California - Northern

[debs_flock]

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Thanks, all advice is welcome. About a week from now I should know if they are developing.

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They are macaw eggs.................and yes I said they, I got a second one today!

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New American Poultry

Quote: And guineas!

 

[HighNDryFarm]

We enlarged our coop to have our 9 younger girls go in and roost with the older girls. The last 4 nights I am out there until 8:45 having chickens find their way to the roost of their choice. First, I let the newer 4 month olds in there, keeping the 1 plus yr. olds out in the yard. Once the young ones are settled then I let the others in one at a time according to those who roost calmly, and finally the bosses come in, when it's almost dark, and go to their roost. If I try to let them all go to bed at the same time there is a lot of pecking from the oldest and they chase the youngest out of the coop. Of course the older want to be in the newer area but that's not what I want and I'm the boss hen! So, I guess it's this way for awhile until they can all get along. Will that ever happen? I wonder.

I would let the older girls go in first and keep their territory so the little ones can learn their space and who's boss. I think the older girls will feel more threatened if they come in last and have to try to defend their territory.

I'm integrating my baby Polish and it isn't going all that smoothly. One was dead for no apparent reason the second night although I never saw anyone picking on them beyond moving them out of their space, and then this morning the one with a crest so big the poor thing can't see a thing (the largest crest I've ever seen on this young of a chick) was pecked on her neck. I have her in the house now and she's perking up a bit. Man birds are territorial.

Good luck with your integration.

 

[AlpineButterfly]

We enlarged our coop to have our 9 younger girls go in and roost with the older girls. The last 4 nights I am out there until 8:45 having chickens find their way to the roost of their choice. First, I let the newer 4 month olds in there, keeping the 1 plus yr. olds out in the yard. Once the young ones are settled then I let the others in one at a time according to those who roost calmly, and finally the bosses come in, when it's almost dark, and go to their roost. If I try to let them all go to bed at the same time there is a lot of pecking from the oldest and they chase the youngest out of the coop. Of course the older want to be in the newer area but that's not what I want and I'm the boss hen! So, I guess it's this way for awhile until they can all get along. Will that ever happen? I wonder.

I have two girls who are four weeks older than my four younger girls. When I started integrating the little girls in to the coop (when they were six weeks old), the bigger girls slept in a nest box. So I would sneak the little girls into the other box at night, and leave the door open to the run (I have a predator proof run). I was never there in the morning when they woke up, but they all managed to get out of the coop unharmed. But then the next night, the big girls would put themselves to bed, and the little girls would be huddled in a pile outside. I would watch them vie for space in the coop, and the younger girls would go up into the coop, but then the older ones would go in and chase them out. So I'd sneak them in again when everyone was asleep... repeat for almost two weeks. But then one night, the little girls were allowed to go to bed in the coop, just inside the door, on the opposite side from the big girls. It was like this for many more days, and then somehow the little girls managed to get the nest box the older girls normally slept in, and the big girls were sleeping on the roost! They have been consistently maintaining this sleeping arrangement for about two weeks now. They are still much different in size, and still mostly act like two flocks in the run, but there doesn't seem to be too much aggression. I'm hoping they all become friends in the end... I didn't plan on having different age chicks, but my first chick shipment only had a 40% survival rate, and I wanted more than two chickens.

 

[ronott1]

We enlarged our coop to have our 9 younger girls go in and roost with the older girls. The last 4 nights I am out there until 8:45 having chickens find their way to the roost of their choice. First, I let the newer 4 month olds in there, keeping the 1 plus yr. olds out in the yard. Once the young ones are settled then I let the others in one at a time according to those who roost calmly, and finally the bosses come in, when it's almost dark, and go to their roost. If I try to let them all go to bed at the same time there is a lot of pecking from the oldest and they chase the youngest out of the coop. Of course the older want to be in the newer area but that's not what I want and I'm the boss hen! So, I guess it's this way for awhile until they can all get along. Will that ever happen? I wonder.

