MJ's little flock

[BY Bob]

That would be perfect. She's such a competent peace keeper I'd like her to be in charge for as long as she draws breath.

A good Alpha Hen is a real blessing. Daisy, the greatest hen ever, was the best. She kept the flock in order, especially Patsy who was quite mean to Lilly.

Patsy was good at some things, such as defending the flock from outsiders, but she was awful when dealing with things inside the flock.

Lilly is a decent alpha hen but she loses it completely at roosting time. This has led to my EEs getting locked out from time to time. Not great work by an alpha hen.

 

[MaryJanet]

It's good today 20.9 and 60% at present, heading for 23.

Chickens, cat and humans are happy

 

[MaryJanet]

A good Alpha Hen is a real blessing. Daisy, the greatest hen ever, was the best. She kept the flock in order, especially Patsy who was quite mean to Lilly.

Patsy was good at some things, such as defending the flock from outsiders, but she was awful when dealing with things inside the flock.

Lilly is a decent alpha hen but she loses it completely at roosting time. This has led to my EEs getting locked out from time to time. Not great work by an alpha hen.

Yeh, Lilly drops the ball every now and then. I'll tell Mary to give her some tips on beakbook.

 

[BY Bob]

Yeh, Lilly drops the ball every now and then. I'll tell Mary to give her some tips on beakbook.

I would appreciate that. This whole roost thing needs to settle down.

 

[LozzyR]

There was a period when all that was left of Tribe 1 was Fat Bird and Ruffles. Cillin was an orphan. Both his mother, Otic and his unnamed sister got killed. His mother Otic lived with the bantams. She had bantam genes but no family. Roosters in this position go rogue. No tribe will take them in if there is already a rooster present. Cillin decided I was his best bet for company and protection. I had him housed in one of the maternity units at the time. At opening up time he would head for the bamboo clump and when I came out to work on my lamps in the car port, Cillin would sort of hover close by. I did feel sorry for him.
After a while he ended up following me around as long as it wasn't into occupied territory.
Fat Bird and Ruffles used to come to my house and spend most of their day in or just outside.
Of course, eventually Cillin and the two hens met. It was very funny. Cillin would hover about outside looking extremely nervous and if Fat Bird should be heading his way he ran.
This went on for a while, but Ruffles who likes her men was pretty decent to Cillin and eventually all three would a bit nervously hang around in the house.
I used to escort Fat Bird and Ruffles to roost at night. They would both wait for me and I would lead the way up the bank with them following. After a while Treacle would follow along behind still looking rather nervous but watching what was going on very carefully. He would walk right up to the coop ramp and then head back with me. I encouraged this behaviour and semi taught him not to hustle the hens away from the food, I groomed him in front of the hens and hoped Fat Bird in particular would cut him some slack. This went on for a couple of months. One day I escorted Fat Bird and Ruffles home with Cillin now walking alongside rather than nervously hanging back and instead of turning back walked up the ramp and put his head through the pop door and made nesting noises. Something didn't happen and he got off the ramp and hung around at the bottom for a few minutes. Needless to say I was fascinated and hopeful. If Cillin got accepted by Ruffles and Fat Bird then there was a chance the tribe might recover.
Cillin went up the ramp again and put his head through the door and made nesting and cooing noises again. I don't know which hen answered him but I heard the call. As soon as Cillin heard the call he went into the coop. I think he spent his first night on the floor. Ruffles adored Cillin. She fussed over him, crouched for him and while it took a while, Fat Bird I beleive came to rather like him too.
All the chickens you may have seen in pictures of Tribe 1 are Cillin and Ruffle's sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters.

That’s a lovely story and you tell it so well. I could picture the whole thing in my head!

 

[LozzyR]

Have you named your chicks yet Shad? Or do you wait until they are a certain age?

 

[MaryJanet]

More shade!

I had a dilapidated table doing not much in the backyard.

Today we moved it to the chooks' yard near the baby jacaranda to make a big patch of shade halfway across their yard.

The chickens love it. One by one, they've taken a turn standing under it I may even suspend water and feed under it.

It's worked out so well, I think I'll add another table in due course.

 

[MaryJanet]

Monkey business

 

[Shadrach]

Have you named your chicks yet Shad? Or do you wait until they are a certain age?

I don't name them until the broody stage is over as a rule.

 

[rjohns39]

Good evening folks