Consolidated Kansas

[WichitaKidd]

You know what's funny? That NEVER occurred to me. We also have a pole barn that is a lot bigger than that little shelter, on the other side of the property, and I have entertained thoughts of building a coop in the pole barn and a run that extends out into the pasture, but never thought to do it in the shelter itself. We have thought about running some type of livestock in the pasture, so need to leave them some shelter, whether it is the little shelter or the larger pole barn. Thanks for making me think outside the box for another option.

I wish I had some good answers for you. It does sound like the bigs recognize that Buffy is disabled - in the animal world disabilities are not tolerated very well because a herd member who is slow and weak is more likely to draw the attention of predators, putting the whole herd/flock in danger.

Over the years I have certainly found that each new batch of chicks I raise, tends to be its own separate flock that very slowly integrates into the larger flock as they all become the same size. However even when they are years old, IME, the members of the original "mini flocks" remain more closely bonded than any of them are bonded to members of the big flock. If I see two away together grazing, I can just bet you every time, it will be two who were raised together as chicks. They seem to retain some memory of these bonds, even from chickhood.

That is a long way of saying that your bigs and littles WILL integrate but it will be slow and gradual and will not really happen until they are all the same size. The bigs will probably remain the head of the flock and second-in-command, with the third-in-command being the "head" chick of the littles flock. If any of that makes any sense at all. I am treating myself to an uncharacteristic glass of wine, after a hard week's work.

Thanks for the advice. I guess I just need to be more patient. Things are getting better as the littles get bigger. I keep telling the bigs that if the littles ever figure out there are more of them than there are of you then you may be in trouble. Maybe I should show them the movie "A Bugs Life" to give them the idea? I guess I'll be keeping Buffy separated for a while & hope that at some point she recovers enough to go back outside with the group.

Chickmama I gave my chickens the pulp and seeds left over from my juice and within minutes it was gone. Just a pile of clean scattered seeds left.
David that is fairly normal behavior for chickens to pick on a weak or sick one. I'd keep Miss Buffy separated until she is well.
As far as the other girls go I think normal behavior of picking is only a couple days. At least that is what I've seen here. Any chance you could let them out in your back yard for an afternoon and then close them back up at bedtime? Even if you had to construct a temporary fence to give them more room and then let them go roost together it might help.
It's sprinkling enough here that it's driving me nuts. Every time I start to do something here comes some more sprinkles. It's cold too. I really had things I wanted to get done out there today.

Forgot to mention that I finally finished enclosing my backyard a few weekends ago. I had been letting the chicks out to roam the yard before this, but only when there was someone around to keep an eye on them. Since then, I've been opening up the coop in the morning & letting them roam the entire backyard at their will until the evening. So far, the littles have prefered staying inside the coop while the bigs roam. I've gone out & shooed them out a few times just so they know they can leave the coop. Even when they are outside the littles still tend to stay away from the bigs. They are still just small enough they can get under the coop. Trying to break them of that as I don't want that to become a habit. As for roosting at night, I have a roosting ladder in my coop. I know the bigs have claimed the top rung of the ladder to roost. The littles had been just huddling together on the floor in the corner. Here lately I've started to see them at least climb up on it during the day. Not sure they are roosting on it at night yet, but I'm sure that will come.

Thanks for the advice. Still new to this & learning every day & still having fun!

 

[Ivywoods]

WichitaKidd-You may see the behavior you describe for quite a while, and then once the little ones are bigger and more confident they will venture out more. They may always segregate themselves, however. There's more to the saying of "birds of a feather flock together."

Danz-I neglected to mention I LOVE cherry jelly. It's my favorite. I planted 2 cherry trees. One winter killed. It was almost dead when I planted it, and the other one is doing great. It actually had about 12 cherries on it and this is it's first year. When I walk the dogs I walk by and pick a cherry or two and eat it, even though they are sour cherries. My older sis LOVES cherries. She picks them at my folk's old place and her own. This year she drove from Garden City to Pratt to pick them at her sister-in -law's place. She will make jelly, pies, whatever she can. A lot of the time they just go in the freezer until she has time to work them.

Britt, the youngest GP has been staying out at night. We had been keeping her in the barn at night because we were afraid she was too small to be out tagging after the big guys when they go after coyotes at night. She is pretty big now, but still a puppy at heart. She has found all kinds of trash to drag up in the yard. Usually it's sticks that she leaves right where we will trip over them. Last night she found all kinds of stuff from who knows where and left them in the yard and driveway. I need to go clean up the yard. Silly pup.

Went downstairs and I had turkeys hatching in the incubator. The ones that hatched last week are doing great. The ones that hatched before are doing great. No flip overs. This is the first time I've hatched this many turkeys and not had a lot of losses in the first week. All of them hatched, too, except for one or two eggs that didn't appear to be fertile.

