How would you prepare to receive a 4 moth old after 48 hours shipping?

[WVduckchick]

So according to google I am a liar. I say bad guestimator on distances!
View attachment 1253515
USPS tracking shows Tyler area to Coppell(DFW airport?)to San Antonio to McAllen then to San Benito(which is close)

Interesting! My shipment shows 512 miles on google. I didn't check the actual tracking route, just the normal driving route.
At least all the boys arrived safely at their destinations.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Hehe reached out to the seller via e-mail as he is so skittish, she suggested moving him to an outdoor pen for his comfort vs the dog crate. Nope little bugger was out of the 50x125ft run in no time! He stays on lockdown until he is settled.

---------edit--------------

She states he has had really no prior human contact.

2nd edit--- Contact with other people.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I think at this point I really am going to move him into the house to get him used to us and the pack of hounds that will be protecting him. I really don't want chicken dust in here but do not see another option.

 

[aart]

even looks like my photo

it is yours...I just photoshopped it.

Agrees to let him rest.

 

[AllenK RGV]

it is yours...I just photoshopped it.

Agrees to let him rest.

Well the deep greens came out right, this guy is more color full than my hatchery stock was, his (saddle Hackles?) are more developed than mine were at his age(or even at 6 months), but still lacks sickles, and horribly underdeveloped neck hackles have me putting him at 3-3.5 months of age vs the breeders 4 month call.

Still behaviorally he is very distrustful of humans, I reached out to the breeder and she suggested I pen him as he has never been confined. He escaped the run in no time so is back in the dog crate. I knew I messed up with bio-confinement from the start so wasn't worried about that but when he was trying to leave the property I drew a line as he wasn't inexpensive.

A 3x4' dog shipping crate must be better than what he has experienced over the last 48+ hours. Plus he gets to hear the noises of my hens grousing nearby and the sparrows.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Oh great when I put everyone to bed tonight he had shoveled out all but 5 grams of his food from the bowl. Yippee another food shoveling bird! Everything any keeper has ever wanted right?

---------eddit--------------
I really appreciate that my hens can beat him down if they feel the need. In my straight run that was most definately not the case.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Well "Houdini" made a run for it tonight at sundown. I had left the door open to his crate as he has a healthy appetite and combs/wattles are very much brighter today. The door had been open for several hours but as the sun was setting he decided it was time to find a good roost.

Not really expecting to see that skittish bird again, so RIP Houdini. I'm thinking if I want a roo I'll need to start with incubated ones.

----edit----

Our plan was to roost him tonight with the rest of the flock as we suspect no illnesses.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm struggling to follow this thread..... are you saying that having spent a fortune buying him and putting him through the stress of 2 days in the post and then nearly losing him when you opened the travel box on arrival, you have deliberately left the door to his cage open and this time he has permanently liberated himself?

 

[AllenK RGV]

I'm struggling to follow this thread..... are you saying that having spent a fortune buying him and putting him through the stress of 2 days in the post and then nearly losing him when you opened the travel box on arrival, you have deliberately left the door to his cage open and this time he has permanently liberated himself?

Exactly, I got to observe him run though! Maybe I should have gone to see Hamilton instead! HA!

No he wasn't that expensive and might survive the night but he is/was the most skittish fowl I have yet to meet. I don't think he will ever bond or appreciate people. Regardless, I didn't like seeing him contained and wanted to let him explore the porch, well his plans obviously differed from mine.

 

[AllenK RGV]

It really felt like we were making progress when he came out of the dog crate and were chilling on the porch together. But I was wrong!