Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!

[BCMaraniac]

Did you all read that article about the Bresse? They capon at 10 weeks!!

I caponized my Bresse at 11-12 weeks.......I will never do it again. I won't even wait till 10 weeks! Besides, I'm not French!!

 

[BCMaraniac]

A little Silkie pullet had drowned in my pool right before I processed the slightly younger cockerels. The pullet took a few minutes to do--everything was easy. The cockerels? The garbage can looked awfully inviting. I just flatly refused to throw them out and stuck it out. I was exhausted in the end, partly from being four weeks out of cervical spinal fusion surgery but mostly because they were just that hard to process. I have another to do when the roosters in the group of 5-week old chicks grow big enough to start acting as protectors of the free range flock.

Question for those who have integrated chicks to their existing flock--how do I do it?

I have some Ameraucana chicks, maybe 5 weeks old that I want to go out with a free range flock soon. They are pretty small--Cornish X they are not--so won't be going out for a bit. At what size do you put chicks out free ranging?

The flock I want them to go into consists of all one-year old birds: a Ameraucana rooster, a Ameraucana hen, two ditzy Polish hens and a bantam Plymouth Rock. I will be integrating two Ameraucana hens back into this flock--they were taken out of it in January when I wanted to get them ready for a show, then they had all kinds of crop/health issues. The two Ameraucana hens are still separated, finishing out their quarantine because they ended up being penned near my birds that were at poultry shows and are still in quarantine.

I have found the Ameraucanas a bit on the tough side. I was thinking I should get the chicks in with the main flock while it still only has only one Ameraucana hen who could be a bully. How do roosters take to new additions? My neighbor's hen has been trying to make her home on my side of the fence, and there was a huge kafuffle when the flock had her trapped in the corner and it sure sounded like the rooster was in the middle of the melee. He is extremely protective of any birds that make distress calls, even the roosters in the other flock.

I would really appreciate suggestions. Thanks.

The only experience that I have had with integration has been with a broody integrating them. She lets them understand the pecking order, especially at feeding time, but will stand up for them if it goes too far. I have eggs in the incubator now that are going to be integrated later without a broody, so I will be interested in the replies you get. I figured that if there was plenty of room to free range that the little ones would be OK with the older ones unless there is a particularly aggressive one. It has been my experience that the hens are the ones that don't like the youngsters. The roosters have always been very kind. I guess he assumes his role as protector. One thing I did do with mine is when I would throw out scraps or treats, I always try to broadcast it in a large enough area that the little ones didn't have to get in the thick of it all to partake.

 

[ronott1]

Now, Ron, do you have any suggestions as to how to teach a rooster to tuck his head??

I would love to hear it!

It did sound a bit quirky--something about tucking the head in for them. Luckily I do not have to try this.

The person must have been a chicken whisperer too......

 

[jajeanpierre]

The only experience that I have had with integration has been with a broody integrating them. She lets them understand the pecking order, especially at feeding time, but will stand up for them if it goes too far. I have eggs in the incubator now that are going to be integrated later without a broody, so I will be interested in the replies you get. I figured that if there was plenty of room to free range that the little ones would be OK with the older ones unless there is a particularly aggressive one. It has been my experience that the hens are the ones that don't like the youngsters. The roosters have always been very kind. I guess he assumes his role as protector. One thing I did do with mine is when I would throw out scraps or treats, I always try to broadcast it in a large enough area that the little ones didn't have to get in the thick of it all to partake.

How small are yours before you let them free range?

My neighbor lost a chicken to a Red Tailed hawk. We have had in the past Red Shouldered hawks nesting at one of my neighbor's trees, but this year I only have seen one large one, I assume was a female. I saw her driving off a big Red Tailed hawk, maybe the one that killed my neighbor's chicken.

I'm worried about when to let them out to free range because they are little. The rooster is super protective of all chickens (which is why he is going to become coq au vin at soon as I can replace him).

 

[Beekissed]

Question for those who have integrated chicks to their existing flock--how do I do it?


I would really appreciate suggestions. Thanks.

I brood right in the coop so the adults can see and hear the chicks from day one. I open the wall of the brooder at around 2-3 wks and let the chicks flow into the big flock. At that age it seems like the big chickens don't see them as food competition and they are very polite towards them at the feeders. If it's still cold at night they still get their heat lamp in the corner of their remaining walls of brooder but usually that is turned off during the day if the weather permits, left on if still chilly.

