Peeps in Europe!

[LoreWalker]

Chicken update and a bit of a rant ahead

All 7 of our chickens were rescues, and a few of them weren't in great shape, weight wise. It seems like at this moment, only 2 of the ladies are laying eggs (our double laced barnevelder and one of our wyandotte bantams). We have given them unlimited access to pellets in a feeder, every morning they get a scoop of seeds tossed into the run as well as greens/veggie leftovers to keep em busy foraging. Hopefully they'll all gain a little weight and then hopefully eventually we'll have more ladies laying eggs.

***********

The picture below I showed before, but in a thread asking to identify what cross Toos (and the others) may be...
Verdict was silky cross and someone mentioned Toos may be a rooster... which I think I can now confirm, because Toos seems to be growing out some slightly longer tail feathers

He also has started sounding less like a chick and more like a chicken, but no crowing so far and we were told the youngest chickens were about 6 months old.
Since we already have a large brahma rooster, at some point one of them will probably have to go if Toos is indeed a rooster. So far the big boy lets Toos eat right next to him, no problem.

Eventually we want to have mostly larger chickens (brahmas and large wyandottes probably), as we live in the forest and the little bantams just get snatched away a bit too easily to my liking, if we want to let em roam the yard.
We currently have two wyandotte bantams and Toos and Emmy (the silkie crosses) would be considered bantams too I think. Our other two are "regular" sized chickens, but obviously compared to a brahma those still aren't super big.

 

[BDutch]

Eventually we want to have mostly larger chickens (brahmas and large wyandottes probably), as we live in the forest and the little bantams just get snatched away a bit too easily to my liking, if we want to let em roam the yard.

@Lore, I don't think bigger chickens is the solution.
Some tips: look for flighty types that know how to rescue themselfs. Make hiding places and lock the birds up early mornings and if thera are no human noises around the house. I think someone has written an article about this.

 

[abpatchy]

Chicken update and a bit of a rant ahead

All 7 of our chickens were rescues, and a few of them weren't in great shape, weight wise. It seems like at this moment, only 2 of the ladies are laying eggs (our double laced barnevelder and one of our wyandotte bantams). We have given them unlimited access to pellets in a feeder, every morning they get a scoop of seeds tossed into the run as well as greens/veggie leftovers to keep em busy foraging. Hopefully they'll all gain a little weight and then hopefully eventually we'll have more ladies laying eggs.

***********

The picture below I showed before, but in a thread asking to identify what cross Toos (and the others) may be...
Verdict was silky cross and someone mentioned Toos may be a rooster... which I think I can now confirm, because Toos seems to be growing out some slightly longer tail feathers

He also has started sounding less like a chick and more like a chicken, but no crowing so far and we were told the youngest chickens were about 6 months old.
Since we already have a large brahma rooster, at some point one of them will probably have to go if Toos is indeed a rooster. So far the big boy lets Toos eat right next to him, no problem.

View attachment 2272837

Eventually we want to have mostly larger chickens (brahmas and large wyandottes probably), as we live in the forest and the little bantams just get snatched away a bit too easily to my liking, if we want to let em roam the yard.
We currently have two wyandotte bantams and Toos and Emmy (the silkie crosses) would be considered bantams too I think. Our other two are "regular" sized chickens, but obviously compared to a brahma those still aren't super big.

I don't think you need to worry about their weight. When they have unlimited access to feed. They will put on weight on their own. Just remember, an overweight chicken does not lay very well.

I love Brahmas... they are so impressive! But they grow very slowly and don't lay much. I was given some Brahma eggs in spring and for such a big bird, they were tiny. Smaller than my Sulmtaler eggs. Wyandottes would be more efficient. Really efficient would be Bielefelder. They are supposed to lay a lot of eggs and are getting big. (I am still waiting for mine to start laying).

 

[abpatchy]

@Lore, I don't think bigger chickens is the solution.
Some tips: look for flighty types that know how to rescue themselfs. Make hiding places and lock the birds up early mornings and if thera are no human noises around the house. I think someone has written an article about this.

That is true... a fox, marten or hawk will still get the big birds. A secure run is the only way to go.

 

[BDutch]

@abpatchy
It depends where you live and what kind of breeds you have wether it can be reasonably safe to let chickens free range . I believe free ranging is healthy and chickens who free range are less stressed. That’s why I let my Dutch free range a couple of hours a day for almost 6 years now. The only casualties by predators where 2 chicks, who where killed by a rat. And probably one chick has been taken by a cat after she escaped through the holes from the run (5cm panels) I had back then.

There are foxes, polecats, dogs and birds of pray here from time to time. I have seen my bantams fly on top of the run or over the hedge to the neighbours if the spot a dog.

 

[BDutch]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/bees-key-points-to-successful-and-safe-free-ranging.65895/

 

[Papa John59]

OMG! I've missed soooo much! First of all, to the new members, WELCOME to our little part of the site! I see that everyone is jumping right in and joining the conversations....GREAT!
Now, I must say to the "old timers", sorry so long being away. We have so many small projects to do on the house. After the roof was replaces, and the house painted, the wife found all these small projects so me to do...relay the stones in the driveway to the garage...still recovering from being on my knees for 4 days! "Oh, let's redo the girls rooms" still have one to do. "Oh the kitchen needs a new ventilator" and many others such jobs! Plus I still have to work at my other job! Retirement is not here soon enough! No new news about my ladies, they are keeping us in eggs and are always good for a few good laughs! Keep healthy and be safe...until my next visit!

 

[abpatchy]

So nice to hear from you again John!!!
So many "honey do's" for you... I can't even think what kneeling would do to my knees. I don't think I would manage.
I guess once you are done you'll be living in a brand new house!!

