Ribh's D'Coopage

[Shadrach]

All Ready for Bed & No place to Roost.
In the @BY Bob tradition...
We have a routine for roosting round here. Once I consider it dark enough for my girls to have put themselves to bed I go out to the coop to count heads & say goodnight. Sometimes I'm a bit early ~ or the girls are a bit late~or they aren't quite ready & are dithering...So I sit on the stoop & wait. It is always a special time between a keeper & her chickens.

Tonight everyone except Soda, who is still broody, was already in bed. I went round to the nesting boxes to grab Soda, who is never happy but knows what is expected of her & hops up onto a roost. Happy chirps & trills & purrs as I said goodnight & went to see what the new girls were doing.

Everyone had investigated the coop earlier. They knew it was there but only one Wyandotte was actually in there & she wasn't on the roost. Everyone else was pacing the small run squawking. It was getting darker & darker. Three Campines attempted to roost on the ladder. Neither Agitated Araucana could get past them. One Wyandotte went round round. A Campine attempted to roost on the thin frame. I started grabbing birds & shoving them bodily into the coop. Most promptly re~emerged. I turned on my phone torch & propped it under the nesting box lid. Everybody filed up the ladder into the coop. I took the torch. Two Campines promptly reemerged.

Not sure what these girls are used to but it's definitely not an enclosed coop. The Campines were eyeing off the trees. Everyone did eventually enter the coop but only 2 were roosting ~ my dominant 2; the oldest Campine & the oldest Araucana. I do hope this isn't going to be a nightly event!

The checking the trees out sounds familiar.

 

[Ribh]

I'm pleased you got what you wanted...mostly. I'll be fascinated to read how they group up. If as you write one of the Campines is a senior hen that should prove interesting.

It's what I and others have found.

That is generous of you, Shad ~ given your feelings on the matter. These are the breeds I'm mostly interested in & will add to as I lose my older girls. One of my problems is they are all quite hard to get here. I am hoping for similar temperaments. I know the Wyandotte bantams will run with the Campines. For some strange reason they get along very well. The Araucanas are the unknowns.

The senior Campine has already asserted herself. The senior Araucana is 2nd. When I go for full integration there could be fireworks. This Campine seems very feisty.

 

[Shadrach]

That is generous of you, Shad ~ given your feelings on the matter. These are the breeds I'm mostly interested in & will add to as I lose my older girls. One of my problems is they are all quite hard to get here. I am hoping for similar temperaments. I know the Wyandotte bantams will run with the Campines. For some strange reason they get along very well. The Araucanas are the unknowns.

The senior Campine has already asserted herself. The senior Araucana is 2nd. When I go for full integration there could be fireworks. This Campine seems very feisty.

Any that were free range before are likely to have different patterns of behavior.

 

[Ribh]

I'm going to mention this but I won't bang on about it mainly because it's too late for you and Bob.
Quarantine.
At least 20 metres apart from the existing flock. Absolutely no physical contact; not even through a fence. One month like this. A full set of overalls and foot covers to be used when coming into contact with the newcomers.
Lots of people get away with it but when it goes wrong and you introduce a serious disease it's devastating.
Just saying.

Thanks, Shad. This is the best I could do without confining my older girls completely ~ & it still wouldn't have been 20 clear feet. I've done what I can. All birds are immunized & wormed. No~one has lice or mites. I've disinfected the coop, At least this time I have been able to separate the old & new girls. There is only so much I can do @ present. One day in the future, I hope to have a much better set up.

 

[rjohns39]

Good evening folks

The new girls are gorgeous Jeannie

 

[BY Bob]

We are home. The noise from the chook pen is incredible. But what an experience! Where I have bought to date the keeper is more than happy to chat & answer questions. I got a lot of confidence from her confidence in me when starting out & her pens are immaculate.

Ok, it's been monsoonal here for over a week & even the best kept pens get more than a little stinky when they are swimming in water so it was pretty bad & no~one really had the time to chat. It was a case of load up the birds you want, pay for them & get out. I barely got a chance to ask about immunisation & worming .

Fair enough. Obviously super busy & not, I don't think, people people. However my 3rd Campine, now I've had a chance to get a good look @ her, is obviously a mature bird ~ which is fine ~ but I wouldn't mind knowing exactly how mature.

However the Campines were a bit of an issue. As I'm considering the 3rd the keeper looks @ me & asks hesitantly: Have you kept Campines before? Ok, I get it. They're screamers, runners & super flighty to start with. I assured her I had Goldies & knew what I was letting myself in for.

She dropped an egg on the way home.
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The prawners were all out as we headed home.

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We were all hot & bothered by the time the barge was pulling into the ramp. This is why I prefer to buy a little later. Less stressful for everyone.
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However the new girls are now in the little pen. A bit squishy but they won't be there for long. Everyone is fed & watered.
Here they are.

It'll be a while before I can get individual shots. I have Campines after all!
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I cannot say how happy I am for you. I sm so glad it worked out. Now ask you have to do is train a full grown campine. This should be fun ti watch from afar!

 

[BY Bob]

I'll have to let Alice on BeakBook so she can "friend" them

Edit to add photos of Alice for Araucana comparison purposes

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I only have eyes for Tsuki. There is another chicken in that photo?

We need to help them set up a lot of beakbook profiles. Lots of new members.

 

[BY Bob]

We were working out how much land we had last night because our flock is now over 12 but it seems we're all good ~ which is just as well. As we were coming home the man, who was adamant I get all the birds I wanted in one hit [I've finally explained why staggering is better] tells me I am to get some more Gold Campines & another Lottie. Apparently they're his favourites & he wants more. So it seems I will be sending my original breeder an email asking her to let me know when her Campines become available again. The man has succumbed to chicken math & not only does he not know it, he doesn't even keep chickens!

You cant have a better partner than one that supports more chickens. You are very lucky. What a great valentine's day present!

 

[BY Bob]

Yes. I have deep litter in the coop run ~ @ least 4" deep~ & i sank up to my ankles in water the other day. It's no wonder my girls have chosen to stay inside!

Today, for the 1st time in over a week, the girls got in some sun bathing.

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Watching chickens sunbathing never gets old. It seems like when they are the most happy and contented.

 

[BY Bob]

Hoping for a successful integration.

The sounds of your flock always get me. All that happy clucking with tropical birds in the background. It sounds warm and cozy. It is freezing cold here today and you brought some warmth and sunshine with this.