Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[Shadrach]

It would be nice if more people like you considered giving those production breeds chickens in need a home. I didn't read your thread while Sandy was alive but I think Joyce and Christa were very lucky you took them in. People who can give them health checks and health care and realise that chickens need tending to.

It reminds me of what I see in our education system. Children with issues, in difficult schools, most often get taught by young teachers the first years after they begin teaching , when it should be just the opposite - they should be in the most experienced teacher's hands. Production breeds in most cases are not a good choice for beginners and yet most often that's what they get, because they are told to. I'm sure many people getting their first chickens would prefer having chickens that laid less, lived longer and were easier to keep.

So do I, and most of our visitors who saw our ex-batts in their first two years commented on this too. They often said they looked sweet, chubby, funny, like pets.

I always enjoy seeing your chickens and reading about them because I thought of your flock as a sort of "mirror" to mine but younger. I hope with the care you give them the buffs will enjoy a few more years with you, especially Light for your husband ! I'm glad she's doing good on the implant.

I think there are better and worse strains than others within production breeds, just as is the case for heritage breeds. Maybe the two RIR were more fragile from the start.
It's nice that Inky is a bit different. Having broodies at home is an interesting part of chicken keeping, that doesn't happen often with production breed. Has she been well accepted from the start ?
*******
As I was typing yesterday's post we had the worse storm I've ever seen here in terms of rain and hail intensity. 80 ml in an hour. Very quickly we had a small river running down in front of our house draining along gravel and small rocks, gutters overflowing, leaks through all our doors, and ponds forming everywhere. We've been careless since it hadn't rained for real for three months and nothing was forecasted, we didn't dig our usual ditches to drain some of the water away from it's main path and we hadn't cleaned the gutters. The chickens went by themselves in the coop, they were afraid of the thunder and the fearful noise the hail made on the run's roof. Théo and Piou-piou we locked in the woodshed.
Then I realised one chicken was missing -Annette. I mentioned before she has found a way out the yard : she forces through the lower fence to reach the field below, but it's very difficult for her to come back in up by the same way. So I went looking for her in the field below and around the yard, under all the trees I could think of, and didn't find her. I was drenched. I went a second time and searched more thoroughly, went around the house, and then the hail started to be so strong I had to go inside because I was getting hurt.

At that stage I was very worried for her. I was afraid she would get hit by a big piece of hail, or would drown in all the ponds that were forming everywhere underneath trees. But we were getting water everywhere in the house and it was a mess to get things under control, power was out, so I decided to wait until the hail calmed down a bit. As soon as it did we both went outside to look for her, and I found her in a place I had walked by twice. She had come up around the house and taken shelter against the wall under our stack of very old rusty corrugated sheets. It was a very good place to shelter because she was slightly raised from the ground, whereas underneath most of the trees there was so much water that she couldn't have stayed. She was soaked but not hurt or shocked at all and she followed me back to the coop and ate a bit.

I was very relieved. She showed once again that she is clever at ranging. None of my other chickens have understood how to come back to the coop when they are underneath the yard by going way up around our house, and she chose one of the safest place to shelter even though she had never used it as a shelter before.

Annette. I doubled the fence today so she won't be able to get out while we have those storms. In about six weeks most of the garden will be done and we can probably let them free range again.
View attachment 3930080
This is where she was sheltered yesterday.
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My partner cleaned some very infested hives frames today and the chickens enjoyed a feast of wax moths.
View attachment 3930077View attachment 3930079Laure began the implant molt two days ago. She is loosing tons of feathers. She doesn't eat much and has diarrhea but she is still very energetic. No egg or trying to lay since she had the implant.View attachment 3930081
Who isn't quite in the right place ?...
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Chipie the tiny broody of course ! I lock the coop to block the broodies from the nests and she gets creative trying to get in ...
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Merle is showing signs of thinking of coming out of it. It's been a month now.
View attachment 3930085Lulu looks so much better now she isn't broody anymore. She hasn't started laying yet and I hope she puts some weight back on before.View attachment 3930086
Inspecting the day's veggies before throwing them all out of the basket .
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The chickens loved the wax moths from the hive cleaning in Catalonia.

 

[ManueB]

People wait for their turn in a room with dogs, cats and whatever else needs help. I think it would give my chickens a heart attack if they see a dog and can’t flee.

Even with my cats the vet lets me wait outside in the car so they don't get worried about the noisy dogs. They call me on my mobile when I can go straight in to the exam room.

The new vet I go to only treats exotic pets, so there are never any cats or dogs waiting. But it was a worry at the previous vet clinic.

Most of the times my partner goes there on his own but from the few times I went with him I think they do it the other way round- small animals in cages are in the waiting room, and people with bigger animals stay in their car.
It's pretty rare that there is more than a few minutes waiting, it has only happened after big weekends, or when we drop

My partner took Kara today and something happened right out of @MaryJanet 's world - the vet didn't make him pay ! He said the ultrasound scan was not conclusive. He attempted draining her, but got very little liquid out. He rules out cancer because he says she would be in a much worse state, so he thinks it's a reproductive infection. He said we could have a try giving her antibiotics, but he was not certain it would do anything. And that we also had the option of implanting her, because her reproductive system is still being active even if she can't lay, so it would give her some relief.

