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

[appps]

This might sound dumb, but I have to ask appps .... 

Do you allow your chickens to roam or have free access to the great outdoors at night ?   as per your statement " Roll on warmer weather so they can move outside at night too !"  


Not that they would roam a lot - they tend to get dopey and sleepy in the dark hours.    

But first peak of dawn they'd be up and about doing their thing.  ( as you know only too well ) .... 

What I am really asking is, do you - or any body else here, allow their chickens free access to outdoors, during dusk, night and early morning ? ?? 

I shut my girls up early evening, in their coops, with the most elaborate ( and gross looking ) gadgetry attached to the doors etc. --- to prevent rats from climbing and squeezing in overnight, and to prevent wind-storms dislodging the partial tarpaulin I have on their coop door.   That is there for a) warmth in the winter, and b) protection from bad weather - all seasons.  

I always thought that all chickens no matter their age,  must be locked up securely at night --- ( safe from foxes, marauding cats, owls,  feral dogs,  thieving rats etc. ) 

Just asking .... 

Cheers ....... 

Gawd no lol. Already lost a flock to foxes at night because we forgot to lock them up one night, would never do it on purpose.

No I've got two 2 1/2 week old chicks living in my lounge room at the moment so anywhere not inside with us is outside . At the moment it's been mid 30's so I can put them outside during the day but nights are still 10-15c. Once they are big enough that the weather overnight is what they should be getting from the heat lamp I can move them up day and night into what is affectionately known as Alcatraz . Our little 3x3 broody pen. There is an old cabinet we renovated in there that we use as a lockable house.

 

[Fancychooklady]

This might sound dumb, but I have to ask appps .... 

Do you allow your chickens to roam or have free access to the great outdoors at night ?   as per your statement " Roll on warmer weather so they can move outside at night too !"  


Not that they would roam a lot - they tend to get dopey and sleepy in the dark hours.    

But first peak of dawn they'd be up and about doing their thing.  ( as you know only too well ) .... 

What I am really asking is, do you - or any body else here, allow their chickens free access to outdoors, during dusk, night and early morning ? ?? 

I shut my girls up early evening, in their coops, with the most elaborate ( and gross looking ) gadgetry attached to the doors etc. --- to prevent rats from climbing and squeezing in overnight, and to prevent wind-storms dislodging the partial tarpaulin I have on their coop door.   That is there for a) warmth in the winter, and b) protection from bad weather - all seasons.  

I always thought that all chickens no matter their age,  must be locked up securely at night --- ( safe from foxes, marauding cats, owls,  feral dogs,  thieving rats etc. ) 

Just asking .... 

Cheers ....... 

l
Some of my pens are open overnight , they put themselves to bed. Lost one to an owl, but she had been brooding in the hay shed and I'd say he came across her when he was mousing. We don't have foxes here. Contrary to what most silkie people think , silkie are capable of getting up high. 2 of my boys manage to get to the top of the racked timber by the shed. It's under cover and nearly 7 ft high. The chicks are all locked up in their various safe houses.

 

[ChristieB]

This might sound dumb, but I have to ask appps .... 

Do you allow your chickens to roam or have free access to the great outdoors at night ?   as per your statement " Roll on warmer weather so they can move outside at night too !"  


Not that they would roam a lot - they tend to get dopey and sleepy in the dark hours.    

But first peak of dawn they'd be up and about doing their thing.  ( as you know only too well ) .... 

What I am really asking is, do you - or any body else here, allow their chickens free access to outdoors, during dusk, night and early morning ? ?? 

I shut my girls up early evening, in their coops, with the most elaborate ( and gross looking ) gadgetry attached to the doors etc. --- to prevent rats from climbing and squeezing in overnight, and to prevent wind-storms dislodging the partial tarpaulin I have on their coop door.   That is there for a) warmth in the winter, and b) protection from bad weather - all seasons.  

I always thought that all chickens no matter their age,  must be locked up securely at night --- ( safe from foxes, marauding cats, owls,  feral dogs,  thieving rats etc. ) 

Just asking .... 

Cheers ....... 

My coop doesn't have a chicken door it's an old tankstand, 2 full walls and one half wall the other side I've secured with a fence panel but it's up against my house so fairly protected, it's open to the run at all times, my cat is often in there, my dog too if I leave the people door open.

