***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[SharkmanDan]

How old/big, do young birds need to be, to be with the rest of the flock? I have 3 adult (>1year old) Black Australorps, 2 hens and a rooster, a brown leghorn hen (these three hens are laying), plus two young black Frizzles and two young gray/white Polish (not laying, but nearly full sized).
I also have about 8, 6-8 week old pullets, that are caged, in a small cage (4'Lx2'Hx2'W) to keep them from being pecked, by the bigger birds. Circumstances beyond our control, have halted the building of the new coop, (but that should resume, and complete, in the next week) and in the mean time, they are all housed in a covered and shaded 4'x10'x7' dog pen, that has been critter-proofed, pretty well. The small cage, is kep in the big cage. At what point should the larger, older ones, be more social, with the little ones? We have another twelve, or so, week and a half old chicks, that will need to come out of the brooder, in a couple, maybe three, weeks, and should go in the smaller cage, that the pullets are in.
Do I need to build another pen, larger, for those who are going to need to come out of the small cage? Or in the next three weeks, should they be ready to go in with the full sized birds?

 

[NanaKat]

SharkmanDan...from your photos, it looks like the Frizzle and Polish are able to free range with the older birds. The younger birds are inside the cage with the older birds. Have they had supervised time out of their cage?
My Australorp hens are nice to younger birds but will establish the pecking order.
When you add them to the rest of the flock, provide a place where the you ger smaller birds can go to escape the bigger birds and where they can get feed and water until they are feeling accepted. This could be a box with slat sized openings or even a lean to in the big coop. It won't take long for them to integrate but relieving stress from the process helps the little ones.

 

[Poco Pollo]

Between thundershowers today, I took the runner ducklings out for a swim. The water was waist deep, and I put two bricks into the middle of the tub for the ducklings to stand on. One used the largest brick as a sun deck.


"Dude. Look at all those weird birds out there. They haven't even asked to use the pool. What's up with that?"


"Oh Man. I reeeeely, reeeely want to sit on that brick. Move. Please move. Pretty, pretty please move. aaaahhhhhhh. Move!"



Sploosh! "Where'd he go?"



Does anyone else see the little duck fingers? That settles it. These guys are permanent residents. They can make a contribution to the pantry by laying eggs. No duck dinner at this house.

 

[Ksane]

Between thundershowers today, I took the runner ducklings out for a swim. The water was waist deep, and I put two bricks into the middle of the tub for the ducklings to stand on. One used the largest brick as a sun deck. "Dude. Look at all those weird birds out there. They haven't even asked to use the pool. What's up with that?" "Oh Man. I reeeeely, reeeely want to sit on that brick. Move. Please move. Pretty, pretty please move. aaaahhhhhhh. Move!" Sploosh! "Where'd he go?" Does anyone else see the little duck fingers? That settles it. These guys are permanent residents. They can make a contribution to the pantry by laying eggs. No duck dinner at this house.

ROFL!! They're adorable and I do see little duck digits lol You're so soft-hearted

 

[artsyrobin]

Between thundershowers today, I took the runner ducklings out for a swim. The water was waist deep, and I put two bricks into the middle of the tub for the ducklings to stand on. One used the largest brick as a sun deck.


"Dude. Look at all those weird birds out there. They haven't even asked to use the pool. What's up with that?"


"Oh Man. I reeeeely, reeeely want to sit on that brick. Move. Please move. Pretty, pretty please move. aaaahhhhhhh. Move!"



Sploosh! "Where'd he go?"



Does anyone else see the little duck fingers? That settles it. These guys are permanent residents. They can make a contribution to the pantry by laying eggs. No duck dinner at this house.

they are precious!!

 

[cathiesue]

I don't have a date yet for the June class. It will have to be after POOPS, which is on June 14th.

Rinda and Dusti - The two remaining Saturdays are June 21st and June 28th. Which day works for both of you? We'd be starting at 10:00 a.m. and working until we're through.

Ashtree - There is room, as this will be a small class of two or three students. Send me a PM if you would like information.

Kassaundra - I'd like to offer another big clinic in July. Let me know if you're interested in being an instructor. I haven't posted on the capon thread yet, so think about your schedule and let me know if there is a Saturday in July that would work for you.

I'm totally in for June or July. I have plenty of victims, uh, volunteers.

 

[SharkmanDan]

NanaKat,
Thank you for that. I actually read your message, as I was building small pens, to put out in the yard, for the smaller ones to be in. So, while at it, I made them a "Bat Cave" so to speak. A 2'x2'x2' escape pen. 1/2" weld wire, and a 6"x6" opening, keeps the bigger ones out, when the littler ones feel picked upon. I took the 4' long cage, out of the coop/run (it's actually a converted dog kennel) altogether, put it the small bat cave, with a water dispenser. I left the feeder out of the bat cave, to force them to integrate, some, but can always get back to the bat cave, rather swiftly. Tomorrow, I am going to start letting them into an 8' diameter pen, made of that weld wire. I have a 3' and an 8' portable pen. That should keep them under close supervision.
Thanks for the great idea.

 

[cathiesue]

Cathie Sue, it actually is called "Sheath" cake. I looked it up on the internet to see if it says why, and it does. It is an old frontier recipe and was originally called "Sheath" cake because the icing covered the cake like a "sheath" covers a knife. It is also called Sheet Cake, so that's OK.

I stand deliciously corrected! Now my mind is wandering to other sheathing opportunities. You know that cone that you can get at the Dairy Queen that is dipped in chocolate. Yum.

 

[mjgigax]

SharkmanDan...from your photos, it looks like the Frizzle and Polish are able to free range with the older birds. The younger birds are inside the cage with the older birds. Have they had supervised time out of their cage?
My Australorp hens are nice to younger birds but will establish the pecking order.
When you add them to the rest of the flock, provide a place where the you ger smaller birds can go to escape the bigger birds and where they can get feed and water until they are feeling accepted. This could be a box with slat sized openings or even a lean to in the big coop. It won't take long for them to integrate but relieving stress from the process helps the little ones.

Exactly what I do too. It works very well with pullets but I sometimes have trouble intigrating cockerels. They get pushed around by the hear roo a lot but often eventually fit in.

 

[Loriemarler]

Ok guys! I will be driving from Blanchard to Muskogee tommorrow. If anyone wants bantam Cochins or d'Uccles or a oegb pullet let me know ASAP I can bring it on my way otherwise they will either go to auction or POOPS depending