Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[Perris]

I know you lost Llyn ( I hope I spelled his name right). Which was the other brother ?
I was thinking of them recently because of the change in their comb color we talked about this summer. Henry is still alive but for yours it was very probably a foresign of whatever disease killed them.

Yes that's the right spelling (though he wasn't one of the Penedesenca clutch); the second brother who went the same way, though earlier as he approached maturity, was Pip, and the third Penny brother, Prada, died quite young, also with dark comb. As I understand it, a darkening comb is an indication of a circulation problem, but I don't know what caused that. I suspected something genetic because the 3 boys died and the 3 girls from the same breeder and clutch were, and still are, fine. On the other hand Llyn succumbed the same summer with the dark comb, and he was completely unrelated. I have spent a lot of time and effort researching possible causes and still have no convincing answers. Marek's disease would fit, in which case I'm breeding for resistance, and success will be measured in how many, if any, of last year's 12 chicks make it to 2 years old. So I am enjoying the youngsters like there's no tomorrow, and if I set any eggs this year it will only be those from the 4+ year old hens in the flock - Maria, Venka, Eve, Janeka.

It appears now they've grown up, that before he got ill, Phoenix sired Dyffryn, Ystrad, Zimmet, Killay and Hafod - none of them by his sisters, so there'll be no pure Penedesenca going forward here - and they're all bonnie thus far (but then so was he until the summer). Hopefully, if it was genetic, the hybridization with Araucana will rescue Killay from the same fate (and the others are girls so probably OK anyway). And if it was environmental, especially Marek's, then anything could happen.
(edited to add Hafod, who I forgot is another of Phoenix's progeny )

And another grey day- I've had enough! Give me blue skies or rain please.

Having endured another day of drizzle here, I'd gladly swap! The ground is saturated, the birds look like wet rags, and I think we'd all trade it for a merely grey day

 

[MaryJanet]

I know you lost Llyn ( I hope I spelled his name right). Which was the other brother ?
I was thinking of them recently because of the change in their comb color we talked about this summer. Henry is still alive but for yours it was very probably a foresign of whatever disease killed them.

It's funny (and endearing) that Amadeo squeaks ! Gaston who I think is almost the same age, now has a voice like a basson. That also makes him ridiculous when he whimpers because he's frightened of Théo !

Edie and Katie were thrilled when they heard Gaston crowing!

 

[ManueB]

Blue sky today, just above 0/32 in the morning, but with the sun shining it got really warm during the day.
Cannelle was up very early to lay and she wanted to get out of the coop to go in the pet carrier in the run. After I let her out the other chickens went back to sleep . I think I will get them to lay in the coop again it will make things simpler.
Léa still made broody noises ; she stayed for an hour on the nest without laying, but came out on her own and spent the day with the others.

My partner has begun operation zero to redoing the wood shed and building a second coop- putting down the stone wall behind, to rebuild it. Most stone walls here are traditionally built without concrete, it is called "dry rock wall" in french, I couldn't find the translation. Because the ground here moves all the time downward, it works as well, in all cases the walls have to be rebuilt every 30 to 40 years. He didn't really appreciate his helpers although they were very eager.

The ex-batts didn't have such a nice time again. They enjoyed the sun but are scared still to come out and get further than three or four meters from the coop, and the noisy jays terrify them.
Blanche came out once outside with the others, and also once to get her daily scrambled egg, but other than that she stayed lying down. I see now that she makes backwards movement with her eyes closed. Caramel used to do that, but it didn't worry us since she had always done it. But for Blanche I'm afraid the hawk must have caused invisible damage. She's shedding feathers everywhere, good thing for her at least it's not cold like it should be.

In better news Merle laid again. Léa made such a show when she found out the egg I normally leave on her nest had dissapeared, that I thought this was maybe the problem for Merle. And right enough, as soon as she realized there was an egg again in her nest, she went and laid .

