I started my chook adventures just a few months ago, so it's all a bit bizarre still for us.
We have a 7000m2 citrus fruit orchard in South West Turkey, so got the chickens to keep the scorpions at bay, and for some eggs. Glad to say, they are doing both jobs satisfactorily.
However, what a bunch of mad chooks they are.
We had 1 rooster (Fred) and 3 hens to start, all quite young. One small red hen (Audrey) was often excluded from things, a blong gal that 'rules' (Tilly) and a little black speckled thing (Kitty) who has a stinky attitude. Then we added 2 more beige hens, normal looking, about a month later, called Mandie and Millie. They refuse to sleep indoors, preferring one of the trees.
I built a hen house 1.5m x 2.5m with 2 storeys, 3 boxes up top, a rail, ramp etc etc. Positive luxury compared to most 'boxes' they stuff the flocks into here. Anyway, they seem to like it, and lay in the box where I put 2 hard boiled eggs. All very civilized.
Then Kitty, the black speckled hen, started to sit. I gave her 7 eggs and separated her into her own run, 5 hatched 2 weeks ago (1 chick is being hand reared after being kicked out). Currently, she is in a wire covered run (1.5m x 2.0m), with her own large fruit crate box with a door. Seems ok with her chicks.
Then Mandie (new gal) started to sit. She is also now in her own crate with a 1m x1m attached run, sat on 9 eggs, due next week.
Audrey (small red hen, often excluded), fell out with Fred, big time. Went off on her own for 10 days. Came back recently, but as a young rooster (ok, so I got that one wrong). Fred chases him everywhere, but he's faster. Called him Nigel now, not Audrey by the way. Lives in another tree.
So now I have a chicken house with just Fred and Tilly in there at nights. Millie is in the pear tree nearby, but socializes and lays ok, so no problem with her. Mandie and Kitty are in their own pens, with chicks, or soon to have.
Questions:
Do I have to keep all 3 'sets' apart, and for how long? I want to get them all together eventually.
Will Nigel ever be accepted?
Will Nigel be ok once the chicks grow; maybe he can have some girlies of his own that way?
And I thought the fuit farming time consuming, these chooks are mad, but great fun too.
We have a 7000m2 citrus fruit orchard in South West Turkey, so got the chickens to keep the scorpions at bay, and for some eggs. Glad to say, they are doing both jobs satisfactorily.
However, what a bunch of mad chooks they are.
We had 1 rooster (Fred) and 3 hens to start, all quite young. One small red hen (Audrey) was often excluded from things, a blong gal that 'rules' (Tilly) and a little black speckled thing (Kitty) who has a stinky attitude. Then we added 2 more beige hens, normal looking, about a month later, called Mandie and Millie. They refuse to sleep indoors, preferring one of the trees.
I built a hen house 1.5m x 2.5m with 2 storeys, 3 boxes up top, a rail, ramp etc etc. Positive luxury compared to most 'boxes' they stuff the flocks into here. Anyway, they seem to like it, and lay in the box where I put 2 hard boiled eggs. All very civilized.
Then Kitty, the black speckled hen, started to sit. I gave her 7 eggs and separated her into her own run, 5 hatched 2 weeks ago (1 chick is being hand reared after being kicked out). Currently, she is in a wire covered run (1.5m x 2.0m), with her own large fruit crate box with a door. Seems ok with her chicks.
Then Mandie (new gal) started to sit. She is also now in her own crate with a 1m x1m attached run, sat on 9 eggs, due next week.
Audrey (small red hen, often excluded), fell out with Fred, big time. Went off on her own for 10 days. Came back recently, but as a young rooster (ok, so I got that one wrong). Fred chases him everywhere, but he's faster. Called him Nigel now, not Audrey by the way. Lives in another tree.
So now I have a chicken house with just Fred and Tilly in there at nights. Millie is in the pear tree nearby, but socializes and lays ok, so no problem with her. Mandie and Kitty are in their own pens, with chicks, or soon to have.
Questions:
Do I have to keep all 3 'sets' apart, and for how long? I want to get them all together eventually.
Will Nigel ever be accepted?
Will Nigel be ok once the chicks grow; maybe he can have some girlies of his own that way?
And I thought the fuit farming time consuming, these chooks are mad, but great fun too.
