MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

In terms of time and space, yes it's good timing with a five week christmas break coming up in a few weeks time and with the chicken tard being fully expanded now. I'm also thinking new girls might draw Janet's attention from Sandy. Although Mary is captain, she seems to delegate bullying to Janet who, let's face it, is a natural.

 

[Ribh]

lol By all accounts Sussexs are easy birds so integration should be fairly smooth ~ another reason for me to wait if I go the Campine route. I know they will not be easy.

 

[MaryJanet]

I thought of another reason to expend now: the new nest among the tall grasses. With the hens laying in their DIY nest, the nesting box in the little coop isn't needed. So that hurdle to shutting off the little coop has vanished.

 

[MaryJanet]

Oh nuts. I just put my specs on and saw all my typos

 

[MaryJanet]

lol By all accounts Sussexs are easy birds so integration should be fairly smooth ~ another reason for me to wait if I go the Campine route. I know they will not be easy.

After your positive experiences Ribh, I'm keen to have a pair of campines one day too. But that's way in the future when the big coop + run has been built. Still a few years off.

 

[Ribh]

After your positive experiences Ribh, I'm keen to have a pair of campines one day too. But that's way in the future when the big coop + run has been built. Still a few years off.

John really likes the Campines too ~ another reason for going with some more. And they're not broody birds. So over broodies!
In the end, with a little experience, I think we all choose birds that mesh well with our own personalities. I don't choose really dominant breeds because I find them really hard to manage well, especially in a mixed flock. It's also why I don't do dogs. You really need something of that pack mentality to manage dominants well. Or that's my think. I understand the scaredy~cats better & don't mind having to spend the extra time to settle them. It's not like I don't have the time.

 

[MaryJanet]

I'm a little more attuned to the scaredy cats too. I surprised a male colleague recently when I suggested young women may be intimidated when commencing work in an industry in which men are over-represented. If she's the only young woman in her workplace it may take her a while to find her voice. He said "that makes me sad because it means workplaces aren't safe enough." I think he hit the nail on the head. Speaking only from personal experience, blokey workplaces are loud, rough, and rude. I was once told by a man who was a duty manager for qantas maintenance that the crew use sexually inappropriate jokes for cheering up the workplace - I won't repeat the actual joke. When I was appalled, he shrugged sheepishly. So he knew it stank but he wasn't going to do anything about it. I think that culture would make any decent person timid, male or female.

 

[BY Bob]

John really likes the Campines too ~ another reason for going with some more. And they're not broody birds. So over broodies!
In the end, with a little experience, I think we all choose birds that mesh well with our own personalities. I don't choose really dominant breeds because I find them really hard to manage well, especially in a mixed flock. It's also why I don't do dogs. You really need something of that pack mentality to manage dominants well. Or that's my think. I understand the scaredy~cats better & don't mind having to spend the extra time to settle them. It's not like I don't have the time.

So are you saying our chickens match our personalities in the end? Because after all the nastiness at roosting time tonight I am scared for people who have to deal with me!

It was so bad tonight Maleficent got off of the roost twice and came back out to hang with me. Aurora actually had the prime spot at one point. Lots of squawking and thumping as birds got off the roost, voluntarily or not!

 

[Ribh]

I'm a little more attuned to the scaredy cats too. I surprised a male colleague recently when I suggested young women may be intimidated when commencing work in an industry in which men are over-represented. If she's the only young woman in her workplace it may take her a while to find her voice. He said "that makes me sad because it means workplaces aren't safe enough." I think he hit the nail on the head. Speaking only from personal experience, blokey workplaces are loud, rough, and rude. I was once told by a man who was a duty manager for qantas maintenance that the crew use sexually inappropriate jokes for cheering up the workplace - I won't repeat the actual joke. When I was appalled, he shrugged sheepishly. So he knew it stank but he wasn't going to do anything about it. I think that culture would make any decent person timid, male or female.

Like most things it does depend a lot on the individual concerned. Some women can comfortably take men on @ their own game & not only win, but make the men blush. I'm not one of them. I just don't get the point. Apart from which you really, really don't want to make me mad. I've a seriously wicked tongue if riled. We once had some really awful neighbours who used to give my oldest a really hard time. I got fed up one day & told them 1 or 2 things but we were 1/2way home before they realised they'd been royally insulted & a flood of abuse began!

 

[Ribh]

So are you saying our chickens match our personalities in the end? Because after all the nastiness at roosting time tonight I am scared for people who have to deal with me!

It was so bad tonight Maleficent got off of the roost twice and came back out to hang with me. Aurora actually had the prime spot at one point. Lots of squawking and thumping as birds got off the roost, voluntarily or not!

Nope! I'm more thinking breed generalisations, rather than chicken behaviour per se.