Rusty Bucket Farm

[CoopBoots]

8/5 Updates:

Lots of drama and few , but here is Noodle enjoying some clover for tax:

I voted three cockerels off of the island a bit over a week ago, so Kloud (hubby's favorite) is the only teenage boy left on the farm. He is still retaining his fear of handling thanks to Yorvir's early aggression towards him, and he (very annoyingly) hops in and out of every enclosure to try his luck with the mature hens. Circle (who escaped dispatch this time around) keeps Kloud out of Noodle's group, but unfortunately that means she's in jail with a friend most days to prevent him harassing her, too. Yorvir manages him pretty well, but cockerels are FAST, so sometimes Kloud still has some luck in the main flock. But he mostly sneaks into Rusty's area to stalk his seven ladies. Rusty can barely be bothered to mate with them himself and so the hens either hide behind him or eventually get caught by the relentless youngster. Rusty is definitely slowing down. I'm not sure how much longer he'll keep chugging before we'll have an issue just due to age... But anyway...

The fascinating part of having a multi-generational flock is seeing how much cockerels want HENS, not pullets. My pullets are almost invisible to Kloud as long as an egg-layer is in view, and their only source of stress is Yorvir. Much like their brother, they fence-hop to escaped his attempts to integrate them. I guess the price of entry to the main flock is willing submission and Yorvir won't tolerate anything else. They are functionally outcasts at this stage, scrounging for food on the outskirts of all society, but I see blooming combs and reddening faces now. I think they will choose to integrate soon...

Peaches, my injured girl, has resumed laying but failed to reintegrate with anyone. She's surly and aggressive, picking fights until she provokes a rooster, then she runs and cries like she's being murdered. When I tried her with Noodle's roosterless group, she bullied my broody, Peppa, OFF of her eggs all day so she could hide in the coop alone. Wouldn't come out or let anyone else in!!! I had to restart Peppa on fresh eggs and that was the last straw. Peaches is now roughing it a bit in a separate wire cage until her feathers completely regrow and she can actually handle a rooster putting her through domination without serious injury. Noodle's group is too submissive to ever stand up to her, and she's proven to be a relentless bully in such a case, so she will HAVE to join a main flock where she is outnumbered and outclassed. Otherwise will be voted off the island as there's no other options. Gosh. I had no idea a single pullet in a clutch could end up so socially dysfunctional!!

Everyone else is doing well. We've had a close call with a skunk and a possum (I finally know that shooting a skunk is akin to shooting an explosive stink-bomb, regardless of what they actually spray anything) but no casualties. Daisy's three Littles are well, and the white-baby appears to be splash?! White with slate legs and the occasion black feather popping out of the background of white. I'm so excited to see a new color type! And this should be Rusty's; possibly his last baby if he's really going to let Kloud just take over. I think I'll have to deal with Kloud though. I can't let him steal the peace from Rusty's retirement. He'll have to be fenced securely, and that will take some doing.

To be continued!

 

[AntiqueB]

Poor Rusty. There are some interesting happenings, though. Keep updates coming!

 

[CoopBoots]

8/9 Updates:

Whelp, peace is ever hard-earned.

"Who are you talking about? Me??" --Circle

The day after my last update, Yorvir and Circle apparently decided it was time to end their long fence-feud and take it to the next level. Somehow or other, they knocked down an entire section of fence and had a few good swings at one another. Luckily where their fences meet most closely is where my kitchen window also has line of sight. I spotted them early and separated them easily enough, then fixed the fence... only for Yorvir to FLY over my repairs, thinking he was going to finish what he (almost definitely) started. Well, Circle is almost in Rusty's weight class and apparently was just getting warmed up. I thought I had resolved the issue, so I don't know how long they continued to duke it out, but Yorvir, in the way of so many chickens, couldn't remember how to get out the same way he had come!! Possibly THE most frustrating part of owning chickens, lol. And he was losing badly by the time I looked back outside.

For a bit, I thought one or the other would succumb to heat stress after I got them back on opposite sides. Blood, heavy breathing, distressed bawking; such a mess. I was so angry with them and myself. I was especially angry with Yorvir for evidently seeking out conflict and then almost getting himself and Circle killed. Circle was still crowing between labored breathing; Yorvir was at the far side of his yard looking disoriented and staying mostly quiet.

My husband's take was, he didn't care who started it (Yorvir) or who won (Circle, surprisingly enough, and who I had always thought a huge coward). Circle had to go and that was that. Luckily, a family member knew someone who keeps hens at work and was interested to give a rooster a try, so Circle narrowly dodged being instant dinner or fertilizer and has a chance to redeem himself as a flock master. Of course, he was sent away with full disclosure--and now, for better or worse, he is no longer a complication here at Rusty Bucket Farm.

Mixed feelings about it, but life must go on. And it is speeding along for the crazy 8 pullets. Delilah is finally seeking out Yorvir and accepting his advances, and her blooming comb also indicates she is ready to begin laying soon.