We didn't do it for now as she is not really being unwell, just tired, but we may think about it depending on how things turn out. Also, having two hens implanted would mean I'd need to spend less on something else .

After a few lesser storms and a lot of rain, it's gotten much cooler and feels like the end of summer. The zucchinis and most tomatoes and squashes survived the hail, but about half the various dry beans we plant were opened and fell on the ground so wet that they are wasted. We are also harvesting the potatoes that the boar kindly left for us, and while he actually left more than we thought, many that he moved around are green or brown and unfit for eating. We'll have enough for us for the year but not enough to give away.

Lulu is back to laying, and Merle stopped sitting two days ago ! After five weeks it's a relief. Only Chipie is still broody and while she wreaks havoc she is so tiny and passive in the nest she is a very easy broody.

Laure looks awful but her behaviour is overall pretty good. She does get tired and goes to bed earlier than usual.

Théo and Gaston insulting each other.

 

[RoyalChick]

Most of the times my partner goes there on his own but from the few times I went with him I think they do it the other way round- small animals in cages are in the waiting room, and people with bigger animals stay in their car.
It's pretty rare that there is more than a few minutes waiting, it has only happened after big weekends, or when we drop

My partner took Kara today and something happened right out of @MaryJanet 's world - the vet didn't make him pay ! He said the ultrasound scan was not conclusive. He attempted draining her, but got very little liquid out. He rules out cancer because he says she would be in a much worse state, so he thinks it's a reproductive infection. He said we could have a try giving her antibiotics, but he was not certain it would do anything. And that we also had the option of implanting her, because her reproductive system is still being active even if she can't lay, so it would give her some relief.

We didn't do it for now as she is not really being unwell, just tired, but we may think about it depending on how things turn out. Also, having two hens implanted would mean I'd need to spend less on something else .

After a few lesser storms and a lot of rain, it's gotten much cooler and feels like the end of summer. The zucchinis and most tomatoes and squashes survived the hail, but about half the various dry beans we plant were opened and fell on the ground so wet that they are wasted. We are also harvesting the potatoes that the boar kindly left for us, and while he actually left more than we thought, many that he moved around are green or brown and unfit for eating. We'll have enough for us for the year but not enough to give away.

Lulu is back to laying, and Merle stopped sitting two days ago ! After five weeks it's a relief. Only Chipie is still broody and while she wreaks havoc she is so tiny and passive in the nest she is a very easy broody.

Laure looks awful but her behaviour is overall pretty good. She does get tired and goes to bed earlier than usual.
View attachment 3935466View attachment 3935467
Théo and Gaston insulting each other.
View attachment 3935468View attachment 3935469View attachment 3935470View attachment 3935471View attachment 3935472

Chipie is a very lovable rascal!

 

[MaryJanet]

My partner took Kara today and something happened right out of @MaryJanet 's world - the vet didn't make him pay !

Wow!! So generous and kind. And understanding of someone's affection for a chicken.

 

[MaryJanet]

Chipie is a very lovable rascal!

Isn't she! She had her eye on those tomatoes!

 

[ManueB]

Wow!! So generous and kind. And understanding of someone's affection for a chicken.

From what my partner said I got the impression it was because he felt the visit hadn't been really helpful. It was still very surprising as he is the boss of this huge practice.

We had another big storm two nights ago, with again 80 ml of rain. So everything is damp now and it feels like it's already autumn. Morning temperatures are around 12 / 55 and during the day it doesn't go above 20/ 68. The chickens are going to bed earlier, the early sleepers by 5.30 and the party crowd an hour later, and they are not up before 6.30 in the morning. I see signs of molt but for now it's beginning slowly.

Kara was rather disturbed when she came back from the vet, the ride back was very stressful my partner said, but now she is back to her usual self. I haven't started her on antibiotics because she isn't acting sick really and it just doesn't make sense to me to give her antibiotics without being sure it will help. She's taken to sleeping on the platform we put for Nougat when she was loosing her balance, she makes a sort nest in the shaving and just lies there.

Laure's attitude however is now really worrying - she has difficulty getting up. Once she is on her feet she can walk but to get up she has to help herself with her wings and she stumbles. She spent the last two days hiding and she can't roost anymore. I try to make sure she eats but she is so stressed it's difficult. And she has extreme diarrhea I would say she acts like a hen at the worse time during a very hard molt. I hope it doesn't last more than a few days, and that she is not one of those few hens that can't keep the implant.

Piou-piou is hurt. I'm not sure but I think it happened because she has trouble getting on her roost. A few days ago she fell while trying, and caught her wing on the lower perch that's an intermediate jump to her roost. Because of that we've changed the set up three days ago, but for now she doesn't understand what she is supposed to do. She is also very scared. Something must have happened that we missed, either a fight with other hens or a raptor landing close. I hope that like the other times she was not well she will get better on her own with a few days of rest.

