Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

[Ridgerunner]

I used the garden hoe to scrape off the droppings board. Also a double use tool. Lots of different solutions.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I keep rakes and long handled loppers within reach of my two sub-yards. I have to be careful bashing venomous snakes on the head. On more than one occasion venom has splashed onto my glasses that would have otherwise caught me in the eye when shoveling pit vipers in the head.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Square Mouth Spade. My aim is no longer adequate for relying on a hoe. Also, spade is convenient for moving deep bedding on almost 100 sq ft of raised floor.

Flat blade shovel. The other coop has the spading fork.

 

[Molpet]

Flat blade shovel. The other coop has the spading fork.

Spading fork was hard to get a young opossum. Kept being between the tines. He got away through perimeter 2x4 field fence. I couldn't get a snake with it. Fortunately the snakes haven't been a problem.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I don't aim well. Best option seems to be pin it down and go get something sharper. I can usually manage that. When they're full of eggs or chicks they don't move as easily, and when they're all coiled up digesting they're easier to hit. I don't like killing, but I can't have them killing the babies. I had 0 chick survivors the first year, primarily because of snakes. One possum attack.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I let the chicks out for the first time today. I stuck around jic Mr. Snek decided to crash the party, but he was totally absent.

I didn't take my phone out or I would have gotten the cutest pictures ever, with the chicks scampering around the roo while he found food for them. Didn't precisely tit-bit, but pretty close. No sound, but he would pick up a piece of food and drop it.

He and one of the pullets (not laying yet) were very attentive to the babies. The others kept their distance.

These chicks are 2 weeks old. Without a broody to guard them I usually let them out to free range full time at about 4 weeks. If they have a broody she usually has them out within a few days.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Spading fork was hard to get a young opossum. Kept being between the tines. He got away through perimeter 2x4 field fence. I couldn't get a snake with it. Fortunately the snakes haven't been a problem.

Not sure if this applies in every case, but the possum that got one of my chicks just froze. I upended a garbage can over him, slid a lid underneath and he was officially done for. I've done the same with small snakes and field mice.

 

[Molpet]

Not sure if this applies in every case, but the possum that got one of my chicks just froze. I upended a garbage can over him, slid a lid underneath and he was officially done for. I've done the same with small snakes and field mice.

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. There were 3 small that showed up and all ran

 

[LaurenRitz]

I was keeping food out at all times because of broodies and chicks. Now that the chicks have their own isolated food I started feeding the adults later in the day.

7:00, they acted like they were starving. 8:00, 9:00, STARVING how could you betray us like this???

Today I was gone and fed them when I got back, about 10:30.

No interest. A few nibbled, then walked away. Both coops the same. I'll keep it at 10 for a couple weeks, then move it up again. Their afternoon feeding should be their only feeding.

If they can fill up by foraging, I may be able to eventually phase out the afternoon feeding as well. We'll see.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I have a purebred Bielefelder who hasn't laid an egg since this heat started. She has slowed down considerably, she just acts old (which she's not, she's about 2), but some of the others treat her like a revered Elder. She won't push her way in to the food, but if she approaches they'll back off and wait for her to eat.

I know she has problems, and honestly I didn't expect her to last this long. She had epilepsy as a chick and her eggs are deformed, but until the last month she's been my most consistent layer, averaging 8 days on, one day off, but going up as high as 21 days at a stretch.

I wonder if she'll start laying again once the heat ends. I will never set her eggs and she's never gone broody, but of all my hens she's the one I wish could add her good traits to the population.