Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RebeccaBoyd]

So, I have some choices to make. I have 10 for sure viable eggs left when I candled them today. Sadly, I lost all but three of the Silver laced. The eggs were extra large and I suspect that their size played a role in why those eggs have not faired as well in shipping as compared to the smaller jubilee eggs.

You guys know I have brooder/grow out tent and had planned to use it again to raise these babies. Then Brownie decided to go broody.

My coop isnt set up at this time with broody and baby chicks in mind. I have brownie in a water bowl with nesting material and she is content to sit there. This makes it sooooo much easier to get to her and switch out non fertile eggs every day or two. I did this also so I could just pick her and the nest and relocate her if needed.

Idea one: bring her into the tent in my garage and stick all the viable eggs I have left at lock down under her. This seems like a lot of eggs to sit on atm but I could well lose a few more till lockdown day which is the 30th. Advantage no way any of the other pullets could mess with her or the babies. Downside it could disrupt the pecking order and could result in a status lose for Brownie once she returns.

Idea two leave her in the coop and put the 36”high metal pen around her creating a temporary area where the other pullets couldn't steal food or harm the chicks. I would put a piece of plyboard over it to give it a lid. If I go with this option, I would give her three eggs to hatch out.
Advantage the chicks grow up with the flock seeing them. Downside the pen could possibly get breached by the chicks or it could fall over as there is no easy way I can think of to secure it to anything.

Thoughts anyone?

Having Marans myself I have a fairly good idea of how big Brownie is. I also have orps who lay large eggs. 10 eggs will be no problem for her to cover at all. She will also have no problem especially with warmer temps coming keeping 10 chicks warm during the crucial time.
With your two options I would move Brownie and her nest bowl into the tent tomorrow. This will give you time to see if the change in location is going to set her off. Some hens will absolutely not take moving nest sites, some do. If she throws a fit, starts pacing and refusing to sit in the tent even giving her eggs in there at lockdown is a no go. If you do this in the morning you will know by tomorrow afternoon if she will accept it or not.
Now if it were me, I would be inclined to give all 10 eggs to her for her to hatch out in either location. If she stays in the tent, get her and those chicks back out to the flock at a little over a week old. Personally I only isolate or try to isolate for the first day or two. My girls will whip everyone over their chicks. Brownie will not allow the other hens to harass them.
If Brownie will not stay in the tent I would set up the cage in the coop and still let her have all 10 eggs. Again only keeping them separate for a few days. You want her and the chicks intermingling. The newness of the chicks will wear off for the others in a day or so and they will be established flock members. Allowing Brownie to rear them you are doing the chicks a favor. They will be integrated from day 1 and will not have to be integrated around 6 to 8 weeks old and be picked on with no protection or a buffer like a mother is.
Also as much as I love hand rearing chicks, I cannot deny that the mothers do a 100x better job then I can do. Broody raised chicks in my opinion grow faster, learn more and just in general know how to chicken better then hand reared ones.
There is one potential problem that may arise with Brownie having chicks and I'm surprised it is not already rearing it's head. Personally from my flock observations I think broodiness is contagious. I feel if you have individuals or breeds that are prone to go broody and you allow one to sit, it is not long before others get the same idea. It comes in waves in my flock. It is very rare that I only have 1 broody at a time, normally they are in pairs. Sometimes the other girls will go broody a week or two after the first group start sitting, and sometimes they will wait until the chicks hatch to be triggered.

 

[Ponypoor]

Someone was not very happy with me today…..

We took her out of the nest box at least five times today.

I did that with Dorothy last year for 5 weeks! Yes 5 weeks! 3 times.a.day I would haul her butt outside to eat poop drink, fluff I'm the dirt.

She would run screaming back to her nest box. Finally she gave up one day.

 

[Ponypoor]

Had another adventure this evening.

Raining all afternoon. Went out to close the coop. Was greeted by Hector in the middle of the yard, along with Silver and Pear. The chicken door was knocked shut again. Only roo inside: Kren. All other boys outside....drenched.... also out (besides Silver and Pear) were Cuckoo, Nellie, Twirp, Lark, Indigo, Storm, and Pippa.

The only dry one out of the whole lot: Nellie. She'd settled back on her shelf in the carport. Cuckoo was a bit damp and tucked into a corner of the patio. Both ladies got rides back to the coop. Everyone else scurried in both doors as soon as they realized I was out there fixing the problem.

Everyone accounted for, heat is turned on so feathers can dry (BTW, chickens shake their wet feathers out like dogs after playing the pond....all over YOU!)

Kren, I'm blaming you for the door. I hope Horus decides to thump you.

Wow scary for you, sounds like Nellie is a smart cookie your carport there is a great spot to roost. I am surprised all of them didn't roost there!

