Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

When Minnie mentioned black birds, I knew it was time to share a picture of Penguin.

He is obnoxious and a character, that I am afraid I might be stuck with unless I can find a nice home for him. He is the one my wife hatched when I was in Florida that looked so weird at birth. She loves him and I am fairly sure will not let me eat him.

I think he is a black, but I am not sure because he has some brown in him and a few whitish spots.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Ralphie and Minnie and Klop you are right about words being important. As sometimes I do...I just took a recent experience and used an example of it without thinking about it absorbed as it was. I guess with the young pup though she is not fined tuned enough to know all "words" just yet. And I was able to use the words she knew already to get the response I needed to get her to heel for me yesterday. I think consistency as you say and words take time for some dogs...and maybe I didn't explain well enough that tone is working better with my younger dog. Because she understands that first and foremost. The words with consistency and routine will come. Or I'll just use the words that work on her that will give me same results.

We use, "No", "Leave it. Mine"(suggested by Aussie), "Kennel", "sit". Those are the commands she knows. We are working on "Down" (because she's a little lab with a napoleon complex) and "stay", "Come". She has understood some words and learned them faster than Jasmine. And some she is just.....so..... block headed.

DH and DS did not take her hunting to ND. She is a bit young and forward and not really ready for an expensive hunt. She does okay for the redneck hunting up here that's only a few miles away. LOL.

-->Yes dogs definitely understand words. I saw that documentary on Netflix--Secret life of Dogs or something. It was a great documentary.

Too bad about Trolls. People are so free with their keyboards and cyberspace between them and humans on the other side. Idiotes.

 

[MinnesotaNice]

Alrighty....I have two problems I need some help with.....Okay, I have much more than two problems, but let's start here...

About two months ago (give or take) I "adopted" two Ameraucana mix hens from an old Apple Pie making lady down the road. One was a jerk and became dinner. The other can't find a niche in my flock of hens. They were quarantined for a few weeks. Then, I let the new and old see one another for a period of time. Ya know, look but don't touch. Then, let them free range together. I officially introduced the new one full-time at night when all were sleeping. I really thought I had this down. However, she just hides in a nest box all day, which is very annoying. The girls can't use it and she just sits in there and craps all day. Unless she's starved, parched, or the other girls are outside she won't come down. Some of the hens pick on her, most could care less. This has been going on for a few weeks now. I kick her out of the nest box and she's right back in as soon as I turn my back. There's plenty of roosts for her to hang out on if she wants to avoid the crowd. That's what she did the first few days until she discovered the boxes. There's also plenty of room. I'm out of ideas....

I also have a broody hen that I haven't been able to break the past week. I kept her separate for a few days in the coop....didn't work. I booted her out to free range with the other girls. She just circles the coop or runs right back in. The last few nights I kept her in the run to sleep....didn't work (It's fully fenced, tarped and roofed...not to worry). She runs right back to the nest box. Gotta sit on those imaginary eggs. Not sure what else I can do. I do have two week old chicks and I thought about putting one or two of the smaller ones in with her, but I think she'd be like $#&@. So, two nest boxes are out of use.

Dang chickens. Lol

 

[KlopKlop]

Ralphie and Minnie and Klop you are right about words being important. As sometimes I do...I just took a recent experience and used an example of it without thinking about it absorbed as it was.  I guess with the young pup though she is not fined tuned enough to know all "words" just yet. And I was able to use the words she knew already to get the response I needed to get her to heel for me yesterday.   I think consistency as you say and words take time for some dogs...and maybe I didn't explain well enough that tone is working better with my younger dog.  Because she understands that first and foremost.  The words with consistency and routine will come.  Or I'll just use the words that work on her that will give me same results.

We use, "No", "Leave it. Mine"(suggested by Aussie), "Kennel", "sit".  Those are the commands she knows.  We are working on "Down" (because she's a little lab with a napoleon complex) and "stay", "Come".  She has understood some words and learned them faster than Jasmine.  And some she is just.....so..... block headed.

DH and DS did not take her hunting to ND.  She is a bit young and forward and not really ready for an expensive hunt.  She does okay for the redneck hunting up here that's only a few miles away.  LOL.

-->Yes dogs definitely understand words.  I saw that documentary on Netflix--Secret life of Dogs or something.  It was a great documentary.

