Sorry for this being a day late. But, we had babies hatching! This is Tub-Tub. It's kind of obvious how this one got its name. Though, it probably won't keep this name. Tub-Tub is half silkie! We know this because of the feet. One of the feet has an extra toe (which looks like a strange growth). Pure silkies have this on both feet. Since it's on only one, we know Tub-Tub is only half. These are the Sumatra twins. We know they're half sumatra because of the coloration of their heads, but their feet are not black. They don't look happy, but they were pretty content. There is a third baby that looks like them, but is different. This baby is part cochin! It has the same face as the twins above, but this one has feathered feet. If you remember, cochins have feathered feet. Silkies have feathered feet, too, but we know this one isn't silkie because it doesn't have an extra toe and its skin is not black. This is another set of twins. They are at least half phoenix. We are not sure if they are pure breed. We will find out by their coloration when they reach maturity if they are pure or mixed. It is difficult sometimes to tell with babies if they are pure because they're different looking when they're older and some breeds looks the same as chicks. These are the same twins from the previous picture. The one with its head down is darker than the other. Just because they are at least half the same doesn't mean they will be the same color.
Twitter question of the week! Which of these babies would you like to cuddle with the most? Nanners: "Little Tub-Tub!" Mashers: "The sumatra twins."
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Chicken poop is often called "chicken manure" by farmers. Manure is poop from animals that is used as a fertilizer. Chicken manure is perfect for organic farmers!
In order to use chicken manure, it has to be old. Farmers use old chicken poop on crops. If they were to use new manure, then it will kill the crops. It does this because there is too much nitrogen in fresh poop, and that super high amount burns plant roots. If you have chickens, you can dig 3-4 inches in their run (or area in their pen outside their coop) until you reach black looking soil. This is actually old poop. Inside the coop, you can scoop out the bedding and put that into a compost pile, wet and turn every few weeks for several months. This can take 6-9 months, sometimes longer, for it to be ready for use in a compost pile. If it's not black when you check it, wait another month or two before checking again. Once it's ready, you can take the manure and spread it all over your garden. Make sure to mix it with the soil. If you don't mix it in, it won't make as much of a difference on your garden. But, mixing it in lets the plants get the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the fertilizer. One chicken usually produces 8-11 pounds of poop every month. So, it doesn't take many chickens to make a lot of manure. But, keep in mind, IT SMELLS BAD! Don't worry if you don't have chickens of your own. Find a local chicken farmer and ask them for their poop. Most will be very, very glad to give it to you. If you use it correctly, your plants will thank you! Your flowers will be bigger and brighter; your veggies will be larger and healthier. Twitter Time! Find us on Twitter (@DenOfCluck) to answer this question: If you were a chicken, where do you think you would be in the pecking order? Nanners: I think I'd be at the bottom because I'm so laid back. Mashers: I think I'd be up by the top because I'm so energetic and bossy. Ginny is a Pearl Guinea. When grown, pearl guinea will be dark grey with white spots or bars. The babies are keets. They look like chicks when they're young, but smaller beaks and longer necks. On top of Ginny is a White Laced Red Cornish chick. There isn't much difference in the heads of these two, but Ginny's beak is shorter and pointier. Guineas hate being alone! When Ginny is grown, she or he will weigh between 3 and 5 pounds, which is about what this chick will weigh, too.
Guineas love eating ticks, hornets, wasps, bees, and weed seeds. They are known for their attitude and noise. Some farmers like to keep some around to scare off predators, such as foxes, hawks, rats, and snakes. They are called "watchdogs" because they're always alert and they are territorial. They know who does and who does not belong, so they call out at any strangers approaching. Their eggs are dark and spotted. They lay 60-100 eggs from March to August. Females hide their nests and will share them with other females until there are a large number of eggs to sit on. The eggs take longer to hatch than chicken eggs, but not by much. It takes 26-28 days for guinea eggs, and 20-22 days for chickens. It's hard to tell the males and females apart by how they look. The males usually have bigger wattles, but this isn't a reliable way of telling them apart. You can tell them apart by their sounds! Males have a one-syllable call and females have a two-syllable call. The females' calls will sound more like "Pot-rack" or "Buck-wheat". They can swim, if necessary, and are fast runners. But, unlike chickens, they don't scratch the ground. This means that they can roam through gardens, picking out all the bugs and weed seeds without harming any of the plants. They don't like being penned up and they prefer to roam, but at least you won't have to worry about your garden being damaged by them. Right now, we only have the one. But, we hope to get more one day. We would have to be careful about male guineas being penned up with our chickens. The male guineas might prevent the roosters from eating or accessing water. The females don't usually do this, but the males do as a way of protecting their ladies. They originated in Africa where food and water isn't as available as it is on a farm, so this is just an instinct that hasn't been bred out of them yet. Weebly has eaten two of our blog entry attempts this week, so thanks to that, there won't be one. We're tired of trying to get something to post here, but Weebly just wants to eat it without posting like it's supposed to.
So, instead, we're going to do something different. Head to Twitter and answer this question, making sure to tag us in your response (@DenofCluck): If you were a chicken, what kind would you be? Nanners: I'd be a Buff Orpington. Mashers: I would be a male Americana! |
Just two brothers
Nanners & Mashers are brothers who just want to share their birds with the world. Archives
April 2016
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