Kat’s Journey into Chicken Keeping

[LaFemmeKatia]

The ducks thoroughly enjoyed the floods. They were happily swimming in the swelled-to-overflowing pond when I went over to check things. Their house is on slightly higher ground so that stayed dry.
The more water and mud in their environment, the more they like it.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

She looks a lot bigger in the last picture...who knew chickens were so fluffy...Lol

Sounds like you had a full day of it!

They are fluffy! When she was clean and dry she was a ball of feathers.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

About once a week I go into town for food. The local Food Lion.
When I pass the hardware store, I stop in to buy crickets. They sell crickets at three bucks for 100. They don’t count them, they put them in a container and when it’s full, they assume there are 100. I always get two bags, one for the chickens and one for the ducks.
When the birds see me coming with the little brown paper bags they come running! When I let the bugs out of the bags mayhem ensues. They go crazy darting after the crickets, and it doesn’t take long for them to gobble them up.
These birds like anything I feed them, but I have to say, bugs are the thing they love more than anything.

 

[BY Bob]

Oh man, what a day. After two days and nights of heavy rains there was a mud mess waiting for me this morning.
The area of the run that I fenced off for the chicks was a mess. The yard had pretty much flooded.
That was some cleanup! I used a bag of pine chips to cover the ground in the run, and had to clean mud off of feeders and waterers.
Then I had to bathe a chicken!
They all were a little dirty, mostly their legs, but one girl must have taken a mud bath, because she was covered.
I bathed her with dishwashing liquid and warm water in the sink. She seemed to really enjoy it! Who knew chickens like luxuriating in a bath!
I didn’t take pictures, I had my hands full.
But afterward...
View attachment 2339278
I put the hair dryer on her on low.
View attachment 2339279

Then I made her an egg yolk for breakfast.
View attachment 2339280

Looking good!

 

[BY Bob]

About once a week I go into town for food. The local Food Lion.
When I pass the hardware store, I stop in to buy crickets. They sell crickets at three bucks for 100. They don’t count them, they put them in a container and when it’s full, they assume there are 100. I always get two bags, one for the chickens and one for the ducks.
When the birds see me coming with the little brown paper bags they come running! When I let the bugs out of the bags mayhem ensues. They go crazy darting after the crickets, and it doesn’t take long for them to gobble them up.
These birds like anything I feed them, but I have to say, bugs are the thing they love more than anything.

I have always wanted to do that. You have inspired me to try it.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Well, my smaller chicks have been in their little run next to their big sisters for 3 1/2 weeks. This morning, when I had the door open my little GLW ran out into the main area. I have to say, she did not get a warm welcome! The big girls were hostile to say the least and attacked her. I rescued her and put her back in her “nursery”.
The younger chicks are 7 1/2 weeks old, and the bigger girls are 18 1/2 weeks old and probably twice their size.
When will it be safe to let them begin to mingle?
There are four bigger girls and nine littler ones.
Any advice?

 

[BY Bob]

Well, my smaller chicks have been in their little run next to their big sisters for 3 1/2 weeks. This morning, when I had the door open my little GLW ran out into the main area. I have to say, she did not get a warm welcome! The big girls were hostile to say the least and attacked her. I rescued her and put her back in her “nursery”.
The younger chicks are 7 1/2 weeks old, and the bigger girls are 18 1/2 weeks old and probably twice their size.
When will it be safe to let them begin to mingle?
There are four bigger girls and nine littler ones.
Any advice?

I like that you are set up so they can see each other. I tend to start integration around 8 weeks so you are not far off of that.

The littles will need get-away space. This is so the can avoid the bigs. Installing an opening that is big enough for them to enter/exit into their current location as well as things they can get up onto will help a bunch. I would start with observed interaction time in case you need to step in.

Do you free range at all? I use free range time to create additional integration time. I generally start with an hour before bedtime and go from there. Increasing the time they can mingle as I go along.

Good luck

 

[cavemanrich]

Do you free range at all? I use free range time to create additional integration time.

This was going thru my mind as I was reading here today. And near the end of your post,,,,,, our minds think alike. ..
I just integrated 2 new chickens into my flock last week.

 

[BY Bob]

This was going thru my mind as I was reading here today. And near the end of your post,,,,,, our minds think alike. ..
I just integrated 2 new chickens into my flock last week.

That's because it works.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Do you free range at all? I use free range time to create additional integration time. I generally start with an hour before bedtime and go from there. Increasing the time they can mingle as I go along.

I haven’t done this yet. I want to put up some kind of fence to give them some protection. But I do want to do this eventually. Sooner rather than later Hopefully.