3rd year of my obsession

[skoobee7970]

Hi all!

I'm in my third year of my obsession with my flock, so thought it was high time I joined BYC.

We started with a dozen Gold Laced Poland Hatching Eggs from a reputable breeder, and hatched 8 chicks. 3 didn't make it to the outdoors for various reasons but the other 5 were the beginning of a healthy interest in bantams. We had 1 smooth and 4 frizzles, with one cockerel until recently, when one hen fell and broke her neck/back, one got taken by a fox, and the cockerel had to be euthenased because of injuries sustained - we suspect defending his girls.

This left us with our Smooth hen and our remaining frizzle. So last weekend we went to the local Poultry Auction and fell in love with 2 White Crested Polands @ 6 weeks and 2 Black Marans Bantams (all hens) and bought them for some extra company for our other Babies!

The marans and GL Polands are thick as thieves after just a few hours together and the 2 WC Poland babies are spending quality time with their flock-sisters in the playpen during the days, but back in doors before dusk.

I rather stupidly allowed the kids to name them... not a smart move!

I also installed an electrified defence system for the run and coop that has proved an effective fox barrier, thus far! It's very non-lethal... just painful enough to make a predator think twice...

Oh... and the 3 cats we own enjoy spending quality time with the hens - well the old ones at least... the newer hens aren't quite so keen. And the chicks make the cats skittish because they're so noisy!

Anyway, I'm rambling...

Looking forward to my time amongst fellow enthusiasts.

 

[N F C]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Very nice intro, you sound totally devoted to the well-being of your flock...not rambling at all! I am curious, though, what did the kids name them?

It would be fun to see some photos of your birds, if you'd care to share.

Thanks for joining us!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi from Yorkshire UK

Glad you could join the flock! I too have an obsession with the polands!! Sounds like you have been through the ringer with various things happening to your flock. Sorry to read about your losses. Polish are a super breed to keep and real characters to boot. I have a couple of white crested black Poland hens and they are far by the most noisy characters of all my birds. I've not tried electric fences my but have heard good things about it, hope it keeps the fox away as it will more than likely to return. As soon as they know they keep comme my back. I know this from my experience with a fox attack.

Wishing you the very best of luck with your flock in the future.
Enjoy BYC and all the chI ken chat

 

[skoobee7970]

Phylis - After Phylis Diller

Chickeera - After a famous singer... although ours has a wonky middle toe gene too!

Randall - Apparently from Monsters Inc... I believe Randall was a male so - not an awesome choice!

Shelley - Because Eggs have shells, right...

Egg - A pseudonym for the youngest daughter, and an obvious choice

Nugget - I have no appropriate comment to make regarding the choice of this child

Randall and Shelley gardening for me

 

[skoobee7970]

Hi

from Yorkshire UK

Glad you could join the flock! I too have an obsession with the polands!! Sounds like you have been through the ringer with various things happening to your flock. Sorry to read about your losses. Polish are a super breed to keep and real characters to boot. I have a couple of white crested black Poland hens and they are far by the most noisy characters of all my birds. I've not tried electric fences my but have heard good things about it, hope it keeps the fox away as it will more than likely to return. As soon as they know they keep comme my back. I know this from my experience with a fox attack.

Wishing you the very best of luck with your flock in the future.
Enjoy BYC and all the chI ken chat

Thanks YC!

Yeah the Polands are complete nutcases! The old-girls are so even tempered and inquisitive, nothing phases them. In fact, the smooth likes to have a vacation every summer in the fields at the rear of our property and sleep out in the trees. She comes back for an hour a day to eat and drink and check in with the others when she's on vacation though. It's the only way I can get her back - catching her during her lunchtime return to the coop!

I think the foxes are mostly done now as one of them definitely fell foul of the Electricity about a week back - we heard the crack, and the whine as it ran away! And my cats have begun patrolling the area again - they don't like invaders either and the 3 of them are an effective hunting pack, and quite the intimidating group.

I now religiously close the coop and run up at dusk and turn the fence on. The Marans are quite timid and annoying as chasing them back in can be very frustrating. It's all new to them I suspect... A good mix, I think, and some variety.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[N F C]

Very pretty birds and I like the names the kids came up with...very original!

 

[skoobee7970]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

Very pretty birds and I like the names the kids came up with...very original!

Thanks folks!

Can't say I'm as enamoured with the names as you NorthFLChick... especially as the 'kids' are 17, 17, 19, and 23!!! Apparently daft names are de rigeur at this age, although I don't recall that at all from my own childhood... ;-)

 

[drumstick diva]

I love the name Chickeera. Do think your polish will run afoul of predators, sleeping in trees. Owls will be glad to pick her off. Could you keep her in a covered run?

 

[skoobee7970]

Thanks DD but I don't think the owls round here would fancy their chances against this:

or this:

She''s an independent girl and no mistake and holds her own - she has definite ideas about who's in charge and it ain't me!