Too bad about Trolls.  People are so free with their keyboards and cyberspace between them and  humans on the other side.  Idiotes.

I knew what you were thinking the first time I went to an obedience class with my hound that was taught by a man who trains hunting dogs (you drop off your dog, and pick up trained in 8 weeks) and he had some unique ideas. He claimed that the dog should respond to the command at any tone of voice and you should practice using any and every time. I am in your boat BC that they respond to tone and it is a good tool. He also said that you should never use the command 'stay' because 'if you tell your dog to sit, it should sit until you tell it otherwise' which I chuckled at because I because I knew that would be impossible with my hound. She gets too distracted by her nose. His dogs did it though which was impressive.

Unfortunately that class was a one time deal through Community Ed and he doesn't want to do it again. He was a good teacher.

The biggest thing to know is that every dog and every dog owner are different and as long as you treat your dog well and find what works, I think that means you are 'doing it right'

 

[KlopKlop]

Alrighty....I have two problems I need some help with.....Okay, I have much more than two problems, but let's start here...

About two months ago (give or take) I "adopted" two Ameracauna mix hens from an old Apple Pie making lady down the road. One was a jerk and became dinner. The other can't find a niche in my flock of hens. They were quarantined for a few weeks. Then, I let the new and old see one another for a period of time. Ya know, look but don't touch. Then, let them free range together. I officially introduced the new one full-time at night when all were sleeping. I really thought I had this down. However, she just hides in a nest box all day, which is very annoying. The girls can't use it and she just sits in there and craps all day. Unless she's starved, parched, or the other girls are outside she won't come down. Some of the hens pick on her, most could care less. This has been going on for a few weeks now. I kick her out of the nest box and she's right back in as soon as I turn my back. There's plenty of roosts for her to hang out on if she wants to avoid the crowd. That's what she did the first few days until she discovered the boxes. There's also plenty of room. I'm out of ideas....

I also have a broody hen that I haven't been able to break the past week. I kept her separate for a few days in the coop....didn't work. I booted her out to free range with the other girls. She just circles the coop or runs right back in. The last few nights I kept her in the run to sleep....didn't work (It's fully fenced, tarped and roofed...not to worry). She runs right back to the nest box. Gotta sit on those imaginary eggs. Not sure what else I can do. I do have two week old chicks and I thought about putting one or two of the smaller ones in with her, but I think she'd be like $#&@. So, two nest boxes are out of use.

Dang chickens. Lol

I think your first problem is like my newer Cornish. I think it really just takes time. Weeks even. Mine are just to the point now where they will go out into the yard finally and it has been 4 or 5 weeks since they went together.
That really only happened because I got sick of pandering and putting water in the coop for them.

 

[Cluckies]

get a hen saddle, her feathers may not come in until she molts... Hen saddle:

What do you put in the hanging feeder I see there? I'm always trying to find new ideas to get the girls a variety of food in their run.

I try to do a variety of things as well in the run, I believe I had calf manna in that photo in the feeder hooked to the hardware cloth, at that time... Too bad about Trolls. People are so free with their keyboards and cyberspace between them and humans on the other side. Idiotes. [/quote] Faceballs - when you say something on facebook, or another forum, that you would never have the balls to say to someone in person.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Alrighty....I have two problems I need some help with.....Okay, I have much more than two problems, but let's start here...

About two months ago (give or take) I "adopted" two Ameracauna mix hens from an old Apple Pie making lady down the road. One was a jerk and became dinner. The other can't find a niche in my flock of hens. They were quarantined for a few weeks. Then, I let the new and old see one another for a period of time. Ya know, look but don't touch. Then, let them free range together. I officially introduced the new one full-time at night when all were sleeping. I really thought I had this down. However, she just hides in a nest box all day, which is very annoying. The girls can't use it and she just sits in there and craps all day. Unless she's starved, parched, or the other girls are outside she won't come down. Some of the hens pick on her, most could care less. This has been going on for a few weeks now. I kick her out of the nest box and she's right back in as soon as I turn my back. There's plenty of roosts for her to hang out on if she wants to avoid the crowd. That's what she did the first few days until she discovered the boxes. There's also plenty of room. I'm out of ideas....