If they are not going into the coop by themselves, leave them in the coop for two days. I call it coop lockdown. This will rehome them and they will go in by themselves at night after that.

The young ones will be at the bottom of the pecking order--It just works that way. Later--in a year probably--there can be a re arranging of the pecking order as the young ones might get bigger or a "bossier"one might assert herself.

I do not worry about where they go on the roost. It is natural for the top ones in the pecking order to pick the choice place on the roost. Mine do not go to the same place each night. It would be great if they did. It would make the check to make sure they were all in easier....

 

[Miss Molly]

really, roosters aren't supposed to have layer feed?  i didn't know -- how on earth does one keep a roo in with one's laying flock but not have him eat the layer feed?

i suppose i will have to switch to flock raiser...

I like flock raiser.. I have so many ages running around here. It works well for me.

 

[Miss Molly]

I want to move just outside of a gated community and let my Roosters crow Legally....

Oh Ron..you crack me up..

 

[Ali707]

move up the hill. Its much more chicken friendly around here

I wish I could but I am really trying to avoid a terrible commute. Don't think I didn't look on the map to see where Placerville was located....

Oh gosh! I didn't realize that chickens got so "I'm gonna peck out your eyeballs if you touch my eggs" when they got broody!

bitchy.... broody...... similar b words.

Come up to Nevada County

Don't tempt me. I am looking at Auburn now

I want to move just outside of a gated community and let my Roosters crow Legally....

I have two girls who are four weeks older than my four younger girls. When I started integrating the little girls in to the coop (when they were six weeks old), the bigger girls slept in a nest box. So I would sneak the little girls into the other box at night, and leave the door open to the run (I have a predator proof run). I was never there in the morning when they woke up, but they all managed to get out of the coop unharmed. But then the next night, the big girls would put themselves to bed, and the little girls would be huddled in a pile outside. I would watch them vie for space in the coop, and the younger girls would go up into the coop, but then the older ones would go in and chase them out. So I'd sneak them in again when everyone was asleep... repeat for almost two weeks. But then one night, the little girls were allowed to go to bed in the coop, just inside the door, on the opposite side from the big girls. It was like this for many more days, and then somehow the little girls managed to get the nest box the older girls normally slept in, and the big girls were sleeping on the roost! They have been consistently maintaining this sleeping arrangement for about two weeks now. They are still much different in size, and still mostly act like two flocks in the run, but there doesn't seem to be too much aggression. I'm hoping they all become friends in the end... I didn't plan on having different age chicks, but my first chick shipment only had a 40% survival rate, and I wanted more than two chickens.

So I am not a math wizard and I am trying to figure out how many you started with to get a 40% survival rate and two birds?

 

[chiqita]

Omg quail madness. My Tibetan/tuxedo pen door opened and everyone but one girl not feeling so well escaped!

1/2 went into the ravine behind the house and 1/2 were scattered around the yard. I think we caught all the girls but the boys range farther and we did not getall of them. In fact all the boys might be missing!! My t1 boys that were finally fertile and had the perfect tux gene!!!
Gaaaa!

 

[Ali707]

Omg quail madness. My Tibetan/tuxedo pen door opened and everyone but one girl not feeling so well escaped!

1/2 went into the ravine behind the house and 1/2 were scattered around the yard. I think we caught all the girls but the boys range farther and we did not getall of them. In fact all the boys might be missing!! My t1 boys that were finally fertile and had the perfect tux gene!!!
Gaaaa!

Holy cow that sucks. How long did it take you to get the ones you did get?

 

[ronott1]

Omg quail madness. My Tibetan/tuxedo pen door opened and everyone but one girl not feeling so well escaped!

1/2 went into the ravine behind the house and 1/2 were scattered around the yard. I think we caught all the girls but the boys range farther and we did not getall of them. In fact all the boys might be missing!! My t1 boys that were finally fertile and had the perfect tux gene!!!
Gaaaa!

Poor Boys! And your Special Project Quail too!