Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[lightm]

Well I did remove most of them but I missed some- internet was so bad some of the pictures didn't show !

I can't believe your garden is the only place it didn't snow in the whole country . Who did you bribe ?

******
It was -6 /21 this morning and it almost felt warm . However this soon changed when the weather turned very cloudy and windy- it was quite unpleasant.

First blood drawn today between Théo and Gaston . I was gone running for an hour at the end of the morning and when I came back my partner told me Théo and Gaston had some squabble. Since it happens several times daily I didn't pay any special attention.
When lunch was ready I went to lock Theo's team in the run, as we know the eagles come between 12 and 2 and we would be inside. Then I saw Théo's wattles and neck feathers were completely covered in dry blood. I only realized then that Gaston must have actually gotten to him. Gaston didn't have anything. There was no cleaning up Théo as everything was already dry and black.

Although he bled a lot, it seems it was from a wound inside his wattles, at it's extremity, that doesn't look so big. But I don't know how we'll handle it when/ if he actually gets badly wounded because he's impossible to catch. He's extremely agile and jumps and flies all around. We would probably need to corner him, and even like that I'm not sure we would manage. Anyway, he was very angry and vexed but other than that quite all right.
Later in the afternoon, at some point Brune was on her own and Gaston came charging at her and jumped over the netting- but he changed his mind as soon as Théo came by and quickly turned around and jumped it back the other way.

Léa and Merle both ran to the nest when I opened the coop and they laid together, Merle took more time but came out on her own. Cannelle and Blanche also laid today.

Poor Chipie is being rejected by Théo now and she spends most of her day alone. When Merle, Piou-piou or Léa come inside the chicken netting she hangs out with them, but now it's becoming complicated as Gaston jumps inside to come get them. At roost time Théo pecked her several times and she was lowering her head and making submissive (I think) sounds because she wanted to be allowed on his roost. Once again he let her stay there in the end.
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I am starting to feel bad for Theo. The ex-batts are tired of his unsuccessful mating. He may soon be beaten by Gaston. Come on, Theo, you need to make friends with Chipie!

 

[ManueB]

well, yes and no. Currently she is the only one of 6 now laying who does prefer the border, and she was laying there all last year too, so I think they all think she's nuts (except Uppsala who's trying out different nests, official and unofficial, so I won't worry about her till she settles on one or another ) and she presumably thinks they are too. And because she uses the same spot in the same border, it's easy to find and collect her eggs.

No doubt we'll have more hidden nests as the year goes on - Janeka stashed about a dozen last year before she went broody and I found her and them, for example, but I accept that as part and parcel of their free ranging lifestyle. I just don't let them stay out overnight if I can help it.

Tax for thread trash: the largest hidden nest I've found to date!
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That's quite a stash of eggs .
I also think I would prefer not breaking them if I can in the future. The cold temps you mention are one reason I did it, and also the fact that Merle was so young. It's like she herself is confused by what is happening. I'm not sure how she would have handled it.

This doesn’t work out as you describe. What are your plans with Theo before it gets worse?

I convinced my partner we must build a second coop. I actually stopped talking about it here, because all I kept writing was that we were constantly fighting about it. I'll try to explain where we're at now, but I really struggle with technical terms so I apologize that I won't be too specific.
My partner decided he wants to enlarge our woodshed, close it and include in it a chicken zone with a new coop. This meant several prior operations :
-rebuilding the drystone wall the metal sheet roof will rest upon (mostly done)
- Taking down a big fir tree (done), an ash tree (tomorrow hopefully) and lowering down a linden tree (to be done and the most complicated job). All these trees are too close to our house and once the shed is remade it will not be possible to cut bigger branches down.
-Filling up the lower front part of the wood shed which is actually lower by about 50 cm than the rest with rambles and block it properly. This is where the chickens will be.
- Burn enough wood so that we can move what remains (we've been working on it these cold days )
Then we will have to do the shed (add roof sheet tile right to the wall, add some frame where needed, close with mesh, cement the lower part and the rafters on the wall, make a drain above the wall so water doesn't leak in.)
And then we will build the coop inside.
So it's not going to be ready soon. Normally my partner only works two days a week but he has taken an additional job for a friend that adds another two days weekly.

These are pictures from a month ago before we cut the tree and my partner remade the wall : we put the tarp for the chickens , so the idea is that the roof metal sheets will be where we out the the tarp. The wood will be moved next to the wall and where the wood actually is will be a chicken space of about 10 M2 with a 2.50 m2 coop.

