Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[ManueB]

Totally agree. Some wise men and woman (IPPC) even made many reports with proof and warnings to make this clear.

Last week one of the IPCC writers even was in an illegal action with Extinction Rebellion in den Haag/The Hague. Because all the proof isn’t enough to change the rules and regulations to avoid a catastrophic future.
Even worse, many people and farmers keep demonstrating against necessary changes. Even while the costs eventually will be much higher not changing.
The greedy businesses (the men and a few woman behind it) keep making stupid profits and will never change if governments won’t stop them. Here I stop before coming too or political.

Tax for rambling:

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It makes me very angry and desperate as well. I would maybe be participating in those type of actions if I didn't live away from everything. Although sometimes I just think human kind deserves what it will get and that all the other species and life on the planet will be better without us.

 An update on the new chickens.

It doesn't feel very friendly to call them like this after they have spent a fortnight here, but we still haven't named them yet. We are waiting for a day with no storm forecast to integrate them, as it could make things difficult if all the groups have to shelter together in the coop for hours because of thunder. I also think it would be easier if we are both here. So we could try on wednesday or thursday if the weather allows, otherwise we will postpone to next week.

I haven't spent that much time with them because of the quarantine, the weather and the chicks. We have been getting them outside twice a day for at least an hour and a half each time. Some things have improved : they don't smell anymore, they look nicer and are maybe not acting as famished as when they arrived, though they still eat a lot. Their poop isn't as awful as it was, but they still have very liquid yellow poop every now and then and intestinal shedding, which make me think they could possibly have worms. The two pairs are behaving very differently. The leghorns are assertive and all over the place. They are good flyers and don't hesitate to explore. In fact they are already flying over the chicken netting we have put to contain them. One has started laying tiny eggs. The black pullets (Marans cross with harco hybrids) are very shy and act just like giggling young girls. They will suddenly have zoomies and play around like kittens and then they hide when they see me, making scared pullet noises. I believe either they are younger than what I've been told or they are very slow to mature. They are clearly being dominated by the leghorns. Also, they sleep on the floor- it's the first time I see chickens doing that, even though they have a separate roost, whereas the leghorns roosted without us having to show them.

 

[ManueB]

Meanwhile chicks and chickens do their stuff between rain showers.

A very unwell Blanche still enjoying some clover sweet flowers

 

[MaryJanet]

It makes me very angry and desperate as well. I would maybe be participating in those type of actions if I didn't live away from everything. Although sometimes I just think human kind deserves what it will get and that all the other species and life on the planet will be better without us.

 An update on the new chickens.

It doesn't feel very friendly to call them like this after they have spent a fortnight here, but we still haven't named them yet. We are waiting for a day with no storm forecast to integrate them, as it could make things difficult if all the groups have to shelter together in the coop for hours because of thunder. I also think it would be easier if we are both here. So we could try on wednesday or thursday if the weather allows, otherwise we will postpone to next week.

I haven't spent that much time with them because of the quarantine, the weather and the chicks. We have been getting them outside twice a day for at least an hour and a half each time. Some things have improved : they don't smell anymore, they look nicer and are maybe not acting as famished as when they arrived, though they still eat a lot. Their poop isn't as awful as it was, but they still have very liquid yellow poop every now and then and intestinal shedding, which make me think they could possibly have worms. The two pairs are behaving very differently. The leghorns are assertive and all over the place. They are good flyers and don't hesitate to explore. In fact they are already flying over the chicken netting we have put to contain them. One has started laying tiny eggs. The black pullets (Marans cross with harco hybrids) are very shy and act just like giggling young girls. They will suddenly have zoomies and play around like kittens and then they hide when they see me, making scared pullet noises. I believe either they are younger than what I've been told or they are very slow to mature. They are clearly being dominated by the leghorns. Also, they sleep on the floor- it's the first time I see chickens doing that, even though they have a separate roost, whereas the leghorns roosted without us having to show them.
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The red marauders also have a habit of sleeping on the floor and in nests. They're slowly learning to stay on a roost overnight, but I have to put them on it at dusk.

 

[BDutch]

Normally you can train chickens from 6-8 weeks old to roost.

In a natural situation the mama trains them by showing how its done. But if there is no mama like with bought pullets that didn’t learn to roost, I think it’s a good idea to learn the pullets to roost. On a roost and not in a nestbox because its not hygienic to let then poop where eggs are laid.

To do so I pick up the pullets at sunset. Take them from the nestbox and put them on the roost. After a while they do it on their own.

Only some breeds are difficult to learn , like silkies. And I had a traumatised pullet that refused to sleep with the hens and seeked comfort elsewhere.

She (Janice) was the only girl in a hatch with 4 boys. Two left early, two stayed a bit longer and left after the mama stopped caring. The 2 cockerels and Janice were sleeping as a group with the adults without any problem. All chickens roosted on the roosts in the extended coop.

But after the boys left they started harassing Janice in the evening as it was time to roost. She was bullied by a few Dutch and too scared to sleep with the hens. She even got bullied on the roost in the small coop next to the nest boxes. The nestbox was the only place the hens would let her sleep unbothered for a long time. I tried to intervene, but unfortunately it made it even worse. BYC members advised to let her sleep in the nestbox.

A few months later she started to roost in the little coop together with one of the other younger Tournaisis girls. After a change in the flock dynamics she got more confident and finally after about 2 years she started to roost with the other hens.

