E's flock - chicken math is real! (and working towards sustainable meat bird flock)

[imacowgirl2]

One of the best parts of fall mornings is getting to listen to Truck (our roo) crow in the mornings! He is finally to the point where he doesn't sound like a dying animal when he crows...I didn't realize how much I would enjoy hearing him in the mornings!!

 

[imacowgirl2]

E had officially named all the subflocks as of today:

• Firecracker just gets her own name since she is the only original March hen left.
• The June 8 babies are The Hooligans
• The August 10 babies are The Chicken Nuggets
• The August 30 babies are The Chubbies.

Current flock:

1. Firecracker
2. The Hooligans
   1. 2 Buff Orpington
   2. 3 Barred Rock
   3. 4 California White
   4. 3 Red Star
   5. 1 Black Australorp
   6. 3 Blue Australorp (incl the roster, "Chicken Truck")
   7. 2 Blue Star
3. The Chicken Nuggets
   1. 5 California White
   2. 2 Easter Egger
   3. 3 Buff Orpington
4. The Chubbies
   1. 10 New Hampshire

Typo on the Chicken Nuggets -- they are 5 Leghorns, not 5 California Whites.

 

[crystlln]

We also put 4 more wheelbarrow loads of mulch in the run as well as 3 outside the coop on the areas that have been worn down to bare dirt this weekend. In the next couple weeks we need to get probably another 10 or so loads moved into the run since they finally have all the grass from the expanded area worn down -- I want to make sure we have enough in the run to last the winter so we aren't trying to move frozen mulch in the winter...and I definitely do not want a muddy run, especially come spring time before the mulch pile is unfrozen.

I collect all my neighbors' bagged leaves and cram then in my shed. (Probably could store outside too). My spoiled chickens won't go outside after a snow storm until I've scattered a bag of leaves in their run. Really cuts down on the mess and gives them something exciting to play with.

Just want to be a little careful about tree species and make sure the leaves are dry so they don't ferment. Those bags go straight in the compost. I used 20+ bags last winter. (Sometimes just for entertainment value.) Great compost in run to collect in the spring too.

 

[imacowgirl2]

New roosts up in the run, more mulch added, prep done for permanently covering the dust bath with tin instead of plastic, and the Chubbies are enjoying their first full day of integration. Since the big Chubbies are about the same size as the smaller Chicken Nuggets it's been a total non-event and I totally suspect the Nuggets and Chubbies are going to form a single sub-flock until the roosters are split into a bachelor pad within the next couple weeks.

 

[imacowgirl2]

Didn't get any pictures, but the dust bath area and "lounge" above it are both now covered...solid tin on the top so the lounge and dust bath have some shade in the summer and clear roofing sheets on the sides to allow for some sunny, wind-free (and snow free!) areas in the winter.

Also one step closer to having the free range pen done. The electric fence wire is now weed free, not touching the ground on the hill, and strung everywhere it needs to go. Had to run some additional wire to connect the free range fence to the backyard fence, so took advantage of that need and ran it around the coop area to keep dogs and cows (and any nighttime predators that get any ideas) further away from the coop area. Now just waiting on my husband to help me hook up and mount the charger, and we will be that much safer from farm dogs and night time predators.

 

[imacowgirl2]

Turns out at least 2 of our "Leghorns" in the Chicken Nugget group are not Leghorns after all, but Ideal 236 -- basically a California White. Never noticed before this message on Ideals page:

Ideal reserves the right to substitute the Ideal 236 unless White Only White Leghorns are ordered.

We are going to need to get the Chicken Nuggets banded soon, while it is still easy to tell the cockerels from the pullets.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Turns out at least 2 of our "Leghorns" in the Chicken Nugget group are not Leghorns after all, but Ideal 236 -- basically a California White. Never noticed before this message on Ideals page:


We are going to need to get the Chicken Nuggets banded soon, while it is still easy to tell the cockerels from the pullets.

Good luck with everything!

 

[imacowgirl2]

Attempted to hook up the fence charger tonight... frustrating evening that ended up with fence charger needing to be returned because it appears to be defective. Tomorrow I shall return it and we will try again.

 

[imacowgirl2]

Lost another one of the cockerel Chubbies yesterday .. Managed to get his head stuck in the fence Now we are down to 3 cockerels so looks like we will be eating 1 cockerel and 3-4 pullets out of this batch. That will leave us with 2 roos and 2-3 hens.

Tomorrow or Wednesday is bachelor pad creation day...Truck is getting increasingly dominant and I don't want to have to butcher him before breeding him to the Australorps for next year's eggs if I can avoid it (which will happen the first time he attacks a human) - so the boys are going in the bachelor pad where he will have less interaction with us humans (because he won't be free ranging with the hens) and therefore will be less likely to get himself in trouble. E is looking forward to being able to pick up her hens again (I've had her not pick up the hens within his sight for past few weeks to prevent him from thinking she is "mating" with them or trying to steal/claim them).

 

[imacowgirl2]

Also banded half the flock last Friday ..rest of them will get banded this week after the bachelor pad is created.