The Trap Nesting Thread

[MANOZ]

 

[MANOZ]

above is a set of flypens used for trapnesting

 

[galanie]

I have no idea how to improve the laying of a particular hen other than making sure she gets all the nutrition and calcium and greens she needs. Hot pepper in the feed really does seem to get them laying better. At first I thought this was nonsense but I put a load of hot pepper in their food a couple days in a row to discourage critters and lo and behold, the hens laid like NUTS for a few days after that. I won't do it regularly though because the only cayenne powder I can get is food grade and just too expensive as a regular additive.

But I do know that trapnesting lets me identify the good layers from the bad. In this way I can breed the ones I know lay well and not breed the ones that don't.

 

[genesis1verse1]

I'm not overly concerned with stressing them. Right now I don't have that many (8 different hens;only 3 laying) so I haven't had to touch them to let them out. I don't go out of my way to handle them but I don't give it a thought when I do handle them. I normally try to let them work out all their differences without getting involved.

Right now I have some aggressive ones in the flock. I am introducing a couple of 14 week old pullets (B.O. and B.A.)to them. I had to remove the two most aggressive hens, my beloved RIR and a black sex link. They are the only ones that get blood in their eyes and try to kill. The others just do minor pecking. So I took the two meanies out and put them in the smaller pen I had the pullets in. I'm going to give the pullets up to 2 weeks to get adjusted and accepted by the rest of the flock before the meanies get to come back. Hopefully by then they will be big enough at 16 weeks to not get killed over it.

What's kind of funny to me is that the RIR and BSL are the ones who are acting stressed now. Not because of trapnests, but because they don't have their gigantic pens to run around in anymore. I think tight confinement spaces are more damaging to birds than a whole lot of things. They have plenty of space in the smaller pen,(i used to keep 4 in the same space one time 3x6) but they are so used to the 1000 square foot pen they were in that they go crazy trying to get out when I feed them. I hate to put them in there, but they would kill my pullets if I didn't separate them.

If my chickens get stressed over the few times I handle them when necessary, I will definitely scratch my head. Just being a chicken and living within their feudalistic pecking orders with a big aggressive rooster running around seem to be their primary concerns. I have found that they get used to everything over time.

 

[MANOZ]

genesis1verse1............
I agree with everything you've said.

 

[genesis1verse1]

I've also noticed that since I go in and check their nests all the time, they don't mind me being around a bit. They will come right up to me. I have sat down and had them get within a few inches of me. Then others who go in get avoided, unless they have a treat to give them. For me it seems like they enjoy routines. At first they might flip out a little, but once they figure it's a regular thing, it's no big deal.

 

[galanie]

They do indeed like regular routines. I think they are the most conservative animal there is. They are afraid of anything new and revel in same old, same old.

 

[MANOZ]

just in from my noon check time.........found 2 dead and one of the biggest hawks I have ever seen.The hawk was in the chicken yard, my net covering ripped apart some weeks ago and this is the first time I have seen a hawk on the ground in my yard.The thing was huge. Seems like other wildlife stresses my hens more than I ever will.

 

[genesis1verse1]

MANOZ,

So sorry to hear about your loss. My pen is 6 ft tall and open on top. I haven't had the money to put a top over it or anything but it's been a year and no animal attacks whatsoever. We have hawks flying around all the time out here. I don't know why they haven't struck yet. Not sure if it's because we are outside a lot, or because of our dogs or what. One attack like that and I would do my best to make it like fort knox around here. Dang, that stinks.

 

[BantamWhisperer]

Anyone know if it's possible to have a " Sterile " hen?