I am starting to feel bad for Theo. The ex-batts are tired of his unsuccessful mating. He may soon be beaten by Gaston. Come on, Theo, you need to make friends with Chipie!

Théo I think displays what one would describe in humans as insecure behaviour. Unfortunately he does it with the hens as well as with us, and though he doesn't seriously wounds them, he is being quite unpleasant.
Just like Piou-piou and Léa when they fought, the smaller chicken that came out with a piece less of torn wattle/ comb thinks it has won. Théo is being really challenging to Gaston today.

 

[RoyalChick]

That's quite a stash of eggs .
I also think I would prefer not breaking them if I can in the future. The cold temps you mention are one reason I did it, and also the fact that Merle was so young. It's like she herself is confused by what is happening. I'm not sure how she would have handled it.

I convinced my partner we must build a second coop. I actually stopped talking about it here, because all I kept writing was that we were constantly fighting about it. I'll try to explain where we're at now, but I really struggle with technical terms so I apologize that I won't be too specific.
My partner decided he wants to enlarge our woodshed, close it and include in it a chicken zone with a new coop. This meant several prior operations :
-rebuilding the drystone wall the metal sheet roof will rest upon (mostly done)
- Taking down a big fir tree (done), an ash tree (tomorrow hopefully) and lowering down a linden tree (to be done and the most complicated job). All these trees are too close to our house and once the shed is remade it will not be possible to cut bigger branches down.
-Filling up the lower front part of the wood shed which is actually lower by about 50 cm than the rest with rambles and block it properly. This is where the chickens will be.
- Burn enough wood so that we can move what remains (we've been working on it these cold days )
Then we will have to do the shed (add roof sheet tile right to the wall, add some frame where needed, close with mesh, cement the lower part and the rafters on the wall, make a drain above the wall so water doesn't leak in.)
And then we will build the coop inside.
So it's not going to be ready soon. Normally my partner only works two days a week but he has taken an additional job for a friend that adds another two days weekly.

These are pictures from a month ago before we cut the tree and my partner remade the wall : we put the tarp for the chickens , so the idea is that the roof metal sheets will be where we out the the tarp. The wood will be moved next to the wall and where the wood actually is will be a chicken space of about 10 M2 with a 2.50 m2 coop.
View attachment 3383539
View attachment 3383541


Théo I think displays what one would describe in humans as insecure behaviour. Unfortunately he does it with the hens as well as with us, and though he doesn't seriously wounds them, he is being quite unpleasant.
Just like Piou-piou and Léa when they fought, the smaller chicken that came out with a piece less of torn wattle/ comb thinks it has won. Théo is being really challenging to Gaston today.

Looks like a good plan even if it will take a while to achieve.
I look forward to following progress! I rather like the pictures you sometimes post of the chickens helping your partner with his chores. Well I like all your pictures but those ones always make me smile.

 

[BDutch]

….

I convinced my partner we must build a second coop. I actually stopped talking about it here, because all I kept writing was that we were constantly fighting about it. I'll try to explain where we're at now, but I really struggle with technical terms so I apologize that I won't be too specific.
My partner decided he wants to enlarge our woodshed, close it and include in it a chicken zone with a new coop. This meant several prior operations :
-rebuilding the drystone wall the metal sheet roof will rest upon (mostly done)
- Taking down a big fir tree (done), an ash tree (tomorrow hopefully) and lowering down a linden tree (to be done and the most complicated job). All these trees are too close to our house and once the shed is remade it will not be possible to cut bigger branches down.
-Filling up the lower front part of the wood shed which is actually lower by about 50 cm than the rest with rambles and block it properly. This is where the chickens will be.
- Burn enough wood so that we can move what remains (we've been working on it these cold days )
Then we will have to do the shed (add roof sheet tile right to the wall, add some frame where needed, close with mesh, cement the lower part and the rafters on the wall, make a drain above the wall so water doesn't leak in.)
And then we will build the coop inside.
So it's not going to be ready soon. Normally my partner only works two days a week but he has taken an additional job for a friend that adds another two days weekly.

These are pictures from a month ago before we cut the tree and my partner remade the wall : we put the tarp for the chickens , so the idea is that the roof metal sheets will be where we out the the tarp. The wood will be moved next to the wall and where the wood actually is will be a chicken space of about 10 M2 with a 2.50 m2 coop.
View attachment 3383539
View attachment 3383541


Théo I think displays what one would describe in humans as insecure behaviour. Unfortunately he does it with the hens as well as with us, and though he doesn't seriously wounds them, he is being quite unpleasant.
Just like Piou-piou and Léa when they fought, the smaller chicken that came out with a piece less of torn wattle/ comb thinks it has won. Théo is being really challenging to Gaston today.

