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

[fuzzi]

Watching as I am hoping to brood à la naturale, with a hen and in the hoop coop.

 

[BDutch]

One thing I remember is that integration back in the main coop was difficult for your chicks last year.

Integration was not a problem with the chicks when they were young. It started when they all wanted to roost in the extension with the adult birds. They were chased away to roost outside the coop in the run. But during the day there were no problems at all.

But, given you've seen them fight,

Only my husband witnessed this behaviour. I didn’t see it. But I think you are right about waiting another day to see how they get along.

Kraai is an older hen (6yo) and is a bit of an outsider but has respect from all the hens. No. 3 in rank after Ini mini and Black. In general she is not very friendly towards the other chickens. Its the first time she is serious broody and the first time she will become a mother hen.

It surprised me she let Katrientje sit in the nest with her.

Katrientje is my youngest chicken (3yo) and a bit weird compared to my Dutch. Always coming to beg for food (treats) when she sees me. She’s a bit clumsy because of her weight and Im not very pleased she wants to breed. But breaking her is very hard (it was last year) and Im not in the mood to bother her for several weeks in a row.

I have no idea how Katrientje and Kraai will be as mother of a few chicks. Hopefully we will see in 2 weeks.

I think it’s the best solution to move them both to the second run soon. They wont get bothered there by Black if she wants to lay an extra egg In the nest. And I suspect Janice (lower in rank) will be pleased if they move too. Janice laid her egg on the coop floor yesterday. Perhaps because she was not allowed in the nestbox.

 

[BDutch]

Black started to lay her eggs in the tiny coop/large nestbox that is ready for a move of the broodies or chicks.

But something new came up.

Spring is in the air.

Great weather for chickens, humans and red mite.

Remember I thought I had concurred the red mites last year? Today I start to doubt this.

Last Saturday there were a few tiny crawlers in the paper rolls I made from biscuit paper. Maybe they were rede mite in the nymph stage. But I was not sure. Yesterday I started with the herbs (Finecto+) again.

Today I checked my ribbed paper rolls again. I still didn’t see any red mite, but many more little crawlers. They are hard to see. But on the white biscuit paper I definitely saw several super tiny insects.

I took out the bedding under the roosts, sprinkled a little DE and gave the chickens a rub in with DE (except for Janice my scared runaway chicken.
I sprayed my 2 broodies with Permethrin wich should be safe because they dont lay any eggs at the moment and its still a week before hatch.
Tomorrow is cleaning day. And this weekend I’m planning to make a new lid on the nest-boxes. The old lid has too many cracks and had layers of triplex, particle board and epdm on the outside. Its impossible to get the mite eggs out if there any in there.

The two broodies have to go to the tiny coop I prepared to raise the chicks after the permethrin has done its job. The tiny coop for the chicks should be free of mites but I need to check this before the weekend too.

 

[MaryJanet]

Black started to lay her eggs in the tiny coop/large nestbox that is ready for a move of the broodies or chicks.

But something new came up.

Spring is in the air.
View attachment 3777173

Great weather for chickens, humans and red mite.

Remember I thought I had concurred the red mites last year? Today I start to doubt this.

Last Saturday there were a few tiny crawlers in the paper rolls I made from biscuit paper. Maybe they were rede mite in the nymph stage. But I was not sure. Yesterday I started with the herbs (Finecto+) again.

Today I checked my ribbed paper rolls again. I still didn’t see any red mite, but many more little crawlers. They are hard to see. But on the white biscuit paper I definitely saw several super tiny insects.

I took out the bedding under the roosts, sprinkled a little DE and gave the chickens a rub in with DE (except for Janice my scared runaway chicken.
I sprayed my 2 broodies with Permethrin wich should be safe because they dont lay any eggs at the moment and its still a week before hatch.
Tomorrow is cleaning day. And this weekend I’m planning to make a new lid on the nest-boxes. The old lid has too many cracks and had layers of triplex, particle board and epdm on the outside. Its impossible to get the mite eggs out if there any in there.

The two broodies have to go to the tiny coop I prepared to raise the chicks after the permethrin has done its job. The tiny coop for the chicks should be free of mites but I need to check this before the weekend too.

Those rolls are an essential tool.

 

[my spoiled chickens]

This year I like to add a few chicks to my flock again. I have 6 bantams and there are a few good mothers amongst them.

First step: I bought some fake eggs a couple of weeks ago. Planned what would be a nice time for baby chicks and decided that the first week of May would be perfect. This is after we return home from a long weekend in France.

Step 2:
Last Sunday I put 5 fake eggs in one of the nestboxes (1) and rebuild a separate third nestbox on another spot. This way the chickens can lay eggs without disturbing the broody. I put one fake egg in the other 2 nestboxes.

Pearl was behaving like a broody the next day. The other nestbox was now favourite to lay eggs (2) and Janice became broody in the second nestbox the next day.

View attachment 3467191So Janice and Pearl are both broody for a couple of days now. Really stuck to the nest. They seem to do great. Are very tranquil and growl to any chicken or human that is trespassing.
The other hens use the third nestbox now to lay. And they don’t disturb Janice and Pearl.

Yesterday I bought 11 hatching eggs. 6 normal size bantams (20 days to hatch) and 5 tiny Dutch (often need only 19 days to hatch). I put 3 bantam Sussex red porcelain and tree fake Dutch eggs under Pearl. Janice has 3 bantam Vorwerk and 2 fake Dutch eggs. Tomorrow I will change the fake Dutch for real ones.

Thumbs up that the broodies do well and the outcome will be good this time. But also happy if I get two pullets. This time I try to keep it open (again). But if necessary (fuss), I can divide the coop.

Let’s see how things work out this time.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions. And maybe I will have some questions too in the near future. So whoever likes natural breeding and has some experience is welcome to follow.

is pearl a OEGB or a Dutch bantam?

 

[BDutch]

is pearl a OEGB or a Dutch bantam?

Pearl is (sort of) Dutch. Not really a standard one. Her colouring is not good and she is a bit bigger than allowed for a contest.
She certainly is not OEG.

 

[my spoiled chickens]

yeah I noticed that after I posted it she has the body shape of a dutch

Pearl is (sort of) Dutch. Not really a standard one. Her colouring is not good and she is a bit bigger than allowed for a contest.
She certainly is not OEG

 

[BDutch]

What a relief today. I didn’t see any nymph or something similar today at all!
In all 9 corrugated paper rolls.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

@BDutch What a good catch and treatment.

 

[RoyalChick]

What a relief today. I didn’t see any nymph or something similar today at all!
In all 9 corrugated paper rolls.

Can you remind us how to do the corrugated paper rolls?
I have spent all winter stockpiling corrugated paper and now is the time to use it - but I forgot how and can’t find where you first posted about it!
Thanks in advance.