BDutch's bantam flock & natural breeding projects #5 🪺 🪺 and #6

[MaryJanet]

I hope you let us know if Abby changes her mind about roosting with the others. Maybe when she starts to lay ?
I still hope she gets to be integrated with the others someday.
I’ll be glad to have an update when something comes up whether it's here or on another thread.

Yes, good thinking MB. Me too.

 

[BDutch]

Okay, no problem @ManueB and @MaryJanet (and other followers).

Abby free ranging in the garden

The integration with Abby goes well. Only sleeping does not go in the direction I hoped for.
Last night Abby had company of Ini mini and Janice In the tiny coop. The other 4 were in the extension as usual.

That’s why I am considering to make one roost in the small (safe) coop in front of the nest boxes positioned like the one in the tiny coop. I am talking about the compartment where Janice often sleeps alone. The length of the roost bar is about the same but the 2 roosts are at a higher position in the small coop.

This small coop is behind the 4 tiny blurred windows.

Only problem might be that I like to close it overnight if I have a broody. Making sure a broody can’t stay in the nestboxes at night really helps to break a broody. I could give it try to make them sleep in this safer spot because I don’t expect any broodies anymore until next spring. By that time the integration is certainly completed.

The pop door of the small coop is the dark square at the back of this picture.

 

[MaryJanet]

Okay, no problem @ManueB and @MaryJanet (and other followers).

Abby free ranging in the garden
View attachment 3643907
The integration with Abby goes well. Only sleeping does not go in the direction I hoped for.
Last night Abby had company of Ini mini and Janice In the tiny coop. The other 4 were in the extension as usual.

That’s why I am considering to make one roost in the small (safe) coop in front of the nest boxes positioned like the one in the tiny coop. I am talking about the compartment where Janice often sleeps alone. The length of the roost bar is about the same but the 2 roosts are at a higher position in the small coop.

This small coop is behind the 4 tiny blurred windows.
View attachment 3643904
Only problem might be that I like to close it overnight if I have a broody. Making sure a broody can’t stay in the nestboxes at night really helps to break a broody. I could give it try to make them sleep in this safer spot because I don’t expect any broodies anymore until next spring. By that time the integration is certainly completed.

No harm in trying. Especially if it won't be an inconvenience.

 

[BDutch]

No harm in trying. Especially if it won't be an inconvenience.

Some work to alter the roost of course. Maybe I find a spare moment in the upcoming weeks. There are other more urgent tasks on my to do list.

 

[NanaK]

This tread should to come to an end soon. It's no longer a breeding project. And Abby is the only pullet living here with the flock. Nevertheless if there is any interesting news I might add it here or post it in Shads or Manuel's thread. Thank you all for the support and Wonderfull reactions.

I have so enjoyed following this thread. Your birds are beautiful and you take such great care of them.

It is also so nice to be able to learn from each other. I would have never thought about using the cardboard rolls to monitor for mites. I've had chickens for 10 years now but always learning!

Thank you for allowing me to follow your "chicken adventures".
I wish you and your flock the best!

 

[BDutch]

Since I don’t know where else to post this, I do want to continue telling about Abby and her flock members here. (so nice to share strange flock things)

Last evening I was too late to lure the chickens in the run 1/2 h before the sun went down. I found Janice really high up in the pear tree. And she didn’t come down this time.

Abby decided there was no need to roost in one of the coops. I found her in the second run on the cherry branch. No problem to get her into the run and up the ladder to the tiny coop. Ini mini had already settled in the tiny coop. Thought it eas okay and went inside for diner.

After dark I went back to check and found Abby on the cherry branch again.
. Because its rather complicated to go into the main run with the tiny coop with a chicken under my arm, I decided to put Abby in the extension next to 4 ‘normal’ roosting flock members. She accepted it.

Janice was waiting at the door. She wanted to get in for breakfast.

Abby on the cherry branch. Her favourite spot since a few days.

 

[ManueB]

Looks like Abby’s roosting adventures are not over .

 

[BDutch]

Looks like Abby’s roosting adventures are not over .

Right, she was on the branch again this evening. Sending her to the other run , to roost in the tiny coop, is a useless effort.

After it got dark I plucked her of the branch and took her inside the house for a while.
At first she seemed scared. After patting her tender for a minute or so , she started to enjoy it and I didn’t need to hold her anymore.

Maybe she misses the companionship of a friendly sister. . Anyway, this is something I could do more often.
Pick her up , give her a little quality time and put her in the extension with the flock afterwards.

 

[BDutch]

Abby disappeared today around midday . Probably when I was shopping and my husband was cleaning the house a bit before friends of us arrived. We didn’t notice anything. Abby was missing when we locked the chickens up when we were leaving thé premisses for a walk. And we realised we only seen her this morning. She didn’t show up after we got back.
We let the chickens out for a second time, but she didn’t return at roosting time either.
. This is so heartbreaking. Next year there will be NO free ranging for chicks/young pullets without supervising.

 

[MaryJanet]

Abby disappeared today around midday . Probably when I was shopping and my husband was cleaning the house a bit before friends of us arrived. We didn’t notice anything. Abby was missing when we locked the chickens up when we were leaving thé premisses for a walk. And we realised we only seen her this morning. She didn’t show up after we got back.
We let the chickens out for a second time, but she didn’t return at roosting time either.
. This is so heartbreaking. Next year there will be NO free ranging for chicks/young pullets without supervising.

Oh nooooo!

I am so sorry.