Playing Musical Chickens .. an Old Hens' Home, Various Kids (PICS)

[speckledhen]

My main flock rooster Dutch earned his ticket out of here today by flogging me for the first time ever--he's over two years old and was always a great boy till he developed some sort of grudge against me (and only me). Here is the ad for his rehoming, if anyone wants to take a chance on him. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=368054

Because of this incident, I have moved my Delaware boy, Isaac, *in my avatar*, to the main flock and moved about a dozen girls into his former coop. There are three who are dying from internal laying and the coop-mates they grew up with (Lexie with Ivy, Sunny with Ginger, Tux with Olivia). Then there is Reba, my RIR hen, the three Delaware hens, my only bantam, Shadow, and then Nugget will be going in there as well since she, Sunny and Ginger would pal around together before she went broody.

Because Ivy and Olivia are critical and can't jump up on the first roost bar, DH made a handicapped ramp for them and installed Shadow her very own Princess Roost like she was used to in the other coop. Pics from today:

Blue Rocks, Neela (L) and Alice (R)

Rita-nope, not a drop of RIR blood in her--BLRW/BBS Ameraucana X pullet. Waiting for her first green egg, though that single comb is really blowing my mind.

Alice:

Barbara, Fern's daughter and Ivy's granddaughter by Dutch:

Charlotte, threatening to go broody at 3 years old. She was puffing and clucking and screaming more when she saw Isaac in her pen, LOL.

Maxie, one of the Delawares. Minimum color, maximum volume.

 

[joletabey]

I love seeing pictures of your birds- hope Ike is happy and loves his girls - those blue rocks are gorgeous! I called Dutch names elsewhere-

 

[Cetawin]

LOL Charlotte is hacked off...you really need to force Nora and nest into something smaller OUTSIDE that coop. You are gonna have 20 broodies in there if you keep it up. LOL

I love the ramp and I see it being used. And heaven forbid the Princess does not have her own roost.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, the Princess didn't want to go on her newly made roost. She insisted that she would be roosting on Daddy's shoulder because she didn't want to be in that coop with the old ladies. I kept telling her that she was not going to be sitting on Daddy's knee in the house sipping coffee like last winter. She did her little bawk, bawk, bawk backtalk.

That Charlotte is acting like a crazy broody. If I could get Nugget and her boy Roosevelt to live in the old ladies coop, then I'd have the Firetower for Nora or Panda (or Charlotte). I have a feeling the broodies aren't done yet, either. Bad Nora, bad! Influencing them that way.

 

[Cetawin]

I would toss Nugget and baby in there...Ivy will beat his backside if he starts any trouble. then move those psycho broodies away from everyone else....QUICK!

In the Suedelettes thread I posted a pic for you...Chy is so upset she is on the coon warpath.

 

[speckledhen]

I saw that. Poor little rooster.

 

[kathyinmo]

YAY!!! I see a picture with Isaac in it!

And, the Barred Rock girls and even Maxie, too! My favorites! I have to admit, though, I am drawn to your Light Brahma, as well. I like the big ones, maybe that is why.

With Rita having that single comb, do you think she will still lay a green egg? I thought I read somewhere that the blue egg gene was associated with the pea comb. She sure looks like a RIR, at least some, doesn't she?

 

[Serrin]

Lovely pics of the girls Cyn! And just what, might I ask, is wrong with having a "Princess" around? I've got a coop full of them! And every single one of them thinks that they're the most wonderful thing to ever tumble out of a pop door! Wouldn't have them any other way!!

 

[speckledhen]

Kathy, since Rita is a cross of a brown egg layer and a blue egg layer, she really should lay green. I read about someone acquiring some New Hampshires once to replace a flock and some were laying green eggs, obviously some mixed parentage somewhere and they all looked like normal NHs with single combs. Anyway, we should see very soon from her appearance!



BTW, I plopped Nugget and Roosevelt into the Old Hens' group. Ivy decided to immediately show him who was in charge over there, but Ginger intervened and thunked Ivy on her beak!

The Delawares are the worst about harassing him, as I expected, but then, Shadow started in on him-they are about the same size. Then Shadow and Nugget got into a claws-a-flying bout and we had to separate them. Nugget was not defending Roosevelt at all--he's completely on his own with this bunch, but most of them are so old, they really don't care much that he's in there. His feeder is hanging inside so the girls will be eating the chick starter, but I didn't see any choice. I don't want only layer pellets available to him. I need to clean out the Firetower because I suspect I'll have a broody in there soon.

BTW, when DH took Panda off her nest this morning, he says to me, So, you put seven eggs in here with her? I said, no, just six. Apparently, Panda laid an egg the first day she was in there and he didn't notice the extra and I never saw it since DH is the one who takes her off the nest daily. So, there is a Panda egg in the mix, though I didn't want to incubate hers, being only 3/4 BR, in case I couldn't tell that the chick was 1/4 Ameraucana. I hope that made sense! If I had to sell it, I'd want to know if it was pure BR or not. So, Zane may have a grandchick from his only kid soon.

 

[Cetawin]

poor james bond.