Let me tell you guys... hormones are surging at my coop. The young hens are jumping at each other... have not noticed any big fights... but they are definitly trying to show who has something to say. Their combs are growing and turning red... so they are thinking about laying eggs relatively soon.
Now the boys... there are only 7 left (plus the 2 smaller ones up front (not mixed in with the 7)... four of them ganged up on this one rooster and beat him up. He did not want to leave the coop in the morning. Let me be honest... I am thinking of butchering! You should have seen the scene... I had taken the rooster that was all beat up and sitting in the coop... took him outside to the run. Put him down where the other roosters were. He got all nerveous and scared... and these 4 bullies slowly walked up to him , surrounding him. It was like one of those gang movies where they are playing with knives trying to intimidate. Always keeping an eye on me. I allowed him to go past me and hide in the coop again. Poor guy!! This evening he was outside again... but stayed close to the coop door. Still worried.
I guess the girls getting ready to lay and their own hormones are making them more aggressive. Not a pretty picture from such a big bird. My biggest rooster was 2900g 3 weeks ago. The others weigh less but are almost the same size.

So, I was really thinking if I should not butcher at least those 2 roosters that are just "life insurance" in case something happens. More room... less roosters to worry about. I have no more stalls to separate them.

Speaking of separate... I am getting ready to start my rooster coops. Ouch... they are going to be expensive! I don't think we have a mill in our area... so I will get my wood and hardware at home improvement stores. Just for posts and hardware for the posts... as well as some linseed oil treatment... I am looking at 250Euros. It will take a little longer to get those roosters into their own coops.

Oh... and my hubby wrote a program in German and English for calculating meds for chickens... like when you have different coops, different weights, if you have to premix with water and then add to their regular water... all is calculated. Try it out.. let my know what you think https://mpongrac.github.io/AnimalMe...NvntMJqCT7zC-8hb898NZ75n-Lc_fxfaKQFpha_9FgRh0

 

[chickengr]

Chicken update and a bit of a rant ahead

All 7 of our chickens were rescues, and a few of them weren't in great shape, weight wise. It seems like at this moment, only 2 of the ladies are laying eggs (our double laced barnevelder and one of our wyandotte bantams). We have given them unlimited access to pellets in a feeder, every morning they get a scoop of seeds tossed into the run as well as greens/veggie leftovers to keep em busy foraging. Hopefully they'll all gain a little weight and then hopefully eventually we'll have more ladies laying eggs.

***********

The picture below I showed before, but in a thread asking to identify what cross Toos (and the others) may be...
Verdict was silky cross and someone mentioned Toos may be a rooster... which I think I can now confirm, because Toos seems to be growing out some slightly longer tail feathers

He also has started sounding less like a chick and more like a chicken, but no crowing so far and we were told the youngest chickens were about 6 months old.
Since we already have a large brahma rooster, at some point one of them will probably have to go if Toos is indeed a rooster. So far the big boy lets Toos eat right next to him, no problem.

View attachment 2272837

Eventually we want to have mostly larger chickens (brahmas and large wyandottes probably), as we live in the forest and the little bantams just get snatched away a bit too easily to my liking, if we want to let em roam the yard.
We currently have two wyandotte bantams and Toos and Emmy (the silkie crosses) would be considered bantams too I think. Our other two are "regular" sized chickens, but obviously compared to a brahma those still aren't super big.

give them more proteins so that they can gain weight.

 

[BDutch]

So nice to hear from you again John!!!
So many "honey do's" for you... I can't even think what kneeling would do to my knees. I don't think I would manage.
I guess once you are done you'll be living in a brand new house!!

Let me tell you guys... hormones are surging at my coop. The young hens are jumping at each other... have not noticed any big fights... but they are definitly trying to show who has something to say. Their combs are growing and turning red... so they are thinking about laying eggs relatively soon.
Now the boys... there are only 7 left (plus the 2 smaller ones up front (not mixed in with the 7)... four of them ganged up on this one rooster and beat him up. He did not want to leave the coop in the morning. Let me be honest... I am thinking of butchering! You should have seen the scene... I had taken the rooster that was all beat up and sitting in the coop... took him outside to the run. Put him down where the other roosters were. He got all nerveous and scared... and these 4 bullies slowly walked up to him , surrounding him. It was like one of those gang movies where they are playing with knives trying to intimidate. Always keeping an eye on me. I allowed him to go past me and hide in the coop again. Poor guy!! This evening he was outside again... but stayed close to the coop door. Still worried.
I guess the girls getting ready to lay and their own hormones are making them more aggressive. Not a pretty picture from such a big bird. My biggest rooster was 2900g 3 weeks ago. The others weigh less but are almost the same size.

So, I was really thinking if I should not butcher at least those 2 roosters that are just "life insurance" in case something happens. More room... less roosters to worry about. I have no more stalls to separate them.

Speaking of separate... I am getting ready to start my rooster coops. Ouch... they are going to be expensive! I don't think we have a mill in our area... so I will get my wood and hardware at home improvement stores. Just for posts and hardware for the posts... as well as some linseed oil treatment... I am looking at 250Euros. It will take a little longer to get those roosters into their own coops.

Oh... and my hubby wrote a program in German and English for calculating meds for chickens... like when you have different coops, different weights, if you have to premix with water and then add to their regular water... all is calculated. Try it out.. let my know what you think https://mpongrac.github.io/AnimalMe...NvntMJqCT7zC-8hb898NZ75n-Lc_fxfaKQFpha_9FgRh0

Too many roosters is often a problem. If you ever loose one, you often can get a new one for free of little through the internet. Unless he’s a champion of course.

Just an idea to save money: buy a second hand playhouse and adjust it.

The calculator looks okay, but isn’t optimized for a phone. I won't use it bc I don’t use medicines for my chickens.