 

[ChristieB]

Sadly we lost the Australorp chick tonight. I noticed over the weekend that it wasn't growing at the same rate as the others. Today though it was standing funny, not moving much even when I picked it up it's resistance was pretty weak. Wish I knew what happened, I wonder if maybe it got stood on or maybe picked on because it was different to the others. I brought it in and put it under a heat pad but it was too far gone. I'm obviously just not meant to have australorps.

Ginny isn't giving up on being broody, crazy birds, I've moved her into the upstairs apartment the chicks and mumma pair were moved to another pen this afternoon, will get some photos tomorrow,

 

[locknest4]

Sadly we lost the Australorp chick tonight. I noticed over the weekend that it wasn't growing at the same rate as the others. Today though it was standing funny, not moving much even when I picked it up it's resistance was pretty weak. Wish I knew what happened, I wonder if maybe it got stood on or maybe picked on because it was different to the others. I brought it in and put it under a heat pad but it was too far gone. I'm obviously just not meant to have australorps.

Ginny isn't giving up on being broody, crazy birds, I've moved her into the upstairs apartment the chicks and mumma pair were moved to another pen this afternoon, will get some photos tomorrow,

Sorry to hear about the loss of your little Australorp chick

 

[satay]

Sounds great! No chance of heat and hay creating a fire tho?
Thanjs! Yes they are very confident!

Wowsa u never catch a break do u! Im guessing 8 goodluck with them all!
Sorry to hear about the nest attack, ur hen is fine tho? Yes wow that is a lot going on!
Haha thats hilaarious!


Well its still light enough that snow was iutside and i got to suss everything out when i got home! she has 7 hatched! So good for her!

8 left in the nesting box, 2 have pipped! Yay. God she is just as aggressive a mum of chicks as she is eggs! Will be giving her a wide berth..

Kore pics of them!

Also realised today that she went broody after miss vonte so there wont be any RIRs in her flock. All little yellow fluff balls

Yay gratz Rodney. So pretty

 

[satay]

Sadly we lost the Australorp chick tonight. I noticed over the weekend that it wasn't growing at the same rate as the others. Today though it was standing funny, not moving much even when I picked it up it's resistance was pretty weak. Wish I knew what happened, I wonder if maybe it got stood on or maybe picked on because it was different to the others. I brought it in and put it under a heat pad but it was too far gone. I'm obviously just not meant to have australorps.

Ginny isn't giving up on being broody, crazy birds, I've moved her into the upstairs apartment the chicks and mumma pair were moved to another pen this afternoon, will get some photos tomorrow,

 

[satay]

So sad to hear the little one didn't survive.   Patsy will resume her daily life, most likely better than you will.   ... they all seem so more accepting than we are, of sad outcomes.  

Patsy will have another bub one day .... it's great news that she is healthy and ok ... 

Cheers ..... 

She has indeed she is happily back hanging out with her mate Sunday. Those 2 seem to love just to hang together during the day.

 

[satay]

Wow devinandfeather I got tired just reading about everything going on at your place, let alone living it 

Oh dear appps .. your place sounds like fun at the moment also 

  GodCilla is no more!  She has not been anywhere near the nest boxes all morning and is still mooching around in the run.

Countess KiKula was puffing and panting on the nest box earlier, probably because it is a tad on the warm side in there, especially with the covers on due to predicted storms, but she has laid an egg and is now in the run also. 

Maybe, just maybe, the fact that it is hot in there has caused her to rethink being broody .. or, I just caught her during break time.

Not too worried about breaking her, as she was pretty easy last time, or any of the others as they have not proved to be as difficult as GodCilla.

Okey doke … anyone want to take guesses on eggs or days before GodCilla returns?  I will make a note of guesses on my egg spreadsheet and let you know who gets close.

I'll give her 8 days

 

[satay]

l
Some of my pens are open overnight , they put themselves to bed. Lost one to an owl, but she had been brooding in the hay shed and I'd say he came across her when he was mousing. We don't have foxes here. Contrary to what most silkie people think , silkie are capable of getting up high. 2 of my boys manage to get to the top of the racked timber by the shed. It's under cover and nearly 7 ft high. The chicks are all locked up in their various safe houses.

I'm starting to like Tassie even more. No foxes. I lock all mine up at night there are way to many foxes and feral dogs out this way.