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

[Teila]

satay the brooder/tractor looks great!

Snakes? Hhhhm, I think this should sum it up for me just nicely

Lols satay currently the little voices in my head are close to getting me locked away [see below]!

LordStark I am pleased to hear that your cat sounds like it is going to be OK; close call. Such a beautiful cat!

AussieChics I love my cable ties to the point that hubby just rolls his eyes now when I reach for them! Lol

K Spot adorable pictures!

Hawkeye2 sorry to hear about your loss but congratulations also on your bubbies!

Just a few weeks ago, in what I realise now must have been a dream, I had a happy little flock of five chickens. Everyone spent their days being social, scratching around, laying eggs, no dramas, no fights, watching each others back .. family!

Sound idyllic? Surely nothing could break up this happy little family?

Enter Spring and it’s evil sidekick .. Broody Hormones! (cue scary music)

Starring in this little horror story are:

In corner number one we have Cilla, beautiful, sweet little gal when not broody but currently trying out for the lead role in the Exorcist!

In corner number two we have Blondie and her baby Bear (coming up for 4 weeks old). Blondie has no qualms drawing blood to protect Bear! She WILL bite the hand that feeds her!

In corner number three we have Tina and her two bubs (7 weeks old). Tina loves her Silkie baby but not so much her Frizzle! That sounds not so bad? Wrong!! After deciding that she would start laying again when her babies were 4 weeks old, Tina lays 13 eggs and goes broody!! Tina is now parked on the nest with her 7 week old babies right by her side, probably thinking “Mum, we wanna go out and play!”

In the remaining corner we have Dusty and LuLu who while scratching their heads and thinking “where did everyone go” are lavishing in all the extra room and more than their fair share of the food!! At this rate they will stay in the corner, too fat to actually move!

Me? What am I doing during this little horror show? Quietly banging my head on the desk while searching Gumtree for anyone willing to swap a flock of prima donnas for chickens that actually lay eggs! (Kidding .. love them to bits, but they sure are making life ‘interesting’!!)

 

[K Spot]

 

[appps]

@Teila. That makes my little reintroduction problems a walk in the park lol

So what happens with the little ones with the broody mum? Do you think you are going to need to separate them so they eat properly rather than imitating her? You really are a glutton for punishment aren't you lol

 

[satay]

satay the brooder/tractor looks great! 

Snakes? Hhhhm, I think this should sum it up for me just nicely 

Lols satay currently the little voices in my head are close to getting me locked away [see below]!

LordStark I am pleased to hear that your cat sounds like it is going to be OK; close call.  Such a beautiful cat!

AussieChics I love my cable ties to the point that hubby just rolls his eyes now when I reach for them! Lol

K Spot adorable pictures!

Hawkeye2 sorry to hear about your loss but congratulations also on your bubbies!

Just a few weeks ago, in what I realise now must have been a dream, I had a happy little flock of five chickens.  Everyone spent their days being social, scratching around, laying eggs, no dramas, no fights, watching each others back .. family!

Sound idyllic?  Surely nothing could break up this happy little family?

Enter Spring and it’s evil sidekick .. Broody Hormones! (cue scary music)

Starring in this little horror story are:

In corner number one we have Cilla, beautiful, sweet little gal when not broody but currently trying out for the lead role in the Exorcist!

In corner number two we have Blondie and her baby Bear (coming up for 4 weeks old).  Blondie has no qualms drawing blood to protect Bear!  She WILL bite the hand that feeds her!

In corner number three we have Tina and her two bubs (7 weeks old).  Tina loves her Silkie baby but not so much her Frizzle!  That sounds not so bad?  Wrong!!  After deciding that she would start laying again when her babies were 4 weeks old, Tina lays 13 eggs and goes broody!!  Tina is now parked on the nest with her 7 week old babies right by her side, probably thinking “Mum, we wanna go out and play!”

In the remaining corner we have Dusty and LuLu who while scratching their heads and thinking “where did everyone go” are lavishing in all the extra room and more than their fair share of the food!!  At this rate they will stay in the corner, too fat to actually move!