This way the chicks get to explore the coop, learn proper social behaviors~they slowly get the message that they have to wait until the big birds finish before they can spread out on the feeder~ and also range outside the coop a little more each day. It's the same routine I would use for broody raised chicks, though they will often get to integrate even younger at 1-2 wks. By their 4th week they have formed their own society and are very mindful of the pecking order, they range outside all day and live along the edge of the woods where they can evade aerial preds, and only come into the coop for feeding and sleeping.

I've had 100% success with this method and no chicks bullied, pecked too hard or chased. I think that people are so scared that little chicks will be harmed that they don't try this method and, instead, wait until their chicks are much older to try and integrate. By then they have no social skills, are used to dominating a feeder and will rush blithely into a feeding hierarchy of which they know nothing , viewed as food competition, thus part of the pecking order~whereas littler chicks are not~and get hammered by hens that have no patience for their ignorance of flock interactions.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

This is just adorable, can I say that on this thread! ha ha ha

 

[BCMaraniac]

How small are yours before you let them free range?

My neighbor lost a chicken to a Red Tailed hawk. We have had in the past Red Shouldered hawks nesting at one of my neighbor's trees, but this year I only have seen one large one, I assume was a female. I saw her driving off a big Red Tailed hawk, maybe the one that killed my neighbor's chicken.

I'm worried about when to let them out to free range because they are little. The rooster is super protective of all chickens (which is why he is going to become coq au vin at soon as I can replace him).

I can definitely understand that. I have a Great Pyr that guards my chickens along with an Australian Shepherd. I've actually seen them run hawks off.....at least the dogs thought so....LOL. I found a dead Cooper's hawk in my backyard back during the winter. I never did figure what was up with that. Mine were out free ranging with their mama by 4 weeks of age.....however, they had lots of nooks, crannies, and shrubs, etc to hide under if need be. My broody gradually took them further and further away from their coop, and then started bringing them up the hill to the coop where the others roost. At night she would take them back to their house, then start all over again. One night I went to lock them up at the bottom of the hill, and they weren't there. I went up to the big house, and she had brought them in and bedded down with them in one of the nesting boxes, which she continued to do. When they were about 8 weeks old, she left them with one of the other hens, went to the main coop, laid her first egg, then came back to them. She gathered them in that night, and then she was done with them. So at 8 weeks they were completely on their own as far as she was concerned. It was really amazing to watch her. That first day, she pecked at them to get away from her, and that was that.

Most of my birds are black, but this spring I will be letting my incubator hatched Bresse out to free range by themselves at 3-4 weeks of age, or as soon as it is warm enough. They will be by themselves except for my Aussie and their Marans hatch mates. I think the Bresse will have a bigger target on their backs than the Marans because of their color. Of course any Splash Marans will be at some increased risk too, I would think.
These chicks will have trees and shrubs on one end of the field, but there is going to be some wide open space too. That's what makes me nervous because a hawk could sit in the trees and then swoop down and grab one that is out in the field. I am really going to have to rely on my Aussie. Once breeding season is over, I will probably put my breeding stock out there as well, which would mean that there will be a couple of roosters out there too.....and Bresse roosters are very protective. I periodically have to remind them that I'm at the top of the pecking order....

 

[Beekissed]

Mine are out at 2-3 wks and I find they aren't much of a target for aerial preds at that age, being too small for decent meal, and they are also very quick to duck into small hides. As they age, they live on the edge of shelter and don't range too far from it much until they are 3-4 mo. of age. Also..take note....all the white chicks in the bottom 4-5 pics did not range with the older flock or anywhere near the rooster's protection....not a one was lost to aerial preds. The chicks in the top pics only has this rooster for guidance until the week following these pics, when he was dispatched and then they too ranged on their own....52 white CX chicks...hawks all around...not one lost to hawks.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Mine are out at 2-3 wks and I find they aren't much of a target for aerial preds at that age, being too small for decent meal, and they are also very quick to duck into small hides. As they age, they live on the edge of shelter and don't range too far from it much until they are 3-4 mo. of age. Also..take note....all the white chicks in the bottom 4-5 pics did not range with the older flock or anywhere near the rooster's protection....not a one was lost to aerial preds. The chicks in the top pics only has this rooster for guidance until the week following these pics, when he was dispatched and then they too ranged on their own....52 white CX chicks...hawks all around...not one lost to hawks.

OMG GREEN I need GREEN TOO!! and I soooo wish I had the space for free ranging!! aweeeeeeee I would have a zillion!! and a processing party to boot!!

 

[Happy Chooks]

My meaties get to see snow today. Poor things are crammed in the coop. I have a bigger coop to move them to, but we need a break in the weather to get it ready to put birds into. (ground is not level and it has no floor)