Workers

Blanche

Chicken business on a sunny day

 

[ManueB]

.Hopefully, if it was genetic, the hybridization with Araucana will rescue Killay from the same fate (and the others are girls so probably OK anyway). And if it was environmental, especially Marek's, then anything could happen.

I stopped science in junior high so my understanding is very flawed but I believe genetic isn't always opposed to environmental. I learned working with african teens that having sickle cell anemia gene protects them from the worse cases of malaria, which is transmitted by external parasites. I imagine that it's possible to be genetically more sensitive or more protected to environmental issues.

Poor Gaston! I think it’s funny that he whimpers. Only one of of the cockerels I rehomed was crowing (to be expected) but his crow sounded more like a scream than an actual crow. Maybe he’ll get it sorted out eventually.

I think all cockerels begin by horning, or screaming!
I was interested to note that Gaston took much longer than Théo to turn his horn into a crow, and I think it's because he was so scared of Théo that he didn't dare crow and therefore had very little practice. Théo could hear other roosters from the village but they were sufficiently far that he was never afraid to answer.

Edie and Katie were thrilled when they heard Gaston crowing!

Well, then...Edie is probably a pullet .

 

[Perris]

I believe genetic isn't always opposed to environmental

yes you're right, I was being too simplistic. Epigenetics is another massive field now.

 

[RoyalChick]

Blue sky today, just above 0/32 in the morning, but with the sun shining it got really warm during the day.
Cannelle was up very early to lay and she wanted to get out of the coop to go in the pet carrier in the run. After I let her out the other chickens went back to sleep . I think I will get them to lay in the coop again it will make things simpler.
Léa still made broody noises ; she stayed for an hour on the nest without laying, but came out on her own and spent the day with the others.

My partner has begun operation zero to redoing the wood shed and building a second coop- putting down the stone wall behind, to rebuild it. Most stone walls here are traditionally built without concrete, it is called "dry rock wall" in french, I couldn't find the translation. Because the ground here moves all the time downward, it works as well, in all cases the walls have to be rebuilt every 30 to 40 years. He didn't really appreciate his helpers although they were very eager.

The ex-batts didn't have such a nice time again. They enjoyed the sun but are scared still to come out and get further than three or four meters from the coop, and the noisy jays terrify them.
Blanche came out once outside with the others, and also once to get her daily scrambled egg, but other than that she stayed lying down. I see now that she makes backwards movement with her eyes closed. Caramel used to do that, but it didn't worry us since she had always done it. But for Blanche I'm afraid the hawk must have caused invisible damage. She's shedding feathers everywhere, good thing for her at least it's not cold like it should be.

In better news Merle laid again. Léa made such a show when she found out the egg I normally leave on her nest had dissapeared, that I thought this was maybe the problem for Merle. And right enough, as soon as she realized there was an egg again in her nest, she went and laid .

Workers

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Blanche
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Chicken business on a sunny day
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Lovely as always. I know them as dry stone walls - which is similar to your direct translation

 

[ManueB]

Lovely as always. I know them as dry stone walls - which is similar to your direct translation

I love it when it works like that! Unfortunately most of the time it doesn't.

Today was a very good day for the chicken. It began with some early excitement as three of the ex-batts were up before dawn, knocking at the coop's door to be let out to lay in the runs pet carrier. They took turns and Nougat, Blanche and Cannelle had all laid before sunlight .
I know it doesn't make sense to get excited, but Blanche had a much better day today. But I'm beginning to wonder if she hasn't lost sight in one eye.
Théos team spent most of the day outside today! I'm always happier when they don't act like they are terrified.
I did have some cause of worry from finding what looks like intestine shedding or egg white tainted with blood under the roost, most likely from Brune, but didn't see her or the other possible culprit Nougat acting off.

Léa and Piou-piou both laid today- in Merle's nest in the Wood stack! And Léa came out on her own, after less than an hour. She's still making broody noises, but is acting almost normal.

