Our Mixed Flock Journey!

[WhoDatChick]

7 Eggs today!

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Your collection of eggs look a lot like mine!

 

[drstratton]

Great idea! It’s good to have extra spaces for things like you mentioned! I have this soft green wire that I roll up and zip tie when not in use and then roll out to use for broodies or ‘see no touch’ for babies... I can find some pics if you’d like to see...

I would love to see that! Something like that could come in handy, if I need an extra, extra space...

 

[drstratton]

Your collection of eggs look a lot like mine!

I remember seeing yours & thinking how beautiful they are & hoping that mine would be as pretty!

 

[Ribh]

So after chatting with @Ribh and having her mention a mini coop, I had an epiphany...lol!

I spoke with my husband and told him that right now I needed to temporarily set up a place of confinement for our broody girl! I just brought home some dog kennels from my son's place that I used to farmer together a confined area, that will give her access to the water system and it already has one of our feeders in place! When we have time time will will set this up to be a permanent mini coop! My husband said that he will frame it in and use the chicken wire that we have and he will build me a door! We will also extend the waterer in there for them to use! This will be a great place for broody's or possibly a sick hen, it will also work well for any little's that we get as a safe place for flock introduction! The sheltered area in the pen is where we will have the waterer set up for the flock during the winter, so it will be left open most of the time! If anyone gets sick during the winter, I will probably bring them in and use the dog crate that I have for them. Hopefully that won't occur, but it's best to have a plan!

She has access to the water bar behind the feed bag on the left and the 4" pipe feeder in the middle! It looks pretty sketch right now, but it is safe and should do the trick! After I unblocked the door to the free range pen several of the girls and Little Roo came in to say hi and see what was going on! I might just leave her in there overnight, I set up the mini roost for her, so hopefully she will utilize it! If she seems to stressed I will place her on the roost in the main coop overnight and then put her back in the confinement pen first thing in the morning!
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I need to clean the weeds off of it...oops!
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That looks perfect! Hope it works.

 

[drstratton]

That looks perfect! Hope it works.

Thank you...me too! She has no feathers underneath...I hope they grow back in before it gets much colder...

 

[Ribh]

Thank you...me too! She has no feathers underneath...I hope they grow back in before it gets much colder...

Has she had her moult yet?

 

[drstratton]

Has she had her moult yet?

No, I don't believe so...I think some of them had a small moult earlier in the summer, but that was it! I was wondering if her feathers were gone because she was trying to set? I just haven't looked that up yet. I checked her over and she seems to be clean...no mites or anything else!

 

[Ribh]

No, I don't believe so...I think some of them had a small moult earlier in the summer, but that was it! I was wondering if her feathers were gone because she was trying to set? I just haven't looked that up yet. I checked her over and she seems to be clean...no mites or anything else!

Some hens will pull out their downy feathers for the nest. Hepzibah [BR] was quite denuded last year for a time. The feathers will grow back after their moult ~ which is why I asked.

 

[drstratton]

Some hens will pull out their downy feathers for the nest. Hepzibah [BR] was quite denuded last year for a time. The feathers will grow back after their moult ~ which is why I asked.

If they're going to moult they'd better do it soon or they will be cold naked chickens...lol! Does it take long for the feathers to come back in! I honestly don't remember our Banty's going through much of a moult!

 

[Ribh]

If they're going to moult they'd better do it soon or they will be cold naked chickens...lol! Does it take long for the feathers to come back in! I honestly don't remember our Banty's going through much of moult!

It all honesty it just depends. Some moult hard & fast. Some go slow & steady. I'm sure someone in the States will have a better idea of how it works out in your area. Some of mine have been nearly naked. Others you would never know.