Well, I better get busy. I've got a roast in the oven, but I need to go out and do chores. I have someone coming from Iowa to buy some chickens and I haven't even been out to take care of them yet. I've always been a little late taking care of them during the day due to my schedule.

 

[Trish44]

My GPs are starting to bark at people who come here & because of their size they're kind of afraid of them. They hadn't barked at people until just lately & now the mail lady is really afraid of them. I had some eggs come today & she didn't see me, I was out at the rabbit hutches & she heard the dogs barking, got of her car, & ran up to the front door & just laid the box on the porch. They know they're supposed to put packages on the bench, but she was afraid. She didn't know the dogs were still in the pen from being fed. I watched her run back to her car & speed off like something was after her, wow.

 

[Ivywoods]

Just came back in. Sold a few chicks, did chores and made a neat discovery.

I was getting ready to put water in the tank for Dh's goats, and I saw something moving in the grass. There were a couple guineas nearby, and I thought it was a mouse or a rat. Upon searching farther I discovered it was about 8 baby guinea keets. The female had hatched out a batch of them, and was just taking them out for a jaunt out of the weed patch. About that time I must have gotten too close because the male guinea came at me like he was going to flog me good, so I backed up and didn't bother them. I went ahead and put some water in a shallow waterer and some feed nearby. I guess I will let her try to raise them. I hope she can without them getting too wet or something. I've always read that not too many guineas will survive if being raised outdoors by the broody momma.

I guess I may get some first hand experience with that.

 

[Trish44]

IVY, wow that's cool about the baby guineas, I hope they do OK. I have read the same thing before about guineas that you should take them away from the momma because they don't do a good job of raising them, but you can give it a try.

I sold both of the rabbits today that I had up for sale, both were the first rabbits I got for pets & I rescued them from being eaten by a huge snake, I just couldn't stand to see them eaten. The male I had more trouble letting go of than the female, he was a nice rabbit & I liked him. I sold rabbits to these people before, so I know they will take care of them, but it still was hard. They just didn't fit into my breeding program & I needed the cage space, so they had to go. I have one cage now that I can use for a cage for a momma & babies now if I need it. I have one more buck I probably will sell because he isn't pedigreed & the rest are. He is a Mini Rex that is bigger than the rest I have & not show quality like the rest, so he will have to go too. I'm supposed to be getting another little buck if I can figure out how to get him from the gal or else wait until she comes to a show in Wichita & then meet her. I was supposed to get two bucks from her, but her dogs ate one of them. I hope they don't eat the other buck too.

Well better get moving again, I just came back from eating lunch out with my DH & now I have to set off for Wichita for the afternoon. Have a good afternoon everyone, it's a beautiful day out!

 

[prairie]

Ivy, that's fantastic about the little keets! Hope you will get some pics and keep us updated as to how they are doing. Are you going to try to get them to the coop or into the run?

 

[chicken danz]

What a busy day I've had.
Ivy that's awesome about the keets. I let my girls hatch a pile of eggs late in the summer last year. Those mamas are sure protective.
DH discovered a silver pheonix in the barn attic with 7 chicks today. He got them down and she is running around the yard with them. I have no idea how many birds I have with babies following them. They actually do a pretty good job with them. They loose one now and then but most are thriving. Those babies really seem to grow and thrive well.
I have one free range female guinea who paired up with one of the males. They are always together. Before I let her out to free range she was laying and I know she still is. I just have no idea where. She hasn't gone broody yet though cause she is always around. It would be really nice is she would hatch some chicks.
I went out while ago and dug up at least 10 peonies for my daughter in law. I'm supposed to go to Manhattan next Saturday for a birthday party for my middle son, and I'll take them up there then. They have a new house and she planned on peonies along their driveway. If she knew how much work it was to dig those she'd know how much I really love her. My daughter in law is awesome.
I disinfected my hatcher and moved some more guinea and duck eggs into it today.
I'm going to take a break from hatching duck eggs for a week cause all the incubators are full again and I have more eggs coming.

 

[medawinks]

Wichita Kid, I have similar issues with chicks who are just a month apart, it is almost like 2 separate social groups in the same room . They don't get attacked, nor do the bigger ones bully them much other than to keep them from sliding under them at the food bowl, but they definitely congregate together. My oldest pullet who is a newbie to the group, not raised from a few day old chic with them, has blended in easily with the older group, however. She mothers my silkies and D'uccles, but hangs out with the others also- kind of fit in with both groups I guess. The social rules are fun to watch.... As long as they are not hurting each other. I will keep hoping Buffy gets better. I think my silkie I bought from Silkie chick had wry neck, if I remember right. She now is very content with having her head rubbed, earlobes checked out etc....by inquisitive kids. I will hope this happens for Buffy as well

Ivy, I cannot believe I would touch a live mealworm, let alone consider encouraging them to multiply.... But I have. These birds just LOVE them so! What do you have yours in? The little keets running around sounds cool!! Someday I will let my kids enjoy a momma raising some chicks here. They, my littlest 2, talk about seeing the chicks out with their momma at Danz's white often while we are feeding ours. It made a definite impression on them. More natural than the bright lights I guess, and what they craved as little ones, having been in situations similar to a brooder I guess.

