California - Northern

[ronott1]

Except if you live in Fair Oaks. They have a huge wild chicken "problem". They just roam around all over there.
All my neighbors seem to love my illegal chickens. Everyone wants fresh eggs. I try to keep the meat chicken part on the down-low, some people that are ok with laying hens seem to get a little huffy about you actually processing them (as they chow down on their McNuggets). My hubby let that one slip to one of the neighbors yesterday, and now they want to try some "home fresh" chicken too.

There is a thread about Dumb things people say. One post was about people coming to a BBQ and asking to take a processed chicken home. Like it is the same as giving away a dozen eggs--It is a lot of work, feed and time to raise meaties. It is not something to just give away.

 

[lizanne]

Letting some of the older chicks out with the big girls for a bit.

 

[ronott1]

Letting some of the older chicks out with the big girls for a bit.

I think Deb has some of the very nice SQ Barred Plymouth Rocks.

Yours look very happy to be outside!

 

[chiqita]

Everyone's chickens look so happy!
Shark maybe you could offer to clip the flight feathers for them? Or show them how. Tell them your dad is sad.
Liz have your neighbor come over and help process if they really want chicken so they see what crazy workit is.
So appearently quail respond to good thoughts! I caught one of my t1 boys dancing around the front of the cage trying to get the girls up top to pay attention to him. He was not amused when I grabbed him.

 

[ronott1]

Everyone's chickens look so happy!
Shark maybe you could offer to clip the flight feathers for them? Or show them how. Tell them your dad is sad.
Liz have your neighbor come over and help process if they really want chicken so they see what crazy workit is.
So appearently quail respond to good thoughts! I caught one of my t1 boys dancing around the front of the cage trying to get the girls up top to pay attention to him. He was not amused when I grabbed him.

That is good news!

 

[ronott1]

I have two chickens that roost on the roof of the coop on nice summer evenings. They go into the coop when it is windy or raining.

The Blue Marans is Miranda. The White Bresse does not have a name. I may start calling her Owl, short for Owl Bait.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Everyone's chickens look so happy!
Shark maybe you could offer to clip the flight feathers for them? Or show them how. Tell them your dad is sad.
Liz have your neighbor come over and help process if they really want chicken so they see what crazy workit is.
So appearently quail respond to good thoughts! I caught one of my t1 boys dancing around the front of the cage trying to get the girls up top to pay attention to him. He was not amused when I grabbed him.

Here's hoping more boys come to "dance" and you can catch them...

I have two chickens that roost on the roof of the coop on nice summer evenings. They go into the coop when it is windy or raining.

The Blue Marans is Miranda. The White Bresse does not have a name. I may start calling her Owl, short for Owl Bait.

 

[ronott1]

Oh, I forgot, I do put them into the coop each night so the Owl really won't get her--She is a very bright target though.

 

[ChickNmamma]

 

[HighNDryFarm]

We enlarged our coop to have our 9 younger girls go in and roost with the older girls. The last 4 nights I am out there until 8:45 having chickens find their way to the roost of their choice. First, I let the newer 4 month olds in there, keeping the 1 plus yr. olds out in the yard.  Once the young ones are settled then I let the others in one at a time according to those who roost calmly, and finally the bosses come in, when it's almost dark, and go to their roost. If I try to let them all go to bed at the same time there is a lot of pecking from the oldest and they chase the youngest out of the coop. Of course the older want to be in the newer area but that's not what I want and I'm the boss hen! So, I guess it's this way for awhile until they can all get along. Will that ever happen? I wonder.

If they are not going into the coop by themselves, leave them in the coop for two days. I call it coop lockdown. This will rehome them  and they will go in by themselves at night after that.

The young ones will be at the bottom of the pecking order--It just works that way. Later--in a year probably--there can be a re arranging of the pecking order as the young ones might get bigger or a "bossier"one might assert herself.

I do not worry about where they go on the roost. It is natural for the top ones in the pecking order to pick the choice place on the roost. Mine do not go to the same place each night. It would be great if they did. It would make the check to make sure they were all in easier....

Interesting, all of mine go to the same spot. All 3 pens, all the breeds. Hmmmm