The wall is almost done. Normally we should be taking the fir tree down next week on Wednesday and Thursday... if the weather is good and if my partner had been able to get the ropes he has lent to a friend back.

My hens smallest and biggest eggs (Merle's and Nougat's)

Blanche. I think she has lost some or all sight in the eye she closes regularly.

Workers on the wall

Piou-piou is very interested by our bedroom

Happy chickens (I think)

Merle tried again roosting next to Chipie but got told off by Théo and Nougat.

 

[RoyalChick]

I love it when it works like that! Unfortunately most of the time it doesn't.

Today was a very good day for the chicken. It began with some early excitement as three of the ex-batts were up before dawn, knocking at the coop's door to be let out to lay in the runs pet carrier. They took turns and Nougat, Blanche and Cannelle had all laid before sunlight .
I know it doesn't make sense to get excited, but Blanche had a much better day today. But I'm beginning to wonder if she hasn't lost sight in one eye.
Théos team spent most of the day outside today! I'm always happier when they don't act like they are terrified.
I did have some cause of worry from finding what looks like intestine shedding or egg white tainted with blood under the roost, most likely from Brune, but didn't see her or the other possible culprit Nougat acting off.

Léa and Piou-piou both laid today- in Merle's nest in the Wood stack! And Léa came out on her own, after less than an hour. She's still making broody noises, but is acting almost normal.

The wall is almost done. Normally we should be taking the fir tree down next week on Wednesday and Thursday... if the weather is good and if my partner had been able to get the ropes he has lent to a friend back.

My hens smallest and biggest eggs (Merle's and Nougat's)
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Blanche. I think she has lost some or all sight in the eye she closes regularly.
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Workers on the wall
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Piou-piou is very interested by our bedroom
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Happy chickens (I think)
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Merle tried again roosting next to Chipie but got told off by Théo and Nougat.
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I am so glad you are getting help with the wall.
Those two eggs are amazing.

 

[ManueB]

Today began with laying drama.
I didn't hear any hen screaming, so I opened normally at 7.30. Piou-piou and Merle were behind the door waiting for me to open and judging from the amount of poop they must have been there for quite some time. They both ran to Merle's nest- which is already small for one hen, so with two inside that keeps fighting, it was a bit complicated. They managed somehow.

Toward 9 there was a lot of restlessness in the coop. The ex+batts probably heard that I would like them not to lay in the run anymore. Blanche jumped in Chipie's nest, the one in the wall that is hard to access, and stayed there. Cannelle started screaming that she wanted to go there too. Then Nougat did the same, but since she knows she can't get up there she went to the next nest in the wall, where Cannelle also went. Once they were all done, Blanche changed nest to move where Cannelle and Nougat had laid, and staid there for almost three hours.

In the afternoon Léa also laid so that was six eggs today- it's been a long time since we didn't get that many, but of course I would prefer for Blanche to stop popping eggs out seen how unwell she is.

Other chicken drama during the day included the first time Gaston stood up to Théo for a fight- for a minute. I saw them jump at each other both feet forward, then Gaston ran away and Théo after him. They ran for a while then I shouted at Théo to go back inside the netting (he had come out to attack Gaston) and he listened to me or decided he didn't really want to fight.

Then we saw a hawk and half an hour later the eagle, so the chickens were less eager after that.
Blanche wasn't well at all, in the afternoon especially. I thought she wouldn't be able to climb the ladder to roost, but after waiting a few minutes once everyone was already up she joined them. If she stays so unwell in the next days I think I will try giving her metacam in her daily scrambled egg.

Roosting time was chaos thanks to Nougat who attacked Chipie a countless number of times. Both Nougat and Cannelle managed to fall off their roost .

 

[Perris]

I didn't realize till now quite how small Merle is in comparison to the large fowl in the flock. They all look to be in fabulous condition. Let's hope Blanche will recover quickly.