flocking nuts
Chirping
We have 2 small flocks, although only planned on one. We bought 6, 5 pullets and a roo. A hen had taken up residence on the other side of the fence in the neighbiring avocado grove before we moved in, and hatched 10 chicks the day we brought ours home. She rejected one that we rook in, and we found one dead within a week.
Mamma and her brood took up residence in our yard, and really became part of the family. She would eat from our hands, but made sure the little ones kept their distance. Since we made a small coop to move ours outside, but hadnt gotten around to building our suprise flock a coop or figuring out how we would have gotten her and the chicks in. Our 4th began with the realization that mamma and one of her chicks were gone. We checked and called, but she was nowhere!
My first loss as a chicken lover hurt more than expected, and the guilt was terrible for not having found a way to protect her. After 4th of July festivities, and getting the little one to sleep we started building. By 3am we had something safe for the chicks, and were able to use salvaged pieces as they were to avoid waking our sleeping little one.
Its made of 2 crates for shipping plants, the bottom pallet from a shipping crate, and a door i stripped off some road treasures. All in all i think it was successful.
The chicks are scared, but from what ive read i need to keep them in the coop for a few days if i want them to make it their home return to it at night. I feel bad keeping them confined since they'venever been cooped up, and are now motherless, but I think im doingthe right thing. We didnt figure out how to keep mamma safe, i have to keep her babies safe.
Mamma and her brood took up residence in our yard, and really became part of the family. She would eat from our hands, but made sure the little ones kept their distance. Since we made a small coop to move ours outside, but hadnt gotten around to building our suprise flock a coop or figuring out how we would have gotten her and the chicks in. Our 4th began with the realization that mamma and one of her chicks were gone. We checked and called, but she was nowhere!
My first loss as a chicken lover hurt more than expected, and the guilt was terrible for not having found a way to protect her. After 4th of July festivities, and getting the little one to sleep we started building. By 3am we had something safe for the chicks, and were able to use salvaged pieces as they were to avoid waking our sleeping little one.
Its made of 2 crates for shipping plants, the bottom pallet from a shipping crate, and a door i stripped off some road treasures. All in all i think it was successful.
The chicks are scared, but from what ive read i need to keep them in the coop for a few days if i want them to make it their home return to it at night. I feel bad keeping them confined since they'venever been cooped up, and are now motherless, but I think im doingthe right thing. We didnt figure out how to keep mamma safe, i have to keep her babies safe.
