the sultan thread

[cluck-cluck]

Well, I can't actually say I finished the coop yesterday, but it's good enough that I moved my Sultan clan in there Charlie has to stay in the house with us at night until I build his rooster box, but other than that, the girls seem to have done fine in there. A little disoriented, and I'm sure they'll be happier when they get to see Charlie again later after 9:30, LOL. It's so nice to have them out of the house!!! Gosh, my speed of working is so slow, they say guess how long it'll take to do a job and double it, for me it's multiply by 1000! Ugh!

Rooster boxes with ventilation are next on the agenda...

Hey JHarper, it's been a week, how are your babies doing?

 

[fishnet1971]

I will be picking up my FIRST Sultan on Monday morning from Meyers. I am sooooo eggcited! This is a new breed for me. I am trying to read up on everything I can find on them. Any good clips for a newbie to this breed of girl? I am used to RSL, Wyandotts, RIR, EE.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Are you getting a chick? Or fully grown girl? Bantam or Large Fowl? Why not two? LOL. Watch out as they are very docile and your other hens might pick on her, especially with her top-hat (crest) Hopefully she will fit right in though. But please do keep an eye on her, they tend to be the bottom of the pecking order.

Other than that, they act like normal chickens, are fun to watch. I have a nice little clan of girls with one boy, so they don't hang out with others of another breed. They don't seem to like to roost, but I'm building them a new larger (wider) roost low to the ground and am hoping they'll use it. They keep sleeping in the shavings

Oh, and they do seem frightened at everything, but are ok once you pick them up. Having said that, they tend to freeze, so are easy to catch. Mine still can mostly see through their crests. Either because they're still so young (15 weeks this week) or they've picked some of their crest hairs out?? Not sure.

The boys are very loud. My bantam has a higher pitch voice but it pierces the air effectively, LOL. None of my girls have started laying so I can't say how often I'll get an egg. I hope with 8 hens, I'll get enough, even so they'll be smallish.

They are supposed to take confinement well, and since I was so slow getting their coop finished, they were cooped up in a brooder a long time (with only sometimes getting to go out and play). Their space was about 11 square feet (yikes) Probably a little more than that actually, more like 15 or so, for 9 bantam birds. It was tight but they never fought. Now they have lots of room and soon I'll have the run finished (yah right, LOL) So they really do take to confinement well. Their foot feathers tend to break with free ranging, if you want to keep them ready for a show, you need to keep them on clean shavings

Gosh, anything I missed, please ask. I'm happy to share what I've noticed as when I started with them I knew nothing and was eager for knowledge!

I'd like to suggest getting a few just in case she can't live with the others, then you can at least keep them in a separate space where they have each other?

 

[fishnet1971]

i ordered 6 chicks - 2 BR, 2 Wyandotts, 1 EE and 1 sultan. I am assuming she will be regular sized. It didnt say bantam! I have a smaller hen that I rescued a few months back and the rest of my girls keep her on the bottom of the pecking order so I thought I would get her a friend around the same size. (hence the 1) I may ask if they have a second when I pick them up at the hatchery on Monday. THey are just chicks.

I did go with a bigger roost for my Cochins in the coop 2 X 6's on the flat side. They LOVE it. It's a lot easier to roost on for their feet. You might want to try that for your Sultans?

They will have a ton of clean coop room in the tajmahal, and lots of open pen space all the time. My run is like 200 X 100 or so with lots of trees and grass and things to do. I look forward to putting cute little baretts in her crest!!!! lolol. I am so eggcited to go get her. I named her Victoria already after Queen Victoria. She has a soft spot for ornamental chickens, and had Sultans imported directly to her way back when.

 

[cluck-cluck]

That will probably help a lot that they are chicks. Growing up together usually makes them kinder to each other Yes, I will get a nice big board like that, thanks for the suggestion. I had a 2x2 which I thought was enough since they were bantams, and then was thinking of doing a 2X4 but I believe you're right and a 2X6 would be best for their cute little feetsies, I have this thing for chicken feet, LOL, I love them. I love when they curl their toes around my thumb when I press in the center of their foot, they're so CUTE! I am probably the only person in the world who loves chicken feet (not to eat, LOL)

I didn't know that about Queen Victoria! Sweet! Gosh I'm envious, I'd love to have a lot of room for my birds! I did the best I could, but I live in the city and though I have a good size back yard for around here, it still isn't that big!

 

[Jharper]

Well, I can't actually say I finished the coop yesterday, but it's good enough that I moved my Sultan clan in there   Charlie has to stay in the house with us at night until I build his rooster box, but other than that, the girls seem to have done fine in there.  A little disoriented, and I'm sure they'll be happier when they get to see Charlie again later after 9:30, LOL. It's so nice to have them out of the house!!!  Gosh, my speed of working is so slow, they say guess how long it'll take to do a job and double it, for me it's multiply by 1000!  Ugh!

Rooster boxes with ventilation are next on the agenda...

Hey JHarper, it's been a week, how are your babies doing?

Great! The chick that made it doesn't have a fifth toe though. My OEG hen is taking great care of him/her. She gets all ruffled up when I pick Burger away from her. Haha I think it's really funny. She wasn't broody at all. I did it before and she just goes to them like her own.

 

[cluck-cluck]

How cool! You hatched them, and she cares for them! That's really amazing!

Charlie spent the day with his ladies and then I took him away again. He wasn't too happy about it, poor dear! I got the house cleaned up.... NEVER EVER NEVER again brooding in the house!!! Yuck! What a mess! I guess if he is going to spend so much time inside the house with us, he is going to have to wear a diaper... now I have to find someone or try to make them myself

Always so much to do, and I just don't seem to be able to prioritize what is most important, ugh!

 

[hokankai]

I actually have a banty sized chicken diaper if you want to buy it from me . My chickens don't come in the house anymore unless they're getting groomed.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Well, the boys are supposed to be only 26 oz, but mine is already 36. That's over 2 lbs. I wonder if it would still fit?

 

[hokankai]

It's stretchy and semi-adjustable. Here are some pics










This is it on a LF pullet. Fit perfectly!