Colorado

[saellis]

It looks like my broody hen has stopped mothering the chicks after 4 weeks. One night she went to roost with the rest of the flock, leaving the babies alone and confused in their nest box so I took her down and put her in the box when it got dark. She reluctantly stayed with the chicks that night but would not stay with them no matter what on the next night. There was quite a lot of crying from the chicks and they ticked off the whole flock by jumping up to the roost and trying to get under everybody as they made their way down the bar to get to mom. She could only hold one chick under each wing so I took all the chicks and moved them down to the other end of the roost bar which, during the older birds' settling-of-the-pecking-order, became the low-status end of the bar. Everybody settled down and learned their place. Last night everybody went to their place with no crying or 'chicken politics.' Simply amazing.

 

[Dnetschke]

How's everyone doing?

 

[Aacre]

Hi, Dnetschke!
I'm loving this warm weather!! So I am doing awesome. And my chicks have graduated to the big coop today as well. How are you?

 

[suncatcher]

Nice that they were able to perch with Momma and everyone got along at the end.

I am working outside today, is a beautiful day for it! Chickens are pecking around in the dirt, I think they are enjoying themselves. Aspens are starting to bud out, here is hoping our snow is behind us!

 

[Mtn Margie]

This is what I have been helping build. Might have a bad back when we are done, but by golly I shouldn't be breaking a hip traipsing up and down the goat path!

 

[Dnetschke]

Doing well. Chicks are integrating with the flock. Just have a couple escape artists, my EE's keep getting out a crack somewhere, but they'll be to big for that shortly/hopefully.

 

[Dnetschke]

This is what I have been helping build. Might have a bad back when we are done, but by golly I shouldn't be breaking a hip traipsing up and down the goat path!

That's quite the stair case & a pretty steep grade to boot....

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Did anyone hear of the fire at the Martin Drake power plant in Colorado Springs?

 

[Pozees]

This is what I have been helping build. Might have a bad back when we are done, but by golly I shouldn't be breaking a hip traipsing up and down the goat path!

Wow, that looks like quite a job! Bet you will be SO happy when it's done!

 

[trsturself]

Did anyone hear of the fire at the Martin Drake power plant in Colorado Springs?

I didn't know what it was but I saw the smoke this morning on my drive down there. By the time I got near it appeared to be out.

I only have 6 eggs left under my broody (out of 16). The rest have been broken by the other birds climbing in their to lay their eggs. I've blocked off the nest - the broody gets out and then sits on the eggs in another nest box instead of that one. I've relegated her and the eggs to a dog crate - she freaks out and won't sit on them, instead searching the sides for an escape. I don't know what else to do. I caught our BR in the box with her foot inside an egg so I know it's them. There's never been a broken egg when it's just the fertile eggs in there, but as soon as another egg shows up so does a broken egg.
So frustrating! Had I known the other girls were going to be this annoying I would've put her in the crate with the eggs the first night. I candled the eggs again tonight as I cleaned out the nest box. These broken eggs are going to get more disgusting moving forward. All 6 that are left have big dark areas. I can't see veins in the green shells, but I take the darkness as a good sign. Now if we could just keep the rest from getting broken!
The dogs are loving it though. I throw all the broken eggs to them. They eat them shell and everything.

If we get the house we are trying to buy it has a perfect separated area for a broody or breeding pen. That will be nice! Now if we can only pass the FHA appraisal/inspection we should be good.