Ribh's D'Coopage

[Ribh]

That’s terrifying, and kind of creepy, because that was basically how my Husbands uncle died in his early 30’s. That was a long time ago, but the family still has an aversion to that make of Tractors. Thankfully, they all have roll cages now.

I would still rather handle the cows than have them skittish, as we don’t range far enough to need them people shy. Even if it means they occasionally beat me through the barn doors and get a head start on polishing off their hay rations for the season! Chasing 13 friendly but highly food motivated cows out of the place the tasty alfalfa lives was not fun. Especially because they basically have no flight zone for me now. I actually shoved a bale out across their backs because they were pressed in so tightly.

But, on the other hand they don’t mind me messing with their calves when they are little so much, which makes tagging and banding any boys much easier. And when I had to carry Rosebud (our special needs calf) across the field, her mama wasn’t aggressive or overly distraught that I was carrying her baby, she just followed patiently. And she never tried to kick or headbutt me when I was bottle feeding her or trying to get her on her mama the first weeks either.

I’m pretty sure I love the cows as much as the chickens. It doesn’t make for an easy “retirement” that’s for sure, but it is immensely rewarding.

Yeah, dad always said rounding them up & putting them through the drench pens or loading them on the trucks was so much easier if they were used to being handled. I love me some jerseys ~ but no room here for even a little jersey. My poppy was a dairy farmer & ran a jersey herd. Milk fresh from the cow & thick with yellow cream can still make me drool.

Most farm equipment terrifies me. I leave the tools & such to John. I only get them if they need fiddling with to make them work.

 

[Ribh]

I know my little flock will integrate but just now I could smack some fluffy butts! My big girls are throwing their not inconsiderable weight around & while it is quite funny to watch their slow strut while everyone else scurries & bows & scrapes it's not very nice of them ~ & yes, I know they're chooks & I'm just going to have to wait this one out. No~one's drawing blood or anything particularly vicious but I do have to monitor the food & water & if I'm actually in the pen they are much more discreet about food hogging! lol

 

[rjohns39]

I have multiple feed and water stations for my bunch. The little ones run to an unused bowl and the bigs follow. I think the ducks are the smartest, they wait for the bigs to chase the little ones and then pounce on the empty feeder.

 

[Ribh]

I have multiple feed and water stations for my bunch. The little ones run to an unused bowl and the bigs follow. I think the ducks are the smartest, they wait for the bigs to chase the little ones and then pounce on the empty feeder.

Yes, I have extra feed & water stations @ present & the big girls hurtle from one to another making sure the newbies know how things stand. There are only 4 of them & 8 of the others so how they have managed to intimidate everyone else is mind boggling ~ especially as the biggest girl I have is one of the newbies. Stance & everything makes her look rather like a rooster but she skitters away from my BAs. Hoping to get wire up today for a run extension & get the biggies out of the pen for a bit. They've done their dash on the free ranging for now by mowing down one lot of veggies & having a 2nd go as well! I'm pretty easy going but the man was livid.

 

[Ribh]

@MaryJanet: Did Sandy arrive? Anxiously awaiting pictures.

 

[WhoDatChick]

I am so afraid of integrating.. and I have a feeling that if some are being bullyish then I am gonna take em out and put them in the small coop for awhile.. it’ll do em some good I think since they bully everyone.. except Ruby! Plus, I fear I will never do this again if it’s bad.. I stress easily!
I can see my sweet, sweet Claire(Barnevelder) becoming a bully to Kelly(EE) just because she can .. and she does it cuz she is usually the one everybody else picks on for no reason! So now she has someone to pick on! Kelly is on the bottom
I put Ruby(RIR and leader) in with the 6 weekers and she was fine.. she pecked Goosie.. I think cuz she got too close.. nothing more. But Claire has been flaring up to the middles and to Nilky through the wire!! Sooo, I don’t know what she’s up to! Tomorrow I plan to spend the day out there taking each of the big gals one by one into the side with the middles and see how each one does .. hopefully that will start getting the big gals used to the middles being around... they see them everyday but I don’t know..
Some say it’s best to integrate when they are little.. some say best when same size ... seems worse to me when they are the same size BUT it scares me for them when so small.. they could get seriously injured! what to do!!