 

[Ponypoor]

Having Marans myself I have a fairly good idea of how big Brownie is. I also have orps who lay large eggs. 10 eggs will be no problem for her to cover at all. She will also have no problem especially with warmer temps coming keeping 10 chicks warm during the crucial time.
With your two options I would move Brownie and her nest bowl into the tent tomorrow. This will give you time to see if the change in location is going to set her off. Some hens will absolutely not take moving nest sites, some do. If she throws a fit, starts pacing and refusing to sit in the tent even giving her eggs in there at lockdown is a no go. If you do this in the morning you will know by tomorrow afternoon if she will accept it or not.
Now if it were me, I would be inclined to give all 10 eggs to her for her to hatch out in either location. If she stays in the tent, get her and those chicks back out to the flock at a little over a week old. Personally I only isolate or try to isolate for the first day or two. My girls will whip everyone over their chicks. Brownie will not allow the other hens to harass them.
If Brownie will not stay in the tent I would set up the cage in the coop and still let her have all 10 eggs. Again only keeping them separate for a few days. You want her and the chicks intermingling. The newness of the chicks will wear off for the others in a day or so and they will be established flock members. Allowing Brownie to rear them you are doing the chicks a favor. They will be integrated from day 1 and will not have to be integrated around 6 to 8 weeks old and be picked on with no protection or a buffer like a mother is.
Also as much as I love hand rearing chicks, I cannot deny that the mothers do a 100x better job then I can do. Broody raised chicks in my opinion grow faster, learn more and just in general know how to chicken better then hand reared ones.
There is one potential problem that may arise with Brownie having chicks and I'm surprised it is not already rearing it's head. Personally from my flock observations I think broodiness is contagious. I feel if you have individuals or breeds that are prone to go broody and you allow one to sit, it is not long before others get the same idea. It comes in waves in my flock. It is very rare that I only have 1 broody at a time, normally they are in pairs. Sometimes the other girls will go broody a week or two after the first group start sitting, and sometimes they will wait until the chicks hatch to be triggered.

I also would give her all the eggs. If I could easily get Penelope's eggs from my friend's place I would, but she is a 30 min drive away. And I imaginee they are in lockdown now.

A small temporary pen about 3x3' using either 1" chicken wire or small hole hardware cloth, could easily be built, walls can be held together by pins so it can be easily taken down. And the top a lid.

I don't know if your brooder tent is see through so the others can see or not. Or how big it is.

Either way can't wait to see what you hatch out!

 

[rural mouse]

Wow scary for you, sounds like Nellie is a smart cookie your carport there is a great spot to roost. I am surprised all of them didn't roost there!

If it weren't for the chilly temps I would have encouraged all the wet ones into it so they got the idea too. They needed the heat of other dry bodies to warm up. I plan to open the coop early to evaluate the damp feathers.

 

[Marie2020]

Farewell

My Ginger left us and went to chicken heaven, in the morning of April 24th, 2023. She was 25 months old. She stayed with us for her first 17 months and was the unquestionable alpha hen.

I am very fortunate that this is the first time I lost one in my 25+ months of chicken keeping, if she even counts as we rehomed her 8 months ago. (knock on wood)

We picked up Ginger and 7 other babies on March 12th, 2021 at our local feed store. I am pretty sure they got their chicks from some big hatchery.

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Ginger at 3 months old.
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Ginger was a freedom lover. She got out of the fence all the time.
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She is the best with treats and a great forager.
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She's named Ginger because we were not creative with names and she was the darkest among all golden buffs.

She was not overly sweet. But when she wants to be on your lap, she really let you know and demanded to be picked up.
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In August 2022, Inky was bullied very bad by Ginger (perhaps because Inky molted after going broody) so we sent Ginger to my friend.

Goodbye, Ginger, we will always remember you. We will keep talking about you as the escape artist. I am glad that you are pain free now.

I'm sad to read Ginger didn't make it and sorry you lost her

She looked very much like my Tina

 

[Marie2020]

I haven't had time to sing much, not to mention it's so chilly and miserable.

But yesterday I had this thing for singing Bedknobs and Broomsticks songs - I need to download and watch again been years since I saw, anywhoooo Mr P was not impressed and let me know

Men, huh

 

[Marie2020]

It's been a lovely morning here. If it stays like this after my dog has had his walk they will go into the front garden again

 

[Marie2020]

Have a good day everyone

 

[bgmathteach]

Had another adventure this evening.

Raining all afternoon. Went out to close the coop. Was greeted by Hector in the middle of the yard, along with Silver and Pear. The chicken door was knocked shut again. Only roo inside: Kren. All other boys outside....drenched.... also out (besides Silver and Pear) were Cuckoo, Nellie, Twirp, Lark, Indigo, Storm, and Pippa.

The only dry one out of the whole lot: Nellie. She'd settled back on her shelf in the carport. Cuckoo was a bit damp and tucked into a corner of the patio. Both ladies got rides back to the coop. Everyone else scurried in both doors as soon as they realized I was out there fixing the problem.

Everyone accounted for, heat is turned on so feathers can dry (BTW, chickens shake their wet feathers out like dogs after playing the pond....all over YOU!)

Kren, I'm blaming you for the door. I hope Horus decides to thump you.

Maybe time to install a simple hook and eye clasp so the pop door doesn't get knocked shut? You can do a regular one, but I actually use the one below on my chicken tractors to hold doors shut against raccoons and they work well and are only slightly more expensive: I bought a few small extra 'eye bolts' in addition, and can use the same clasp to hold the pop door open when they are out.

Lowe's
Blue Hawk Steel Gate Hook and Eye at ...