Thanks for sharing your love and plans for Théo.

It’s a lot of work you both plan to do for this naughty boy! Or did you want 2 flocks from the start anyway?
I certainly would try to rehome Théo if I had to make a decision in your circumstances. Since Gaston is a better rooster I would keep him and not Théo. And probably buy a prefab for Théo until I rehomed him. But this is obvious a passed station/passed milstone (as we say).

In case you need to reconsider because of the increase of aggression , I recommend you to buy a prefab coop/mini-run to keep him safe for the time being. If you buy one that could work as a coop for a broody with chicks it’s an investment for the future too.
.
I keep my fingers crossed for Théo in the mean time.

 

[ManueB]

Thanks for sharing your love and plans for Théo.

It’s a lot of work you both plan to do for this naughty boy! Or did you want 2 flocks from the start anyway?
I certainly would try to rehome Théo if I had to make a decision in your circumstances. Since Gaston is a better rooster I would keep him and not Théo. And probably buy a prefab for Théo until I rehomed him. But this is obvious a passed station/passed milstone (as we say).

In case you need to reconsider because of the increase of aggression , I recommend you to buy a prefab coop/mini-run to keep him safe for the time being. If you buy one that could work as a coop for a broody with chicks it’s an investment for the future too.
.
I keep my fingers crossed for Théo in the mean time.

My partner wasn't keen on having a rooster from the start and he really didn't want to have two. He would have gone with your suggestion.
I feel some responsibility toward Théo because I agreed to take him in, and I believe his behaviour is in part due to the circumstances in which we brought him here. I could easily re-home him in our village, but as soon as he would come pretending to peck an ankle he would either become someone's dinner or be sent flying across the place with a bad kick.
Taking out the trees and rebuilding the wall needed to be done this spring anyway. I had several ideas that were much simpler for other places to locate the coop, but my partner disagreed with those for both good and bad reasons. I think this way, he feels like he is mostly working to rebuild a bigger wood shed : I should manage to build most of the coop itself myself, as it will be a very simple structure.
We have an emergency shelter solution in the old barn if needed for either rooster.
Mr bad boy's injury is worse than I thought : Gaston probably bit a piece off his wattle. I'm slightly upset that my partner didn't see it when it happened but it wouldn't have changed anything.
You can see it zooming in the first picture. He doesn't seem to mind at all- he was "chaud bouillant" today = " hot burning " .

**************"""
I said a few days ago for RC's Diana something about how birthdays shouldn't be seen as important as quality of life. My ex-batts arrived here on the 23 January 2020, so it's been three years now. I read today on social media that getting to live with chickens changed one, and loosing them also did, and I agree with this. Anyway I'm happy there are still four of them with me now, and I'll try to give some nice moments each day to Blanche who is not doing well. They had some defrosted grapes, apples and scrambled eggs, and kale for the green.

Janvier 2020....

And now.

 

[RoyalChick]

My partner wasn't keen on having a rooster from the start and he really didn't want to have two. He would have gone with your suggestion.
I feel some responsibility toward Théo because I agreed to take him in, and I believe his behaviour is in part due to the circumstances in which we brought him here. I could easily re-home him in our village, but as soon as he would come pretending to peck an ankle he would either become someone's dinner or be sent flying across the place with a bad kick.
Taking out the trees and rebuilding the wall needed to be done this spring anyway. I had several ideas that were much simpler for other places to locate the coop, but my partner disagreed with those for both good and bad reasons. I think this way, he feels like he is mostly working to rebuild a bigger wood shed : I should manage to build most of the coop itself myself, as it will be a very simple structure.
We have an emergency shelter solution in the old barn if needed for either rooster.
Mr bad boy's injury is worse than I thought : Gaston probably bit a piece off his wattle. I'm slightly upset that my partner didn't see it when it happened but it wouldn't have changed anything.
You can see it zooming in the first picture. He doesn't seem to mind at all- he was "chaud bouillant" today = " hot burning " .
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View attachment 3383704
**************"""
I said a few days ago for RC's Diana something about how birthdays shouldn't be seen as important as quality of life. My ex-batts arrived here on the 23 January 2020, so it's been three years now. I read today on social media that getting to live with chickens changed one, and loosing them also did, and I agree with this. Anyway I'm happy there are still four of them with me now, and I'll try to give some nice moments each day to Blanche who is not doing well. They had some defrosted grapes, apples and scrambled eggs, and kale for the green.

