Just had one heck of a crazy chicken day today - I am covered in claw scratches, have sore cut feet and have lost some dignity with my neighbours! All from introducing 2 new chickens to my flock.
I keep new chickens in a wire crate for a few days so they can interact with the flock, and then I let them out supervised. Never had any problems. Till now. Here is what happened in 10 easy steps:
1. OPEN BOX to get out one of new chickens. Hen burst out, through my hands in into the middle of the flock causing panic.
2. GRAB THE ROOSTER Quickly put him into the cage, shutting the door as I see the new hen getting cornered, pecked and piled on by my flock.
3. RESCUE HEN and open cage door to put her in. Out jumps the rooster, badly scratching my arm and his feet don't tough the ground - I watch in dismay as he flies over my wall, across the stream and into the plantation out of sight.
4. HEN GOING NUTS - gets her wing caught in the wire. As i help her, she then gets a foot jammed through the wire on the floor. More screaming and all my birds freaking out. (now I have used this cage for years and have never had any chicken get parts of its body trapped in it
). Free foot and wing.
5 ROOSTER RECOVERY . There couple of street dogs hanging about near the stream and I watch as they are chasing the new rooster around. I panic, jump over my wall, and off go my flip-flops as I wade ankle deep through the muddy stream.
The dogs run off. I herd the rooster back to the stream - he flies across and into neighbours garden. Back I go. Feet sore and cut from thorns and rocks.
6. NEIGHBOURS HOUSE. Rooster flies into open garage - I hear a scream and she comes out looking shocked. Me standing there, hot and muddy, no shoes. I explain and go in and catch the rooster which is standing on a hight shelf clucking and looking very please with himself. (if they could smile I am sure he was laughing at me).
7. BACK HOUME. Open cage door to add rooster. Push him in - hen rushes to escape and as my attention is on her the rooster somehow manages to spin around in a split second, I jam his body in door, but he squeezed out and again off he flies into the distance - my hens and roosters screaming bloody murder. I can not believe it happened again.
8. OVER STREAM AGAIN (still no shoes). Can not catch him. Go home for rest and cup of tea. Calm down. Then more screaming from my flock. I run outside -think predator. Rooster back, big fight with him trying to mate the hens and my 2 rooster going crazy and attacking him. Catch him. Get scratched deeply several times through my T shirt as he again is returned to the cage. He is very pleased and start crowing and chasing his hen about.
9. REMAINDER OF THE DAY all the rooster are screeching and screaming and the hens are shouting. My partner starts to complain about the noise and I can not shut the birds up.
10. NIGHT TIME- Thank goodness noise stopped. All birds roosting. Everything OK on the noise front.
Tomorrow I will clip the roosters and hens wings. Never had to do this before, but these 2 are so nervous, flighty and wild. I don't think they are used to humans or handling at all. I have never had any that were so freaked out and made so much noise when I handled them. I was so surprised by their strength too, for such small bantams.
What a day!
I keep new chickens in a wire crate for a few days so they can interact with the flock, and then I let them out supervised. Never had any problems. Till now. Here is what happened in 10 easy steps:
1. OPEN BOX to get out one of new chickens. Hen burst out, through my hands in into the middle of the flock causing panic.
2. GRAB THE ROOSTER Quickly put him into the cage, shutting the door as I see the new hen getting cornered, pecked and piled on by my flock.
3. RESCUE HEN and open cage door to put her in. Out jumps the rooster, badly scratching my arm and his feet don't tough the ground - I watch in dismay as he flies over my wall, across the stream and into the plantation out of sight.
4. HEN GOING NUTS - gets her wing caught in the wire. As i help her, she then gets a foot jammed through the wire on the floor. More screaming and all my birds freaking out. (now I have used this cage for years and have never had any chicken get parts of its body trapped in it
5 ROOSTER RECOVERY . There couple of street dogs hanging about near the stream and I watch as they are chasing the new rooster around. I panic, jump over my wall, and off go my flip-flops as I wade ankle deep through the muddy stream.
6. NEIGHBOURS HOUSE. Rooster flies into open garage - I hear a scream and she comes out looking shocked. Me standing there, hot and muddy, no shoes. I explain and go in and catch the rooster which is standing on a hight shelf clucking and looking very please with himself. (if they could smile I am sure he was laughing at me).
7. BACK HOUME. Open cage door to add rooster. Push him in - hen rushes to escape and as my attention is on her the rooster somehow manages to spin around in a split second, I jam his body in door, but he squeezed out and again off he flies into the distance - my hens and roosters screaming bloody murder. I can not believe it happened again.
8. OVER STREAM AGAIN (still no shoes). Can not catch him. Go home for rest and cup of tea. Calm down. Then more screaming from my flock. I run outside -think predator. Rooster back, big fight with him trying to mate the hens and my 2 rooster going crazy and attacking him. Catch him. Get scratched deeply several times through my T shirt as he again is returned to the cage. He is very pleased and start crowing and chasing his hen about.
9. REMAINDER OF THE DAY all the rooster are screeching and screaming and the hens are shouting. My partner starts to complain about the noise and I can not shut the birds up.
10. NIGHT TIME- Thank goodness noise stopped. All birds roosting. Everything OK on the noise front.
Tomorrow I will clip the roosters and hens wings. Never had to do this before, but these 2 are so nervous, flighty and wild. I don't think they are used to humans or handling at all. I have never had any that were so freaked out and made so much noise when I handled them. I was so surprised by their strength too, for such small bantams.
What a day!
I'm betting rooster stew was sounding pretty good before that was all over with. 
