Maine

[lazy gardener]

Evil creatures. But not as bad as rats!

 

[islandgirl82]

With warmer weather yall remember the rodents. I have a horizontal 3 apartment deal with a roo in the far left and a momma with (7) 2 week old chicks in the far right apt. The middle apt had a bale of hay with a piece of scrap tin over it. I went to get hay and found a nest with 3 mice running out! Killed one but 2 got away. Right beside my momma and chicks! Today is the 2nd day after I rustled the mouse nest and this morning I discovered it had started a new nest under the waterer in the brood apt!! Makes me so mad that they are so close to momma and chicks so I'll be getting some live box traps. Chicks can't get into them and the BOs love to eat the mice I catch.

Try putting some dried mint (peppermint, spearmint or even the wild mint) or cotton balls with peppermint essential oil on them in that center apt and around the whole structure. Mice hate it.

 

[islandgirl82]

I've been putting my two new pullets outside during the days in my little isolation coop (with the exception of keeping the rooster in there yesterday) with an additional run since they got here a couple of weeks ago. At night I had them in crate in the house but after that first night they were here, I ended up with some respiratory trouble (forgetting that the same thing happened to me last time I had a couple of chicks inside) so I moved them in the crate in the big coop with the rest of the flock at night and they've been doing quite well.

I was thrilled to pieces this morning to see this when I let everyone out and before I could get the little ones into their own little area (please excuse the ruffled feathers...it's so windy today):

 

[DaQatz]

Anyone know wher you can get Guinea fowl keets in southern Maine? (I'm in the Berwicks area) Each place I've gone has bassically told me "we're not sure if we are going to order any."

 

[lazy gardener]

Island girl: How old are the littles? Sweet pic!

 

[IZZYBELLA]

With warmer weather yall remember the rodents. I have a horizontal 3 apartment deal with a roo in the far left and a momma with (7) 2 week old chicks in the far right apt. The middle apt had a bale of hay with a piece of scrap tin over it. I went to get hay and found a nest with 3 mice running out! Killed one but 2 got away. Right beside my momma and chicks! Today is the 2nd day after I rustled the mouse nest and this morning I discovered it had started a new nest under the waterer in the brood apt!! Makes me so mad that they are so close to momma and chicks so I'll be getting some live box traps. Chicks can't get into them and the BOs love to eat the mice I catch.

I am dealing with voles around the coop. Can't tell if they are getting in, or just around/under. I have never had a rodent problem near the coop before this year. They dug my yard all up this winter, too. So, I share your frustration!

Islandgirl - adorable photo! Love it when they all get along!

 

[Cknldy]

Sweet mint is growing in 2 raised beds beside the coops around the apts.

 

[islandgirl82]

The littles are somewhere between 4-6 weeks. They've been out with the big girls all day and they've all gotten along marvelously. They're very easygoing little girls as are my big girls. They've been wanting to run with the flock since their first day outside and now that the rooster is gone, I'm not so nervous about letting that happen.

I had much better results last year too with introducing 2-3 week old chicks to mature hens vs. Introducing POL pullets to the older girls. I believe it's because they're a lot less threatening to the hierarchy of the flock.

 

[lazy gardener]

How did you do that? I have nine littles that are 10 days old in the coop now. they're in a brooder with a heating pad. The bigs can look, but can't touch. 1/2" hardware cloth. Last year, the littles were introduced during free range time at around 6 - 8 weeks, and were good to go (more or less) at 9 weeks. If I remember correctly.

 

[islandgirl82]

I only use hot water bottles when I have young chicks brooding - my family owns land on an island that's completely off the grid. I grew up out there and lived there year round until 3 years ago and some old habits just haven't died. I've never lost a chick and I feel it makes them hardier birds. Since I started keeping them, all my chicks were introduced to the great outdoors at 2 weeks (when they have more feathers than fluff) - the plan has always been, if they're huddling together they're just not ready and I would need to bring them back in but that's never happened either - just the opposite. They've all gotten right to scratching, dirt baths, sun-bathing, being playful - all those things that chickens love.

I think this time in particular has gone so smoothly because two little pullets aren't even close to causing the kind of stress the rooster was causing to my girls and the timing was perfect in culling him at the same time as letting them out all together. I too, make sure the initial intros are made safely with seeing but not touching for at least a couple of weeks prior to having everyone mingle. I also make sure I'm right there to stand over them as "mother hen", should anyone get pushy but that hasn't happened with this pair of chicks so far.

I introduced two different ages to my flock last year and the first trio was about 10 weeks and my senior gals didn't take as kindly to them as they did the 2-3 week old pair that was introduced later. In turn, once the trio had reached POL, they had much harder time with the pair of littles - almost like they weren't young enough to be playful with them but weren't mature enough to willingly accept them.

This year, the girls are all mature so the littles aren't dealing with "jealous big sisters". In the photo, they're flanked by my two senior hens - the one on the left being the top hen who rules sternly but gently and the SLW who viciously protected the younger hens from the rooster by attacking him and chasing him all over any time he started bullying them.

Maybe it's just the mix of personalities in my flock that works well for everyone, or just the timing but they all seem happy together. I also free range exclusively - working from home allows me to do that so there isn't an issue of space requirements per bird other than in the coop.