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

[satay]

Thank you Fizzybelle .. yep, I know there are lots of good chicken people out there and I have been lucky enough to meet the cream of the crop right here!

satay and MyHaven I can not thank you both enough for your more than generous offers.

As I type, KiKi is saying goodnight to the world .. sitting on the roost, honking away and I am OK with that. 

Once again she has yet another stay of execution … bad day, demanding users, in your face cat and constant honking does not a good outlook make.

After work, I went outside, sat with the girls and told KiKi what a very bad chicken she was and when she looked at me .. not a chance in the proverbial that I could hand her over, even to friends who I know would take such very good care of her.

I really do just have to learn to live with it [if the music does not work that is] … I could always try music headphones of my own but I do find them distracting when trying to work.

Another option could be to shut the bedroom door and the front door to reduce the volume.  Not an option in summer when I need all the air flow I can get, but winter is coming.

Either way, I am going to try and make this work.  I did suggest to hubby I retire and become a full time chicken carer 

Fizzybelle wow, you can see the rooster in that picture of ‘Iris’ and Esme and it is an adorable picture.  Esme is such a little cutie!  Congrats on breaking Agnes … hopefully you will not have to deal with broodiness again until Spring.

satay ouch, I am sorry to read about you shoulder .. not good 


Thanks sjturner79 I confess to really not paying much attention to their combs unless they are showing signs indicative of illness or injury.  I have, however, noticed that Dusty’s comb does seem to ‘free float’ over the back of her head more than the others’ combs which remain ‘attached’ to their head.

OH your such a sweetie. I am glad she is staying for now.

 

[satay]

Wow! That's dry!

Yes it sure is. Even yesterday Brisbane got rain and we got nothing. Think we have had just over 100 mm since summer started way down even for us.

 

[satay]

Mine have never been dependable moulters. I've only got one that moults every year, my frizzle regularly looses all her neck feathers. The others are pretty hit and miss with most years only one or two seeming to do it. Funnily enough the nearly four year old half naked chicken doing our worst molt on record at the moment is also having her first noticable Moult.

My poor marans at the moment look terrible. The roos look less than manly and the girls look like stray street kids

 

[Teila]

OK, so this is bizarre!

How much time to others’ chickens spend in the coop? In the past, the girls slept and laid eggs, that was it, no mulling around in there.

This morning, they are all just mulling around in the coop

They got up, wandered down the ramp and now are all back in the coop .. they never do that!

So, we have a few options:

1. They are just appreciating the classical music coming from the radio strategically hidden behind the nest box. Noting that because of the slatted floor, they could hear it in the run .. are they just drawn to it?

2. As it is a little chillier than usual, they are staying warm.

3. They are just in the coop because now they have a nice big one, they can or

4. As KiKi is actually in there for a reason, to lay an egg .. she has finally succeeded in her bid to be supreme chicken and has them all at her beck and call?

Seriously, this is very weird for my girls they never spend time in the coop, especially not all 6 of them

 

[Fancychooklady]

My poor marans at the moment look terrible. The roos look less than manly and the girls look like stray street kids

Mine are all looking bedraggled, even King George has dropped his lovely sickle feathers. :/

 

[MyHaven]

Teila

Re Kiki. (Using iPad, so no quote available !!! ).

Have read the great suggestions, and your decision to stick with it all, and keep Kiki.

I know I harp on about bringing chooks inside for all kinds of reasons, and am wondering if changing her habitat for, say, a week or 10 days, might break her of the noise. A dog e.g. Who barks incessantly has a behavioural problem, be it separation anxiety, or dominance, aggression (maybe) or protection instinct and defence of territory.

Yes, I know chooks are nothing like dogs, BUT, they all have inbred wild instincts. Taking her from her self appointed position as wanna be head of the palace and all she surveys, placing her in a puppy or lamb cage/crib, alone, totally different digs, might 'break' her of the noise. Then re-introduce her to her friends little by little, returning her to her indoor accommodation, during the day for as long as the slow re-introductions take, and at night. Food, water, bedding and an upturned chair to roost on ... maybe, will give her chookie brain something to consider.

Sounds far fetched I know, but if we can 'break' broodiness, why not try it. Might just work. She just might learn her place in the scheme of things, and quieten down. .Might.

Good luck with whatever method you try.

Cheers.....

I thought a change in flock dynamic might work.

I can quote on the iPad. Are you using the app?

 

[Fancychooklady]

OK, so this is bizarre!

How much time to others’ chickens spend in the coop?  In the past, the girls slept and laid eggs, that was it, no mulling around in there.

This morning, they are all just mulling around in the coop    They got up, wandered down the ramp and now are all back in the coop .. they never do that!

So, we have a few options:

1. They are just appreciating the classical music coming from the radio strategically hidden behind the nest box.  Noting that because of the slatted floor, they could hear it in the run .. are they just drawn to it?

2.  As it is a little chillier than usual, they are staying warm.

3.  They are just in the coop because now they have a nice big one, they can or

4.  As KiKi is actually in there for a reason, to lay an egg .. she has finally succeeded in her bid to be supreme chicken and has them all at her beck and call?

Seriously, this is very weird for my girls they never spend time in the coop, especially not all 6 of them 

Another scenario is that they could be warning you of an impending weather ' event ' . Hubby has just left for brissy, I packed the rain for satay.

 

[Teila]

Another scenario is that they could be warning you of an impending weather ' event ' . Hubby has just left for brissy, I packed the rain for satay.

Yeah, good point .. take note all in case Brissy is hit by an earthquake or tornado etc

They are still all in there ..this is so weird! I can only think that it is the classical music but would it really have that much affect on them? They are not doing much, not waltzing or anything

, just chilling in the coop.

 

[Teila]

Hang on .. I think I may have solved it .. Roadworks!

That could explain why KiKi has been particularly noisy of late and why they are all currently in the coop.

They are digging up the road just one house behind us to put up traffic lights and a turning lane.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Hang on .. I think I may have solved it .. Roadworks!

That could explain why KiKi has been particularly noisy of late and why they are all currently in the coop.

They are digging up the road just one house behind us to put up traffic lights and a turning lane.

Roadworks, earthquake all the same to a chook.