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

[BDutch]

I have a fox showing up several times on the game camera between midnight and 5 am. Every night for the last week. I go out around 5 because that's when the GH owls were getting the turkeys.
I got a light that randomly flashes at night. Foxlight it's called from Australia. Seems to work on owls so far, but not on raccoons, opossum or the Fox

I hope you have a Fort Knox coop. Foxes are clever bastards. I saw foxes in the middle of the day a few times and had one in the run at dawn once.

Haven’t seen any signs of foxes the past year. But a fox during the day is a possibility. A buzzard, goshawk, sparrowhawk or a dog is another possibility to get scared during the day. Or the mean tomcat.

We don’t have raccoons and possums where I live. Owls are nightly predators who cant get in the coop/run. To scare nightly visitors I have 2 solar lights working on movement. They make it easy for me to inspect at night too.

 

[BDutch]

I find it an extreme sad day today.
If you feel the same, lets give each other a big hug and wipe our tears.

 

[RoyalChick]

I find it an extreme sad day today.
If you feel the same, lets give each other a big hug and wipe our tears.

 

[ManueB]

My partner and I decided to do something nice. We are going running together in the forest tonight, with our headlamps, which we haven't done in two years.

Could you think of anything enjoyable for today, to cheer you up somewhat ?

 

[Molpet]

I find it an extreme sad day today.
If you feel the same, lets give each other a big hug and wipe our tears.

 

[BDutch]

My partner and I decided to do something nice. We are going running together in the forest tonight, with our headlamps, which we haven't done in two years.

Could you think of anything enjoyable for today, to cheer you up somewhat ?

My daughter is coming to have dinner with us.

 

[MaryJanet]

I find it an extreme sad day today.
If you feel the same, lets give each other a big hug and wipe our tears.

 

[BDutch]

The Amrocks on top of the entance to the second run.

I consider to separate the Amrocks from the main flock this evening if Ini mini sleeps in the extension and not with the Amrocks in the playhouse. (Ini mini is changing her preference all the time).

My Janice and Pearl still lay an egg occasionally with these low temps and shorter days.
And Whisky knows it. He was not so kind to Pearl yesterday. Tried to grab her in the neck. He is about 2x the size of my little Dutch and I don’t want him to hurt them.

The small coop + extension + main run.
With all the (older) ladies in front.
Fltr: Black, Pearl, Katrientje , Kraai, Ini mini, Janice.

If they are free ranging its easier to avoid the big man. But enclosed in the coops/runs its more difficult.
What do you think? Separate them as long as they are locked in the run(s) or not?

Posted before: The playhouse connected to the second run.

 

[ManueB]

The Amrocks on top of the entance to the second run.
View attachment 3983703
I consider to separate the Amrocks from the main flock this evening if Ini mini sleeps in the extension and not with the Amrocks in the playhouse. (Ini mini is changing her preference all the time).

My Janice and Pearl still lay an egg occasionally with these low temps and shorter days.
And Whisky knows it. He was not so kind to Pearl yesterday. Tried to grab her in the neck. He is about 2x the size of my little Dutch and I don’t want him to hurt them.

The small coop + extension + main run.
With all the (older) ladies in front.
Fltr: Black, Pearl, Katrientje , Kraai, Ini mini, Janice.
View attachment 3983691

If they are free ranging its easier to avoid the big man. But enclosed in the coops/runs its more difficult.
What do you think? Separate them as long as they are locked in the run(s) or not?

Posted before: The playhouse connected to the second run.
View attachment 3983706

I don't have a definite answer, but a few things to consider.
How are Pearl and Janice acting ? Are they trying to escape him and acting afraid ? Or do they seem to manage?
Are you definite that you won't keep him ? If there is any chance that you will, they would need to get used to each other.
How inconvenient would it be to have to separate them every evening ? Whisky will likely not be happy about it, so it might not be so easy once he understands that you are keeping him away from the other hens. How does he get along with Gin and Tonic ?


I had the experience of a hen getting wounded by a bigger cockerel, Piou-piou by Gaston, but the difference in size was a lot more important, and what's more, Piou-piou never ran from him until she was badly wounded, because she was willing to mate with him. But the would took ages to heal so I would certainly have separated them before if I had known.

When I had two more cockerels added to my two roosters, I did sometimes separate my older ex-batts and Chipie when they were all in the run, because they were terrified. That usually happened when it was raining because they all wanted to shelter and the ex-batts would stay under the rain at the end of the rain to be as far as possible from Pied-Beau. The other hens seemed to manage by themselves and were not afraid of the cockerels.

 

[BDutch]

I don't have a definite answer, but a few things to consider.
How are Pearl and Janice acting ? Are they trying to escape him and acting afraid ?

They try to ignore him. I haven’t seen him mating. Only making avances except for this one try when he ‘grabbed’ Pearl by surprise. She seemed angry or pissed towards him and got away.

Or do they seem to manage?

It’s getting more tricky. In the future maybe not.

Are you definite that you won't keep him ?

He probably can stay through winter if there is no ‘buyer’ . I know the neighbours will complain when sunrise is earlier again in Februari/March, and his voice is louder. It’s probably too complicated if I want to keep him any longer.

My flock has a good size with 8 hens, so their is no need to keep him for hatching eggs either. And he is soo big for the little Dutch that its better if he finds a home somewhere else.

If there is any chance that you will, they would need to get used to each other.

So not worth the effort.

How inconvenient would it be to have to separate them every evening ?

I can do this easily. I only have to close the opening between the two runs in the evening and open when its free range time.

Whisky will likely not be happy about it, so it might not be so easy once he understands that you are keeping him away from the other hens. How does he get along with Gin and Tonic ?

He wouldn’t be alone but with his sisters. The 3 are most of the time together as it is . The juvenile flock and the older flock with mainly Dutch bantams don’t mingle all the time. The juveniles are a good team as long as Whiskys’s hormones dont put a spell on him.

I had the experience of a hen getting wounded by a bigger cockerel, Piou-piou by Gaston, but the difference in size was a lot more important, and what's more, Piou-piou never ran from him until she was badly wounded, because she was willing to mate with him. But the would took ages to heal so I would certainly have separated them before if I had known.

The reason I want to separate Whisky from the Dutch bantams is just that. The difference in weight is too much.

When I had two more cockerels added to my two roosters, I did sometimes separate my older ex-batts and Chipie when they were all in the run, because they were terrified. That usually happened when it was raining because they all wanted to shelter and the ex-batts would stay under the rain at the end of the rain to be as far as possible from Pied-Beau. The other hens seemed to manage by themselves and were not afraid of the cockerels.

Great you found a new home for . I hope Whisky finds one too.