I am so sorry to hear about your coop invasion. I would be devastated if that happened to me. I have 34 17week old heritage and rage breeds and will be adding the CBs to the group (10), unless I can build them their own coop and pen. I am thinking I might want to raise the CBs. I really like my others (8 breeds), but there is something about the CBs...just can't explain it.
I have noticed that the CBs are much more "flighty" than any of the other breeds that I have raised. The little cockerel that has the Mohawk is trying to be "brave" and "pushy" when I go to0 feed them. He stands right at the door and puffs up his chest and sometimes pecks me. It doesn't hurt or anything...it is sort of cute actually. I have been trying to hold all of them and let them know that I am no threat. The person that I bought the eggs from said that they won't be nearly as docile as the heritage breeds I already have unless I pay lots of attention to them and handle them allot.
I just took some more pics. I will be posting them soon. The older 2 are 29 days old and the younger ons are 16 days old. They grow so fast. I have guinea keets that are 10 days old and they are outgrowing their battery brooder and 6 heritage poults that are 25 days old that are outgrowing their brooder. I have a 16X16 pen I made outside with an attached 7X10 shed that I think I might be using for the turkeys...although I originally built it for white peafowl. They haven't hatched yet so you never know if they sill or not. The keets are going with the chickens for now. I still want to free range the guineas, turkeys and peafowl...I just have to figure out a way to keep them in my yard. I will clip their wings and that should keep the guineas and turkeys in, but the peafowl can jump a 4' fence even with clipped wings, so they might have to stay penned...I have 3 India Blue (1 cock and 2 hens in a 16X16 covered pen. Square footage wise, they have plenty of room, but I would still love to have them roam...just on MY property.
I have done all of this in 17 weeks. I have a bad habit of jumping in with both feet. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. But in any case, it is fun and a great learning. I will get great eggs out of this and later I imagine meat from some of the birds. I have found that peahen eggs are really good. I am not breeding them this year and I am not going to throw the eggs away, so I thought I would try them. They are much richer that chicken eggs and of course much larger. Takes allot more effort to beat them though. Definitely need a whisk and little milk helps too.
Anyway, I will post the new pics (if they turn out well).
Again, I am very sorry about your loss. I hope you can maybe find some of them (intact).
Best wishes,
Steven
