Exotica
C'est La Vie
Hey everyone!
Gosh, so my Splash Isbar would just NOT stop yapping! Peeping all day and night. I had no idea what was wrong since the brooder thermometer read a comfy 90 degrees. Their brooder is also set up so that the light concentrates in one corner so that it's "hot" there, fades to warmth, then there is shade from the heat. Eating, pooping, and running around just fine! Vivacious little buggers. I had literally no idea what was wrong until I read somewhere that someone's chick forgot where the water was. Mine couldn't possibly be that dense.. I stand corrected. All three chicks completely forgot where the water was and I had to dip their beak in water where they all drank as if I've been a crazy abusive mother who refuses to let her babes drink. After they all took about 5 mouthfuls, the peeping finally stopped. As the brooder is propped up in two chairs in my room.. it is FINALLY peaceful! On the bright side, my little experiment need not be prolonged for an answer. I have concluded that where the brooder is placed is CRITICAL to how tame chicks will be. I believe I explained my experiment a bit but will go over it again.
Group 1: My very first chicks. Three Black Sex Links and a Barred Plymouth Rock that are now 9 weeks. When I first bought them from the local feed store, they were only a week old. I brood all my chicks in two 24 inch long x 18 inch wide boxes that have one end cut off and are taped together with duct tape now since this is what I did with the first group. I add bird netting on top when they get older and start to fly. This brooder was left inside the house in my hallway on a table. The area has medium traffic. The chicks were handled daily and from an early age given life mealworm/cricket treats using tweezers to tame. They used to fall asleep on our laps and in our hands as babies. These four grew up to be the sweetest chickens are act like dogs! They come when called and fight for lap space where they love to nap. It's annoying sometimes because they follow me everywhere and if I'm bending over to do yard work, will all try to jump on my back. They LOVE attention and I love to give it to them!
Group 2: After group 1 was about 4 weeks, I moved them to a larger brooder and used their old brooder for these chicks. They are all various ages with the oldest being 7 weeks and the youngest 2 weeks 4 days. This group consists of: Silkies, an Australorp, two Easter Egger's, an Ameraucana/Araucana? (more on that below), a Cuckoo Marans, and a Silver Laced Wyandotte. the Silkies and Ameraucana/Araucana were from a breeder while the rest were from a feed store. Everything was the same as the first group (handling/treats/etc.) except that their brooder was placed in my spare room on the floor which has little to no traffic. Besides when I handled them, gave them treats, fed them, changed their bedding - they did not see humans. I also noticed that with their brooder on the floor, every time I walked over to them, they would be tremendously scared because I towered over them. These breeds are known for being some of the friendliest and most docile but they will not come near me. Not even if I have treats. They all scream bloody murder and run away from me. Group 1 is their own flock and Group 2 is a completely separate flock. Group 2 hates all humans.
Group 3: I decided to finally put down some money and buy quality chicks from a reputable breeder. I also wanted some unique breeds to add to my flock/help conserve. As most of you know, I ended up ordering from Secret Hill Ranch. This is the group I've been posting tons of pictures about - my Cream Legbar (Rees line), French Lavender Marans (Union Hill Farm lines), and Splash Isbar (1st and 2nd Greenfire Farm imports and Union Hill Farm lines). They are young and only a week old. Handling and treat time is the same as the two previous groups. The only different variable is that their brooder is propped up on two chairs in a corner of my room. Of course this is very high traffic. Especially since I've grown really close to my younger sister and have asked her to move in this room with me. These chicks are already very, very tame. They seem to crave human contact and although I they were quiet for a good hour after I gave them water, started peeping again. When I approach them and hold them, they stop, then fall asleep in my hands. When I leave, it starts up again. Once they see me, they all run towards where I'm standing near the brooder and stop peeping. I'm not sure if this is a coincidence. They are already very tame!!
With all three groups, I tried to condition them to tolerate human contact with treats. All three groups took to it but eventually Group 2's fear over came them. As mentioned, the only different variable was brooder placement. I may have to experiment with more groups before I can confirm this. For now, I lean towards brooder placement but it is not absolute. Just something to consider to those that may want tamer birds.
About the Ameraucana/Araucana thing.. So I bought this little Blue chick from Chickens Galore in Norco. I forgot if it was an Ameraucana or Araucana but I know for sure it is not an Easter Egger as he sold those as well, but in a different pen. A few days ago, I was wondering why this chick just looked so weird to me and I noticed it had no tail feathers. When I inspected it aka literally using a finger to poke the flesh above it's fecal opening, I was shocked to find there was no bone there! It was like a squishy hole. That's when the "rump-less" thing came to mind and I google some pictures. It looks like that! My other birds all have a triangle like tail but that chick literally has nothing there.
^ This is probably a stupid question and I honestly know the answer but just in case, it's not possible for the tail bone to develop later, is it? So this means that this chick is "rump-less"/"tail-less" correct? Does that mean it has Araucana blood? Or could it be an Ameraucana?
Also, here are the "three stooges" on Day 6:
^ My sweet little Cream Legbar, Eden.
.
^ My loud mouth Splash Isbar, Iris.
^ My narcoleptic French Lavender Marans, Esmé.
I love these three so much. It's not the fact that I spent so much on them.. or that they're breeds that I've wanted since I first started keeping chickens a month and 2 weeks ago.. but they are all just so tame! They hop right onto my hand when I put it in the brooder.
Apologies for the lengthy post!
