New Brahma Group: Blue Partridge x Partridge, Plus Dark

[1muttsfan]

Must have been her favorite brother

Interesting that almost every engagement was started by the little guy - he looks PO'd. Except the pullet was the instigator when she and the little guy went at it.

And there's Mom, trying to divert them into other things, eating/scratching/drinking.

 

[speckledhen]

Notice that it was blue partridge pullet defending blue partridge brother. This birds of a feather thing starts early! The little gladiator who won was trying to pick at little sister this morning, but later, no one was picking at anybody. Back to business as usual, it seems.

 

[speckledhen]

The four kids will be 6 weeks old Monday.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

When will they go to their new home?

 

[speckledhen]

When will they go to their new home?

When Brandy is sick of them and shows signs of rejecting them. I've been removing her from the pen for short periods to remind her about her former life with the group and to show them that they'll live if she isn't with them. The person who is taking them does the same, lets the broody keep them as long as she really wants them, so she's good with that. But, I'm trying to push the "weaning" process along faster.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My bantam moms will mother until the chicks are adults sometimes. The first time I let a standard breed hatch I was surprised to see a hen wean chicks.

 

[speckledhen]

My bantam moms will mother until the chicks are adults sometimes. The first time I let a standard breed hatch I was surprised to see a hen wean chicks.

My Buff Orpington hen, Nugget, would just let the chicks stay as long as they wanted. I remember her sitting beside her 15 week old son before he went to his new home. She just never rejected most of them. Good mama, that Nugget. She raised some Delawares for me, too. Brandy is much like Nugget in a lot of ways, but she does begin to lose patience with them at a certain point. I generally try to hurry it along since I don't want to keep them. Cora is the only one I've kept so far out of Bash and his hens and I don't know which hen is her mother.

 

[speckledhen]

We just had the scare of our lives. Tom has just walked in the door with a couple of grocery bags when I heard the most ungodly scream from a chicken. As I ran out the kitchen door, I saw a Cooper's Hawk *could have been a Sharp Shinned, now that I recall the tail was squared off, not rounded* flying inside the covered pen with Brandy and the four chicks, trying to get out, apparently I only got the most fleeting impression of Brandy jumping at the hawk and by the time we were down the steps, there were no birds at all in the pen. Brandy and the chicks, thankfully all four, were inside, safe. The babies were huddled under the nest box, scared to death and Brandy was pacing, making this guttural sound in her throat. Where the wire covering of the pen goes to the front of the building, there is a gap less than a foot wide (not attached to the building) and that hawk got into and out of the pen that way. I've never seen one do that. I've seen one hanging on the outside of the fencing in the past, after the Belgian D'Anvers, but this was a first.
Brandy saved herself and all her chicks. I'll never forget that sound she made. Tom thought the hawk flew into the pop door after her, but apparently not. There's nowhere in that small coop for it to hide.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Wow, that's a great mom, and a terrifying time for you. Glad it all worked out. I think there's always younger hawks this time of year trying out their hunting skills.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm still not sure which type hawk it was. Seemed fairly large for a Sharp Shinned, but could have been either. I saw the tail splayed out from its underside as it was trying to fly out the side toward out house, wide, angular and lots of stripes. So, either way, it was a miracle none of them are hurt.
I locked them in for the night, not that I had to encourage them to stay inside. I just went to take them some scrambled eggs and yogurt and found Brandy and all four chicks huddled on the floor in the back corner under the nest boxes, opposite to the open corner where she usually sits with them at night. She's not taking any chances.