something equally worse. I have always kept their
home nice and clean, and their run. I put down a light coating of lime as well.
But you are onto a good idea about debugging the birds when they are half naked
as they are. Geesh I never knew chickens could look so pug ugly with only a few
sparse feathers here and there. And yes I will administer the parasite treatment
as well while there is no egg laying going on. I guess the Good Lord times
everything just right dosen't he? Even where our chickens are concerned. I
really appreciate your answer to my question, and I am greatly releived that
this is just a normal chicken thing. Thanks and God Bless.

Reb

Hi David, I also live in Missouri and probably don't live all that far from you.
I used to raise all kinds and colors of Araucanas.You need to save back a few
tailed birds to use as an outcross to lengthen the backs of your rumpless birds
before the rumpless to rumpless matings start producing birds with roach back.
Ocassionally you need to outcross a few rumpless to tailed to improve fertility.

Keeping a side mating of a few tailed birds as a gene repository for your own
line is not only a wise thing to do but it is also necessary. When the time
arrives that you have to outcross for the above reasons and you don't have a
tailed bird and have to go to a totally unrelated line you can bring in a lot of
junk that you never wanted in the process.

I used to keep a few tailed hens around for this purpose and when I wasn't using
them in the breeding pen I used them for broody hens for the better stock.

I had a curious moment and visited your site. I was particularly drawn by one
bird that you have and just wondered if you could sell a few young birds later
on or do an egg swap in the spring for some of my breeds. I have a few extras
right now in several breeds.

The Show Girl Suzie- Tallulah is about the best nonbearded example I have seen
in a while. I personally think that all of the Show Girls should be nonbearded
and have a clean neck just like this bird. She is everything you would expect to
see in this newly created type.

Just for grins I am sure you could put her in a large fake stick nest with a few
bits of fake fur scattered here and there and post the title of "Siberian
vulture chick" and almost everyone who saw it would believe it. LOL

Actually that particular bird is strange and unique to the point of looking like
an extremely rare specimen of something you would only see at a zoo. Right now I
have regular Naked Neck bantams in 6 colors and Barred Naked Neck large fowl. I
will be picking up a few nonbearded White Silkes from a friend some time this
coming week. You see the bearded silkies at every show and swap in Missouri but
the nonbearded are becoming scarce everywhere. They need a few more serious
boosters to preserve them before they go extinct. Dean
--------------------------------------------------------------------
David Sapp <showmesilkiesandstuff@...> wrote:
Michael, I purchased them as Araucana hatching eggs. Half hatched with tails and
the other half without. I do not want to keep the ones with tails as I am
sticking to raising the rumpless Araucanas. Sorry for any confusion. Again,if
you would like to see photos just ask.
David

Tiz the season for chickens and most other domestics to moult out their
ragged plumage and grow a new coat. When this process begins the growth of new
feathers drains their system and it shuts down their egg production. Often the
hens won't allow the males to mate and this makes them a little mental.

Every year I have a few late moulters that are nearly naked with a lot of soft
new pin feathers started. I always worry that they will freeze to death before
they get their new coat grown in. These are usually slow feathering types like
Barred Rocks. Some birds I have owned never moulted all at once, just a few
feathers at a time all during the year. They are totally covered all the time
but if they are exposed to the sun constantly you will notice dull feathers and
bright new feathers in the plumage and this gives them a blotchy apearance. A
complete all over moult makes a bird look like brand new and these are the ones
you want to keep if you show your stock in competition.

Now would be a good time to dust your birds for lice so that their new feathers
will be clean and undamaged. As the old feathers drop off I try to keep these
swept up and tossed in the burn barrel. I  set them ablaze to kill the unhatched
louse eggs [if there are any.] Also while your hens aren't laying this is a good
time to treat the flock for internal parasites as well. There is usually a
withholding period where you have to toss the eggs out and can't eat them. Much
of this waste of eggs can be avoided if they are wormed when they aren't laying
or aren't laying very heavily.  Dean
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"rebgal2u" <rebgal2u@...> wrote:
It's been several days now and my girls haven't laid a single egg, and I am
getting a little worried. Also my rooster who is normally very sweet to his
girls is now being very aggresive with them, especially come feeding time. I
have had these chickens for over a year now and they have been good layers and
very well behaved. Now all of a sudden it seems they have been possessed or
something. Also could it be the fact that they are starting to molt? Some of my
hens are almost bald and there are feathers all over the place. Isn't this the
wrong time of year to be molting? Winter will be here soon, and I am not
knitting sweaters for these birds!!!! Could someone please shed a little light
on what might be going on. Is it the changing of the season, the molting
process? What could this be? I am totally stymied by all this.

It's been several days now and my girls haven't laid a single egg, and I am
getting a little worried. Also my rooster who is normally very sweet to his
girls is now being very aggresive with them, especially come feeding time. I
have had these chickens for over a year now and they have been good layers and
very well behaved. Now all of a sudden it seems they have been possessed or
something. Also could it be the fact that they are starting to molt? Some of my
hens are almost bald and there are feathers all over the place. Isn't this the
wrong time of year to be molting? Winter will be here soon, and I am not
knitting sweaters for these birds!!!! Could someone please shed a little light
on what might be going on. Is it the changing of the season, the molting
process? What could this be? I am totally stymied by all this.

David, are these Ameraucanas or Araucanas?  The two breeds are quite distinct.

--Michael


--- In bantamchickens@yahoogroups.com, "davidj100275"
<showmesilkiesandstuff@...> wrote:
>
> I have three very cute and lively started bantams ready for a new home. They
will not be large sized when full grown and are 100% full bred
Americana/Araucana bantams. Each is a different color and all three must go
together. They are about two months old and living outdoors with the rest of the
chicks. I am asking $25 for all three. When mature they will lay medium sized
eggs in shades of blue to blue-green in color and if interbred with other
chickens will pass on that trait to the offspring (meaning their offspring will
produce blue eggs as well), some people refer to the colored eggs as "Easter
Eggs". I hatched these chicks from a wonderful breeder of Americana and Araucana
bantams in Kansas but have all I want as of right now. Email if interested and
upon request will gladly send pics of these lil' gems. I am not completely sure
but I think two are pullets and the white one is a cockerel. These are not
related so thus they can be bred together. I am asking $25 for this trio and can
ship. Shipping and poultry box is $55.
> Email me if interested and I will gladly send you photos.
>