 

[Ribh]

I am so afraid of integrating.. and I have a feeling that if some are being bullyish then I am gonna take em out and put them in the small coop for awhile.. it’ll do em some good I think since they bully everyone.. except Ruby! Plus, I fear I will never do this again if it’s bad.. I stress easily!
I can see my sweet, sweet Claire(Barnevelder) becoming a bully to Kelly(EE) just because she can .. and she does it cuz she is usually the one everybody else picks on for no reason! So now she has someone to pick on! Kelly is on the bottom
I put Ruby(RIR and leader) in with the 6 weekers and she was fine.. she pecked Goosie.. I think cuz she got too close.. nothing more. But Claire has been flaring up to the middles and to Nilky through the wire!! Sooo, I don’t know what she’s up to! Tomorrow I plan to spend the day out there taking each of the big gals one by one into the side with the middles and see how each one does .. hopefully that will start getting the big gals used to the middles being around... they see them everyday but I don’t know..
Some say it’s best to integrate when they are little.. some say best when same size ... seems worse to me when they are the same size BUT it scares me for them when so small.. they could get seriously injured! what to do!!

I remind myself this is the natural order of things & so long as they're not actually drawing blood things will settle down. I think you are doing a wonderful job ~ well thought out & carefully planned. It will be fine.

 

[MaryJanet]

Yep, she arrived at roosting time, so I put her in roosting hutch of the little coop with the door closed. This morning she was up before me and had eaten some pellets before I let her out of the roosting hutch. She's not very happy about the confinement but with 4.5m2 to herself she should be fine. I may let her into ththe run for a few hours tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Mary the Australorp is waking up the neighborhood with her worried song. Mind you, she already bowed to Sandy even though they're separated.

Janet was affronted at first, most displeased. But now she's adopted a policy of aloofness.

Sandy is making quieter worried songs, which is what you'd expect waking up to a new home.

This is my best pic so far. Her tail feathers are rather scrappy. I wonder what that's about.

 

[Ribh]

Yep, she arrived at roosting time, so I put her in roosting hutch of the little coop with the door closed. This morning she was up before me and had eaten some pellets before I let her out of the roosting hutch. She's not very happy about the confinement but with 4.5m2 to herself she should be fine. I may let her into ththe run for a few hours tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Mary the Australorp is waking up the neighborhood with her worried song. Mind you, she already bowed to Sandy even though they're separated.

Janet was affronted at first, most displeased. But now she's adopted a policy of aloofness.

Sandy is making quieter worried songs, which is what you'd expect waking up to a new home.

This is my best pic so far. Her tail feathers are rather scrappy. I wonder what that's about.

She is lovely! It is molting season. I would check & see if she has new pin feathers coming through & for lice or mites around the vent. Of course it may just be she hasn't been looked after for a while. Sounds like your integration is going well.

 

[rjohns39]

I am so afraid of integrating.. and I have a feeling that if some are being bullyish then I am gonna take em out and put them in the small coop for awhile.. it’ll do em some good I think since they bully everyone.. except Ruby! Plus, I fear I will never do this again if it’s bad.. I stress easily!
I can see my sweet, sweet Claire(Barnevelder) becoming a bully to Kelly(EE) just because she can .. and she does it cuz she is usually the one everybody else picks on for no reason! So now she has someone to pick on! Kelly is on the bottom
I put Ruby(RIR and leader) in with the 6 weekers and she was fine.. she pecked Goosie.. I think cuz she got too close.. nothing more. But Claire has been flaring up to the middles and to Nilky through the wire!! Sooo, I don’t know what she’s up to! Tomorrow I plan to spend the day out there taking each of the big gals one by one into the side with the middles and see how each one does .. hopefully that will start getting the big gals used to the middles being around... they see them everyday but I don’t know..
Some say it’s best to integrate when they are little.. some say best when same size ... seems worse to me when they are the same size BUT it scares me for them when so small.. they could get seriously injured! what to do!!

I have space issues so my birds in the second and third hatch of the year have to go through a rapid integration process. I keep them in tractors until they are the same size as the adults. Then one morning after I let the adults out of their shelter I close it and bring the new kids in. They have the day to get acquainted through the wire. Then when it's bedtime I open the chicken door and the older birds come in. Every now and again a new one will escape. So far, there has been little fighting and integration issues. It can be very stressful to watch but as long as blood isn't being drawn, they'll work it out. If you do have a bully, best to put the bully in time out.

When I brought out my first batch of RIW birds, I put them in their new shelter for a few days. My older Dels were all kinds of curious, when I opened the door and let the RIWs out, it was crazy. The RIWs had already established their pecking order, so the head cockerel immediately went after the head cockerel from the dels. The hens did the same. No blood but lots of chest bumping and feather pulling. I sat out there watching for probably two hours. Meanwhile a couple of the girls not interested in fighting decided they should perch on my shoulders and in my lap. After two hours and no blood, I went back to the house. The head RIW became the new leader of the flock and the head del hen retained her station in life. It took them a few days to work it all out but then there was peace in the pasture once again.

I remind myself this is the natural order of things & so long as they're not actually drawing blood things will settle down. I think you are doing a wonderful job ~ well thought out & carefully planned. It will be fine.

X2