Playing Musical Chickens

[3KillerBs]

I need to think out loud and talk to myself here.

Problems:

• Cordon is broody again,
• The Chicken Palace isn't finished yet,
• The Splits are living in the dog crate I need to make the broody breaker,
• And the Ideal Dozen need to be moved up to the pen for flock integration and easier tending of all chickens at once.

I do have room for everyone inside the wire. Moving the Outdoor Brooder up there is a matter of lifting power and getting it over the inner curtain fence, not space. We can achieve this.

I can probably rig it so that I can put the Splits into the playpen that's serving as a second feeder shelter if I can figure out how to convince them to go back in there at night (they're at the "won't go into the coop at night stage" anyway). I'd have to figure out how to close the plastic netting (probably block it with a board?). Dragging it over to where the dog crate currently is seems logical.

Then I can rig the crate as a broody breaker again -- after pulling it more into the shade since Cordon won't be able to go out and find a better place to sit.

At this point my once over-sized run will really be at capacity so I'll probably have to manage my litter more aggressively. Which is annoying because I've gotten up all the easy-access pine straw and will have to get into the woods where it is harder to get loose from the undergrowth.

I also need to observe the youngsters as they interact with the flock to figure out who to keep and who to sell.

 

[3KillerBs]

And I can't do a think about this today because of the rain. I'll be off on Friday so maybe then.

 

[Sally PB]

Good luck!

 

[aart]

Chicken Juggling!

 

[Sally PB]

@aart, you know all about that! Any pointers, tips, suggestions?

 

[3KillerBs]

@aart, you know all about that! Any pointers, tips, suggestions?

Or weather control techniques so I can actually accomplish it?

 

[Sally PB]

Or weather control techniques so I can actually accomplish it?

Really. Big. Umbrellas.

But not if there is lightning. Or strong wind. Or don't have someone to hold it for you.

 

[3KillerBs]

OK, the project has started.

The dog crate has been moved, returned to being a broody breaker, and Cordon has been installed.

Notice the Splits looking in -- presumably confused as to why their home has been moved and given to someone else.

And the playpen that was being used to shelter the feeder has been moved to where the crate was, fitted with a training perch, and bedded with pine shavings. It may be interesting getting the Splits to go into a different structure at roosting time tonight even though the door is in the exact same spot that the cage door was.

I moved run furniture around to make a place for the brooder coop, but weather is probably not going to cooperate with us moving it until at least Sunday afternoon.

I've been trying to get the chicks ready for this by taking a handful of litter from the run every couple days and tossing it into the brooder so that they can be gently introduced to the flock's bacteria.

 

[3KillerBs]

I stayed out in the run until dark to keep an eye on Cordon in case she panicked when the others went in. She was restless, but didn't throw herself at the wire like she did the first time she was in the breaker cage.

The Splits had to be herded into the coop. They've been trying to sleep on top of various run structures for the past couple weeks.