Théo did something today that I really didn't like. He chased and flogged Hibou, my female cat, when she hadn't done anything, not even coming too close which is a bad habit she has. She wasn't hurt, but she could have been ; she just ran away from him.

A fun anecdote before this post sounds very gloomy. Yesterday my partner pointed out that we have a bunch of a new plant showing up all around in the chicken yard ; neither of us knew what it is. He looked it up on plant net, and they turned out to be chia. I've been adding chia as a supplement to my chicken's starter mash for months now... apparently they don't digest the seeds that well .

Kara back to her normal self.

Laure spent all afternoon yesterday hiding there.

The chicken seem to feel the drop in temperature early morning. They are slower to start.

They only like the run when it's the only place that's dry.

The leghorns don't have the same tastes as other chickens. They love the raw courgettes, most of my other chickens don't touch them or just one peck.

Léa is getting broody again ! And Chipie hasn't stopped yet...

Merle is showing no signs of wanting to lay even though she has stopped sitting several days ago. She is beginning to molt on her face and tail.

Annette can't get out to the field under crossing the fence anymore but she has began flying over the door to the garden again. It doesn't matter, there's not much left that the chickens can destroy now.

 

[Perris]

Do you think there may be some bug working its way through your flock? Or just the varied consequences of moulting on the different individuals? Or just bad luck?

 

[lightm]

From what my partner said I got the impression it was because he felt the visit hadn't been really helpful. It was still very surprising as he is the boss of this huge practice.

We had another big storm two nights ago, with again 80 ml of rain. So everything is damp now and it feels like it's already autumn. Morning temperatures are around 12 / 55 and during the day it doesn't go above 20/ 68. The chickens are going to bed earlier, the early sleepers by 5.30 and the party crowd an hour later, and they are not up before 6.30 in the morning. I see signs of molt but for now it's beginning slowly.

Kara was rather disturbed when she came back from the vet, the ride back was very stressful my partner said, but now she is back to her usual self. I haven't started her on antibiotics because she isn't acting sick really and it just doesn't make sense to me to give her antibiotics without being sure it will help. She's taken to sleeping on the platform we put for Nougat when she was loosing her balance, she makes a sort nest in the shaving and just lies there.

Laure's attitude however is now really worrying - she has difficulty getting up. Once she is on her feet she can walk but to get up she has to help herself with her wings and she stumbles. She spent the last two days hiding and she can't roost anymore. I try to make sure she eats but she is so stressed it's difficult. And she has extreme diarrhea I would say she acts like a hen at the worse time during a very hard molt. I hope it doesn't last more than a few days, and that she is not one of those few hens that can't keep the implant.

Piou-piou is hurt. I'm not sure but I think it happened because she has trouble getting on her roost. A few days ago she fell while trying, and caught her wing on the lower perch that's an intermediate jump to her roost. Because of that we've changed the set up three days ago, but for now she doesn't understand what she is supposed to do. She is also very scared. Something must have happened that we missed, either a fight with other hens or a raptor landing close. I hope that like the other times she was not well she will get better on her own with a few days of rest.

Théo did something today that I really didn't like. He chased and flogged Hibou, my female cat, when she hadn't done anything, not even coming too close which is a bad habit she has. She wasn't hurt, but she could have been ; she just ran away from him.

A fun anecdote before this post sounds very gloomy. Yesterday my partner pointed out that we have a bunch of a new plant showing up all around in the chicken yard ; neither of us knew what it is. He looked it up on plant net, and they turned out to be chia. I've been adding chia as a supplement to my chicken's starter mash for months now... apparently they don't digest the seeds that well .

Kara back to her normal self.
View attachment 3937631
Laure spent all afternoon yesterday hiding there.
View attachment 3937632View attachment 3937633View attachment 3937634
The chicken seem to feel the drop in temperature early morning. They are slower to start.
View attachment 3937635
They only like the run when it's the only place that's dry.
View attachment 3937638View attachment 3937639
The leghorns don't have the same tastes as other chickens. They love the raw courgettes, most of my other chickens don't touch them or just one peck.
View attachment 3937640View attachment 3937641
Léa is getting broody again ! And Chipie hasn't stopped yet...
View attachment 3937642View attachment 3937643
Merle is showing no signs of wanting to lay even though she has stopped sitting several days ago. She is beginning to molt on her face and tail.
View attachment 3937644
Annette can't get out to the field under crossing the fence anymore but she has began flying over the door to the garden again. It doesn't matter, there's not much left that the chickens can destroy now.
View attachment 3937645

I hope Laure gets better!

 

[fuentemoon]

My chickens have never been interested in courgettes, until this year, now they cant seem to get enough

 

[BDutch]

My chickens have never been interested in courgettes, until this year, now they cant seem to get enough

In the past we tried to let our chickens eat the ends (waste) of green beans. They won’t eat them. But we noticed they love cooked green beans. So next time, I cook the end for them as a treat.

One of their favourite sports now is frog-hunting. .