Cherry sauce sounds delish! I planted raspberries, blackberries and blueberries in hopes of someday being able to use them. I love freezing strawberries and eating them on everything. I wonder if a cherry tree would produce much in my neighborhood....

We saw a Great Pyranese today- walking on a leash! Looked like a polar bear on a leash! My kids were asking me for one again. I can't imagine that they would do well in a smaller yard or as a house pet though. My yorkie poo will hang out with the chickens, but I think we would have better luck with a cute little Havanese herding dog where we live

Those of you with black copper Marans, do they roost for you? My little one from Ivy figured out the lower roost I have for the silkies, but my older two, 13 weeks still huddle in the corner of the run and wait for me to go put them up on the roost each night. Can they fly? I have never seen mine fly except to jump off the roost. My ameracaunas, regardless of age fly up high, just like the d'uccles and perch high during the day intermittently, but I never see the Marans off the ground at all unless I put them up. Also, are they supposed to eventually get copper feathers on their head? Mine are all still solid black with sheens of green in their feathers- no red in combs, in fact, my two oldest have tiny black tinted combs too.... I panicked seeing the green sheen, thinking they might be Roos, but that is the only thing that leans that direction. They are my shyest birds

 

[Ivywoods]

Wichita Kid, I have similar issues with chicks who are just a month apart, it is almost like 2 separate social groups in the same room . They don't get attacked, nor do the bigger ones bully them much other than to keep them from sliding under them at the food bowl, but they definitely congregate together. My oldest pullet who is a newbie to the group, not raised from a few day old chic with them, has blended in easily with the older group, however. She mothers my silkies and D'uccles, but hangs out with the others also- kind of fit in with both groups I guess. The social rules are fun to watch.... As long as they are not hurting each other. I will keep hoping Buffy gets better. I think my silkie I bought from Silkie chick had wry neck, if I remember right. She now is very content with having her head rubbed, earlobes checked out etc....by inquisitive kids. I will hope this happens for Buffy as well
Ivy, I cannot believe I would touch a live mealworm, let alone consider encouraging them to multiply.... But I have. These birds just LOVE them so! What do you have yours in? The little keets running around sounds cool!! Someday I will let my kids enjoy a momma raising some chicks here. They, my littlest 2, talk about seeing the chicks out with their momma at Danz's white often while we are feeding ours. It made a definite impression on them. More natural than the bright lights I guess, and what they craved as little ones, having been in situations similar to a brooder I guess.
Cherry sauce sounds delish! I planted raspberries, blackberries and blueberries in hopes of someday being able to use them. I love freezing strawberries and eating them on everything. I wonder if a cherry tree would produce much in my neighborhood....
We saw a Great Pyranese today- walking on a leash! Looked like a polar bear on a leash! My kids were asking me for one again. I can't imagine that they would do well in a smaller yard or as a house pet though. My yorkie poo will hang out with the chickens, but I think we would have better luck with a cute little Havanese herding dog where we live
Those of you with black copper Marans, do they roost for you? My little one from Ivy figured out the lower roost I have for the silkies, but my older two, 13 weeks still huddle in the corner of the run and wait for me to go put them up on the roost each night. Can they fly? I have never seen mine fly except to jump off the roost. My ameracaunas, regardless of age fly up high, just like the d'uccles and perch high during the day intermittently, but I never see the Marans off the ground at all unless I put them up. Also, are they supposed to eventually get copper feathers on their head? Mine are all still solid black with sheens of green in their feathers- no red in combs, in fact, my two oldest have tiny black tinted combs too.... I panicked seeing the green sheen, thinking they might be Roos, but that is the only thing that leans that direction. They are my shyest birds

I have my mealies in one of those stacking 3 bin plastic drawer thingies. It works okay.

The marans will roost. They are not good flyers. They are very "heavy bottomed" chickens, and mine can't get very high off the ground. If they have roosts that are like a ladder, they will work their way up, but I try not to have it so they have to fly or jump up over two feet at a time. They are just too fat for aeronautical maneuvers. They hens will get a small amount of coppering in their necks. The males get more and of course they get it on their backs and saddle feathers. Some of my pullets have had blackish combs for quite a while but the cockerel's combs pink up a lot faster.

 

[Ivywoods]

I may have to catch those guinea keets. This afternoon when I was out by the barn I heard a keet crying. When I looked here was a little lavender keet that had gotten separated from the hen, and one of the other guineas was trying to kill it. I chased off the attempted murderer and put the little keet in the brooder with the youngest turkeys. It seemed to be okay. I didn't see any of the others at the time, but I did see them later with the mother and defending father coming in and out of the weeds on the other side of the barn.

If I get a chance I will try to catch them. It's not going to be easy.