Red Partridge Orpington informational hatch thread

[BigBlueHen53]

The smallest chick with the blue feet was one of my assisted hatches. She wouldn't have hatched on her own and was horribly stuck inside the egg, all dried out from having tried for so long. I'm so glad I saved her. She's my cuddliest, an absolute sweetheart, and perfectly healthy. I'm all for "natural selection" and "survival of the fittest", but if we leave it in nature's hands like those processes were meant to be. The moment we step in and introduce human factors, like the completely artificial process of hatching eggs in a styrofoam box after jostling them for thousands of miles on planes and trucks... well at that point everything changes, and we can't blame the chick for struggling with our interference. At that point, success depends more on us than on nature, because most of nature has been removed. So I will always try to save shipped eggs that are hatching in a human-made box. It only seems fair. Eggs that haven't flown and that are hatching under a broody can have nature and their mom figure it out.

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I like your philosophy, Ko.

 

[K0k0shka]

By the way as I'm integrating the new chicks with the established flock, I'm also trying to integrate new fish into my tank, and the chickens are doing much better than the fish The fish situation is so bad that I'm going to be rehoming the big bully who's terrorizing my new fish. I already got rid of his siblings and thought he'd chill out if he was alone (they were fighting amongst each other anyway), but he's still being a jerk, especially to the new fish (swordtails, total sweethearts). FYI angelfish are pretty but SO not worth it. Too much drama. Swordtails and chickens are the best

 

[aart]

FYI angelfish are pretty but SO not worth it.

Yep, they are vicious.
Had tanks long long ago.

 

[K0k0shka]

I made a "kids bedroom" the other day, for the chicks to (eventually) sleep on without having to be too close to the adults:

I moved the feeder under the adult roosts, too - it used to be across from where the juvenile roosts now are, and I didn't want to give the adults any reasons to hang out in that part of the coop and scare the chicks. Now they can sleep "separate but together" once I make the move to put the chicks in the coop at night. For the next several days I'll spend time with the chicks in the coop, placing them on their roosts so they get used to them, before I start putting them there at bedtime. So far they show no interest in the roosts - prefer to hang out like this instead:

So I have to place them on the roosts myself one by one, but once up there, they soon discover that they actually like it there

(I love those surprise blue feet by the way!! I'll have to ask Jeff what he mixed in to get the blue feet).

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I'm going to be getting some of the isabell laced lavender orps from him, and a golden cuckoo maran, I'm crazy excited!

 

[K0k0shka]

I'm going to be getting some of the isabell laced lavender orps from him, and a golden cuckoo maran, I'm crazy excited!

That does sound exciting. He has so many fancy colors! If you end up posting pictures anywhere, tag me - I wanna see

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I made a "kids bedroom" the other day, for the chicks to (eventually) sleep on without having to be too close to the adults:
View attachment 2714088


I moved the feeder under the adult roosts, too - it used to be across from where the juvenile roosts now are, and I didn't want to give the adults any reasons to hang out in that part of the coop and scare the chicks. Now they can sleep "separate but together" once I make the move to put the chicks in the coop at night. For the next several days I'll spend time with the chicks in the coop, placing them on their roosts so they get used to them, before I start putting them there at bedtime. So far they show no interest in the roosts - prefer to hang out like this instead:
View attachment 2714081

So I have to place them on the roosts myself one by one, but once up there, they soon discover that they actually like it there
View attachment 2714093

View attachment 2714086
(I love those surprise blue feet by the way!! I'll have to ask Jeff what he mixed in to get the blue feet).
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Littles on roosts are adorable! Trying to be all grown up

 

[Auntiejessi3]

That does sound exciting. He has so many fancy colors! If you end up posting pictures anywhere, tag me - I wanna see

I definitely will I love having a colorful egg carton but I just love orps and their fluffy butts! My husband calls them the fat bottom girls

 

[K0k0shka]

My husband calls them the fat bottom girls

I call them that, too, especially because they're English Perfect song for them.

 

[K0k0shka]

Enjoying their new roosts. I still have to put them up there myself (they can reach just fine, they just don’t want to), but once they’re there, they settle down and seem to enjoy it. I’ll give them a few more days to get used to the roosts during the day, and then I’ll start putting them up there for the night.