Front porch system not working quite like desired, largely because not a single family unit as intended. Sallie and bitties are too much under foot. Every time I go out, Sallie with kids comes running and despite being only a week old, chicks taking lead and readily standing on my shoes when I would rather be walking. Arrangement will be great for weighing but such close contact desired only for weighing.
Sallie is now taking brood away from house to sweet sumac patch serving as day roost for older birds. Distance covered a good 150 feet from front porch. Two trips made back and forth after noon as she would not move during rain. Canopy still not closed so protection from Coopers hawk predating on chicks minimal. Coopers made no effort to catch adults all winter despite frequently pursuing song birds among free ranging flock. Resident male Coopers hawk now working area for breeding birds and will start on bitties if song birds too difficult to catch. Eduardo (father) is investing efforts to sire more offspring by other hens rather than fathering offspring on ground. Eduardo would invest more in brood and likely be effective in detouring Coopers if Sallie only hen. He is now being a player.
Also down to 12 chicks since dog decided to play with one and slobbered it to death. Scoob got disciplined. Unless drier, warmer conditions prevail, more losses due to environmental stresses likely. Sallie has pretty serious conflict between need to foraging for herself and brood as well as brooding chicks that have a hard time keeping core temperature up. Sallie is very low in weight as I can feel when she flies up into hands for purpose of making me drop more food faster down to chicks. I am still leery of that after being flogged so many times as a kid nearly three decades ago.
