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

[MyHaven]

Beatice sleeps in the coop with the other bantams, Agnes and Esme. The larger chickens have their own temporary sleeping quarters in the shed until the new coops built, (there's airflow and it's clean) and they free-range all the time in the yard. The bantams coop (a small A frame kit one) is inside a run I've put together to allow them plenty of room to eat grass, and play, as the coops too small for them to roam around in comfortably. They come out every day twice for free ranging. For now, since she's new Mabel sleeps inside in the pet carrier to keep her separate and comfortable at night (it's all I had spare and secure), it's only until she joins the others in a week or so, then she'll sleep in the coop with them. I did have her in the wire run of the bantam coop briefly until I'd set up her own pen (and found the pet carrier) when I got her home. She's set up in a pen in the front yard to play during the day whilst the others are in the back. Bedtime now, is 5:30 since the suns setting sooner. I get the bantams to bed after cuddle time, as Bea gets super cranky if she doesn't get her cuddles. Mabel goes to bed right after them, as she takes such a long time to settle, but around the same time. The older girls put themselves to bed, thankfully. They're not as sooky.

So two runs/pen, one for the bantams, one for Mable. Three sleeping places, one coop for the bantams, one shed for the big girls, and inside in a pet carrier for Mable. We're still all over the place from the move, it took two weeks to move everything. The yard is fully fenced for the everyone. It seems a little over the place, but they have a routine. I'll soon get Mabel integrated and she'll learn her place in the flock, and have constant company so be less reliant on me for that. It helped Bea chill out eventually, being accepted into the flock, I've had her almost 3 months now, it should help Mabel behave in time. Hope that clears things up.

Telia, I don't pick Mabel up, don't need to lol, she jumps all over me. I can carry her like a parrot.

I was wondering the set up because on the rare occasion when I introduce a new bird that I didn't hatch, I quarantine them in a place where they can see each other. They get used to each other before making physical contact. When I introduce them without a barrier I do so at night after they have gone to bed. I just pop the new bird on the roost beside the others. When they wake up in the morning I find they are ok with each other, like "oh I must know you", and just have to finalise the pecking order. I do let them out of the coop at first light though as always - so they are not confined in a space and can escape while they work it out.

When for some reason I have had to cage a bird at night I wait until just on dark and go out with the carrier and put it down open in front of them. It only takes a couple of times and they just walk in on their own.

 

[MyHaven]

WOW that's amazing!!!! What fantastic flock!!!

Thanks I can't believe I forgot to add the Dorothy's to the list - 2x wyandottes - one silver laced one pencilled. Please don't tell them I left them off the list. It will makes them nervous.

 

[MyHaven]

I'm not an enabler, but if you think you'll end up with 5, you are better off getting them all together now and letting them grow up together.  Introducing new girls later on can be a "drama".
oh, yes, I'm a "regular".  I have lots to "confess".  

I deliberately staggered my chooks, I didn't want them all getting old at the same time.

 

[appps]

I deliberately staggered my chooks, I didn't want them all getting old at the same time.

Yep same here. I plan on adding just a couple each year. Adding chicks to the flock each year at 5 weeks when it warms up enough for them not to need heating has been easy and painless so far. ( mind you we have been luck enough to only hatch girls. 3/3 so far). We have lost 2 over the last 3 years so it's meant we almost just maintaining numbers.

 

[Fizzybelle]

I was wondering the set up because on the rare occasion when I introduce a new bird that I didn't hatch, I quarantine them in a place where they can see each other. They get used to each other before making physical contact. When I introduce them without a barrier I do so at night after they have gone to bed. I just pop the new bird on the roost beside the others. When they wake up in the morning I find they are ok with each other, like "oh I must know you", and just have to finalise the pecking order. I do let them out of the coop at first light though as always - so they are not confined in a space and can escape while they work it out.

When for some reason I have had to cage a bird at night I wait until just on dark and go out with the carrier and put it down open in front of them. It only takes a couple of times and they just walk in on their own.

Yeah I love the 'look but don't touch' method, it's worked well in the past, I plan to do that next to minimise squabbling. nbbbbbbbbnnnnnnnnnbnnbnbnntf r5vtfrq1 Lol, Mabel typed that to you, she just jumped on the keyboard. Not sure what it means, but she was chirping happily whilst she typed it. Silly chook.


Oh this isn't a plug or anything, but has anyone tried Martyn's Mealworms before? I've been ordering regularly online now for a few months, and have been consistanly happy with my orders. He puts the worms in a calico bag, with newspaper and they're posted in a box along with storage instructions. None of that sawdust you get when you buy mealworms from petshops. I gave a new item, dried crickets, a go, and my big girls love them. He's in Victoria, and ships express to other states (I'm in QLD). Never had an issue, just if anyone's wanting a good bulk supplier of worms to treat their girls with, I recommend him. My girls happily just polished off the last of a bag of a thousand yesterday.

 

[User395221]

My girls happily just polished off the last of a bag of a thousand yesterday.

I'd seen mealworms but wasn't going to get them because they are expensive. I just got sent some and they seem to like them, so maybe I'll start buying expensive treats for the chooks as well as everyone else....

Good point over staggering the age of the flock. I think the type of chooks you have might make a difference as to how much "drama" new people will face. My isa browns are "mean" and don't like sharing. My little chooks are much more accommodating. When I had australorps, I wouldn't have liked trying to introduce a new girl/girls to the "top chook". She was a real bossy boots.

 

[Teila]

Yeah I love the 'look but don't touch' method, it's worked well in the past, I plan to do that next to minimise squabbling. nbbbbbbbbnnnnnnnnnbnnbnbnntf r5vtfrq1 Lol, Mabel typed that to you, she just jumped on the keyboard. Not sure what it means, but she was chirping happily whilst she typed it. Silly chook.


Oh this isn't a plug or anything, but has anyone tried Martyn's Mealworms before? I've been ordering regularly online now for a few months, and have been consistanly happy with my orders. He puts the worms in a calico bag, with newspaper and they're posted in a box along with storage instructions. None of that sawdust you get when you buy mealworms from petshops. I gave a new item, dried crickets, a go, and my big girls love them. He's in Victoria, and ships express to other states (I'm in QLD). Never had an issue, just if anyone's wanting a good bulk supplier of worms to treat their girls with, I recommend him. My girls happily just polished off the last of a bag of a thousand yesterday.

Hey Fizzybelle yep, I have been ordering live meals worms, once a month from Martyn's Mealworms for a couple of years now and yep, I cannot echo enough the great service.

PS. Tell Mabel I totally agree with what she said

 

[User395221]

oh, live worms. The ones I got are dried.

Can you grow these at home? I grow compost worms in my worm farms.

 

[Teila]

oh, live worms. The ones I got are dried.

Can you grow these at home? I grow compost worms in my worm farms.

Hey potatochip yep, you can farm them at home and I have considered it. If I had more than six gals, I would definitely be farming them here rather than buying but for the amount they eat, it is easier for me to order them on line than have another set of critters to care for

Fizzybelle I occasionally get a bag of dried meal worms as well as live ones just as a back up but I might switch that to crickets and see if they like them.

 

[User395221]

Hey potatochip yep, you can farm them at home and I have considered it. If I had more than six gals, I would definitely be farming them here rather than buying but for the amount they eat, it is easier for me to order them on line than have another set of critters to care for

Thanks, just looked it up, not as simple as sticking them in a worm farm with some dead veges.....

"If you notice that you begin to produce more mealworms than you can feed to your pets, you can cook and eat some yourself," hmm, not feeling the love for that idea.