My perfect flock ruined by Rural King. Need advice for new flock.

[centrarchid]

Like your son, I am a graduate of Purdue although Forestry and Natural Resources (BS) and Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (MS) where my documents. I also took Ethology (Animal Behavior) under Klinghamer (wolf guy) but sadly did not take animal ethics classes. Ethics at time were not rigerously required for critters lacking legs.


I do not vaccinate because owing to interest in selective breeding with intent of promoting natural resistance. My flocks by neccessaty incur some losses to promote resistance in the survivors descendents. My flocks are also closed so no more new birds not of my breeding. If you keep flock size down, quality of life high, and either limit introductions or put new birds through quarantine then you will be able to control many diseases. For a disease outbreak you must have host, pathogen and stressor so for short-term I try to limit latter two. Selection or vaccination are methods of limiting host vulnerability but latter is a short-term fix.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Thanks for your insights. Since we only have four birds, we will skip the vaccinations. They all seem to be healthy and are getting along a little better each day, so we've decided not to stir things up again by adding a black & white Barred Rock or Wyandotte. I admire our little Amerauca's tenacity; she secured a position on the perch last night after many attempts. Hopefully, some day the Jersey will resume her egg laying. Being large and black, we're especially trying to make sure she doesn't overheat in this oppressive weather.

Your degrees/work sound intriguing! Our son Max is the only Purdue grad; the rest of us are IU grads or students.

I added a photo album last night if you are interested. I need to make one about our new blended flock. I'm sure everyone is on pins and needles waiting. ha.

 

[centrarchid]

Thanks for your insights. Since we only have four birds, we will skip the vaccinations. They all seem to be healthy and are getting along a little better each day, so we've decided not to stir things up again by adding a black & white Barred Rock or Wyandotte. I admire our little Amerauca's tenacity; she secured a position on the perch last night after many attempts. Hopefully, some day the Jersey will resume her egg laying. Being large and black, we're especially trying to make sure she doesn't overheat in this oppressive weather.

Your degrees/work sound intriguing! Our son Max is the only Purdue grad; the rest of us are IU grads or students.

I added a photo album last night if you are interested. I need to make one about our new blended flock. I'm sure everyone is on pins and needles waiting. ha.

Your setup is very nice. Someday I hope to have the front porch flock so well housed but with dog quarters attached. Such may actually be a separate house looking structure with limited utilities attached for greenhouse. Big Dreams.


Jersey Giants egg output likely slowed owing to new location and longer term reduction can be expected owing to impending moult. Heat is putting damper on my birds as well.


Unfortunate IU situation. LOL!

 

[Mother2Hens]

It was so nice to be back in Bloomington last week enrolling our youngest daughter! ha

We live in an older, established (big trees and yard) subdivision just outside the city limits of Evansville, so that's why we needed a nice, roomy, easy to clean coop.

I meant to mention that I bought some live mealworms yesterday at the pet store, and they loved them. We have noticed a lot of different types of sounds that the chickens make, but some are hard to discern. It's obvious if a hawk flies over or if a cat walks by (although they chase them). The Jersey and RIR hen do a lot of low toned fussing.

Max is now thinking that we should get another female because he thinks that with the three we have, we will probably get one egg a day. If we do decide to get another, I assume that we should look for a four month old pullet. I just am concerned about stressing out the flock again since they are gradually adjusting to all the changes they've been through.

 

[centrarchid]

It was so nice to be back in Bloomington last week enrolling our youngest daughter! ha

We live in an older, established (big trees and yard) subdivision just outside the city limits of Evansville, so that's why we needed a nice, roomy, easy to clean coop.

I meant to mention that I bought some live mealworms yesterday at the pet store, and they loved them. We have noticed a lot of different types of sounds that the chickens make, but some are hard to discern. It's obvious if a hawk flies over or if a cat walks by (although they chase them). The Jersey and RIR hen do a lot of low toned fussing.

Max is now thinking that we should get another female because he thinks that with the three we have, we will probably get one egg a day. If we do decide to get another, I assume that we should look for a four month old pullet. I just am concerned about stressing out the flock again since they are gradually adjusting to all the changes they've been through.

Hope all goes well with enrollment.

The big tree neighborhood will help control heat stress. Predators, even within town, will still be abundant.

I grew up near Dale, Indiana and family farm was split up between locations around Buffaloville and Grandview. We had lots of gamechickens, lots....


You will find the calls related to predators indicate more than predator is a hawk or critter on ground. My birds produce calls having subtle differences that indicate threat level. Call for over-flying red-shouldered hawk is much less intense than call for incoming red-tailed hawk. Coopers Hawks also promote a different call when chicks and juveniles present. My game roosters actively engage Coopers hawks that target chicks. Coopers hunt through my flocks but target songbirds only. When no chicks or juveniles present the adult chickens almost ignore Coopers that might land 10 feet away although that would not occur with hen-only flocks or where all birds are bantams. Coopers will go after hen-only and bantam flocks, and flocks made up only of chicks and juveniles.

Some of the fussing is simply contact calls, some is actual fussing / threats, and some indicates eats possibly indicating quality and / or quality of eats. Having different breeds will make interpretation more difficult.

