Rusty Bucket Farm

[fuzzi]

Poor Peaches. I feel for her.

The one cockerel I kept from the April hatch, Zack, has been an outlier, hiding from the hens. However, he is now integrated with his younger flockmates, and is roosting with them at night.

Left to right: Silas, Priscilla aka Prissy, Esther, Joanna, Zacchaeus.

He's six weeks older, and had different parents from the others.

 

[CoopBoots]

Poor Peaches. I feel for her.

The one cockerel I kept from the April hatch, Zack, has been an outlier, hiding from the hens. However, he is now integrated with his younger flockmates, and is roosting with them at night.
View attachment 3931712
Left to right: Silas, Priscilla aka Prissy, Esther, Joanna, Zacchaeus.

He's six weeks older, and had different parents from the others.

Being an outsider is not an enviable position, to be sure. I've not had two batches of babies close enough to really bond early, but that might change if Blue's eggs actually hatch.

We're having a bit of drama with Blue. She is at the bottom of the pecking order (if we don't include any pullets, or poor Ms. Peaches, who isn't even accepted as part of the order at all) and everyone moves her off of the nest to lay their own. Now Daisy, of all things, has gone broody again and is intent on stealing those two eggs/that nest. I'm quite alarmed at the thought of Daisy, maybe three days broody, accidentally hatching babies when she's hormonally probably not ready for anything but egg sitting. Plus it is hardly fair to Blue who has worked so hard. I might have to move Blue's eggs, give Daisy new, and hope they "stick" to the correct nests and don't fight over the babies.

I'd move Blue into a separate space if I had it and I thought she'd take to it. Maybe I lock Daisy up until they hatch safely? Might be the better strategy...

 

[fuzzi]

Being an outsider is not an enviable position, to be sure. I've not had two batches of babies close enough to really bond early, but that might change if Blue's eggs actually hatch.

We're having a bit of drama with Blue. She is at the bottom of the pecking order (if we don't include any pullets, or poor Ms. Peaches, who isn't even accepted as part of the order at all) and everyone moves her off of the nest to lay their own. Now Daisy, of all things, has gone broody again and is intent on stealing those two eggs/that nest. I'm quite alarmed at the thought of Daisy, maybe three days broody, accidentally hatching babies when she's hormonally probably not ready for anything but egg sitting. Plus it is hardly fair to Blue who has worked so hard. I might have to move Blue's eggs, give Daisy new, and hope they "stick" to the correct nests and don't fight over the babies.

I'd move Blue into a separate space if I had it and I thought she'd take to it. Maybe I lock Daisy up until they hatch safely? Might be the better strategy...

I had two hens go broody at the same time, one was top hen (Rahab), one was bottom hen (Tamar). I put Tamar in the dog crate brooder with her eggs when they were close to hatching. I was concerned that she wouldn't defend her nest and her chicks. I kept her confined until and for several days after the chicks hatched.

 

[CoopBoots]

9/2 Updates:

Dusty, Peppa's first hatch, squaring up with Daisy's slightly older pullet, Daphne, who is already in lay. They are only about a 21-day cycle apart in age:

Size-wise she's all caught up, but Rusty's Niederrheiner blood is about the slowest to mature I've ever personally experienced. No comb, barely any wattle; she looks like a huge baby hahaha. The Rusty descendants are not great layers, quite plump to fat, extremely soft-feathered (Dusty almost has feather shredding going on), and are timid-to-paranoid in the girls, and cowardly-to-aggressive in the males. Goodness knows I'm continuing the line out of sentiment. Hopefully I can breed them into the "Legginton" line and get improved results while letting Rusty's blood continue (if a bit diluted).

Peppa is completely and confidently momming it up with her clutch of six. If she continues this regularly, we may soon be selling chicks rather than adding to the existing flock. I'll be out of space soon, but the flock will be self sustaining as the trade-off:

Daisy is broody after 6-8 eggs. She has never gone one cycle/clutch without going broody. I'm so astonished; the only Orpington to live up to the broody reputation, but she is unstoppable! Dare I give her another clutch, considering I have 9 unsexed babies that will potentially have to be processed relatively soon?