Here's some sleepy chicks to make up for it!
Gosh, so my Splash Isbar would just NOT stop yapping! Peeping all day and night. I had no idea what was wrong since the brooder thermometer read a comfy 90 degrees. Their brooder is also set up so that the light concentrates in one corner so that it's "hot" there, fades to warmth, then there is shade from the heat. Eating, pooping, and running around just fine! Vivacious little buggers. I had literally no idea what was wrong until I read somewhere that someone's chick forgot where the water was. Mine couldn't possibly be that dense.. I stand corrected. All three chicks completely forgot where the water was and I had to dip their beak in water where they all drank as if I've been a crazy abusive mother who refuses to let her babes drink. After they all took about 5 mouthfuls, the peeping finally stopped. As the brooder is propped up in two chairs in my room.. it is FINALLY peaceful! On the bright side, my little experiment need not be prolonged for an answer. I have concluded that where the brooder is placed is CRITICAL to how tame chicks will be. I believe I explained my experiment a bit but will go over it again.
Group 1: My very first chicks. Three Black Sex Links and a Barred Plymouth Rock that are now 9 weeks. When I first bought them from the local feed store, they were only a week old. I brood all my chicks in two 24 inch long x 18 inch wide boxes that have one end cut off and are taped together with duct tape now since this is what I did with the first group. I add bird netting on top when they get older and start to fly. This brooder was left inside the house in my hallway on a table. The area has medium traffic. The chicks were handled daily and from an early age given life mealworm/cricket treats using tweezers to tame. They used to fall asleep on our laps and in our hands as babies. These four grew up to be the sweetest chickens are act like dogs! They come when called and fight for lap space where they love to nap. It's annoying sometimes because they follow me everywhere and if I'm bending over to do yard work, will all try to jump on my back. They LOVE attention and I love to give it to them!
Group 2: After group 1 was about 4 weeks, I moved them to a larger brooder and used their old brooder for these chicks. They are all various ages with the oldest being 7 weeks and the youngest 2 weeks 4 days. This group consists of: Silkies, an Australorp, two Easter Egger's, an Ameraucana/Araucana? (more on that below), a Cuckoo Marans, and a Silver Laced Wyandotte. the Silkies and Ameraucana/Araucana were from a breeder while the rest were from a feed store. Everything was the same as the first group (handling/treats/etc.) except that their brooder was placed in my spare room on the floor which has little to no traffic. Besides when I handled them, gave them treats, fed them, changed their bedding - they did not see humans. I also noticed that with their brooder on the floor, every time I walked over to them, they would be tremendously scared because I towered over them. These breeds are known for being some of the friendliest and most docile but they will not come near me. Not even if I have treats. They all scream bloody murder and run away from me. Group 1 is their own flock and Group 2 is a completely separate flock. Group 2 hates all humans.
Group 3: I decided to finally put down some money and buy quality chicks from a reputable breeder. I also wanted some unique breeds to add to my flock/help conserve. As most of you know, I ended up ordering from Secret Hill Ranch. This is the group I've been posting tons of pictures about - my Cream Legbar (Rees line), French Lavender Marans (Union Hill Farm lines), and Splash Isbar (1st and 2nd Greenfire Farm imports and Union Hill Farm lines). They are young and only a week old. Handling and treat time is the same as the two previous groups. The only different variable is that their brooder is propped up on two chairs in a corner of my room. Of course this is very high traffic. Especially since I've grown really close to my younger sister and have asked her to move in this room with me. These chicks are already very, very tame. They seem to crave human contact and although I they were quiet for a good hour after I gave them water, started peeping again. When I approach them and hold them, they stop, then fall asleep in my hands. When I leave, it starts up again. Once they see me, they all run towards where I'm standing near the brooder and stop peeping. I'm not sure if this is a coincidence. They are already very tame!!
With all three groups, I tried to condition them to tolerate human contact with treats. All three groups took to it but eventually Group 2's fear over came them. As mentioned, the only different variable was brooder placement. I may have to experiment with more groups before I can confirm this. For now, I lean towards brooder placement but it is not absolute. Just something to consider to those that may want tamer birds.
About the Ameraucana/Araucana thing.. So I bought this little Blue chick from Chickens Galore in Norco. I forgot if it was an Ameraucana or Araucana but I know for sure it is not an Easter Egger as he sold those as well, but in a different pen. A few days ago, I was wondering why this chick just looked so weird to me and I noticed it had no tail feathers. When I inspected it aka literally using a finger to poke the flesh above it's fecal opening, I was shocked to find there was no bone there! It was like a squishy hole. That's when the "rump-less" thing came to mind and I google some pictures. It looks like that! My other birds all have a triangle like tail but that chick literally has nothing there.
^ This is probably a stupid question and I honestly know the answer but just in case, it's not possible for the tail bone to develop later, is it? So this means that this chick is "rump-less"/"tail-less" correct? Does that mean it has Araucana blood? Or could it be an Ameraucana?
Also, here are the "three stooges" on Day 6:
^ My sweet little Cream Legbar, Eden.
.
^ My loud mouth Splash Isbar, Iris.
^ My narcoleptic French Lavender Marans, Esmé.
I love these three so much. It's not the fact that I spent so much on them.. or that they're breeds that I've wanted since I first started keeping chickens a month and 2 weeks ago.. but they are all just so tame! They hop right onto my hand when I put it in the brooder.
Apologies for the lengthy post!
Here's some sleepy chicks to make up for it!
