Ameraucana Breeders Club

The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club => Ameraucana Marketplace => Topic started by: Zach_Rose on April 21, 2012, 06:34:43 PM

Title: Buff Bantams
Post by: Zach_Rose on April 21, 2012, 06:34:43 PM

(http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w375/ZachRose/Ameraucana/548cdee7.jpg)
Buff Hen


(http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w375/ZachRose/Ameraucana/982ed79c.jpg)
Buff Cock

I purchased this pair at Crossroads from John. She lays , but she keeps eating the eggs. So far I have one chick, with three fertile due on Wednesday. I am in search of more if anyone has anything to let go.
    Zach

Title: Buff Bantams
Post by: Zach_Rose on April 29, 2012, 08:32:33 PM

(http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w375/ZachRose/Ameraucana/28620bd8.jpg)

One of three chicks.

Title: Buff Bantams
Post by: Christie Rhae on April 29, 2012, 08:55:37 PM

So cute!!!

Title: Buff Bantams
Post by: bantamhill on May 01, 2012, 01:17:26 PM

Zach:

Is there any way you can provide a dark nesting space? A dark nesting are may help.

Michael

Title: Buff Bantams
Post by: Mike Gilbert on May 01, 2012, 02:29:47 PM

Get some hard plastic nesting eggs (if hollow, fill with sand) or wooden nesting eggs.  Put them in the nest and on the pen floor.   After they peck on them for awhile and discover they can\'t be broke, it may help.   The other thing you can do is place her in a rollaway nest early each morning, so as soon as the egg is laid it rolls out behind where she can\'t reach it.  Something like that can be easily built from wood and wire.  She only needs to be with the rooster a few hours each week.
That said, if you only have the one pair, and no doubt they are related to begin with, you probably need at least another pair to keep from too close inbreeding down the road.  But make sure the new ones don\'t pick up the bad habit from those you have now.  You may need to keep them separated.

Title: Buff Bantams
Post by: John on May 01, 2012, 07:40:26 PM

Quote

she keeps eating the eggs.

Jerry once recommended trimming the beaks back.  I\'ve been doing that, plus putting ceramic eggs  (http://www.ceramiceggs.com/)in those coops where I have egg eaters.

Quote

a dark nesting space?

They don\'t get much darker than this. ;)
This 5 gallon black Fowl Stuff  (http://fowlstuff.com/)nest box is available for breeders/fanciers that want to provide their birds with a \"chicken cave\".
Hey Mike...remember suggesting a darker nest box?

Title: Buff Bantams
Post by: Mike Gilbert on May 01, 2012, 07:49:19 PM

Now that I like John.   And I bet your hens do too.

Title: Buff Bantams
Post by: Beth C on May 01, 2012, 10:12:25 PM

Great idea! Maybe that would work for my persistent ground layers?

On egg eating, this is from a discussion about a year ago:

Quote from: Cloverleaf Farm

I cured an egg eater with a blown out egg filled with Dawn dish soap, and re-sealed with wax.  It only took once, and now, over a year later, she won\'t touch an egg, no matter how long I leave it in there.

Never tried it but sure got a kick out of reading it! :p