Me?  What am I doing during this little horror show?  Quietly banging my head on the desk while searching Gumtree for anyone willing to swap a flock of prima donnas for chickens that actually lay eggs! (Kidding .. love them to bits, but they sure are making life ‘interesting’!!)

I should not be laughing but that is too funny
Tina has obviously tried the mum thing and thinks it's pretty good. I can relate to crazy broodies though. I think I am now up to 7 broody banties in the layer pen. I open the door to let them out for food in the morning and all I hear is crazy broody screaming and I am no where near where they are trying to sit.. It gives me a giggle every morning.

 

[Teila]

Tee hee appps now there is an idea, I might just go for a very long walk, you know, a couple of weeks! lol

To be honest, I have no idea what to do with the little ones. I already have their little set up split into three; Tina and the bubs have one coop with a mini run. Blondie and Bear have an annex and coop I tacked on the side and Cilla, LuLu and Dusty have the main coop and large run.

Cilla is in the main coop the majority of the day because she is broody, when she gets up for a stretch, she gives Dusty and LuLu heaps! Because of Tina and Blondie, I have nowhere else to put Cilla.

I can't take the little ones away from Tina and put them in the main coop and run because of Cilla. Dusty and LuLu get along with them fine but Cilla will be a problem. I also can't leave the little ones in their small coop and run and move Tina out because nowhere to put Tina. Can't put her in with Cilla, Cilla hates Tina right now! I can't move Blondie and Bear out of their annex because Blondie is still in defense mode and would attack everyone and Bear is still a bit tiny and fragile.

 

[Teila]

I should not be laughing

but that is too funny

Tina has obviously tried the mum thing and thinks it's pretty good. I can relate to crazy broodies though. I think I am now up to 7 broody banties in the layer pen. I open the door to let them out for food in the morning and all I hear is crazy broody screaming and I am no where near where they are trying to sit.. It gives me a giggle every morning.

lol satay laugh away! It is kinda funny but my laugh is more of a hysterical cackle at the moment .. their coming to take me away, hee hee, haa, haa!

 

[Fancychooklady]

Teila I feel your pain. Believe it or not , in the natural course of things that is where having a rooster in your flock comes in handy. My momma hens usually turf the youngsters out at 6 weeks of age . When I introduce them to the others , depending on which pen they are going into , my 2 roos Jaffa and K George keep the peace. Apart from breeding the hens and keeping them on their toes, K George frowns on any bullying of the youngsters, he really does keep everyone in line.

 

[K Spot]

Teila I feel your pain. Believe it or not , in the natural course of things that is where having a rooster in your flock comes in handy. My momma hens usually turf the youngsters out at 6 weeks of age . When I introduce them to the others , depending on which pen they are going into , my 2 roos Jaffa and K George keep the peace. Apart from breeding the hens and keeping them on their toes, K George frowns on any bullying of the youngsters, he really does keep everyone in line.

Which is one of the reasons I'd like a rooster - bloody husband saying otherwise!

 

[Teila]

Plan ?? .. Forgot what number we were up to now .. I dunno, maybe Plan 247! lol

Seeing that things should settle in a couple of weeks when Blondie cuts the cord and Bear goes to his/her new home, the broody breaker will be free for breaking of broodies.

Tina is currently blocked off from her nest box, forcing her to spend time outside and ergo, Spot and Gloria are now outside also. Dusty is in the process of laying an egg and when she is done, nest boxes blocked off and Cilla forced out also.

Long weekend .. make run even bigger with more hidey places, perches etc then open up the whole kit and caboodle and unless broody, chuck everyone in!!

 

[cwrite]

@Teila - I really needed to read that. Lol. I was slowly caving into to Hedwig who is still broody and recently added a large stick to her nest for some reason. My aras are about 4 weeks old today, integrated and going strong. Snowy is still looking after them while I scrutinise the combs for the least sign of red. I'm pretty sure that nearly are all roos atm.

I did solve the early morning cackle and fake egg songs to let me free-range right now. The top of the stable door to the coop is left open at night. The chooks are able to leave as early as they want and predators are able to snack on chooks if they want. So ultimately the chicken fortress that I spent ages building and a fortune covering in vermin mesh was defeated - by the chooks.