South Carolina

[Patsy29332]

Quote:
Don't you dare give up on your flocks! It will get better! You guys have done so much and come so far in such a short time!!! I have learned so much from you and You are such a good flock shepard!!! Sometimes things just come in piles but I know you have a shovel big enough in your spirit and love of all animals to dig you and them outa all this!!!

NOW...get busy digging!!!

 

[Moonchild]

I would like to add to this thread also....By telling all of you...... CHILD IT"S COLD OUTSIDE, I bet none of you knew that!

..

But the way my coop is when the chickens are inside they put off alot of heat (good in the winter bad in the summer)and it was actually pretty nice inside there tonight. Cold yes but warmer and no wind. Plus they got new roosting perches. I had 1x6 blanks for roost, but they slept on them sideways and pooped on the perch....then in the morning they would walk all in it and it made their feet get all dirty and burned some of them. One got the bumblefoot from this. Now they have nice long logs that they have to sleeep one way or another and "no poopy" on the sleep places! Which cuts out alot of coop maintence for me!! And it looks nicer, well nobody can't see the roost unless you get inside in the coop, but me and chickens just love it!!

For the summer project they are getting electricity and a run, so they will get a fan put in there for night to help keep them cool(hard to say that this time of year)

Stay wam...heard it was suppose to be nice weather by friday(in the 60's)

What?????

 

[Lroach711]

For those looking for a LGD...I found this ad on Craigslist. You may have already seen it but thought I'd post it here anyways

http://greenville.craigslist.org/grd/2772077972.html

 

[Patsy29332]

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Also looking forward to another nice week-end!!! Still lots to do! Just got birds (my chickens) in late August so have so much to learn and to do and many plans too like you! Have already split into 4 various quality built coops and flocks and trying to make them winterproof! Funny the smallest shortest coop (the only one I cannot walk into) is the one that the water did not freeze in today...I have 5 flocks and 4 are in a coop and 1 flock lives free...(all different kinds) I worry about them all but the free ones are the first ones I got as adult misfits that were no longer wanted where they were and have always lived free...Somehow even those made it last night at 20^ outside in their leaf bare tree...geez they made me worry! All is well still here and hope all is well as can be there in your flocks too! Hope we all have a better morinng tomorrow than I have read here today! And I really hope if we have got to have COLD this winter... can we please have it without the WIND!!!

 

[Joycats]

Quote:
I'm sorry you've had such a bad week. Don't give up, it'll get better. Hang in there. It sounds like you have a bully in your flock. If you could figure out who is picking on the others, then pull out the bullies for a few days. When you add them back to the whole flock the pecking order will be different and the bullying should stop. As for the hens not on the roost, if you're worried about them being cold I would move them. They'll stay for tonight but will probably do the same thing again tomorrow. Maybe you could plan to be there at dusk and watch them go up to see what's going on.

 

[dixiebeast]

Quote:
I'm sorry you've had such a bad week. Don't give up, it'll get better. Hang in there. It sounds like you have a bully in your flock. If you could figure out who is picking on the others, then pull out the bullies for a few days. When you add them back to the whole flock the pecking order will be different and the bullying should stop. As for the hens not on the roost, if you're worried about them being cold I would move them. They'll stay for tonight but will probably do the same thing again tomorrow. Maybe you could plan to be there at dusk and watch them go up to see what's going on.

Thats the problem...it was all of them...all 9 gals eating my BLRWs!! Yesterday my roo finally bred them so I figured we were finally past the pecking and he would stop any problems like my OEGB roo did when I got a new gal there but NOOOOOO,he just stood by....I am gonna go move my roost issues now! Thanks

 

[Joycats]

Quote:
I'm sorry you've had such a bad week. Don't give up, it'll get better. Hang in there. It sounds like you have a bully in your flock. If you could figure out who is picking on the others, then pull out the bullies for a few days. When you add them back to the whole flock the pecking order will be different and the bullying should stop. As for the hens not on the roost, if you're worried about them being cold I would move them. They'll stay for tonight but will probably do the same thing again tomorrow. Maybe you could plan to be there at dusk and watch them go up to see what's going on.