Janvier 2020....
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And now.
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Congratulations on reaching that milestone.
His wattle injury is a true battle scar - he is probably proud of it!

 

[Solanacae]

My partner wasn't keen on having a rooster from the start and he really didn't want to have two. He would have gone with your suggestion.
I feel some responsibility toward Théo because I agreed to take him in, and I believe his behaviour is in part due to the circumstances in which we brought him here. I could easily re-home him in our village, but as soon as he would come pretending to peck an ankle he would either become someone's dinner or be sent flying across the place with a bad kick.
Taking out the trees and rebuilding the wall needed to be done this spring anyway. I had several ideas that were much simpler for other places to locate the coop, but my partner disagreed with those for both good and bad reasons. I think this way, he feels like he is mostly working to rebuild a bigger wood shed : I should manage to build most of the coop itself myself, as it will be a very simple structure.
We have an emergency shelter solution in the old barn if needed for either rooster.
Mr bad boy's injury is worse than I thought : Gaston probably bit a piece off his wattle. I'm slightly upset that my partner didn't see it when it happened but it wouldn't have changed anything.
You can see it zooming in the first picture. He doesn't seem to mind at all- he was "chaud bouillant" today = " hot burning " .
View attachment 3383702
View attachment 3383703
View attachment 3383704
**************"""
I said a few days ago for RC's Diana something about how birthdays shouldn't be seen as important as quality of life. My ex-batts arrived here on the 23 January 2020, so it's been three years now. I read today on social media that getting to live with chickens changed one, and loosing them also did, and I agree with this. Anyway I'm happy there are still four of them with me now, and I'll try to give some nice moments each day to Blanche who is not doing well. They had some defrosted grapes, apples and scrambled eggs, and kale for the green.

Janvier 2020....
View attachment 3383745View attachment 3383746View attachment 3383747View attachment 3383748
And now.
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They definitely look much more matronly now, don’t they? Congratulations on the milestone, but more importantly, congratulations on your growth as a chicken keeper learning to give these girls their best possible life!

 

[BY Bob]

Gaston probably bit a piece off his wattle

Thankfully wattles are designed to survive such injuries without much danger to the chicken. I'm sure he will be fine. As RC said he now has a great scar to wow the ladies with.

 

[ManueB]

-3/25 this morning and clear blue skies made everyone happy. Dawn is finally beginning to be earlier- we've gained more than an hour in the evening where night falls at 6 , but it seems as if the day only rise at 7.30 for the whole month of January . Anyway Léa was knocking at the door to be let out ten minutes before and she went straight to the nest. I ordered sensor motion night lights today in the hope that it helps the early layers to lay inside the coop and not wake everyone up.
Both groups of chickens had a good day staying outside, except for a few incidents when Gaston jumped inside the netting after his hens and got chased by Théo, but no real fighting. Théo came once after him in the garden and changed his mind when I told him (loudly) to go back to his hens . Blanche even had a much better day staying outside most of the time.

We took the ash tree down very easily - as it's much less volume than the fir tree my partner just cut it's trunk and I pulled it from above so that it would rest on the stone wall. Now we have to cut it to pieces, and clean up.

 

[ManueB]

We reached 0/32 this morning but the weather was very cloudy in the morning, and very windy in the afternoon. It's supposed to stay warmer for a few days and drop again for the weekend.
Cannelle had already laid when I opened the coop and was waiting with Léa at the door, while Blanche was laying in the nest they have made near the door on the floor. I don't understand why they are laying so early in the morning! Merle went in to lay much later. After I finished lunch I noticed she was still in the nest so I went to check if she had laid. She made broody noises and she was standing-I didn't get that she was right in the middle of popping her egg out so I put my hand under her at a most awkward moment hope she wasn't too upset. She came out on her own half an hour later.

In the morning we alternated closing up Theo's team in the run, letting Gaston's team inside the netting, and letting Théo's team out and Gaston's team outside the netted zone. This seems to work more or less as the ex-batts are not really keen on being outside all the time. In the afternoon everyone was out in the strong wind. Merle created trouble several times as she goes to dustbathe under the laurel tree screaming like a broody every hour or so, and Gastounet comes after her.

At the end of the afternoon I walked to Gaston's team at the other end of the garden and saw four birds flying above - turns out there were two crows that chased a sparrowhawk and another bird away!
Tonight Théo didn't bully Chipie at roost time. Maybe they've become friends again ?

Unfortunately for Blanche she is the only hen more or less of Theo's size and this means he tries to mate her more often than any other hens, especially as she's not smart enough to stay away when he tidbits.

Théo and Gaston daring each other