Growing my little flock

[DonyaQuick]

Ugggghhhhh nothing can ever go entirely smoothly can it. I just had to separate Scruffy from the chicks - not because she was being mean to them or anything, but she's started trying to treat them more like would be acceptable for older chicks (too much forage time, not enough sitting/warming) and also has become insistant on only wanting to eat either junk or really high protein stuff like dried crickets. I let it go for a couple days because it was warm and the chicks have feed available even if Scruffy wasn't interested in it, but it just wasn't working out. It was more like she was doing her own thing and jusr not complaining if they went under her. As soon as it got a bit colder I had chilly chicks seeking out my hands for warmth. Scruffy is also starting her post-broody molt early, so I think her un-broodying is just moving along too fast.

So then I tried taking Scruffy back outside for a reintroduction. In the past this hasn't been too bad with her; there are just a couple hens I have to manage and I've re-integrated her in a matter of 1-2 days before. Her weight right now is 4.8lbs if I'm a bit generous. Mr Monster is a solid 9lbs now. She walked up, grabbed his neck feathers and flipped him right onto his back. I guess Mother of The Kang actually has the same kung fu powers as her son!

For now, Scruffy is in a carrier next to the chicks, just not in with them, and the chicks have a heat lamp. She's eating better that way, the chicks are also eating better that way since they aren't eating junk, and it generally seems to be working for now. I may actually have to build another large crate-like thing to reintegrate her though.

 

[DonyaQuick]

Looking like I guessed wrong on my first vibe check of the second batch of chicks! Still looking like only one boy but it's not the one I thought.

This was my first suspect. Zero comb stuff going on!

And my new suspect...sure looks like some comb stuff happening and also a growth spurt to being the biggest of the 3 main flock babies.

I sure hope one of those two is a boy...otherwise it will be a rougher time later on for the Kang going into the bachelor flock without a friend.

My husband is guessing four pullets.

 

[fuzzi]

Looking like I guessed wrong on my first vibe check of the second batch of chicks! Still looking like only one boy but it's not the one I thought.

This was my first suspect. Zero comb stuff going on!
View attachment 4125685

And my new suspect...sure looks like some comb stuff happening and also a growth spurt to being the biggest of the 3 main flock babies.
View attachment 4125684

I sure hope one of those two is a boy...otherwise it will be a rougher time later on for the Kang going into the bachelor flock without a friend.

My husband is guessing four pullets.

Second one looks like a boy.

 

[DonyaQuick]

The universe does not want to let me have an easy time of it this year...

Raven got tapeworms. Luckily I think I actually caught it within the first day of her showing those horrible little wiggly worm tabs in her poo but still...of all the darned things!!! I don't even let my flock forage out of the enclosure for more than a brief moment at a time due to hawks, but somewhere in that she managed to eat an infected slug or something. I already had the requisite meds on hand, so Raven should be fine soon if not already. There is supposedly no fecal-oral route for chicken tapeworms, yet I'm both supposed to treat the whole flock and repeat the treatment in 10-14 days even though the meds should supposedly wipe everything out in one go. I have issues with those discrepancies, but I will just follow what it says on the box. So it's going to be 3-4 weeks before my main flock is back in business as usual.

This means I can't put any chicks out with main flock until that second round of meds is done, but the big chicks very much need to start spending daytime outside. I will not be foiled so easily! Those chicks will get their outside time, for I had a backup plan all along: Vanilla Bean, who is a very good Daddy Bean.

Meanwhile, I made the critical error a while ago of letting the bean flock eggs pile for one single day due to torential rains. This seems to have triggered a low degree of broodiness all around. I just finally got Sasquatch to stop being a nest troll, then I come out to find Darth Coco telling me about how she finds the lack of eggs disturbing.