Seeing her away from her sisters and willingly with the man of the flock would have been unheard of just a couple of days ago. Now he's tidbitting, dancing, and trying to integrate her with the big girls. The last two pullets, Chara and Blue, are NOT thrilled:

(Pictured above: the aforementioned laying pullets, judging you harshly)

But Yorvir is flock-master enough that they dare not be too possessive. Right now Yorvir tends to leave the main group to go flirt, coax, and then goes back to his established girls. He's not JUST interested in Delilah, but he's not having so much luck with the other pullets...

Here he is, about to get completely bucked off by Daphne, while Dora and Dandelion look on in absolute horror. Nope, they aren't ready! XD He isn't being a complete jerk about it, but we'd all appreciate him focusing on more courtship and less boorish bumbling. I think more age will continue to smooth out his rough edges. Rusty's hens adore him and I think he'd already have integrated these girls better.

Peppa is due on roughly the 16th, and seems to be doing well. Kloud now has a spot to calm down in horny jail, at least until he settles down and quits jumping fences, but I have concerns about allowing any more grown roosters to stay. I may have to plan his exit strategy as well.

 

[CoopBoots]

8/12 Updates:

Blue is violently broody all of a sudden. She is NOT going to be a cuddly mama, but maybe I should give her a chance... This one was raised by Daisy and has had the benefit of a non-brooder education from a very skilled mother.

 

[CoopBoots]

8/14-15 note to self: Gave Blue a Noodle x ??? egg, and a Puffy x Rusty egg, first full day of incubation notated as 8/15.

 

[CoopBoots]

8/16 Baby Updates!

A pretty yellow/Buff, black, chestnut brown/red, and a black and yellow with a big white headspot!

Could be as many as two more; these should all be Grumpy's minus the Buff who ought to be Rusty x Puffy Muffin, his daughter.

 

[AntiqueB]

The one you're holding is unusual! So pretty! It will be interesting to see how he/she feathers out.

 

[fuzzi]

The one you're holding is unusual! So pretty! It will be interesting to see how he/she feathers out.

Agreed, I was thinking the same.

 

[CoopBoots]

Appreciate the feedback on color; I'll definitely get more pictures as it grows! Last chestnut I had was an Orpington x Leghorn that grew into kind of a wild-type pattern (something like a brown Leghorn), so we'll see.

Well, I got a little nosy and was hunting the last two babies yesterday afternoon. Then I spotted this baby and mistakenly thought he was dead after crushing! How all the hard shell got removed, but the membrane stayed so intact, I'm unsure...

I really thought he was a goner, but after I got him out from under her he was peeping gently and wriggling a bit. The membraney-bit was like paper glued to the fluff and without knowing what I was doing for sure I guessed he might be shrink wrapped. Maybe this wasn't actually a problem, but Peppa has thrown out a problem hatch before and, after seeing that process (too upsetting to describe), I figured I'd rather try intervention.

My husband and I carefully peeled or broke what could be loosened, checking for any fresh blood, but everything was super dry. We only went as far as getting head and chest and some leg free, leaving the butt area completely alone in case any absorption was still going on. Back under mama he went, and I checked in a couple of hours to find baby was free and fluffing up just fine. I'll have to read up more on hatching; the process is actually scary when you don't understand what should be happening for sure! I'd never survive machine incubation If my intervention was unnecessary I pray at least that I did no harm!

Here's the little family all together today; all six plus Peppa!

She had trouble transitioning from eggs to babies her first go round, but not this time! She was already out of the nest with half her babies down when I went out this afternoon. Such an improvement/growth of confidence! I guess some broodies are born, like Daisy, but others are made, and I'm so glad she decided to give it another shot.

Three white dots with pink beaks must be boys, as this is an unbarred rooster over barred rock hens and black sexlinks. The only barring should be from the rocks on their sons. The rest is anybody's guess, but let's hope girls like we alway do Black has a good shot at being a pullet, I think!

 

[CoopBoots]

8/28 Updates:

Peppa flew over Noodle's coop to flog a hawk this week. No casualties. The six babies can all almost follow her up the ladder now. Yellow is a little chonker.

Daisy's last three are still surprisingly undeveloped for cockerels. Could I be mistaken?

Crazy 8 pullets not pictured, but I think three have come into lay. Tiny eggs popping up all over.

Peaches continues to struggle to integrate, but she's quite chummy with Daisy's pullets. Yorvir takes advantage of her fearful nature but she's a genuine bully when she can get away with it. I think she broke one of poor Blue's eggs today. It was developed; not a pretty sight. I'm quite frustrated with both her and Yorvir. If I were a less emotional keeper they'd both go for the sake of the rest having peace.

Tendi, of Rusty's flock, lost her comb yesterday. Couldn't find any sign of what happened!

She acts the same as ever. I managed to get some ointment on without Rusty assaulting me with his ginormous spurs. And many of the chickens, including him, are beginning their molt. First molt for many... it's going to look like snow out in the yard soon.