Raising Chicks has been a Joy

[Grandmas Coop]

GOOD MORNIG Chicken Lovers, Bob the rooster got the hens up at 5:30 am, it is still a bit dark at 6:08.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

 

[Grandmas Coop]

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Well, the chicken are not quite a year old (may27th) With 13 new chicks coming at the end of May 2021 I am thinking about a now way to set them up out in the coop. At one week I take them out to the run in a brooder pin during the day a few times, so the older hen can adjust to them. With this last bunch I moved them into the coop on June 4th and they did great.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

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This is a great article :
BREED PROFILE: LEGHORN
https://www.communitychickens.com/b...faNZ2wp6DMDBqcpvkk8atyH28DKc3tEJ6x2EWDTsuec7s​

@Livinthedozierdream

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[Grandmas Coop]

11 week old Rooster singing his morning song

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@Livinthedozierdream

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Did anyone else have a wind storm yesterday and all night? Boy we did.
Bob is in the nesting box again??? I have been noticing him do this, he doesn't eat eggs, he just roots around.

One day a week ago I was planting some seed. I had already gathered the eggs and there was only 4.
Some days the older hen doesn't lay.
Well, I hear this scratching/fluffing/ cluck-tut-tut/clickcluck and I thought oh good, 3p.m. a bit late but there is my 5th egg. Well this went on a bit and I wanted to know which hen was laying late. I walked over to where I could count the hens, 1,2,3,4,5?? what? who's in the nesting box? 1,2,3,4,5,no bit tail all hens.....
Bob? what are you doing? I thought to myself as I quietly watched him. He moved to a different box and scratched it up, and then jumped out and went out to the run.
A few minutes later he is at it again. So I thought, well maybe there is a bug in there? So I went down and went into the coop. No eggs, no spider, no bugs. I have no idea unless,,, this is male rooster helping with the nesting. I am going to have to read up on this. I know like with the humming birds, the male will sit on the nest while the female goes to eat.

I have also been listening carefully to bob Rooster's calls. Roosters have several different ones.
There is the "I own the coop stay away"
A "I see something" cluck/bark/BAhaaaakbahak similar to what the hens do
A nicer "hello greeting"
A "low growl" to try and intermediate you
A "Tut-tut-tut" come and eat this call
and
an out right, high pitched, one tone long tone, "RED ALERT"
and I am sure there are more.

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[Grandmas Coop]

Tips for Choosing Healthy Chicks ​

spry, fast, and on the move/ curious and alert /eating, drinking, pooping

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https://www.communitychickens.com/choosing-the-good-chick/
https://the-chicken-chick.com/tips-for-choosing-healthy-chicks/
https://www.tillysnest.com/2017/07/selecting-chicks-choosing-healthiest/

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Wow, April 5th. It feels like we just did New Years. I made the full switch from Purina organic layer to the Scratch and Peck Layer Pellets. The flock seams to like it just fine. The morning poop under the roost looks good, seams no one has the runs, which is a good thing. Out of 5 hens I did only get 3 eggs yesterday. But that could be due to so many things, like mice out and about, bob cat rooming around, lots of extra eagles flying over. Here is a pic someone took of the return of the eagles. It takes an eagles about 5 years to become fully white headed , so there is a mix of ages in this pic.

but for the most part, it is a first to have only 3 eggs. I am sure the hens needed a day off.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

May 17th

2 White Orphingtons &

5 Red Leghorns


6 Brown Leghorns May 10th
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[Grandmas Coop]

Up and at 'Em 23 more days to be baby chick ready!

There is so much to do. I am trying wrap up all of the gardening. I have sunflowers I started from seed to transplant, squash beds to make and I need a new tomato bed place. The new compost pile needs mixed Lolololololololo​

So much to do

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The babies stay in the house for one week.
Then I move them to the coop. They stay in the brooder week 2.
Then each day at full sun I sit with them for an hour in the run brooder. When I think the other/older hens are ready, I let the babies run in and out of the brooder with me guarding them.

I want to come up with a different nesting box system so there is more floor space. ???

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