Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[satay]

Yes our rooster levels are getting high and so too are the noise levels.
For wound care I use Terramycin spray, but once the wound is healing and you are concerned about flock members pecking at wounds cetrigen acts as a deterrent because it doesn't taste very nice due to its high content of insecticide.

Agree with Fancy. I'd recommend cetrigen as well.

 

[Anniebee]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I will keep her separate for now anyway. I will see about some little ones when she is older. I sprayed her with cetrigen as soon as it happened. It seems to be healing nicely.

I went to the markets just out of Perth yesterday and managed to sell 10 hens. So far I've managed to rehome 25 chooks. Quite a few to go, but at least the really noisy ones are gone.
Except my Australorps but they were raised by the grandkids, they have taken to being noisy early in the morning. I think because Lucky goes over the fence every morning and they call out to her.
I'm sure they are telling her to come back or let them out. She's probably telling to find their own way out and I'm sure she's laughing

(all the noise she makes). Now an Andalusian cross has taken to escaping too, so they both just wander around.
On the broody front I now have 2 new australorps (after breaking the other 2 and the silkie), 6 bantams and a cochin cross all sitting on eggs. I'm ready to give up I just heave them out a few times a day take the eggs off them.

Have you not clipped wings ? ... would stop Lucky and the newest escape artist from flying over anything - and therefore perhaps reduce the noise level. ??

Can't recall why now, but some clip only 1 wing, and some - both wings. I do both wings - very carefully. Only the longest wing feathers are clipped back, being careful not to clip into the 'quick' that is in each feather. On an adult medium to large chicken, I clip back approx. 1.3/4 to 2 inches from the long flight feathers, of which there are only a half dozen or so.

Can no longer climb trees to rescue wayward chookies ... would be a super-dangerous exercise for me !!

Cheers ...

 

[LuckysMum]

Have you not clipped wings ? ... would stop Lucky and the newest escape artist from flying over anything - and therefore perhaps reduce the noise level. ??

Can't recall why now, but some clip only 1 wing, and some - both wings. I do both wings - very carefully. Only the longest wing feathers are clipped back, being careful not to clip into the 'quick' that is in each feather. On an adult medium to large chicken, I clip back approx. 1.3/4 to 2 inches from the long flight feathers, of which there are only a half dozen or so.

Can no longer climb trees to rescue wayward chookies ... would be a super-dangerous exercise for me !!

Cheers ...

I have clipped the andulsian but she only has to hop up to the front of the coop then on the roof then over. Lucky and the rest have stopped making noise they are locked in till 7am. But I will clip luckys wings. I usually do one wing it supposed to unbalance their flight so they can't fly, but since then I've been told they can hurt themselves so I think I might give 2 wings a go maybe that will stop the other one from being able to hop up to the coop roof. They can't actually get out of the back yard thank goodness.

Cetrigen was recommended to me by a friend to use when I was integrating some chickens. It worked really well now I know why. Because it said on the spray can for Wound care I used it on Snow white when she was pecked.
Thanks for the advice on how much to clip. I may not have been clipping enough I was too scared of hurting them.

 

[Anniebee]

I have clipped the andulsian but she only has to hop up to the front of the coop then on the roof then over. Lucky and the rest have stopped making noise they are locked in till 7am. But I will clip luckys wings. I usually do one wing it supposed to unbalance their flight so they can't fly, but since then I've been told they can hurt themselves so I think I might give 2 wings a go maybe that will stop the other one from being able to hop up to the coop roof. They can't actually get out of the back yard thank goodness.

Cetrigen was recommended to me by a friend to use when I was integrating some chickens. It worked really well now I know why. Because it said on the spray can for Wound care I used it on Snow white when she was pecked.
Thanks for the advice on how much to clip. I may not have been clipping enough I was too scared of hurting them.

Well, it is good your girls cannot get out of your back garden. My girls could not get up onto the coop roof at all, even with wings ... I can bend down and get into the coop itself, to clean it - but cannot stand upright in it. One of mine, ( Molly ) still has her wings, but barely makes a jump to half the run fence height. She is 4 yrs old - like the others, and I think perhaps has forgotten that she can fly. That is pure laziness on my part though - that I haven't clipped her wings since she came out of her late moult. But then, she never leaves her BFF Mandy - who is the one with arthritis. So I doubt she would try.

Have written down the 'cetrigen' ... in case I need to buy it one day. At the moment, all is well out there, so am not introducing any more chickens. If one of them departs this earth, re-arrangements will be made, and probably more chickens purchased. Until then .......!!

Cheers .....

 

[Teila]

Good morning folks

Anniebee the mental picture of Mindy Araucana beating up her toy dog gave me a chuckle.

Wow LuckysMum it is definitely full on at your place. If I take a broody out of the run first thing in the morning and pop her in the broody breaker, oh boy do the complaints start “How come she is out and we are not?!”

No news of note from here, plodding along nicely. Life has definitely quietened down now the girls are free ranging for the majority of the day .. happy chookies

 

[sjturner79]

Free range together

 

[Fizzybelle]

Aww, good to see so many happy chookies enjoying their free range time.

My own lot are being fairly well behaved, cept for Ada and Annabelle making a mess of the little chickens temporary coop. They ripped up the newspaper and spread the straw everywhere, just because. The native pigeons around here (those ones with the little topknots like a cockatiel), have had chicks that are now fully feathered, who are being taught by their parents to steal my chicken feed. Sigh, oh well. Cute little fellas anyway.

 

[Anniebee]

Free range together

sjt ... that looks like a very good, neat set-up there - and all that lovely grass for your chickens to delight over.

Well done ..... AB.

 

[sjturner79]

sjt ... that looks like a very good, neat set-up there - and all that lovely grass for your chickens to delight over.  

Well done ..... AB.

Yes they love the grass, even when it's raining, though the do go inside if it gets too heavy.

 

[LuckysMum]

Free range together

Your back yard looks lovely and green. I can't wait till I get my numbers down a lot more so I can free range everyone together, its only the fence jumpers at the moment.
I clipped Lucky's wings both sides and today she was over again. I cut the longer under feathers to the same length as the top wing feathers. Have I taken enough off.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend with mild weather.

Fizzybelle I have the same problem with pigeons helping themselves to feed. The crows are hanging around too getting quite game too. They sit on the fence and the roof of the big coop.