Hatching with 2 broodies

[lizgarf]

Today went pretty well, all things considered. The Brady girls still do their intimidation routine at times, but there was much calmer mingling in the backyard today, for the most part.
It was hard to capture on film, with the lighting, but here is a picture of all 8 in the favorite lemon tree dust-bathe spot:


Rousseau has been almost friendly with the Bradies. I think she's finally trying to wean herself from her babies (as opposed to the other way around), and is hanging out more with the other hens and even occasionally pecking the bubs. She's also started doing a very cute behavior I had forgotten about, where she plays hard to get before returning to the coop, apparently to get me to grab her so she can squat for me. Silly puffball. When she's not barking her head off, she's pretty adorable.


Herding them back to the coop was easier this time, though still took some patience and an awful lot of scratch. I don't know why they all refuse to use the run to go back to the coop. It is surprisingly hard to enforce (see Marsha's 100 foot flight yesterday to avoid it).

The fight for roost dominance is still causing me headaches, though. I realize I'm being the worst kind of helicopter chicken mom, but I can't stand to see Marsha pecking the home flock off their roost. I know I shouldn't interfere anymore, but it was breaking my heart to see Lucy looking for a place to go, and then each successive hen in the fam getting pecked off, even thought there's plenty of room for everyone. I kept putting Marsha back on the other roost, but then Jan would start pecking the home flock, and I moved her too. Then the two of them battled for the least bad spot on the far roost. I realize all of you have had much smaller babies get dissed at nighttime, so I really need to just human-up and let them do their thing. Tomorrow night, I will sit on my hands. I promise!

The best news of the day, though, is that I heard back from the neighbor I had reached out too, and while she's not thrilled with the bees or chickens, she supports my right to have them, and they haven't been much of a nuisance for her. It appears she had made some assumptions about their conditions, so I've invited her to come see them. If she only knew how much time I spend caring for them! Anyway, even with the Bradies and not including the new run or the backyard, they have twice as much space as the average Oakland chicken. If anything, they're loud because they're spoiled! Now, we just need to keep Desi on the down low. No new toots from him today, by the way. But, I picked up some velcro today to try to fashion my own collar, if it comes to it soon. I haven't heard from the patented collar lady - sounds like her business is booming, and she's just started having them commercially produced!
So, I celebrated with making Spanish tortilla for dinner! Even just 3 laying hens feels like an abundance of eggs after the great broody/molt of 2013! Hoping for 6 layers soon and 7 around the corner!

And this also makes me happy:

 

[Teila]

Liz, that is a good day! Nice to see everyone making friends
Gees, I hope Rosseau does not get too bossy with her babies; Cilla went way over the top for a couple of weeks there to the point that they still don't trust her not to bash them!
Luv the piccies
The neighbour-news seems positive also; shame those girls of yours are not laying more eggs, you could maybe give her half a dozen as a peace token

Remember how you stressed a little over Desi when he was a bubby; boy? girl? boy? girl? etc??
Sadly, I am going through that with Suzi now. I've stressed and I've got Silkie breeder opinions, two of which say Roo but as they are apparently not qood quality Silkies, it is difficult to tell because of the single comb not walnut comb. Then I'm thinking if Suzi is a roo and Tina is a girl I am going to have to separate them and they are the best of friends and Tina (who apparently might also be a Roo! I very highly doubt that) will miss Suzi so much etc etc

Last night I said "enough"! This could go on for another 6 months and even if everyone says Roo she could still lay an egg! I am NOT going to stress; I am going to go back to waiting for a crow or an egg and then I will or will not worry as needed!

 

[lizgarf]

Oh, Teila, that is stressful!! It is very hard to think of separating our babies from each other or us. I know it happens all the time, but it is still an ugly possibility to face. Are your babies making any strange noises? Desi hasn't made a lot of rooster-like noise, but when he does it is very distinct!

Yes, the neighbor situation is positive. We've communicated enough that I don't think anyone nearby will be an impediment to my farming. As for Desi, it'll likely depend on making sure he isn't much louder than the others (and Rousseau sets a high bar for that), and that remains to be seen! Hoping to have plenty of eggs to share eventually!

One week since I brought the Brady girls home, and today was the most civil yet. They were a practically seamless flock in the backyard today, though Marsha inexplicably ran up and jumped Bettina, while Bettina was having a little cuddle with me. Oh, Marsha. I was very good and did not check on their roost maneuverings until sunset and was pleasantly surprised to see the Bradies on the far roost and the home flock holding their "ground" on the main roosts. It would have been fun to see how that unfolded, but I'm just relieved to have not interfered and to have it work out with everyone with a spot!

 

[Pooman]

Well, this is crazy this.... 75 pages of chicken love hahaha, it just keeps rolling.

So you may know its summer and we are at day 2 of 4 of 40+ oC (thats 100+ oF for the US peeps)...

After The Goliath incident i decided id install some evaporative cooling on the broody coop, thats one system and another system around the yard and on 2 other coops I'm using. Its so awesome, its better inside the coop than my house. I got a little sunburnt finishing it off yesterday but the girls are happier for it.

