Red Partridge Orpington informational hatch thread

[BigBlueHen53]

Thanks! I clicked that as Informative. Just "pretty" probably moves them to the bottom of my Want list, sadly. My EEs and BAs check just about all my boxes. I don't need my chickens to be cuddlebugs, I need them to be alert and aware. I can walk among them without freaking them out, and handle them at night on their roosts, and that's tame enough for me. They're good, honest, dedicated working girls, lol. That's all I really need. Thanks for your full disclosure on the Barnes, I appreciate it!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

My Orps were such obsessive broodies I gave up on them as producers though.

 

[K0k0shka]

Thanks! I clicked that as Informative. Just "pretty" probably moves them to the bottom of my Want list, sadly. My EEs and BAs check just about all my boxes. I don't need my chickens to be cuddlebugs, I need them to be alert and aware. I can walk among them without freaking them out, and handle them at night on their roosts, and that's tame enough for me. They're good, honest, dedicated working girls, lol. That's all I really need. Thanks for your full disclosure on the Barnes, I appreciate it!

Alert and aware they are, so they might do well free ranging (I don’t free range so I can’t speak to that). But they definitely notice and complain about anything new in their environment. The Orps can’t be bothered though. They are like immovable tanks and just don’t care I can picture a predator walking away with one and the rest would still be “meh” about it.

 

[K0k0shka]

My Orps were such obsessive broodies I gave up on them as producers though.

I’ve heard of that and was a little nervous this spring… But none of mine have gone broody yet. Maybe it’s certain lines or types of Orps? I’ve heard that Buffs are obsessively broody. I don’t have any though.

 

[K0k0shka]

Night 4 and one of the chicks braved the big girls’ bedroom!! I am seriously impressed. It was the dark one, which is the bravest of the bunch in general. The hens were very WTF about it, but it was too dark for them to do anything

The other two chicks settled on top of the nesting box again, so I moved them again. But this time I moved them to the big bedroom so they’re all sleeping together now.

I have considered blocking their access to the nesting box top, but the hens never ever go up there so it’s a safe refuge for the chicks before the auto door opens, if they need to escape the hens’ harassment. So I’ll leave it as is for now and keep moving them. They clearly got the idea and are working their way to the roosts.

The hen that looked broody last night spent most of the day out and about looking normal, but by late afternoon she was back in the nest, so I had to pull her out again at bedtime…

 

[K0k0shka]

She’s officially broody… Again! Went back to the nest in the morning and camped out there for the day. Her voice has broken into the broody cluck, too I waited until everybody was done laying for the day, carried her out and closed up the coop. They have food and water in the run. So the coop will be closed until bedtime, and let’s hope that helps…

 

[aart]

Her voice has broken into the broody cluck, too

I hate that tickticktick sound!
Fighting it here too.
Thought she was done this morning, but nooooo, back to ticking.

 

[K0k0shka]

I hate that tickticktick sound!
Fighting it here too.
Thought she was done this morning, but nooooo, back to ticking.

Good luck. I have my broody jail ready and waiting, but I want to see if keeping her out of the coop might work first Barnevelders rarely ever go broody, from what I’ve heard. I expected it from the Orpingtons. My chickens are all backwards (I do have unusual variations of the breeds though, maybe that’s why they don’t fit the norm).

 

[aart]

Barnevelders rarely ever go broody, from what I’ve heard.

Well, broody birds go broody, no matter what breed they are.

 

[K0k0shka]

Well, broody birds go broody, no matter what breed they are.

Of course, I’m just talking about the statistics and the likelihoods.