California - Northern

[ronott1]

here's another of my silly questions: for those of you who have chickens that live in separate coops/pens, but let them all free-range at once, do you leave the doors to the coops/pens open while they're out? is there ever any problems of the "wrong" chickens ending up in a given pen?

i'm asking because i've got these two new groovy pens, and two new girls in one of the pens, so the main flock is of course very curious -- the campines will stay separated for a while, hopefully they'll all get somewhat used to each others' presences, but eventually they'll want to free-range too, i'm sure -- so just wondering what the dynamics are of all free-ranging together, but going home to separate roosts?

thanks!

They do play musical coops sometimes. They do settle down and if you put them into coop lockdown for three days they will imprint on the coop you lock them down into. I would not be able to do that now--way to hot to keep them locked up.

It is 104 right now--It will be close to 110 by 5pm.....

 

[MossyoakLane]

I should have know Deb had them!

Are you going to try for Blue from them?

I thought they were refering to the color of the foot and not the color of the bird when talking Puolet Blue, like here http://www.heavensentranch.com/pouletbleu.htm

Am I mistaken?

 

[tommysgirl]

There are a few good reasons for keeping the hens separated from the roosters.

The simple answer is that most roosters will get along better together if there are no girls to fight over. Nice farm atmosphere without the rooster fight problems..

The more complex answer requires something I have learned recently while selling my eggs .. some people will NOT eat fertile eggs! They know just enough to be.. um.. stubborn about not eating them. Some because once it is fertile it becomes a living thing (which is a valid reason but a waste of food because it will not become a self-supporting life without a bunch more energy) and some because they just can't and they don't know why (which is not a valid reason) For some reason there is an Ewwww factor to fertile eggs in their brain. It is somewhere along the lines of not being able to eat eggs if you know which chicken they came out of.. or not eating fresh farm eggs because they are contaminated.. but the store bought ones are ok

So, if these people are using the eggs to serve to their guests I bet they had people refuse to eat their food because of the fertile eggs. Separate out the roosters - problem solved!

Ooops I guess I wasn't clear. what I mean is that they had a set of coops for roosting at night and a different set of coops for laying. The hens used the right ones for the right things and I had never heard of it before. All the coops I have seen have a shared space for both functions.

People are funny. Most probably think the little blood spots = fertile and wouldn't recognize a truely fertile egg unless they were told about it.

 

[ronott1]

I thought they were refering to the color of the foot and not the color of the bird when talking Puolet Blue, like here http://www.heavensentranch.com/pouletbleu.htm

Am I mistaken?

Greenfire Farms has a Bresse that has blue feathers and blue legs. They do not have them in stock now but should have them later:

There are four varieties of Bresse: white, black, blue, and gray. The white variety is the best known and is used almost exclusively for meat production. The white Bresse is instantly recognized in France with its large red comb, bright white feathers, and steel-blue legs. (As newly hatched chicks their legs are yellow.) White Bresse produce a medium-sized cream-colored egg. By contrast, the black Bresse is less meaty but known for producing a disproportionately large bright white egg. (Despite their leaner carcass, one European chef told us he prefers the black Bresse as a meat bird.) Greenfire Farms has imported from Europe both the white, black, and blue Bresse varieties, and our birds were obtained from several distinct flocks.

 

[ronott1]

Ooops I guess I wasn't clear. what I mean is that they had a set of coops for roosting at night and a different set of coops for laying. The hens used the right ones for the right things and I had never heard of it before. All the coops I have seen have a shared space for both functions.

People are funny. Most probably think the little blood spots = fertile and wouldn't recognize a truely fertile egg unless they were told about it.

I tell people that take eggs home about the blood spot and not to worry about it.

It is amazing how much chickens know how to do without being taught. I still have one that likes to hide her eggs though.

 

[ChickNmamma]

here's another of my silly questions: for those of you who have chickens that live in separate coops/pens, but let them all free-range at once, do you leave the doors to the coops/pens open while they're out? is there ever any problems of the "wrong" chickens ending up in a given pen?

i'm asking because i've got these two new groovy pens, and two new girls in one of the pens, so the main flock is of course very curious -- the campines will stay separated for a while, hopefully they'll all get somewhat used to each others' presences, but eventually they'll want to free-range too, i'm sure -- so just wondering what the dynamics are of all free-ranging together, but going home to separate roosts?

thanks!

Ooops I guess I wasn't clear. what I mean is that they had a set of coops for roosting at night and a different set of coops for laying. The hens used the right ones for the right things and I had never heard of it before. All the coops I have seen have a shared space for both functions.

People are funny. Most probably think the little blood spots = fertile and wouldn't recognize a truely fertile egg unless they were told about it.

Ah. Well - if they learn where to go lay their eggs - they will always go there as long as they feel its safe. Usually a fake egg or two helps with that - if something didn't eat that egg then it is safe to lay my egg there... And yes - they will roost in a different place at night - if they feel its safer and they were taught that is "home".

It still works to separate the roosters into a bachelor pad if you have too many roosters for your hens - keeps the fighting down. Just so long as they aren't game bird based...

I lock the birds in their coop/run when I want it to become "home" for them. I have occasionally had a bird who I had switched "homes" on it go back to the old one after being put in another "home".. but it is usually because they liked their old roommates better... I wouldn't lock anybody in a coop in this heat though - good thing my runs are attached and they can go outside while learning their "home" for the night..

And yes, some told me fertile eggs had blood in therm... go figga

Only got one person to actually try them when I told them all my eggs I used for those absolutely delicious deviled eggs were ALL fertile... So she now refers to them as beaks and feathers.. but she will use them in baking, and her husband loves them. She STILL can't eat them...

 

[Janeothejungle]

106 and still rising. My poor girls are camped out under the misters...

 

[debs_flock]

Quote: I see you already got the answer, but yes..........Poulet Bleu is referring to the blue leg. But the bird comes in white (the most common color here - lays the biggest egg), black (smaller egg, but known for better meat flavor) & blue (I don't know much about them.............but who doesn't like a blue (gray) chicken?)

Me, I got the black mostly because I prefer the black chicken, red comb and white earlobe over a white chicken. My white birds always look dingy and the feathers get sunburned. It's a trial to try and keep a white bird truly white (for me anyway).

 

[lawatt]

They do play musical coops sometimes. They do settle down and if you put them into coop lockdown for three days they will imprint on the coop you lock them down into. I would not be able to do that now--way to hot to keep them locked up.

It is 104 right now--It will be close to 110 by 5pm.....

thanks -- the two campines are stuck in their coop/run for now, but the run is open to the air, so just as hot in as out -- although i just noticed that the temps have dropped here from 90 to 86 -- hopefully that's a trend for everyone!

i realize part of why i think multiple coops may get weird is because i so often call the girls in to their run before it's gotten dark -- luring them in with treats -- but with two coops in action, perhaps they'll all end up in one? (i'm sure we'll all work it out when the time comes...)

 

[lawatt]

I tell people that take eggs home about the blood spot and not to worry about it.

It is amazing how much chickens know how to do without being taught. I still have one that likes to hide her eggs though.

Eleanor is still hiding her eggs when she gets the chance -- this morning i found one by the woodpile in the carport, on bare cement. i suppose it was cooler in there...