Colorado

[uzisuzuki]

Yes, that IS scary. Bad news, too. It would be much better if the thief weren't human, and better yet if there were no thief at all. Uzi, your birds are lucky to have you as their provider and caregiver. My guess is that you are a FlockMistress.

Nah, I'm just a pushover when it comes to animals. Totally winging it as I go because I'm clueless to this stuff.

 

[coop410silkies]

Nah, I'm just a pushover when it comes to animals. Totally winging it as I go because I'm clueless to this stuff.

Yes, well I know the feeling well. When you think you know your animals, there are no more surprises left to you, and you'd best be moving on.

Your birds are lovely - and MYSTERIOUS, especially the peafowl which fascinate me. I have cared for enough animals, both sick and well, to learn that the bond between creatures and humans can be not only strong but a source of miracle. It's like a Snickers Bar: you have to actually eat and taste it to experience it. FTR, only a FlockPerson "wings" it. Now THAT'S a Freudian slip.

 

[Mtn Margie]

Yes, well I know the feeling well. When you think you know your animals, there are no more surprises left to you, and you'd best be moving on.

Your birds are lovely - and MYSTERIOUS, especially the peafowl which fascinate me. I have cared for enough animals, both sick and well, to learn that the bond between creatures and humans can be not only strong but a source of miracle. It's like a Snickers Bar: you have to actually eat and taste it to experience it. FTR, only a FlockPerson "wings" it. Now THAT'S a Freudian slip.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I have not been to the coop this afternoon but I am getting more eggs since I went ahead and put the padlock on the door. Makes it a pain for me at 4 am but worth it knowing no one can get in BUT me.

31 chickens only 14 are this years pullets. Without padlock 1 to 3 eggs a day and always under the cranky BO hen. With padlock 6 egg average over 5 days so they ARE laying and now I get to keep the eggs. Looks like even without pics it was a thief. Eggs in the nests increased magically once the lock went on.

Very disappointed in humanity in general. Thieves and such running about and all the shootings makes me cynical I suppose.

The Brahma that struggled with the passing of the flockmate recently is still clingy and kind of odd in the head. The vision impaired hen is trying to eat pellets now and seems to be doing alright with her limitations. I am still giving fermented feed but keeping pellets available due to the freezing of the fermented.

I like the hoop run ideas and am looking forward to doing basically a high tunnel for the spring planting. It wont be super high lol but hopefully will give me an advantage in the garden.

I like the coming longer days! Spring is just around the corner!!

 

[KLBCOS]

Yesterday, Nest boxes in the bus coop.

Curtains today. Little by little it's coming together.

Our chicks hatched the third week I July started laying the say after Thanksgiving. Yay!

 

[coop410silkies]

Yeah, humanity truly is not saintly, and self-serving is not the worst of it. "Humane" is a choice, not an accident of nature, and those who make that choice are blessed. But what to do with the road rage and shootings?

High tunnels are nice; it is such a relief not to have to bend over. Hmmmm, I rarely think of the impact the loss of a flock mate has on the remaining members of a flock. It's good to know that birds can recover and that we can play no small part in their recovery. Very good to know.

I am keeping my Roos and cockerels separate from the hens this winter. The LS males are especially friendly towards people and follow me around like puppy dogs. One, a guy I call Randy, is smitten with my female Saint Bernard mutt, who is also white and black, just like the Light Sussex. In fact, the LS males tend to fight over her, as though she is the big (130 lb) queen mother LS hen. And my dog, who used to be a committed chicken chaser/grabber, has adopted them as her own, and they are hers. But Randy is special; he is the first to greet us, and he waits down by the gate for us to go down to the old coop and shed; while I'm in the coop by the gate, he hangs out with the dog, and when Abbie and I go down to the coop in the field, he follows right behind, through rain, shine, cold, and snow. He hangs out about there until I'm done and start back up to the house, and then the three of us all go back up together. We are such an odd trio: one short fat old lady, one BIG white and black hairy dog, and one big ole white and black cockerel, running and waddling straight behind. I absolutely love this good for nothing bird, and I'm not even a bird person. Who needs Christmas presents when you can spoil a creature like this?!

 

[thebesticanbe]

 

[COChix]

Integration update - today we opened the run and let everyone mingle in the yard. This is the second time the two flocks have met face-to-face. The first time we had some skirmishes, today we had one stand off. Everyone got along fine and everyone enjoyed having some yard time. It has been two weeks since they have had time out of their new coop and run. Funny we left the netting in the run up so the sides could mingle, they all ended up roosting on their designated sides of the coop, eleven on one side and three in the other. it was a beautiful day!

Some shots of my BF mom's birds.

Judy

Speckles

Cleo

 

[coop410silkies]

Yesterday, Nest boxes in the bus coop.

Curtains today. Little by little it's coming together.

Our chicks hatched the third week I July started laying the say after Thanksgiving. Yay!

These boxes are quite nice, makes me wonder how many hens you have. It is cool that your July pullets are laying. Do you think you'll have eggs from them all winter long? I will be interested in hearing how things work out and about what works and what doesn't work. I have maybe 5 boxes in my old inherited coop, and my hens invariably lay in just one of othem. In another coop, all the hens lay their eggs in a single deck box, and in yet another coop, they lay them in an old large dog pet carrier. They seem to like straw and hay as nesting material. My Silkies lay and brood in the Dogloo that they sleep in. They all have their special ways of not doing what I planned. What breeds do you have?

 

[coop410silkies]

Integration update - today we opened the run and let everyone mingle in the yard. This is the second time the two flocks have met face-to-face. The first time we had some skirmishes, today we had one stand off. Everyone got along fine and everyone enjoyed having some yard time. It has been two weeks since they have had time out of their new coop and run. Funny we left the netting in the run up so the sides could mingle, they all ended up roosting on their designated sides of the coop, eleven on one side and three in the other. it was a beautiful day!

Some shots of my BF mom's birds.

Judy

Speckles

Cleo

These are nice. There is something so comforting about seeing and watching a yard full of chickens going about doing their things. Like you, I've been working on integrating, segregating, and setting up new coops for groups. I sold some older hens, but not ALL the eldest, gave away many, both hens and Roos, and I've been trying to set up breeding groups. Integrating groups is not always an easy or smooth operation. One of my coops sorted out just like yours: three on one side of the divider, and a dozen or so on the other; the two Roos I wanted to keep separate decided to coexist together on the the crowded side.

I free ranged my last group of chicks too long in my backyard, and from wherever I tried to to permanently house them they managed to escape and return back up to the house; I can finally free range them after WEEKS of captivity in the old layer coop. The real problem, though, was with the cockerels. Oh well, I know how much struggle and effort it can take to integrate chickens and how relieving it can be when things work out. Congratulations on finally getting it done!