Elevated Nest to Make Viewing Easier From Window

[centrarchid]

Hatching appears to be under way starting day 22 of incubation. Two chicks so far. Down coloration of both looks like they will both be white with a black tail like their mother.

 

[centrarchid]

Chicks progressing nicely. Each evening when hen goes to roost in elevated nest, my son goes out and places chicks in with their mother. The chicks are starting to come to boy so he can pick them up and place them in the nest. My boy is gaining confidence needed to mess with broody hens. We just put out a "clamber board" so chicks can try to get into nest on their own tomorrow evening. They can fly about 3 feet up when scared now. It will be another week before they can fly into nest box on their own.

 

[centrarchid]

Chicks now able to clamber up a nearly 75 degree grade to get into the nest. It is buggy as hell this year. Chicks getting a lot of their food with little help from their mother. This experiment working well.

 

[Molpet]

Buggy is an understatement LOL

 

[centrarchid]

Hen below is daughter of white hen using elevated roost. She has 9 fully free-range chicks that she roost with on floor of garage behind broody. She and her brood clobber my efforts at biosecurity with brooder chicks.

She and brood got caught on in a rain event from storm Cristobal. The demonstrate the conflict between foraging and surviving stressor related to weather. Chicks cannot forage indefiniitly when weather poor as must be sheltered. Bigger broods must expend more time foraging when chicks small because they exhaust forage quicker in protected zone around hen and must share a big part of what mother finds for them.

We cheated with me tossing out a little starter feed which they jumped all over. The had to shelter in place for about 3 hours that normally would have involved some foraging. After eating a bit while soaked, they complained so complained to mom so she would resume brooding them. One chick got hypothermic so must be watched for next couple days.

 

[centrarchid]

Here is were chicks can learn the impossible, how to use a ramp. Remember, these are game chickens so they are smart chickens. They had two evenings where my kids put them about a foot from the top so they could climb the last little bit. Third night they went all they way up with no help.

Video from this evening, fourth evening the ramp was in place. I be proud of my fuzzy buddies. They will be given an additional week with the ramp before it is removed. Goal is to have brood roost up in a location I can protect easily. Later we will play around with making the roost inaccessible to critters like snakes and opossums. Raccoons and foxes will require more height and likely other hazards.

 

[Molpet]

Here is were chicks can learn the impossible, how to use a ramp. Remember, these are game chickens so they are smart chickens. They had two evenings where my kids put them about a foot from the top so they could climb the last little bit. Third night they went all they way up with no help.
View attachment 2187808View attachment 2187809View attachment 2187810

Video from this evening, fourth evening the ramp was in place. I be proud of my fuzzy buddies. They will be given an additional week with the ramp before it is removed. Goal is to have brood roost up in a location I can protect easily. Later we will play around with making the roost inaccessible to critters like snakes and opossums. Raccoons and foxes will require more height and likely other hazards.

Definitely smarter than the average chicken

 

[aart]

Cool!
What is the material on the ramp?

 

[RobertaD1]

This is FASCINATING! Ive not had any exposure to game hens! What great birds!

 

[centrarchid]

Cool!
What is the material on the ramp?