You should be fine with the orps. I think we are similar climate wise. Cold nasty winters and miserably hot muggy summers. Other then a few comb tips here and there out of all my flock with frostbite I have never had any problems with any of them. In the worst days of summer with temps 100 and 80% or worse humidity my flock has learned how to take care of themselves. They either hang out in the barn or wade the creek cooling off and fishing.
Busy week (chatty week). Well done!
I read it all. Thank you for taking the time
I'm happy that Sherlock didn't get any of your chooks! Gotta keep an eye on the dogs!
Going to keep working on this. Starting with feathers in the house, then feathers outside....and not always playing with him out there.
Kungfu Master for the year of the Dragon. How appropriate!
The summer will be fun?SHRA tax x 2 Chicory already answered RC! Oh well, I guess I have a reason to post some more chicken pics
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Double edged nestbox:
The good: the girls seem to absolutely love the nest box. They are laying more often (probably time of year) and all the eggs are now actually being laid in the box! Mission accomplished right?
The not so great: Well, now that Avalon has ample room for her ample fluffy bottom it seems she has decided to start thinking about going broody.
Now my one experience with broodiness was Brownie and she would make that warning growl sound when collecting eggs but she wouldn’t peck me.
Avalon howevershe is acting more like Rebeccas description of her crazy broody girl. I had to shoo her off of 12 eggs, that she Fully covered with room to spare, with the egg basket and the. She made a run at my arm that was taking the eggs!
This spring and summer should be fun guys!!
Chicks in the house - as long as secure/safe when you aren't with them will be a VERY GOOD idea and training tool. When we got our dog as a rescue (8-9 mos. old), he would chase anything that moved. Shortly after getting him, i got chicks, they were in the mud room - like a breezeway - so not in the house. I would spend a lot of time - every chance I got -to hold a single chick and let him sniff. If he sniffed aggressively or licked hard, Chick would be pulled away. I would constantly admonish him to be gentle. When he did gentle licks or sniffs, the chick stayed. I again, would do this every chance I got for about 5 min. After about 1-2 weeks of this (and, yes, I alternated which chick - wanted them to get used to him & not run, either) I brought a couple in the house, laid on the floor, and corralled them in my arms, and would let Elroy come over an sniff. If he got too excited or 'aggressive (i.e. too rough) - I would tell him 'Gentle', if he didn't 'calm down', I would say 'leave it'...and 'sit'. This would get him to sit and calm down - but not get close. It took no time at all really for him to understand 'gentle' and that he needed to be careful with them. If he didn't calm right down, I would scoop up the chicks and away they would go. Granted, I think he was a bit older than your Sherlock is now - but he had absolutely NO training prior to me getting him - none at all. By the time the girls were 8weeks and outside full-time...he could walk right up to them - as they learned to trust him/be comfortable around him - AND he learned to be gentle with them - and that they were 'cherished' by us and to be respected. That summer - if the older girls ran when free ranging and he got too close, the chase instinct would kick in some and we would have to do stern 'NO/Leave it" and pull him back with the leash.