I also have a broody hen that I haven't been able to break the past week. I kept her separate for a few days in the coop....didn't work. I booted her out to free range with the other girls. She just circles the coop or runs right back in. The last few nights I kept her in the run to sleep....didn't work (It's fully fenced, tarped and roofed...not to worry). She runs right back to the nest box. Gotta sit on those imaginary eggs. Not sure what else I can do. I do have two week old chicks and I thought about putting one or two of the smaller ones in with her, but I think she'd be like $#&@. So, two nest boxes are out of use.

Dang chickens. Lol

Dang chickens indeed. I just pulled out my favorite box because of sleeper/poopers last night. So I relate to what you're going through. No doubt she is scared and sometimes with older birds they are the less flexible to newcomers or newcomers do not lend themselves to be accepted. I've had birds take a whole 3 months or more and still you could see the divided lines between brooder mates and newcomers. Do you free-range or confine to a coop and run? Do you have a rooster? Or is it all hens? I will say that when a bird comes into lay the rooster finds them acceptable and will quell the bullies if you will. That would be helpful. But we're in that time of year where eggs are not likely for a while and especially if she's being bullied. You may need to pull her out of the nest box each night and set her right next to the lead hen or rooster when it's dark on the roost. Keep repeating it.

Broody's. Find a wire dog kennel. Put it in the garage with the lights on all day & night. The light will trigger and shift her hormones towards laying and out of broodiness.
No bedding. Put in a roost to keep her above the poop. Cleaning cage required everyday. Food & Water of course. Extra treats and exercising of the legs...which then requires you to peel her off a coop nest 2 minutes later. But then back to the broody cage. Usually takes 2-3 days.

 

[scandiafowl]

I think your first problem is like my newer Cornish. I think it really just takes time. Weeks even. Mine are just to the point now where they will go out into the yard finally and it has been 4 or 5 weeks since they went together.
That really only happened because I got sick of pandering and putting water in the coop for them.

Agreed. My Bresse and Cochins stayed in the pen area for months before they'd start coming out. But not very often.

 

[MinnesotaNice]

Dang chickens indeed. I just pulled out my favorite box because of sleeper/poopers last night. So I relate to what you're going through. No doubt she is scared and sometimes with older birds they are the less flexible to newcomers or newcomers do not lend themselves to be accepted. I've had birds take a whole 3 months or more and still you could see the divided lines between brooder mates and newcomers. Do you free-range or confine to a coop and run? Do you have a rooster? Or is it all hens? I will say that when a bird comes into lay the rooster finds them acceptable and will quell the bullies if you will. That would be helpful. But we're in that time of year where eggs are not likely for a while and especially if she's being bullied. You may need to pull her out of the nest box each night and set her right next to the lead hen or rooster when it's dark on the roost. Keep repeating it.

Broody's. Find a wire dog kennel. Put it in the garage with the lights on all day & night. The light will trigger and shift her hormones towards laying and out of broodiness.
No bedding. Put in a roost to keep her above the poop. Cleaning cage required everyday. Food & Water of course. Extra treats and exercising of the legs...which then requires you to peel her off a coop nest 2 minutes later. But then back to the broody cage. Usually takes 2-3 days.

They're confined to a coop and run when we're not home. Both spaces are large. We actually just piled up hay bales in the coop to make it a bit more smaller for the winter. When home, I let them out to free range and they go back in when it gets dark. The noob chicken usually stays in the coop unless I'm out there to boot her out. Once in awhile I'll toss out mealworms for the hens and that will get her out on her own. I don't have a Rooster, but will keep one from the chicks I have now. DH isn't a huge fan of having a rooster. But, like you said, I think our girls need one. We handle the chicks daily and they all come to us when we open the door, so hopefully we get a few friendly Roos from the group. In the meantime, I'll move her every night like you suggested.

I have a large homemade cage in the garage right now - the chicks just graduated to it. I could divide that up and put her on one side. Each side would be the size of a "Giant" sized dog kennel (I speak Fleet Farm!). Do you think that would be okay or too distracting for her? I figure it would work perfect since the lights are already always on. However, I don't know if chicks would put her hormones in overdrive.

 

[scandiafowl]

When Minnie mentioned black birds, I knew it was time to share a picture of Penguin. He is obnoxious and a character, that I am afraid I might be stuck with unless I can find a nice home for him. He is the one my wife hatched when I was in Florida that looked so weird at birth. She loves him and I am fairly sure will not let me eat him. I think he is a black, but I am not sure because he has some brown in him and a few whitish spots.

Why does he have to go?