California - Northern

[Happy Chooks]

Quote: A serama can cover that many eggs? Yikes! I require a picture of that!

Quote: Blue barnevelders.



1 hatched, 2 more pipped and another one zipping. First one out looks blue? It's darker than a splash, but not black - it's a light chipmunk color, so I'm thinking blue?

 

[CALI CHICK]

I love watching the broodies raise chicks....the whole process from being so protective to just one day returning to the flock and being done with them.

I love to watch the hen with her babies too. The chicks seem to understand her clucks from the first moment.

Is it supposed to be a smooth transition? The last chicks Buffy (my BO) brooded didn't seem ready for Momma to leave them.

They were 5 weeks old and would try to follow her around to keep up.........She would peck and chase them off. It was so heartbreaking to watch. Now one of her babies (Ginger) is full grown (7 months) and the mother/daughter still don't really get along. Ginger (a Welsummer) is still trying to find her place in the coop hierarchy. The others were TJ eggs and both cockerels that got rehomed.

Buffy has 2 golden comets now and I hope they integrate into the flock more smoothly than before.

 

[debs_flock]

Quote: The tolbunts I hatched from Cheryl's eggs, the three smooth go into the coop every night on their own, within two days of being moved to the coop. That was a month ago, the frizzle, still sits under the coop with the younger "kids". It wanders into the coop during the day, but it has never dawned on it to go in at night.

Frizzle = ditzy, I think.

Deb

 

[Miss Molly]

A serama can cover that many eggs?  Yikes!  I require a picture of that!
Blue barnevelders.



1 hatched, 2 more pipped and another one zipping.  First one out looks blue?  It's darker than a splash, but not black - it's a light chipmunk color, so I'm thinking blue?

So exciting. Can't wait for pictures.... figures crossed for lots of blues

 

[cherylcohen]

Yikes! And I was going to ask to help with breeding on these guys!

Mine are good about going to bed except the first week after I start letting them out to free range they can never find their way back in the coop....they're all in the tree next to coop but on the wrong side of the fence because they can't find the gate on the other end of the coop! I've excused them by saying they can't see due to their large crests!

Well in their defense, they have been moved around a bit from the ranch to home, so maybe it's just the last group that moved that can't find their way...we'll see how the days progress. I've got so many of them now, if you want to breed them, PM me

 

[lawatt]

the two 10-ish week-old pullets i got from Deann over the weekend seemed completely freaked out and miserable inside their enclosure, frantically pacing around wanting to get out, so i tried working them into my flock last night -- all seemed ok until this morning, they're ignoring one (the cream legbar) but picking on the basque, who instead of running away, stands in a corner of the coop with her head down & tries to look invisible -- which isn't working.

any suggestions? there are branches in the coop that she could hide inside, but her reactions don't seem to be protecting her from the older bullies!

 

[tls_ranch]

the two 10-ish week-old pullets i got from Deann over the weekend seemed completely freaked out and miserable inside their enclosure, frantically pacing around wanting to get out, so i tried working them into my flock last night -- all seemed ok until this morning, they're ignoring one (the cream legbar) but picking on the basque, who instead of running away, stands in a corner of the coop with her head down & tries to look invisible -- which isn't working.

any suggestions? there are branches in the coop that she could hide inside, but her reactions don't seem to be protecting her from the older bullies!

Try to provide distractions such as lots of new treats (pumpkins, cabbage, flock block etc) and/or move things around to disrupt the older hen's "known" territory. You could also take out the most aggressive hens for a "time out". Integrating at night is best, but there still will be pecking. Just watch out for blood, but hopefully things will settle down before then.

Trisha

 

[ronott1]

the two 10-ish week-old pullets i got from Deann over the weekend seemed completely freaked out and miserable inside their enclosure, frantically pacing around wanting to get out, so i tried working them into my flock last night -- all seemed ok until this morning, they're ignoring one (the cream legbar) but picking on the basque, who instead of running away, stands in a corner of the coop with her head down & tries to look invisible -- which isn't working.

any suggestions? there are branches in the coop that she could hide inside, but her reactions don't seem to be protecting her from the older bullies!

Separate them and try again tonight. Are the new ones close to the size of the old ones?

You might need to keep them separate until they get bigger.

I hope they get along better soon.

 

[ronott1]

Winter is Coming!

I spent some time today switching over to the rainy day feeders.

 

[lawatt]

Try to provide distractions such as lots of new treats (pumpkins, cabbage, flock block etc) and/or move things around to disrupt the older hen's "known" territory. You could also take out the most aggressive hens for a "time out". Integrating at night is best, but there still will be pecking. Just watch out for blood, but hopefully things will settle down before then.

Trisha

thanks, that's what i've done -- put some additional oak branches (the scratchy kind, good for hiding in) inside the run, along with several big piles of hay/straw raked up from the field, which they love to peck through. unfortunately i only have the ONE coop henhouse inside a run), so there's nowhere to put the more aggressive ones, except to let them free-range outside, but i need to go to work & there's rain coming later today... will just hope she can learn to avoid the meanies.

edit: to answer ron's question -- the new ones are the same size as the younger flock (all 10-12ish weeks old, and there are five of them total), and they seem to be getting along with those girls no problem -- but there are 7 who are 22-23 weeks old, who are bigger.