Constestmt
Hatching
- Jul 12, 2015
- 2
- 0
- 6
We live on the east side of Marshfield - however I have a brother that lives in Elkland which would be closer to you.
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I'm with you guys! People don't understand that I enjoy some quiet solitude. I'll be outdoors hanging with the ducks just puttering about and I'll come in to text messages galore. "Where are you?" "I've been trying for 2 hours." I get back to them and it's nothing that can't wait. Sheesh!
Long post about my current flock dynamics. No real question other than does it sound normal, as if anything is normal with chickens.
The chickens I have are Tiger - EE hen, Johann - buff silkie roo, Betty - black tailed white japanese bantam hen (all a yr old), The three Js - PJ & DJ 15 wk old EE/white silkie mix pullets, OJ - 14 wk old bantam barred rock pullet, The littles 12 wks old- 4 japanese bantam/buff silkie mixes (one roo), 3 EE/buff silkie mixes (1 roo), and Cuteness 4 wk old japanese bantam/buff silkie mix hoping pullet.
Here it goes.
Prior to the introduction of the babies, my 3 one yr olds, would hang together and wander the yard when let out to free range. About the time the three Js and the littles were ready to go outside Betty went broody. That left Johann and Tiger to putt around together with Johann occasionally visiting Betty in the coop especially if Tiger was in there laying. Once the 3 Js and the littles started ranging, Johann couldn't decide really where he wanted to be. He would flutter from the babies, to Betty, and out in the big part of the yard with Tiger. Within the smaller flock the 3 Js stay together mostly and the littles with their two roos stick together. Now that Betty's egg has hatched, she stays close to the coops with the baby and Johann spends a lot of time with her so Tiger wanders the big expanse by herself. The 3 Js and the littles wander in and out of a combined flock and 2 separate flocks near the coops and out back. If I go out, Tiger sees me and will join us but if I don't have treats she takes off again. I worry about her being by herself but don't know what to do about it. Also the younger chicks are terrified of Tiger and she does come up they scatter and tend to go back in their coop.
If you're still with me, any thoughts or suggestions?
well I was able to catch my egg layer in the act yesterday, so I know whose eggs I will be hatching the beginning of next year to try and fill the gap when they molt. She's giving me one a day now since Saterday. Still only have one layer, but hey they're still young at just 18 weeks. We got lucky last night an ended up just south of that huge storm that came through NW MO,Iowa, and KS, a town an hour North from us got 8in of rain last night.
Storms have been skirting north of us also and I just hope they keep doing that for awhile so we have a chance to dry out a bit. The only things thriving are mosquitos, flies and weeds.
Just a heads up. This year's juvenile red tailed hawks are out of the nest, on their own and looking for an easy meal. I saw one take wing from a tree that's 50 feet from our bachelor rooster pen. It was just sitting there watching the boys and trying to figure out a way to get through the netting. I don't even think the roos spotted it.
I have two hormonal trouble makers in the pen at the moment. If the one that pecked me tonight, really more of a pinch, when I had the ill advised desire to to tickle him on his chest tries it again I'll personally serve him up to Mr or Miss Hawk.
Then there was the wasp nest I stepped on while picking Black Berries...lets see, Hawk, rooster bite, wasp stung ankle. That pretty well sums up my day.
But hey, the afternoon storms missed us! I heard from a friend that there were tornados 50 miles from where we used to live in IL.