California - Northern

[Luvinmyhurd]

try it again tonight but try and watch them a bit.
If it does not work out I can take them back if you need. if you keep them under anyway pull the other chick from the hen so they grow up together.

Ok. Ill keep them either way. Thank you for them! We love them already. Ill see how it goes tonight. Maybe she'll keep them... Or not... If we raise them in the house they'll be super friendly anyway. And really it's only 6-8 weeks with the lamp...

 

[ChickNmamma]

thanks -- i've decided to hold off until at least tomorrow, in part because i tried opening the nesting box just now, and all the without-mom babies freaked & scattered into the henhouse. i'll have to come up with some sort of plan... as the little ones are getting picked on more than seems necessary whenever they're not out free-ranging, and i don't want anyone to feel too crowded -- but also not sure how to deal with all the different ages & how to move them at all?

(admittedly, it's not pitch black out yet -- but if it was, i'm not sure *i'd* be able to see well enough to shut the coops properly etc! how do folks manage this aspect?)

Oh dear..

I use a flashlight.....

And yes, pitch dark is best - if they can see - they can go. Some will fly when you go to grab them - but if they can't see to go any further they will freeze where they land. Its an art keeping the light away from where they can see to run - and to where you can see to catch them...

I would go round them up while its dark tonight if you can find them - hopefully they went back to the nest box. If not - tomorrow works.

I would try to move the teenagers away from the big group because the roosters can hurt the teenage girls before they get big enough to hop on when they are getting close to point of lay. We did have one girl who got her back broken by too heavy of a rooster jumping on her. She survived - but always walked funny after that. Now we separate them until they are big enough for the roosters.

Leaving one of the mommas in with the littles will keep the teenage roosters in check too - that's why I would put the mommas in with the youngsters.

 

[Parkmule]

Started a new page on facebook. The CA Stock Exchange. Getting stock breeders/raisers together and encouraging the barter system.
Please got check it out!
https://www.facebook.com/CaStockExchange

 

[Happy Chooks]

So Animal Control picked up Duke today, and brought him home. Still no sign of Penelope. He smells like he tried to play with a skunk, and his poor feet are all worn down and bloody. I'll try to give him a bath later to get rid of the skunk smell.

4 quarts water, 1 quart peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda and a little liquid dish soap. Work into his fur. Don't get it in his eyes or nose, but it takes the smell out. I've done it a few times when my dog plays with skunks.

 

[Happy Chooks]

ChickNmama - try to give her the chicks tonight. I've had a broody refuse a chick during the day, but accepted it without any issue that night.

 

[ChickNmamma]

ChickNmama - try to give her the chicks tonight. I've had a broody refuse a chick during the day, but accepted it without any issue that night.

That will be for Luvinmyherd

My broody did this about a month ago. She accepted the chicks at night - but when she woke up the next morning and took them out she attacked the black one. So I say she is prejudiced - she was sitting on it all night with no problem

I took all the chicks back and brooded them myself - she got kicked into another coop. She is back broody again, but this time she is hatching the eggs - I hope it makes a difference because I have been getting black chicks from those eggs. I have two mommas on the nest - so if she doesn't like it I hope the other one will protect it.

 

[ronott1]

I drove an hour and a half to Tehama for a 50th Wedding anniversary, stayed outside in the over 90 degree temperatures and got a bit dehydrated and then drove back home at 6 getting back at 7:30ish. I had to collect eggs, drink a bunch of water and then move a bunch of Chickens. Two out of Chicken Hospital back to the grow out pen, Two out to the layer yard from the grow out pen and move 4 Bresse Cockerels into a pen in the garage. Two of them are going to get milk soaked Kamut scratch for two weeks and then will be processed--I can't wait. The other two will be going out to the Egg farm in Winters Until a breeding pen can be set up.

Oh, I also had to put a couple of bags of sand into the other grow out pens run--the auto water was kicked over and there was a puddle.

Needless to day I am very tired after all of that and not completely recovered from the flu.

Goodnight!

 

[chiqita]

brief follow-up: i just checked the coop (it's just before sunset, everyone's up in the henhouse), and the two still-somewhat-attentive broodies (both SPPRs) are settled into two of the nesting boxes with their respective chicks (one has three 7-week-olds, one has two 3-week-olds), while the one 8-week old plus five 6-week olds are all snuggled together in a third nesting box.  should i just move the ones without moms -- or wait & not move anyone yet?

Move the ones without moms. Don't forget to leave em for 3 days.
Also we have a red light flashlight . They don't react to it. Reg flashlight works but not quite as easy. I like easy.

Ron don't overdo it!

 

[chiqita]

That will be for Luvinmyherd

My broody did this about a month ago.  She accepted the chicks at night - but when she woke up the next morning and took them out she attacked the black one.  So I say she is prejudiced - she was sitting on it all night with no problem    I took all the chicks back and brooded them myself - she got kicked into another coop.  She is back broody again, but this time she is hatching the eggs - I hope it makes a difference because I have been getting black chicks from those eggs.  I have two mommas on the nest - so if she doesn't like it I hope the other one will protect it.

My silkies did not like breese chicks. I can usually give them babies more then once but these girls freaked. I think the breese were not acting like babies and ignoring them and they decided they were mice.

 

[lawatt]

Oh dear..

I use a flashlight.....

And yes, pitch dark is best - if they can see - they can go. Some will fly when you go to grab them - but if they can't see to go any further they will freeze where they land. Its an art keeping the light away from where they can see to run - and to where you can see to catch them...

I would go round them up while its dark tonight if you can find them - hopefully they went back to the nest box. If not - tomorrow works.

I would try to move the teenagers away from the big group because the roosters can hurt the teenage girls before they get big enough to hop on when they are getting close to point of lay. We did have one girl who got her back broken by too heavy of a rooster jumping on her. She survived - but always walked funny after that. Now we separate them until they are big enough for the roosters.

Leaving one of the mommas in with the littles will keep the teenage roosters in check too - that's why I would put the mommas in with the youngsters.

the only complication of bringing one of the broodies along is, there are ALSO the two new campines, i'm hoping to put the chicks in the same pen as them. they are older but quite small, so are nearly the same size as the one 8-week-old chick (although with more feathers!) -- they've all been eyeing each other through the wire of the run for over a week now, and the teens & campines are all so smallish, i don't think there's any real danger of trouble -- but add a gigantic SPPR broody (admittedly starting to lose the broodiness) to that & it could be a mess.

and chiqita, thanks for the idea of the red flashlight -- i don't think i have one, but i'll dig through my old tool box....

EDIT: 10 min later and i gave it a try, but could only get one (totally asleep & barely noticed it was moved into a bucket) before the rest woke up and flipped -- BUT i'm thinking this through (slowly), they nestle together in one of the externally-opening nesting boxes, so if AFTER they all pile in there i could put a board or something to block their exit into the henhouse, then come around an hour later when it's very dark (half-moon out, so medium-dark) and scoop them up.

plans for tomorrow! and thanks for all the suggestions, sleep well!