The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

9 is way way too much to deal with! I did have some luck sticking the extra broodies into a pen. Didn't work as fast as the cage, but....

good luck!

 

[slordaz]

So far out of the 9 chicks with the broody out at the farm I see 2 that I can tell are roosters already so they will be looking for new homes, one is a barred rock over a black sexlink so looks like a barred wearing a tuxedo on it's chest lol, the other is RIR over a buff will see in a bit what total count is later as they are just over a month old.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Unfortunately I also have 3 cockerels out of the first 6 kiddos. I guess I have to see how they end up looking before final decision on them.

And...
This whole "integration" thing is demoralizing. Of course, it probably doesn't help that I "seem" to be hormonal at some level and everything is making me furious.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Unfortunately I also have 3 cockerels out of the first 6 kiddos.  I guess I have to see how they end up looking before final decision on them.

And...
This whole "integration" thing is demoralizing.  Of course, it probably doesn't help that I "seem" to be hormonal at some level and everything is making me furious.

 

I've been there, I got spayed which took away a lot of my anger, but left me with horrible hot flashes. What troubles are you having with integration? Sometimes it can some time depending on the circumstances.

 

[slordaz]

broody is integrating them for me, and once she quit beating up the mean rooster up he gave careful peck and started helping her integrate them

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Not spayed so not hot, but....

Well, here's the thing. I just really need to have a covered run available from the barn. If the middle-agers were the only chickens I had, I wouldn't just let them out onto free-range until they were much older and wiser than they are now. I would let them have free access to a covered (for hawk protection) run during the day with no problem. So until I rig something that they can get to a pen outside themselves, they're stuck inside unless I do "chicken carry-out".

I've had various thoughts on how to rig things but was hoping that I wouldn't have to.

To make things even more complicated, I have another 6 two-week olds that need to get mixed in with the middle-agers and then the adults.

I guess it's just a learning experience on how to make this work best with the circumstances I have at the moment. The elders just go right outside from the barn into free range (perimiter fences but a huge area) that is inappropriate for the youngsters.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Anyone have experience with squirels attacking chicks? I read somewhere that someone suspected that a squirrel had tunneled under their fence and attacked a chick but my guess is that it was not the squirrel that did the attacking.

 

[Molpet]

Anyone have experience with squirels attacking chicks? I read somewhere that someone suspected that a squirrel had tunneled under their fence and attacked a chick but my guess is that it was not the squirrel that did the attacking.

well squirrels raid the wild bird nests of eggs and young, by me...never thought about my chickens in danger. I would think another predator first.
But it apperas to have happen before https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/90277/crazed-squirrel-attack

not sure how they knew what got this one:

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I had a crow that would come hang out in the yard to snatch chicks. Only got one, but came back every year since. I haven't heard of a squirrel, I think it would have to be an angry squirrel.

 

[lazy gardener]

I would not put it past a squirrel to kill a chick. Or a crow or blue jay either. I once watched a chipmunk, sitting on top of my wood pile eat a frog.