Another remarkable thing. Janice was never broody until last year. And now she is a very protective mama. Much more protective as the two Dutch.

 

[MaryJanet]

Normally you can train chickens from 6-8 weeks old to roost.

In a natural situation the mama trains them by showing how its done. But if there is no mama like with bought pullets that didn’t learn to roost, I think it’s a good idea to learn the pullets to roost. On a roost and not in a nestbox because its not hygienic to let then poop where eggs are laid.

To do so I pick up the pullets at sunset. Take them from the nestbox and put them on the roost. After a while they do it on their own.

Only some breeds are difficult to learn , like silkies. And I had a traumatised pullet that refused to sleep with the hens and seeked comfort elsewhere.

She (Janice) was the only girl in a hatch with 4 boys. Two left early, two stayed a bit longer and left after the mama stopped caring. The 2 cockerels and Janice were sleeping as a group with the adults without any problem. All chickens roosted on the roosts in the extended coop.

But after the boys left they started harassing Janice in the evening as it was time to roost. She was bullied by a few Dutch and too scared to sleep with the hens. She even got bullied on the roost in the small coop next to the nest boxes. The nestbox was the only place the hens would let her sleep unbothered for a long time. I tried to intervene, but unfortunately it made it even worse. BYC members advised to let her sleep in the nestbox.

A few months later she started to roost in the little coop together with one of the other younger Tournaisis girls. After a change in the flock dynamics she got more confident and finally after about 2 years she started to roost with the other hens.

Another remarkable thing. Janice was never broody until last year. And now she is a very protective mama. Much more protective as the two Dutch.

Janice has had an eventful flock life!

 

[RoyalChick]

Normally you can train chickens from 6-8 weeks old to roost.

In a natural situation the mama trains them by showing how its done. But if there is no mama like with bought pullets that didn’t learn to roost, I think it’s a good idea to learn the pullets to roost. On a roost and not in a nestbox because its not hygienic to let then poop where eggs are laid.

To do so I pick up the pullets at sunset. Take them from the nestbox and put them on the roost. After a while they do it on their own.

Only some breeds are difficult to learn , like silkies. And I had a traumatised pullet that refused to sleep with the hens and seeked comfort elsewhere.

She (Janice) was the only girl in a hatch with 4 boys. Two left early, two stayed a bit longer and left after the mama stopped caring. The 2 cockerels and Janice were sleeping as a group with the adults without any problem. All chickens roosted on the roosts in the extended coop.

But after the boys left they started harassing Janice in the evening as it was time to roost. She was bullied by a few Dutch and too scared to sleep with the hens. She even got bullied on the roost in the small coop next to the nest boxes. The nestbox was the only place the hens would let her sleep unbothered for a long time. I tried to intervene, but unfortunately it made it even worse. BYC members advised to let her sleep in the nestbox.

A few months later she started to roost in the little coop together with one of the other younger Tournaisis girls. After a change in the flock dynamics she got more confident and finally after about 2 years she started to roost with the other hens.

Another remarkable thing. Janice was never broody until last year. And now she is a very protective mama. Much more protective as the two Dutch.

That is quite a saga for Janice!
That is helpful information about when they start roosting. Mine turned 6 weeks yesterday and are in all ways integrated with the older birds except that they go back to their safe brooder house to sleep in a cardboard tray. I was hoping they would start roosting at night around now. Looks like I should give them at least another week to figure it out for themselves.

 

[ManueB]

Had some good news and some bad news yesterday and today.

Bad news first : I found some louse on Théo. I looked really well and only saw two and no eggs. I don't know if it's new or not : it's only since we've had him crated that he's calmed down sufficiently that I can inspect him for long enough to see such tiny pale things. I used a pyrethrin powder on him and Gaston. I'm not sure if we should do all the chickens or inspect them first. I looked at Merle and Piou-piou and saw nothing, but then it was really a matter of luck that I spotted the first one on Théo.

Other bad news health wise : Brune and Blanche's state have deteriorated again, Brune especially. She's still up half of the day, but going downhill. And Théo makes a horrible rattling sound in his throat whenever he runs or tries to mate.

In better news : we made a last minute decision to integrate the new chickens yesterday as it was supposedly the only day with no storm in the afternoon in the next two weeks. Of course the forecast was wrong and we did get a storm at five, when today was supposed to be an orange alert and it barely rained. Anyway it went much better than all my previous experiences. The white chickens fear nothing and so they quickly blended in. The black pullets were a lot more shy and hid a good part of the day, but they managed to roost with no problems, and they seem clever enough to stay out of sight from the ex-batts and the roosters when they go to forage.
They are however terrified of Gaston who made loud happy monkey screams when he saw them and chased them around for ten minutes. They are too young for that. The white chickens are in love with Gaston, however.
So at least we shouldn't have too much chicken drama on top of health issues.

Photos from yesterday and today all mixed up- still haven't found an efficient way to sort them in chronological order.

 

[Perris]

those chicks are growing so fast! And the plants have obviously loved the rain - looks so green now

 

[Perris]

Polka is testing my faith in broody instincts to destruction; she's hiding out somewhere; looked everywhere, can't find her or Fez

 

[ManueB]

Polka is testing my faith in broody instincts to destruction; she's hiding out somewhere; looked everywhere, can't find her or Fez

Oh no ! I really hope she's indeed safe hiding somewhere and shows up tomorrow , my first reaction is that something must have scared her into hiding .