The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

@SallyinIndiana

Thanks for the offer I have processed one time before so I'm okay with most of the mechanics. But we processed birds that were "strangers". I think the "emotional" aspect is a little different when they're from your very small laying flock.

O well....it will get done..... sometime

 

[Bethel3330]

Agreed.  The rooster theatrics can sour the pleasure of keeping a flock.  I'm hoping that the rooster I'm planning to keep will settle down and be a nice boy.  If not, I'll go roosterless, and hope to pick up a seasoned rooster from someone in the spring... one who has already been taught the ropes by a well functioning flock.  The perfect rooster must be people and chick friendly, dance for and tid-bit the ladies, and not be overly aggressive in the performing of his husbandly duties.

I have one like that and, I tell ya, it is absolutely wonderful! We lucked out with our first rooster and I know exactly what to look for in future. Found out quickly I'm not a fan of waiting for cockerels to not be butts. We bought our roo at 1 1/2 years old. Perfect

 

[Bethel3330]

@SallyinIndiana


Thanks for the offer   I have processed one time before so I'm okay with most of the mechanics.  But we processed birds that were "strangers".  I think the "emotional" aspect is a little different when they're from your very small laying flock. 

O well....it will get done..... sometime

That's what we did today. The anticipation is much worse. Being a biologist, once the dispatching was done, for me, it was about the task at hand. Even my little boy helped us pluck, which completely surprised me.
This one was supposed to have been a pullet and not meant for the table, so it took weeks to be okay with it. But eventually it HAD to be done. He was getting his big boy pants and about to challenge our alpha and was vicious with the littles we've been trying to introduce. Now that he's not out there, the littles are ranging with the flock with minimal pecks and chasing around. Soooo much better. I may even let the bigger ones sleep on the roosts tonight.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Bethel3330

How old are the youngest chicks in the flock?

 

[armorfirelady]

Leah's mom I like you can process a bird but it will be tough just because my flock is small.

Found a soft shelled egg 2 days in a row. They are Stella's since she roosts in same spot at night & I've found them under the roost. She has not laid in close to a week and was one of my consistent layers. Her feathers have that disheveled look for a couple weeks. so figured she is getting ready to molt. Yesterday she sat in the nesting box for awhile growling at the other hens. I finally removed the eggs she was on. None were hers. She finally gave up && left. Appetite is good, weight is good and red comb & wattles. No bugs. Acting fine. I made no changes in their grains other than not mixing in the alfalfa & fish meal since they have plenty of greens ranging and protein from meat & bugs. They have oyster shell free choice. Just going to continue to monitor her. They just turned a year old in May.

The babies on the other hand are growing like weeds. I swear they double in size overnight. 2 nights ago I watched the co moms routine for getting the babies in to bed. Lucy sits in the nest growling, Sophie is in the coop keeping the other hens away & the babies get in to the coop via the cattle panel holes & fly up to the nest. Very cute to watch. They def make a great team.

 

[lazy gardener]

I love it when birds co-parent. I had a pair of Mallard hens that hatched 24 eggs together. Then one took off and never looked back, leaving the other to do all of the work.

 

[Kassaundra]

I culled buster the rooster tonight. Very hard to do, but necessary for the flock.

He was starting to take exception to the little icelandic hen with the crest, and at least 4 of the chicks have crests....and the three sulmtalers are crested and they already have their own coop because of him.

The only positive thing is being able to do it quickly so he was gone in seconds. And the dread and anticipation is far worse than the deed, but I'm still sad about it.

So tomorrow I will rebuild some of the fencing around the little coop and make it so the sulmtalers and the chicks have access to the main coop and run, and I'll start the process of putting them in the main coop at night til they know that is where to go. I am not expecting to have much problem integrating as there has already been some grazing in the same area by all the flock and that has been pretty peaceful except when the rooster got involved.

I can't wait to get down to one coop !

I am sorry it was ness. but the better flock dynamics will take the sting out.

 

[Kassaundra]

I love it when birds co-parent. I had a pair of Mallard hens that hatched 24 eggs together. Then one took off and never looked back, leaving the other to do all of the work.

I have a NN and her broody chick an EE who are co-parenting and doing an awesome job, they sat on the eggs together in the same nest and have been successfully raising their little brood for a couple of weeks now.

 

[lalaland]

thanks, everyone!

yes, flock dynamics were pretty good today without the rooster. Despite me taking down fences and moving things and mowing and putting up new fences, everyone seemed to do pretty well with integrating. The tiniest chicks are still in their own pen in the run, the 6 older chicks were ignored by most of the hens from the main flock. There were a few pecks, but nothing dramatic.

THe sulmtalers faced off a couple of times with hens, I am going to let them decide where to sleep. Sulmtalers wanted to go into the main run where they were until a few months ago when the rooster started harassing them.

The 6 chicks, though.....first off, I have had to chase them into their coop every night, they would prefer to sleep outside. So keeping my fingers crossed I am not crawling under pine trees tonight to fetch them since the small run is gone and there isn't anyway to herd them into the coop.

Second, once I get them into their current coop, I am going to move them to the big coop. THat means getting up at daybreak to make sure no hen corners them in the coop ....I think it will be ok but could be some of the hens will get territorial. I plan on putting the chicks in the baby end of the coop, and there are only two hens who sleep their now, so hopefully it will work.

ok, true confession - I didn't process the rooster. Just didn't have the time, so I put him on the edge of the woods as far from the coop as possible - he will be gone in a day or two, probably for the foxes.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

@SallyinIndiana

Thanks for the offer I have processed one time before so I'm okay with most of the mechanics. But we processed birds that were "strangers". I think the "emotional" aspect is a little different when they're from your very small laying flock.

O well....it will get done..... sometime

It is the anticipation that is the worst just like the other poster mentioned. Basically don't plan it too far in advance. Have everything set up for a few days before hand then it is easy to take action on a whim without over thinking the matter. Sure some say to take away food and water about 24 hours before hand but that leaves 24 hours to think about having to process. So instead we just keep most stuff lined up ready to use for a couple Saturdays in a row. Then Dh has me tell him on processing morning.