Overall, chickens appear to have a vocabulary rivaling that of crows, although the more domesticated breeds seem to be a bit on the stupid end of spectrum. If you want smart, then get a gamehen as they also make model parents.

In you setting, consider impacts on forage. Plant and insect fare is generally not all that abundant in heavily manicured lawns and lots of big trees make that worse. You might be able to compensate for a small number of chickens by attracting night-flying insects that can be consumed in morning. During nights with heavy insect drift we leave porch light enabling chickens roosting there to have access more quality eats. That maybe enabled in new roosting location away from house.

 

[Mother2Hens]

My son just saw a 4 month old barred rock pullet for sale. Is that a good or bad idea? Max is interested in eggs. As far as game hens, I don't know what they include besides Cornish (or other birds besides chickens) Smart chickens would be nice, but as far as being good parents, we aren't interested in breeding.

We do have a lot of hawks, including Coopers that fly over, sit in trees, and even stand in people's yards. Luckily, we have a lot of foliage that the chickens can hide in. We have close to an acre, with part of it fenced in because of our swimming pool. There is a lush area outside of the fence, but we need to make some adjustments to our chicken tractor because they'd have to be in it for protection. They like to scratch around in an area under and by our large deck where there are lots of oak leaves as natural mulch. Our lawn isn't overly manicured and we don't use chemicals. I've thought about the porch light/bug idea, but it seems like when they go up to go to sleep, they are done eating. If you don't think they are consuming enough insects, we could regularly purchase some. The eat the Grower food, a little scratch, and I've been giving them cold melons, berries, and fruit.

We appreciate all of your advice from an educated and experienced perspective.

 

[centrarchid]

My son just saw a 4 month old barred rock pullet for sale. Is that a good or bad idea? Max is interested in eggs. As far as game hens, I don't know what they include besides Cornish (or other birds besides chickens) Smart chickens would be nice, but as far as being good parents, we aren't interested in breeding.

We do have a lot of hawks, including Coopers that fly over, sit in trees, and even stand in people's yards. Luckily, we have a lot of foliage that the chickens can hide in. We have close to an acre, with part of it fenced in because of our swimming pool. There is a lush area outside of the fence, but we need to make some adjustments to our chicken tractor because they'd have to be in it for protection. They like to scratch around in an area under and by our large deck where there are lots of oak leaves as natural mulch. Our lawn isn't overly manicured and we don't use chemicals. I've thought about the porch light/bug idea, but it seems like when they go up to go to sleep, they are done eating. If you don't think they are consuming enough insects, we could regularly purchase some. The eat the Grower food, a little scratch, and I've been giving them cold melons, berries, and fruit.

We appreciate all of your advice from an educated and experienced perspective.

Barred Plymouth Rocks ok, but I prefer American dominiques. Former will produce larger and probably more eggs if you keep them in good food.

What is you source of birds? Cornish I would no longer consider a gamechicken, especially in regards to their free-range prowess.

Chickens will not be able to elude Coopers Hawks by hiding in foliage. Hawk will more likely start attack run before chickens realize it is coming. For chickens to prevaile they must go into cover hawk can not follow them into which is hard since hawk is smaller or chickens must drive it off which usually requires hawk be on ground. For me only roosters and broody hens will take on a hawk.

Fencing will not provide protection from anything beyond domestic dogs. Coyotes and foxes can clear a 6 foot fence and others varmints can climb over.


One acre of understory is going to provide a lean forage base for four chickens. When I kept pairs of games under such conditions that would range over a good three acres even with supplemental feed. Chickens are normally an edge species that will range further under a tree canopy. Watch to make certain they do not try to range beyond fence. If they do then put out scattered patches of eats and apply somthing like chick grower.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Help! I just posted this on emergencies. The Jersey just laid something weird!

 

[centrarchid]

I am not an expert on such things and my birds are not prone to doing such. Based on what I can make out in image andhow my untrained mind interprets, you are looking at a part of the hens reproductive tract, specifically that involved with egg formation (ovarian tissue). Sometimes such parts are passed / encased with yolk and albumen within shell. That is part of reason eggs are candled in the table-egg (those you eat) industry. Nobody once such a chunk on plate even though it is likely quite edible. Hen is likely not feeling well. Could have been induced by combination of stressors associated with move and heat. If she has a history of such, then that might be reason she was culled from flock she came from.

 

[Mother2Hens]

From the unscientific research that I read, it is called "lash," and there are several scenarios: stress-related, she is done laying, or she has an infection. I will have to contact the guy I traded with. Besides the RIR coming from Rural King, both the Jersey and the Ameraucana came from nearby small farms. The Jersey owner just had a few chickens, and the Ameraucana owner had around 50 of them.

My daughter (who is leaving soon for college) is the one who came home with the RIReds from Rural King, and we went along with the idea. Normally, we are the types to research things thoroughly before diving in, but she caught us on a laid-back day (we are IU grads, you know). Although we have enjoyed the experience, it surely would be more enjoyable for us and the chickens had we planned instead of running around putting out fires, like today's strange incident.