Redinator's First Hatch-Along w Bonus Broody: And Everything Thereafter

[redinator]

Most of mine free range, but we have cover, geese, a donkey and a goat in the same pasture. I keep bantam cochins, bantam EE, and a few d'uccles, and mixes from those breeds. I haven't lost many over the years from hawks thankfully.

Most of our yard has good tree cover. I thought about using sun shades or something to cover the open areas, but the chickens hangout in the sunny spots when they dust/sunbathe. He's a sweet little stinker so I'd hate to have to give him up.

 

[ValkerieGunn]

I have 8 bantams I'm currently 'trying out'. One is a Self Blue Old English Bantam cockerel which only get up to 24 oz. I'm concerned I won't be able to keep him since we have small hawks. I wouldn't want to keep him penned if the others are free ranging.

I currently don't let chicks out of the run unsupervised until they're 6-8 weeks old. I haven't had any losses so far using that strategy. I just don't think he'll be big enough even full grown.

I free range everyone and my D'uccle Rooster did fine for his 2 years. I have some D'uccle mixes now and some bantam cochins that free range. My current large fowl chicks are 6 weeks old and once I was sure the adults would leave them be I don't supervise. We had a hawk in a tree just the other day and everybody just stayed near some cover. I am of the mind if they aren't smart enough to evade and survive they don't belong here.

 

[redinator]

I free range everyone and my D'uccle Rooster did fine for his 2 years. I have some D'uccle mixes now and some bantam cochins that free range. My current large fowl chicks are 6 weeks old and once I was sure the adults would leave them be I don't supervise. We had a hawk in a tree just the other day and everybody just stayed near some cover. I am of the mind if they aren't smart enough to evade and survive they don't belong here.

Fair point. I wouldn't want to breed the dull ones anyway, lol.

 

[ValkerieGunn]

Fair point. I wouldn't want to breed the dull ones anyway, lol.

One of those 6 week olds jumped into my dogs mouth today. So thankful it is a cockeral that I now know won't make it here. She was just laying in the shade panting and he honestly ran up and jumped her legs into her mouth. Then he freaked out. It was hilarious.

 

[redinator]

One of those 6 week olds jumped into my dogs mouth today. So thankful it is a cockeral that I now know won't make it here. She was just laying in the shade panting and he honestly ran up and jumped her legs into her mouth. Then he freaked out. It was hilarious.

Wow! My dog loves the chicks, but I don't even she'd be able to resist that. The only time she reacts is out of reflex if on flies by her without her knowing. She does the same with flies and bees. She always looks at me like "I didn't mean it, honest."

 

[ValkerieGunn]

Wow! My dog loves the chicks, but I don't even she'd be able to resist that. The only time she reacts is out of reflex if on flies by her without her knowing. She does the same with flies and bees. She always looks at me like "I didn't mean it, honest."

Thankfully she didn't bite him. No blood just a lot of drool as she did try to decide if she could play with it. I called her immediately and she dropped him but she seemed disappointed he didn't really want to play with her. She is good at getting the other critters that try and brave our yard. She will go after anything but the birds now that we worked with her on it. Opossum, mice, squirrel, and rabbit all immediately regret everything when they decide to visit. Chickens she leaves be which is great.

 

[redinator]

Thankfully she didn't bite him. No blood just a lot of drool as she did try to decide if she could play with it. I called her immediately and she dropped him but she seemed disappointed he didn't really want to play with her. She is good at getting the other critters that try and brave our yard. She will go after anything but the birds now that we worked with her on it. Opossum, mice, squirrel, and rabbit all immediately regret everything when they decide to visit. Chickens she leaves be which is great.

I hatched my first chicks and did a whole acclimatization thing. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-dog-and-her-chicks.1652932/#post-28417703

We only had one mishap with a pecky little a-hole of a RIR cockerel. That little jerk was asking for it though. She didn't injure him, but cornered him and scared the crap of him.

He had pecked her several times, would jump on her back and start scratching and pecking her. I'd knock him off her and she started avoiding being around the chickens.

One day I heard a ruckus under the landing and she had him cornered and wouldn't let him by her. I wasn't outside when it happened, but I can only imagine he ticked her last nerve. He was rehomed a few days later and peace has reigned since.

 

[ValkerieGunn]

I hatched my first chicks and did a whole acclimatization thing. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-dog-and-her-chicks.1652932/#post-28417703

We only had one mishap with a pecky little a-hole of a RIR cockerel. That little jerk was asking for it though. She didn't injure him, but cornered him and scared the crap of him.

He had pecked her several times, would jump on her back and start scratching and pecking her. I'd knock him off her and she started avoiding being around the chickens.

One day I heard a ruckus under the landing and she had him cornered and wouldn't let him by her. I wasn't outside when it happened, but I can only imagine he ticked her last nerve. He was rehomed a few days later and peace has reigned since.

Zoomies. Let the dog out to do zoomies around the chickens after they are good around the birds and it normally reminds the birds not to get too close. My birds don't like being close to the dog but the dog leaves them be so hopefully if any stray comes near they won't be to friendly and end up eaten.

 

[redinator]

Zoomies. Let the dog out to do zoomies around the chickens after they are good around the birds and it normally reminds the birds not to get too close. My birds don't like being close to the dog but the dog leaves them be so hopefully if any stray comes near they won't be to friendly and end up eaten.

I don't think that'll be an issue. I had my Maltese mix groomed recently and he looked like a totally different dog. It took at least 3 days before the chickens quit freaking out everytime he went in the yard.

I had to escort him because I was worried they cockerels would attack him since they didn't recognize him. It was kind of funny because my dog was oblivious to the fact that they were following him, clucking loudly, trying to decide what to do about it.

 

[redinator]

Only Day 5 . . . ugh!

I did toy around a bit with candling to see if I could get good pictures today, and I think I have it figured out.

I borrowed my son's tripod and set my phone in it. After still having trouble with trying to snap photos of each egg I decided to just record a video. I used yard eggs because I didn't want to handle the eggs in incubator unnecessarily.

Yes, I candled them in my bathroom since it's the only room in the house with zero windows.

BTW it does irk me a tiny bit that we can't just share videos on this site . . . anywho.

Here's the link to the test video:

Just a note: The first egg did not crack and I'll be using a foam egg carton with the incubator eggs instead of the hard plastic one I usually keep on my kitchen counter.