Future Head Hen in Training

[Foster's Freehold]

Because of health, I can't work public work. But hub does and I just cannot sleep until he gets home. He has always work 2nd and 3rds, hates day shift. Even the kids, especially as babes, were on 2nd shift. It was a wrench when they started school and had to dayshift it.

 

[red horse ranch]

Mine are going to be paddocked with 6 ft fence. I have too many predators and since I am going to develop a breeding program, I don't want any of my foundation stock taken. Coop will be FtKnoxxed too lol. And I have dogs for the daytime, will hot wire it for nighttime. I'm thinking of getting a kitten for the chickens, have it live out there and catch mice etc.

A kitten for the chickens? Cats eat baby birds around here and even eat the rabbits. Doesn't sound like a good idea to keep cats around baby chicks. Or even half grown chicks.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Our cats Do just fine around chicks,they seem to know the difference

 

[Foster's Freehold]

A kitten for the chickens? Cats eat baby birds around here and even eat the rabbits. Doesn't sound like a good idea to keep cats around baby chicks. Or even half grown chicks.

I bet if I got a kitten, just as soon as weaned, and housed it in the coop, it would do fine with chickens. Or, I might get pup, or I might get both lol. Who knows what I'll end up with.

 

[georgieboy11]

This is one of three Barred Rock pullets I got at TSC. She's about a month old. They went to the big coop three days ago with a huddle box inside a crate. I've put them out every morning into a crate that is safe for them.

This evening, I was taking them 2 at a time (I've got a total of 6) to go back into their inside crate. They all decided they were coming at one time and rush the door. They knew dinner was waiting. I managed to gather 5 of them, but this little miss decided she wasn't waiting around and headed for the leftovers of the grown ups. Perched herself right there on the rim, starts pecking into the bottom. No worries.

Well for her, for me I was trying to keep the 5 in my hands from falling out, keep an eye on the boss GCM hen, the big GCM roo, (they are just out of shot in the pic) not step on the 5 juvie BLRW's and make my way into the coop to deposit the handful. All went well. I put the handful into their crate and took a seat to watch little miss.

I want you to know she stayed there a good 5 mins, she'd peck and look, she had no fear of the big birds at all. They were kinda stunned I think. Big Roo had put a popknot on one of them the first day, but has since ignored them. Boss hen, who is sincere about being the boss, is the first to run everyone else away from the food. Neither one of them bothered Little Miss for that five minutes.

Then, Big Roo took a step towards Little Miss. I poised for action. BigRoo is still not sure of me, so he keeps a sideways eye on what I do. I stood, hands on hips, giving him the stink eye. He decided not to cause a scene, after all, he's the new guy. Boss hen though, stepped toward the chick, gave a bit of sound and snaked her head out. Little Miss decided that while she might be big enough to take on the roo, this hen meant business. So, Little Miss decided she had had enough of being a grown up for the day and came a runnin, a flappin and a cheepin.
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She is now tucked in with her sisters, but I see in her eye the sentiment "One day, I'll be boss hen".

She's a brave little girl lol

 

[Foster's Freehold]

Yep, still brave. It was stormy yesterday so I left them in the crate in the coop. Went to refresh feed and water and she was outta there. Went to the run, walked in the mud, got rained on and high tailed it back inside lol. I have the feeling she's gonna be something lol.