The broody coop has misters covering the open wall, sprinklers on the roof and the west facing wall. Just need to get a timer as it cant be left running all the time, the place would turn into a swamp.

It was easy and cheap, spent about $60 on the pipes, misters fittings etc and it quite extensive. I would recommend it if you get hot temps in summer, it wont work so well if it becomes stupidly humid though.

Keep up the good work girls, I'll try to get some photos sorted

 

[Teila]

Pooman, well hello Stranger! lol.
Good to see you again. Yep, I noticed the other day that we had piled up quite a few pages and way more visits!

Liz, yep, I am not thinking about any hypotheticals; just going to wait and see who is what!

Silkies are supposed to have walnut combs, not single combs. My two appear to have a combination single/walnut comb. If you remember, when I gave the three siblings away, I was convinced that they were roosters because at 8-9 weeks they already had visible combs while Tina and Suzi did not. Also, the chest-bump dance was a multiple times per day event.
At 13 weeks and 5 days, Suzi's comb is bigger than Tina's but I really do think that the combs on the 3 I gave away would be significantly bigger now. Also, the chest-bump dance has become a once a week thing, if that.

Maybe I am living in denial but other than comb size and Suzi being ever so slightly bigger than Tina, not much at all, these two are identical.

Neither is showing dominance over the other.
They are both making the same noises; clucking like Cilla and Dusty. The only crowing attempts have been the two from Dusty; silly girl!!!
They both still run back into the coop if spooked.

The breeder did say that she thought she could see streamers on Suzi but also that she was only guessing.

Anyway, as I said, I am not making any rash decisions and could have 5 months or so before I know.

Tina:





Suzi:

 

[lizgarf]

Those combs don't look significant to me, Teila - they're smaller than Lucy's, for instance - but I don't have any experience with Silkies. Wouldn't a rooster's comb be red by now, regardless of the type? I think you're perfectly rational to keep hoping they're hens!
Nice work on those evaporators, PM! Yay for cool chicks!

 

[Teila]

Those combs don't look significant to me, Teila - they're smaller than Lucy's, for instance - but I don't have any experience with Silkies. Wouldn't a rooster's comb be red by now, regardless of the type? I think you're perfectly rational to keep hoping they're hens!
Nice work on those evaporators, PM! Yay for cool chicks!

Thank you Liz ... what would I do without the wonderful support of Team Broody!!

Yep, haven't given up hope!

 

[MistyMountain]

Super great news about your neighbor, Liz! Glad to hear everyone is getting along! This racket that Rousseau makes, does it sound like a mini T-rex is in your yard? If so, I have a white leghorn (Floppy) who has the same noise making abilities. If I didn't know it was a chicken making that noise, I might would think I have a sasquach in my back yard!

Teila, hang in there! You've got a while anyhow! I am a bit jealous of the single comb on your silkies. I am not a fan on the walnut combs at all. I kind of want to reach out a pet Tina and Suzi! They look sooo soft! I looked up those pobblebonks and tree frogs, how cool!! Very excited to hear how those are doing as well! I think they sell the green tree frogs in pet stores around here.

PM, awesome on the misters! I don't know what I would do if our temps ever got that high! Our house now is further from the city, which is kind of like being down in a big bowl. We are consistently 10 degrees cooler up here. It's going to help with the power bill this summer not to have to run the ac so much.

So, after the rubber egg on Sunday and no egg on Monday, I check the coop one extra time yesterday afternoon… and what do I find? A mini egg!!!! It was so perfect. I flew into the house with it and told my husband "we're grandparents!!!" I don't think he was impressed. Anyhow, cooked that little thing up and had to have a sword battle with my son over who got the last bite. It was AMAZING!!

The big egg is a store bought size large. YAY!!

Off to PT. Have a great day everyone!

 

[lizgarf]

Super great news about your neighbor, Liz! Glad to hear everyone is getting along! This racket that Rousseau makes, does it sound like a mini T-rex is in your yard? If so, I have a white leghorn (Floppy) who has the same noise making abilities. If I didn't know it was a chicken making that noise, I might would think I have a sasquach in my back yard!

If the mini T-Rex was in severe distress, it might sound similar. Honestly, I'm starting to lose it. Rousseau's hollering is so loud and insistent and constant, it's bringing out the worst in me. It's really, really bad. It's the worst when she's trying to lay an egg, but it's bad on the days she doesn't lay too. I don't know how the other hens can stand it, because I can't, and I usually have some walls separating me.

Somehow when I had 5 laying hens, they shared the nests without any fuss. Now 3 hens can't seem to work it out (which seems to have something to do with why Rousseau has been hollering all day). I don't know what do about it, but we need to come up with a solution, because Rousseau is too darn cute to get rid of.

Congrats on the egg, MM! Sounds like there will be plenty in your near future!

 

[Teila]

If the mini T-Rex was in severe distress, it might sound similar.

OMG Liz, I just spluttered coffee all over my monitor...luckily I am the only one in the office at the moment because I am seriously laughing out loud; that cracked me up!!!!