Thats the problem...it was all of them...all 9 gals eating my BLRWs!! Yesterday my roo finally bred them so I figured we were finally past the pecking and he would stop any problems like my OEGB roo did when I got a new gal there but NOOOOOO,he just stood by....I am gonna go move my roost issues now! Thanks

In that case, if your coop is divided and you have the space, move all 9 girls out of the main coop and put your 2 new ones in there. Wait a day or two then add 1 "old" hen back at a time, depending on how it goes maybe add 1 old hen back every 2 days or so. It will mix up the pecking order and sometimes eliminate the bullying. It's the only way I know to get the 2 new ones added into your flock. Otherwise, you will always have to keep them seperate.

 

[Lroach711]

Quote:
Thats the problem...it was all of them...all 9 gals eating my BLRWs!! Yesterday my roo finally bred them so I figured we were finally past the pecking and he would stop any problems like my OEGB roo did when I got a new gal there but NOOOOOO,he just stood by....I am gonna go move my roost issues now! Thanks

In that case, if your coop is divided and you have the space, move all 9 girls out of the main coop and put your 2 new ones in there. Wait a day or two then add 1 "old" hen back at a time, depending on how it goes maybe add 1 old hen back every 2 days or so. It will mix up the pecking order and sometimes eliminate the bullying. It's the only way I know to get the 2 new ones added into your flock. Otherwise, you will always have to keep them seperate.

This is what I had to do. It was a pain because I had to keep the "old" hens in the barn and move them one at a time back with the new girls. I waited a week before adding any of the "old" girls back though. It worked for me. Ther was still some pecking and bossiness but not near what it was.

 

[Joycats]

Quote:
In that case, if your coop is divided and you have the space, move all 9 girls out of the main coop and put your 2 new ones in there. Wait a day or two then add 1 "old" hen back at a time, depending on how it goes maybe add 1 old hen back every 2 days or so. It will mix up the pecking order and sometimes eliminate the bullying. It's the only way I know to get the 2 new ones added into your flock. Otherwise, you will always have to keep them seperate.

This is what I had to do. It was a pain because I had to keep the "old" hens in the barn and move them one at a time back with the new girls. I waited a week before adding any of the "old" girls back though. It worked for me. Ther was still some pecking and bossiness but not near what it was.

Yep, it's time consuming and inconvenient but it works. It's much better than having to watch the new hens get beat up everyday. It's worth the effort to be able and have them all together and not fighting.

 

[dixiebeast]

Quote:
In that case, if your coop is divided and you have the space, move all 9 girls out of the main coop and put your 2 new ones in there. Wait a day or two then add 1 "old" hen back at a time, depending on how it goes maybe add 1 old hen back every 2 days or so. It will mix up the pecking order and sometimes eliminate the bullying. It's the only way I know to get the 2 new ones added into your flock. Otherwise, you will always have to keep them seperate.

This is what I had to do. It was a pain because I had to keep the "old" hens in the barn and move them one at a time back with the new girls. I waited a week before adding any of the "old" girls back though. It worked for me. Ther was still some pecking and bossiness but not near what it was.

I feel like they are crowded in one side but I have 2 that are more mellow and when the girls get healed up that is what I will try...it will take some doing since they roost on one side( more poopy side) and eat/lay on other but I will make it work...my 2 BLRWs were raised in with my tiny OEGB and I didnt even put them in there because scrappy LOVES his big gals and I didnt want him on the wounds...atleast one laid he first egg today...my DD had run the others in the other side and closed the pop door...came out to catch breath(she was shook up by all the blood and almost passed out we think) and when we went in to treat and move them there was a fresh tiny hot egg on the floor!! I have a 4x8(2.5feet tall) bitty pen that is divided so they are in a small 4x4 space for a few days we moved them to but with all the missing feathers and just wire between them and the juvies with a heat light I figure it will help with the cold and injury.

ETA: Thanks to everyone for the kind words and support...it has been an emotional day and my well wishes to Kimberly and Susanne with thier bad mornings too...I have been hogging the Love today! Yall ROCK!!