The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[seminolewind]

I'm here! Here's a story for you, Karen.
After gathering these flowers to dry in preparation for future herbal remedies, I passed my very large pot that sits by a gate and saw all my beautiful marigolds and cosmos that had completely filled the pot and were about to bloom upended, the soil dug up and the entire pot trashed. Then, I found the pot next to the house garden gate where catnip was attempting to get a foothold also dug up and ruined. Two nights ago, a pot was completely dumped out on my deck and my lemon balm was dug into and trashed in one end. I LOATHE RACCOONS. Anyone who feeds those nasty vermin should be strung up by their toes! They are not cute. They are not nice. They are dangerous, carry rabies and are extremely destructive. This is why we can't have nice things, tunneling creatures below ground and marauders above ground and no way to repel them or exclude them from any of the gardens or even our own deck without a dog. And my husband is not in favor of having a dog again. He has his stray cat that showed up and attached to him like a leech at the end of 2014, but he's only one cat on acreage and useless in the face of such an onslaught. I feel so defeated. And believe me, I have fought the fight, spent money on remedies, stomped down tunnels, flooded them with water to dissuade the tunnelers, but above ground, the raccoons are also apparently winning. You'll tell me to trap them, but where there is one, there are 50 in the mountains. So, that won't really help much. Plus I have no trap; more money would have to be spent and I'm tired of bleeding green here to just have some beautiful herbs and flowers.

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That stinks! I hate racoons too. I haven't planted any annuals but when I did I had cosmos. I used to have deer eat everything on their path thru my yard like termites. I ended up using electric fencing.

 

[seminolewind]

speckledhen, I've said for years that we get either bad mosquitoes, or bad flies. Usually we don't get both of them, really bad, at the same time.

I have fly problems every year. My neighbors are cows. I have to spray my horse every day and she needs a fly mask or her face gets covered in flies. One of the things that works the best in her barn is a fan on high. Flies don't like being with a fan running.

 

[speckledhen]

One of the things that works the best in her barn is a fan on high. Flies don't like being with a fan running.

We have a ceiling fan in the center aisle of the chicken barn running on high, plus every pen has its own fan running, but the flies are in higher numbers than last year. Maybe it would be worse if we didn't have the fans. I have to have them to move hot air out of the barn. I'm not sure how folks do it with chickens in high heat areas without fans in their coop. The Brahmas pant at 70*, the big babies. And that's with five windows open, plus the human door and most of the time, the roll-up door wide open, during the day.

 

[getaclue]

Bah humbug on cornflakes for breakfast. We eat our breakfast corn freshly picked, from our garden, cooked, with just a little butter.

 

[speckledhen]

We are going to be in the 90's up to 95* and that's WAY hotter than usual and it's still June. Oh, Lordy, I hate heat.

 

[speckledhen]

Be prepared for me to announce the passing of my 14 1/2 yr old EE hen, June. She is very weak, will only eat super high protein foods I bring her (other than eggs-she's apparently sick of those) so she has lost a large portion of her body weight. She was the first hen to defend Tom against the Tiny Terrorist, was Isaac's favorite hen and has always just been one of those salt of the earth types, not needy, but just a good girl through and through. She is also the only chicken I ever accepted as a gift. I guess I'll have to contact Kate and tell her about June's passing. I dug her final resting place the day before yesterday.
What on earth can I do with Mina, though? She is my 10 year old Belgian D'Anver hen and was the only remaining of that group, just like June has outlived all others she has ever been housed with. Mina is very energetic, but she's tiny and old and I can't put her in with any other groups. I wish Atlas would allow her to live with him. My bantam Cochin hen, Shadow, lived with a large fowl Barred Rock rooster most of her life and he never attempted to mate her, but Atlas has that Delaware lothario spirit so not sure it would be safe to even try to introduce those two.

 

[getaclue]

When a flockmate of an old hen passes, I don't rush to change anything with the remaining hen. You can call me crazy, and I really don't care, but chickens grieve the loss of a flockmate. The older ones, that have been with a flockmate for years, mourn more intently, and require time to get over it. Trying to team them up with another/other chicken(s) soon after the loss, in my experience, doesn't turn out good.

In this case, let Mina grieve. Give her the time, and space she needs. Due to her age, and physical condition, she may not want to be placed with a replacement for June. That doesn't mean she'll be happy in total isolation.

Something I've found that helps better is, to put another or others close by, OR in the next cage, OR even put the loner in a nice cage, out in the chicken yard with the others during the day. That way they are not isolated, which addresses the flocking issue, but they don't have contact. They can see them, cluck to them, hear them, etc., but don't have to deal with physical contact issues. Sometimes this is all the older lone hen wants, or needs. Yes, they can be very content in this situation.

That being said, when the lone chicken is exposed to the others without actual contact, pay attention. Sometimes during, or after the grieving process, they will form a bond with another chicken, OR another chicken will form a bond with them. Again, that does not always mean they should be placed together, but sometimes it does work out that way. You are very good at paying attention to your chickens, so you will know if Mina begins bonding to, or if another chicken begins bonding with Mina. Further observation will guide you as to whether to put them together, or not.

There is no one-size-fits-all rule. I've had both situations. It's more about the individual hen, and paying attention.

 

[getaclue]

I am sorry to hear about June. They all seem to peck their way into our hearts, but some more than others. I too know the feeling of helplessness during this time. She's had a good quality long life. Comfort yourself knowing that.

 

[speckledhen]

Of course, I had not planned to move her into anywhere immediately and I don't think you're crazy because I've seen chickens grieve and express other emotions that they swear are impossible. She is too old to take the stress so soon after losing both her rooster who was her sire and her last friend in the world. I'm just thinking ahead, in case she lives even longer than I expect her to because she's so bouncy and doesn't act her age at all. If the bantam Cochins were in their own flock away from those nutty EEs, that could be a good placement for her, providing we did what you suggested, the limited exposure; however, four roosters are too much for those little hens as it is. They are too much for three little hens plus six EE loonies.

 

[getaclue]

I know your practices in flock keeping. You are observant, and will pay attention. You know the characteristics of each of your chickens. If/When the time comes to make changes, you will have a game plan based on your observations, and instincts from years of good chicken keeping, and knowing your flock. That's how you are. I have faith in you, and your abilities.