The Old Folks Home

[vehve]

Do you have any pictures of your setup? Any way to block the divider?

And trust me, animals will adjust to new arrangements. Pretty much the only animal I've heard of causing trouble, is cats. Apparently, it's not impossible for a family to move 200 km away from their previous home, taking the cat with them, and then having it disappear. Sometimes these things end happily, with the new people living in the previous house calling about the cat showing up.

 

[vehve]

@bamadude I forgot I was supposed to share this link with you:

http://ramblingredneckmom.blogspot.fi/2011/04/how-to-process-chickens-at-home.html?m=1

It start's with the deed itself. I've been using hedge shears, which worked great the first time, breaking the neck and cutting the jugular on both sides, but the last time I used them, it only broke the neck, so I would maybe not recommend this method, unless you place the shears so that the feathers won't block the cutting edge. The scalpel is better, but requires you to find the spot to cut at pretty precisely.

The noose to hang the chicken from it's feet from is a great technique, the chicken becomes pretty disoriented upside down, and I'd say this minimizes struggling and suffering as long as you don't hang it for a prolonged time. I've liked using the trash bag to collect the blood, and to calm the chicken down.

Washing the chicken with a bit of soap works well, it lessens the stench when you scald it later. I first wet the bird a bit, then rub in some soap (I use a pine based soap) and rinse it properly, cleaning away the worst poop. Wetting the feathers prior to scalding will make the scalding work better too, as the hot water will heat the water already in the feathers.

The scalding works really well the way it's described in the link too. We've only done birds individually, so we haven't had to worry about the water cooling down when doing several birds. With one bird, I use a 8 liter (2 gallon) bucket, in which I pour about 4 liters (1 gallon) of boiling water, and then I top it up with cold water until it's 65C/150F. Then I hold the bird in it for about a minute (when I say 'I' I actually mean Karin, I've outsourced this to her), and then the bird can be plucked. We just hang the bird back in the noose we used for hanging it from during the killing (still from it's feet), and pluck the feathers into the same trash bag that we drained the bird into, as we don't want the dogs to dig up the spot where we do this.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Like, SCG, bed time is still causing me some angst; to the point that tonight I just threw my hands up in the air and walked off muttering and cursing something along the lines of "Fine, I don't care, sleep where the 'bleep' you want!" to which end, I have two sleeping on top of a 'divider' and three piled on top of each other in one nest box! Two perfectly good roosts and two nest boxes are empty! I have tried everything; I've remodelled, I've moved them, I've coaxed them. This has gone on for months, I spend many nights out there with a torch trying to get them to sleep where I believe is the best place but no more! Pfffft!

If they want to fight, peck, bicker and squabble, go for it!

Don't feel bad... here's a sampling from my funny farm:





I've also had chicks attempt to roost on the extension cord we have for the waterer in winter. It amazes me all the stupid places they want to try to sleep.

 

[Teila]

Do you have any pictures of your setup? Any way to block the divider?

And trust me, animals will adjust to new arrangements. Pretty much the only animal I've heard of causing trouble, is cats. Apparently, it's not impossible for a family to move 200 km away from their previous home, taking the cat with them, and then having it disappear. Sometimes these things end happily, with the new people living in the previous house calling about the cat showing up.

Sadly vehve, I do not have pictures that detail the set up.

Blocking the divider is a good thought .. I could make it higher so that Cilla and Blondie cannot get up there. I do have mental images of Cilla and Blondie flying into whatever is blocking it in an attempt to get up there

Chatting to you about it has certainly helped and got me thinking. Before, I remodel yet again; I am thinking that "animals will adjust to new arrangements" is probably the best way to go. At the moment, as I mentioned, no matter how many times I move them, that corner is still in the equation the next evening so I am never going to win and that is where I am going wrong, they are not having to adjust because the old arrangements are still available (slapping myself on the forehead right now!). Blocking it off requires no remodeling. I am seriously considering the 'tough love' option. Just before bed time, shut that section off and they will have no option but to roost in the extension. Ok, they are not going to like it but will adjust way sooner if their preferred option is not available.

Isn't it funny, I have been stewing over this and done so much to try and resolve it and I did not see the obvious solution right in front of my nose! Thank You

A bit like having a favourite motel, not really interested in another one until your favourite get's shut down

 

[vehve]

I find that discussing a problem helps you figure it out. Even if the other person has no valuable input to give, you having to formulate the problem to them makes you have to process it out of a different point of view yourself, often leading to revelation.

You could try blocking it with some cardboard to begin with, if it works, you can put in some more permanent plywood or something.

 

[Teila]

Don't feel bad... here's a sampling from my funny farm:





I've also had chicks attempt to roost on the extension cord we have for the waterer in winter. It amazes me all the stupid places they want to try to sleep.

Sorry, I am laughing, but with you not at you! Nice to know I am not the only one going through this! Those pictures are funny, love the one gripped onto the door .. how can that be comfortable?

 

[vehve]

Whoa, that was one heck of a lightning bolt just now, sounded like a cannon going off. Luckily the chickens don't seem to mind the weather we've been having.

 

[Teila]

Whoa, that was one heck of a lightning bolt just now, sounded like a cannon going off. Luckily the chickens don't seem to mind the weather we've been having.

Yeah, that always amuses me about chickens .. they get frightened by things which you would not think should scare them (like a corn cob! lol) but take a tropical thunderstorm complete with glass rattling thunder in their stride!

During thunderstorms I have had cats and dogs quivering in the corner, under the bed or on someone's lap but the chickens carry on like nothing is happening

I have stopped slapping myself on the forehead but still kicking myself for being so stupid! lol
Excited now, a couple of weeks of adjustment and all should be good

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Fear not. You are not alone with perch madness.

For a while, the Dominiques refused to perch, and insisted in sleeping in a pile.

The Black Star seems to prefer nest boxes.

Now we have a Black Star in one nest box, a Dominique in another, three Dominiques that either pile together on the floor, choose perches, or try to fit into next boxes; and one who insists in sleeping in the doorway on the ledge right below the chicken house pophole.

If I turn on the back deck lights they will all march out and have a midnight snack.

 

[Teila]

Fear not. You are not alone with perch madness.

For a while, the Dominiques refused to perch, and insisted in sleeping in a pile.

The Black Star seems to prefer nest boxes.

Now we have a Black Star in one nest box, a Dominique in another, three Dominiques that either pile together on the floor, choose perches, or try to fit into next boxes; and one who insists in sleeping in the doorway on the ledge right below the chicken house pophole.

If I turn on the back deck lights they will all march out and have a midnight snack.

Thank you!

It is so good to read that other people have chickens that do not all sleep in perfect harmony on a roost. Sometimes, reading through posts, I get the impression that 'chickens sleeping incorrectly' is a taboo subject which is not to be confessed

Kind of along the lines of, "if your chickens do not roost perfectly, you are a bad chicken parent"

I have never heard of chickens "marching around" at night. Wow!