BYC Café

[DobieLover]

I would take this a vote of confidence in your chicken keeping.
Stressed or 'unhappy hens' tend not to sit.
In the six years they had chickens here before I arrived not one hen sat, despite there being roosters and opportunity I am told. Judging from the tales of neglect I've heard I think some may have sat in the wild but the people here wouldn't have noticed.

Thank you, Shad.
Rhoda was nastier on the nest than Barb but I broke her with just three nights and one day in the crate. Barb WILL NOT give up. She just puffs up and growls at anyone that comes near her, no biting, beak clacking or pecking. I think she'll be a good mom. The way Fabio is with the chicks that aren't even his, I think he'll be a good dad.
And to give him some credit where credit is due as I usually just bust his butt all the time for his temper tantrums, yesterday I was pinning down the predator apron with landscape pins. So I was right down on the ground at his level. Wearing shorts, a cami top and my coop shoes, so in other words, zero protection. He just watched me about 2 feet away and followed me all the way around the coop/run. Zero signs of pending outbursts. He eventually wandered down to the front planting arrangement and had himself a dust bath all alone. DH and I continued to move larger stones into the pen to place on the outer edges of the apron and bring logs and branches in for the run. He was totally fine with all of this and just watched. He is NOT human aggressive or a bad rooster!!

 

[Bunnylady]

That doesn’t look like alcohol to me? Looks kinda like olive oil, broths, veggie oils, etc.

Looks like the baking aisle to me, too. Don't you know mopping up all that oil will be a hassle?

 

[sourland]

Good morning, Café. Already it's miserable out there. Where is a sweating/BO emoji ?

 

[Meg-in-MT]

There is an article about the dead trees in the paper just today!

View attachment 1834650

Too funny when things show up just after you talk about them. I know around here if they'd do some logging things would be much better off. Sounds like there to, ay?

 

[N F C]

Good morning, Cafe.
I give up. She wins.
After 6 days and nights in the breaker, she was released for her dust bath. As soon as she was finished I moved her out into the pen. In less than 5 minutes this is where I found her.

View attachment 1835374​

Some very quick modifications to the chick brooder and this is where she is now happily sitting on 4 eggs that were laid on the 4th of July from my 4 favorite layers: the two WLHs, Lucy and Peanut, my white rock, Cali, and one of my EEs, Amelia. Looks like Fabio is going to be a daddy.

View attachment 1835383 View attachment 1835384​

I put up some additional visual blocks for her but when I went out to feed them this morning, Draco was in the brooder run so she went right in and past Barb to get there. Barb didn't seem to care. She is utterly committed to this mommy thing.

How fun to see what comes of the hatch!

Yeah, I do do a bit of it. I know some wouldn't bother.
I feel I ought to for a number of reasons. I'm interested in where they decide to nest and how much trouble they've gone to on the construction side. Some just dump eggs but others do make some effort to build.
So far, hens that have nested outside that have survived the full 21 days have had a very high hatch rate. I think this one Fray has at least 14 eggs and may have had 'donations' on top. If later she marches out with 14 chicks in tow I can't house them safely and the likelihood is half will be male. I would prefer to limit the hatch than to eat more chicken.
Then there is the question of me feeling that the responsible thing to do is find her so I can at least check and assess the safety of the nest site and if I don't see her come out for food etc know where to check in order to see she's still alive.

Good reasons for knowing where they are doing their business

Thank you, Shad.
Rhoda was nastier on the nest than Barb but I broke her with just three nights and one day in the crate. Barb WILL NOT give up. She just puffs up and growls at anyone that comes near her, no biting, beak clacking or pecking. I think she'll be a good mom. The way Fabio is with the chicks that aren't even his, I think he'll be a good dad.
And to give him some credit where credit is due as I usually just bust his butt all the time for his temper tantrums, yesterday I was pinning down the predator apron with landscape pins. So I was right down on the ground at his level. Wearing shorts, a cami top and my coop shoes, so in other words, zero protection. He just watched me about 2 feet away and followed me all the way around the coop/run. Zero signs of pending outbursts. He eventually wandered down to the front planting arrangement and had himself a dust bath all alone. DH and I continued to move larger stones into the pen to place on the outer edges of the apron and bring logs and branches in for the run. He was totally fine with all of this and just watched. He is NOT human aggressive or a bad rooster!!

Nice to hear the good news about Fabio behaving himself!

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Rokki has a vet appointment at 1pm est. I am trying to get my name changed but I apparently had my name changed in March which is not true as I only had my accounts combined.

 

[N F C]

Rokki has a vet appointment at 1pm est. I am trying to get my name changed but I apparently had my name changed in March which is not true as I only had my accounts combined.

Good luck on both counts Dave

 

[ronott1]

Too funny when things show up just after you talk about them. I know around here if they'd do some logging things would be much better off. Sounds like there to, ay?

Yes! There is some movement in getting the dead trees out. That would lower fire danger a lot!

 

[ronott1]

Rokki has a vet appointment at 1pm est. I am trying to get my name changed but I apparently had my name changed in March which is not true as I only had my accounts combined.

I hope it goes well!

 

[CapricornFarm]

Good morning, er afternoon. I got the slide I wanted for my future goats today. I have the wood for the goat shed. Now I need ambition.