Peaches continues to struggle with integration, but the drama has probably reduced a bit. She's gotten better at hiding at least, and I'm hopeful as there have been no injuries that boredom and propinquity will do their job and she'll settle in soon.

 

[CoopBoots]

Daisy brooding alongside Blue, with Chara in the back and Daphne, her blood-daughter, considering sneaking an egg in with mom. She hatched and raised all of the girls pictured:

In total, Daisy has raised up seven girls for me in her almost three years of life and 18 babies altogether. She's added one additional broody to the flock so far. She is a talented and indefatigable mother.

 

[CoopBoots]

Baby update!

Daisy's egg was added one day later and hasn't begun to hatch that I can tell. This baby looks like a match to Peppa's 3/4 Niederrheiner hatchling, but I don't have shell to confirm. So we might have lost Noodle's egg, which is extra sad, because it was developed and looking good Noodle hasn't had any more accidental rooster encounters so I doubt I can set any of her recent eggs with Daisy. What a shame.

But look at Blue!! What a champ!! And before I had set up any barriers. She's doing well. Best of luck to the last egg!!

 

[CoopBoots]

And then there were two! A Rusty/Puffy (eating) and a Yorvir/Daisy (drying its fluff):

This sleepy/cranky face about killed me

So much wattle. I'm guessing boy lol.

And here they are, having an early look at one another

I might have set 4 eggs under Daisy, who has patiently stopped trying to interfere and is firmly pancaked in the box next door. ... OK, I definitely did set those eggs, but mostly because all 6 of Rusty's still-laying flock laid eggs today and after removing Puffy and Salty's eggs (the only two eggs I know by color), it will give Kazooie, Yuri, Strawberry, and Tendi a guaranteed shot at offspring.

It is always "carpe diem" with chickens, and I feel a little like I owe them all a shot at passing on their genes. But I will certainly have to thin the herd, either by selling or culling, (or expansion if I can figure that out) relatively soon.

 

[CoopBoots]

9/18 Updates:

Just a week left, give or take a day, for Daisy's clutch. I've caught her twice on a different set of eggs due to someone else taking a turn to lay in her spot, but the weather has continued so warm that I have little to no concern. I certainly don't NEED more Rusty babies, and this late in the season his clumsy fertility may not even have been close to 100%. I'm still curious to see him mixed with my red and brown Leggintons, but what will be, will be!

Speaking of babies, all 8 chicks are thriving. 4, including my first 3/4 Rusty hatch, are definitely boys. Jury is still out on Peppa's brown and black babies as well as Blue's two buffs.

We've had a bit of fence and cockerel related drama, so Daisy's crazy-8 pullets are on house-arrest, along with Peaches, for the high crime of trespassing into the neighbor's fox and racoon-ridden woods. Peaches isn't guilty this time, but due to the cockerel issue I wanted her segregated for a bit and I'm fresh out of alternative spaces. She's marvelous with the pullets, who have nothing but awe for her girth and ability to bluff, and so she's swaggering happily around their enclosure like she's the queen of everything. Life is good for her right now, and her integration is coming along, although separating her again is a small setback. She's hopefully gaining confidence and some calm. Health wise, she is fully recovered and her eggs seem healthy and regular.

Kloud is the source of most of the current tension in the flock:

He's 3/4 Buff Orpington but almost all Leghorn in physique--built a little like a road-runner, and like his father, Yorvir. He started challenging dad through the fences, so Yorvir started fence hopping to show him he owned ALL the hens on the other side, including Noodle. Obviously Noodle isn't cleared for amorous activities due to her neck, so she ended up separated in Kloud's little enclosure with one or two of her bestie while Kloud and Yorvir sort their stuff out. Yorvir is a pretty good guard, and Kloud is too cowardly to really fight him, so it's pretty much a stalemate. No blood, no fights, just the occasional chase and dodge. The hens don't enjoy the chasing much, so they stick closer to the boss, and I don't think he's very sorry about it.

