Coop Project: Maken the Plunge & Getting Chickens

[Rock Home Isle]

After dinner we went out on the deck and watched the pullets and the ducks wandering around the yard...doing what they do. We've only had these birds since early April, but it didn't take long for the chicken stories to start flowing...it was a great time.

My daughter wanted to go spend time with the birds.





I'll post a few more photos later.

 

[boochaces]

After dinner we went out on the deck and watched the pullets and the ducks wandering around the yard...doing what they do. We've only had these birds since early April, but it didn't take long for the chicken stories to start flowing...it was a great time.

My daughter wanted to go spend time with the birds.

I love this. Your daughter is great!! The birds look happy! <3

 

[Rock Home Isle]

My wife says that an animal will let you know what its name should be. They will do this by the way that they act, the way they behave...there will be an indication of what the name should be...

She has named this little pullet..."ChaCha".



ChaCha likes to be around people...she's a very friendly pullet. I have a hard time taking photos, because when she sees me in the yard she comes running over to see what I'm up to, and the rest of the flock is soon to follow. When the others wonder away, ChaCha usually makes herself at home...



...on me.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I love this. Your daughter is great!! The birds look happy! <3

I was looking through the thread this morning and was wondering, "Why I had posted twice?".....

......I didn't.

Thank you for your kind words.

My kids have never had poultry before, this is their first experience with animals of this type. My wife and I both had poultry of various types when we were kids. My wife was raised on a farm and I just grew up in the country. The last time that I had poultry was a beautiful flock of turkeys, my daughter was only 2 years old at the time. She's seen the pictures, but doesn't really remember them.

The kids love the pullets and the ducks. They both enjoy watching them and spending time with them.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Let me introduce you to...ChaCha:

ChaCha has been my wife's favorite pullet in the flock for sometime now. Making friends with a pullet is much safer than a ROO...I knew that I should have listened to my wife. ChaCha has a memorable personality. Whenever we are in the yard, she is near us clucking contentedly. She is very friendly and genuinely enjoys people. She eats up the attention that we give her. ChaCha likes to be touched, but she doesn't really like being held. She will growl whenever I pick her up.

She has the habit of climbing on me, and using me as a roost. Once she's on me the others seem to think that its safe and they hop on as well. It can be a little challenging at times to get her off of me. When I go to stand up the other birds flutter off to the ground and scamper away. ChaCha just walks across my back until she's on my shoulder by the time I'm standing. She's very quick footed. Of all the birds that I've had....ever....I've never had a bird that did that before.

When I see ChaCha...I know its her without really looking.

...below are a series of views that I generally have of ChaCha:



Not so distinct in her photos, when she was first feathering out. In her later photos you can make out a distinct patch on her chest, where her feathers just don't set right. That little feature coupled with her sweet friendly personality make her easy to identify when she's mixed in with the rest of the girls.





Whenever I'm in the yard, ChaCha is usually close by...if I ever sit down for longer than a moment; she's usually in my lap, or on my back checking my pockets for food.



For a pullet, ChaCha has facial expressions...with a face like that, how could I not stop what ever I'm doing....go back in the house...and return with a special treat.

I have such a weakness for a cute face.



Going back and looking at the Pullet Photos in this thread....You'll see lot's of Chacha.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Pecker has been gone about 4 days, there is a noticeable difference in the flock dynamics.

With Pecker in the flock, when the girls foraged in the yard, they moved as a flock. Nobody wandered off alone....everybody stayed close together and all the birds were within eye sight of each other at all times. I would go out on the deck periodically to check on things and it was very easy to count to 6 + 2 ducks. Everybody was together all the time. In the evenings as the sun set, all the birds went into the run at roughly the same time...there were no stragglers. I would go outside at a bit after sunset; herd the ducks into the run; close up the run and take care of a few chores. In the morning all I had to do was open the run and let the flock out for the day.

With Pecker gone, the flock is more spread out. The girls break up into 2's and 3's or even go their own way while foraging. We always had ROOs in the flock, and I just didn't see pullets alone, by themselves unless they were sick or injured. That could be a real problem for me down the road if there IS a problem and I don't catch it because I've gotten used to seeing the girls by themselves...so I'm seeing the differing dynamics in a flock that is absent a ROO. The girls are much friendlier and approachable with Pecker being gone. They have always come to me...but now they get closer...they are not so stand-offish as they were 5 days ago. It doesn't sound like much, it is a noticeable change. Pecker worked very hard to maintain a sense of order and control in the flock...he did a good job of keeping the flock as a unit and protecting his girls.

ChaCha walks right alongside me these days...Pecker was always between us, while ChaCha moved with us but stayed at a respectable distance.

In the evenings, I've noticed that I have a pullet or 2 that seems to want to be out with the ducks at sunset. Not a big problem, the pullets have always followed the ducks, so the ducks just lead them right into the run when they head in for the night.

I will admit that I don't like having to herd my poultry in the evenings. I want to go outside, close the run, do a few chores and go back inside for the evening. I have the Ducks trained now...when they see me after sunset these days they head strait to the run at quite a clip. I like that in my ducks; that problem is solved.

Still...it is a bit empty when I see the girls doing their morning makeup by the windows and Pecker is not among them.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Something else that I have noticed....look at the combs of the girls with Pecker and without Pecker.

With Pecker:



Without Pecker:



Their combs have really reddened up in the last few days....Coincidence?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

This morning I noticed another detail....



....Nice red comb, wattles are developing at a rate faster than the rest of the flock's. Here's my daughter holding Gildy the other night in the yard. She was named Gildy because of her nice Golden Buff coloring. We've had our suspicions....I've made mention before that there might be two cocks in the fold.

Could my dear sweet Gildy...actually be ROO 2.0?

DANG....

 

[chicken pickin]

How old are they?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

How old are they?

On Friday they will be 3 months old...