Mel has been close to faultless as a mum in that she's managed to get three healthy chicks from hatch to home with no losses and no injuries.
As Mel's official psychoanalyst
I had concerns about what I can only describe as burnout.
She very rarely relaxed when out with the chicks.
Mel's chicks have always wandered. Mel hasn't kept them nearly as close at any age as I might expect. The chicks are pretty fearless; not unmindful, but they take chances. From what I've seen their chances have been low risk.
There is also the factor that Mel has 3 chicks and Ruffles 1, to take into account.
Mel spends her day as she is in the picture below; alert. Please excuse Treacle, he's trying out his herding shuffle. As you can see, Mel isn't exactly impressed (Mel is Treacles mother)
Ruffles on the other hand is super relaxed (this is Ruffles's fourth hatch and Mel's second) and Hurry her chick is quite nervous.
Ruffles approach could best be illustrated by this picture.
Both are good mothers. Ruffles tends to seek cover with her chick in the event of a perceived threat. She's 7 or 8 now, while Mel has stood out in the open away from her chicks.
Mel took her chicks home to the tribe coop this evening. She had followed Tribe 1 from the front of my house to the tribe coop. She's had a couple of trial runs making sure the chicks will follow her up there at dusk. I noticed she wasn't outside and went up to watch and assist if I could.
Mel marched straight up the ramp and left the chicks to it. No calling for them at the doorway, no going up and down the ramp to show them how it's done. Nothing. Not even much of a roost time call. I waited a bit expecting her to come out. Nothing.
I went to look in the coop. Mel was wedged between Fat Bird and the wall. There is no way the chicks will jump up and try and roost next to Mel along either side of Fat Bird. Mel knows this. Basically Mel has has enough.
In the past all the chicks left outside by mum have gathered around the base of the ramp or under the coop until I or mum rescues them. Not Mel's lot! They're romping around the sheep field. As I've mentioned, I don't handle chicks unless absolutely necessary but most chicks will walk and rest on me because mum doesn't stop them.
I become a safe whatever. If you try to handle the chicks and they give the alarm call even a couple of times, and mum reacts, then ime mum, nor chicks, have the same trust in you.
I got all the chicks by hand in decent light. This is a quite an achievement with free range chicks. The white chick was first. I have handled the white one maybe three or four times. I found it, put my palm on the floor. It came over looking for food and I slid my hand straight under it and took it off it's feet, placing my other hand over it's back and wings. It struggled a couple of times, got it's feet onto my palm and relaxed.
The brown chick I haven't handled. It's had a hand on it's bum to encourage it to move on occasions but not picked up. I expected a bit more resistance from this chick. It was completely unconcerned about my approach and due to the location (brambles and shrubs) I had to grab her either side of her body, legs between little finger and next, thumbs over back. Yup, it wasn't impressed. I got it's feet onto my palm and hand over back and calm was restored apart from some vocal complaints.
The dark chick made a dash for the old coop. As I walked up the path I saw it come out and head into my house. It was perched on my chair when I got into the house. Easy catch. Not any fuss.
They were distributed around the floor underneath where mum was perched when I looked in last.
Always a bit nerve wracking a chicks first night in the tribe coop.
Because I put them in the coop I'm expecting more of the same tomorrow. The technique is to catch them, place them on the ramp and bum shove them up and in.
It will be interesting to see what Mel will and won't do with the chicks tomorrow.
As Mel's official psychoanalyst
I had concerns about what I can only describe as burnout.She very rarely relaxed when out with the chicks.
Mel's chicks have always wandered. Mel hasn't kept them nearly as close at any age as I might expect. The chicks are pretty fearless; not unmindful, but they take chances. From what I've seen their chances have been low risk.
There is also the factor that Mel has 3 chicks and Ruffles 1, to take into account.
Mel spends her day as she is in the picture below; alert. Please excuse Treacle, he's trying out his herding shuffle. As you can see, Mel isn't exactly impressed (Mel is Treacles mother)
Ruffles on the other hand is super relaxed (this is Ruffles's fourth hatch and Mel's second) and Hurry her chick is quite nervous.
Ruffles approach could best be illustrated by this picture.
Both are good mothers. Ruffles tends to seek cover with her chick in the event of a perceived threat. She's 7 or 8 now, while Mel has stood out in the open away from her chicks.
Mel took her chicks home to the tribe coop this evening. She had followed Tribe 1 from the front of my house to the tribe coop. She's had a couple of trial runs making sure the chicks will follow her up there at dusk. I noticed she wasn't outside and went up to watch and assist if I could.
Mel marched straight up the ramp and left the chicks to it. No calling for them at the doorway, no going up and down the ramp to show them how it's done. Nothing. Not even much of a roost time call. I waited a bit expecting her to come out. Nothing.
I went to look in the coop. Mel was wedged between Fat Bird and the wall. There is no way the chicks will jump up and try and roost next to Mel along either side of Fat Bird. Mel knows this. Basically Mel has has enough.
In the past all the chicks left outside by mum have gathered around the base of the ramp or under the coop until I or mum rescues them. Not Mel's lot! They're romping around the sheep field. As I've mentioned, I don't handle chicks unless absolutely necessary but most chicks will walk and rest on me because mum doesn't stop them.
I become a safe whatever. If you try to handle the chicks and they give the alarm call even a couple of times, and mum reacts, then ime mum, nor chicks, have the same trust in you.
I got all the chicks by hand in decent light. This is a quite an achievement with free range chicks. The white chick was first. I have handled the white one maybe three or four times. I found it, put my palm on the floor. It came over looking for food and I slid my hand straight under it and took it off it's feet, placing my other hand over it's back and wings. It struggled a couple of times, got it's feet onto my palm and relaxed.
The brown chick I haven't handled. It's had a hand on it's bum to encourage it to move on occasions but not picked up. I expected a bit more resistance from this chick. It was completely unconcerned about my approach and due to the location (brambles and shrubs) I had to grab her either side of her body, legs between little finger and next, thumbs over back. Yup, it wasn't impressed. I got it's feet onto my palm and hand over back and calm was restored apart from some vocal complaints.
The dark chick made a dash for the old coop. As I walked up the path I saw it come out and head into my house. It was perched on my chair when I got into the house. Easy catch. Not any fuss.
They were distributed around the floor underneath where mum was perched when I looked in last.
Always a bit nerve wracking a chicks first night in the tribe coop.
Because I put them in the coop I'm expecting more of the same tomorrow. The technique is to catch them, place them on the ramp and bum shove them up and in.
It will be interesting to see what Mel will and won't do with the chicks tomorrow.
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Happy Birthday 