On the to-do list: fence repairs, especially the area nearest there house, so Noodle can be actually unreachable to any flighty rooster and not be confined to a small space. Daisy's pullets have to be retrained to stay within my repaired fences, or else they will have to go. Their flighty behavior is catching and I can't make my entire yard fence taller...

 

[fuzzi]

9/18 Updates:

Just a week left, give or take a day, for Daisy's clutch. I've caught her twice on a different set of eggs due to someone else taking a turn to lay in her spot, but the weather has continued so warm that I have little to no concern. I certainly don't NEED more Rusty babies, and this late in the season his clumsy fertility may not even have been close to 100%. I'm still curious to see him mixed with my red and brown Leggintons, but what will be, will be!

Speaking of babies, all 8 chicks are thriving. 4, including my first 3/4 Rusty hatch, are definitely boys. Jury is still out on Peppa's brown and black babies as well as Blue's two buffs.

We've had a bit of fence and cockerel related drama, so Daisy's crazy-8 pullets are on house-arrest, along with Peaches, for the high crime of trespassing into the neighbor's fox and racoon-ridden woods. Peaches isn't guilty this time, but due to the cockerel issue I wanted her segregated for a bit and I'm fresh out of alternative spaces. She's marvelous with the pullets, who have nothing but awe for her girth and ability to bluff, and so she's swaggering happily around their enclosure like she's the queen of everything. Life is good for her right now, and her integration is coming along, although separating her again is a small setback. She's hopefully gaining confidence and some calm. Health wise, she is fully recovered and her eggs seem healthy and regular.

Kloud is the source of most of the current tension in the flock:
View attachment 3946896
He's 3/4 Buff Orpington but almost all Leghorn in physique--built a little like a road-runner, and like his father, Yorvir. He started challenging dad through the fences, so Yorvir started fence hopping to show him he owned ALL the hens on the other side, including Noodle. Obviously Noodle isn't cleared for amorous activities due to her neck, so she ended up separated in Kloud's little enclosure with one or two of her bestie while Kloud and Yorvir sort their stuff out. Yorvir is a pretty good guard, and Kloud is too cowardly to really fight him, so it's pretty much a stalemate. No blood, no fights, just the occasional chase and dodge. The hens don't enjoy the chasing much, so they stick closer to the boss, and I don't think he's very sorry about it.

On the to-do list: fence repairs, especially the area nearest there house, so Noodle can be actually unreachable to any flighty rooster and not be confined to a small space. Daisy's pullets have to be retrained to stay within my repaired fences, or else they will have to go. Their flighty behavior is catching and I can't make my entire yard fence taller...

He's gorgeous.

 

[CoopBoots]

Pictures, just because.

Yorvir:

Kloud, his son:

Peppa's babies, starting with brown, who looks like a darker version of Dora/sort of a partridge?

Black; I don't like the redness of that earlobe for a pullet but let's hope for better things:

Barred with buff boy. He's a spitfire and has been raising cane with the other boys. They've drawn blood and this one seems to be the instigator:

Just barred boy; two more like this one:

Rusty's baby/grand baby boy with Puffy, being raised by Peppa. Also seems to be a hothead and gives at least as bad as he gets. I'll have to vote boys off early if they don't settle:

Rusty's baby/grand baby with Puffy #2, being raised by Blue:

Another Daisy & Yorvir special, like Kloud and the crazy 8:

Daisy, looking weathered but determined to finish her third clutch for the year:

Daisy's second clutch, all pullets I believe, and wild as mustangs, next to Jubilee (who is likely mother to the middle one). Lighting is dreadful but there's a red and white on the left, plain red in the middle, and the splash of Rusty & Salty (who will be called "Misty" going forward):

Jubilee has a pupil irregularly, actually, that concerns me. She can still see just fine but I have a real fear of Mareks cropping up when I least expect it. She seems healthy, but I'm not sure I'd dare sell any chickens until I can figure out for sure what's going on:

Closing my flock wouldn't be the end of the world, by any means, but the thought of them suffering and dying regularly is obviously terrifying. No symptoms of anything going through the flock but I'll be on alert, especially going into molt and cold weather stress events.