Thistlewick Smallholding - Chickens & Sheep (for now)

[thistlewick]

Chicken math strikes again!

I wasn't gonna waste a perfectly good broody -- I didn't have to do a SINGLE thing for her chicks, they all survived, they all thrived - and are 9 weeks old and lovelllyyyy so, I figured, why not get some more actual Ameraucanas lol

 

[wrathsfarm]

What about Ayu?

A dozen BCM eggs for her you say?

Well, I'll agree with that....

 

[thistlewick]

What about Ayu?

A dozen BCM eggs for her you say?

Well, I'll agree with that....

I don't anticipate her being ready to deal with chicks -- I could be wrong, but when this girl is off the nest she's running around batshit crazy LOL

She kinda IS crazy, typically - and FAST and... zany af. I just don't see her behavior as being calm enough to let slower baby chicks catch up to her.


Tilly had to go broody four times before I let her hatch any hahah, will wait and see if Ayu keeps trying.

She picked the newest nest that EVERYONE loved, bc it's huge (it's just a converted side table I got for $5 at auction)

and a bunch of hens still lay in there lolol plenty of space!

 

[Skyeknight]

She picked the newest nest that EVERYONE loved, bc it's huge (it's just a converted side table I got for $5 at auction

These are the easiest "nestboxes" to get! All of mine are either old kitchen cabinets or those smaller inside coops that are way too small.

 

[thistlewick]

These are the easiest "nestboxes" to get! All of mine are either old kitchen cabinets or those smaller inside coops that are way too small.

Yeah tbh, I love the look of just a bunch of various bits and bobs. We have "official" nest boxes and then, repurposed crates, nightstands, etc

 

[thistlewick]

Y'all these cockerels/rooster.

Chuck is feeling so insecure some evenings. Oscar is trying to chase everyone. Cream WENT AT CHUCK full attack mode, but Chuck was busy flying up to the fence, and was oblivious to it LOL

the 10 week olds are crowing every morning like WHAT even Cracker and Cream barely crow at 16 weeks old

It's a lot. I am considering my life choices lol

Also loads of baby cockerels we will have to get rid of, as we will have ~50 hens when everyone grows up and so, 5 boys. Lalalalalalaaaa.


I
Don't
Want
To
Pen
Anyone
Up
!

So it's a whole... thing to decide what to do.

Yall look at this Chuck Jr looking exactly like his papa as a mini me cuddled up with Hunter his little pullet GF. (Whoopie and Scarlett in the back, photo bombing)

LOOK AT THESE RASCALS

I'm gonna go measure and cut some OSB to screw on there slanted so they WILL STOP THIS monstrosity. Every night for a week I go and move them one by one, MUCH to their completely embarrassment and dismay. Do they learn? NO.

You can see Tilly just minding her business down there.^^ hehe

someone is laying a lovely green egg now, I think it's Elayne as she looks identical to Coffee and Coffee is a starlight green egger. I think I've said this 900 times in my posts. lol

 

[thistlewick]

GINGER IS TRYING TO GO BROODY AGAIN

I cannot! I'm just gonna let her sit on fake eggs, as soon as Tilly's eggs hatch, she will abandon those and try and help Tilly lolol

3 eggs were deposited with Tilly today -- WHEN do they do it? She's almost never off the nest lol I think Tilly tells them to, I think she likes it.

She didn't really enjoy me grabbing THREE from her today -- she didn't protest, she just was like GOSH pls let me organize these... (I was having to check to see which ones had stars on them)

Honestly she's a darling, not a peep from her. I just love her to bits.

Can we just appreciate how CUTE Ayu is???

Flighty, sprightly, adorable little thing. Her clucks sound nothing like a chicken and more just like a big bird. I LOVE her. I wish I had more -- 3 were sent, 2 died (1 Vorwerk died, too)

I don't like buying chicks in the mail and I don't think I'll ever do it again.

 

[thistlewick]

I think the best part about Ayu going broody is that she is getting so used to me fussing her. I check under her for eggs a couple times a day to see if any were deposited and for the first day or so she pecked at me (HARD!!) and so I used a little scooper tool to move her around... then a glove... now she's fine.. and now she doesn't even fluff up at me or make noises. I give nice little back massages and neck massages after I check and coo all over them sweetly. She knows the deal is a good one!! lol Tilly loves when I give her massages but if I fuss too much with the eggs she is like, STOP, you're disorganizing them!

But everyone loves to deposit with Tilly lol

New egg yesterday, that top little small one <3

Here is the hilarious thing, the new green egg was NOT Elayne -- this new bluer one is! So the green egg layer remains a mystery - though perhaps its Cher. She's supposed to be an Olive Egger.

It has been *peaceful* the last few days with the chickens. Everyone has found their groove?? I've just noticed a vibe shift. Less crowing and when they do crow, they crow farther apart.

The weird thing is, by everyone's accounts everywhere, all my males should be fighting. But they don't? I don't understand why not but they aren't. But this is a day-to-day experiment so things can change on a dime. Will keep this post posted!

Maybe they secretly had it out and I didn't witness/hear it and no injuries occurred and now the boys all know their place, who knows.

Thing is, it had to have happened off-camera as well (loads of my farm is covered by cams), so it would have been far away, but yeah maybe it did!

A very cute Welsummer pullet.

Out of the 7, I gave one away, got 3 girls, 3 boys. Welsummers are very in demand so I don't anticipate a problem even getting rid of 2 boys (I want one)

What I really need is just like 2 FBCM Roosters and 3 Welsummer Roosters and a flock of green/blue egger hens and every single offspring will be an Olive Egger \o/ some with speckles!

I'll get there!

 

[thistlewick]

Did a slight experiment today; last night the feeders were low-to-empty and they spend a couple hours past dawn in the hen house before I come to let them out - so when I go out there this morning at a little later than usual (it's pouring rain) I filled up the feeders (I have 4 of the variety where many birds can eat from one, they are 360 degree feeders -- not the kind with single-serving holes) and sat there and observed.

Oscar and Cracker tried to tidbit and then stopped eating.

Cream didn't tidbit, but managed other younger pullets away from 'his' pullets so they could eat and he watched over them very carefully.

Chuck just dived in and ate. I think he is slightly smarter, already has his established harem, knows the feeders aren't treats and doesn't care. He DOES tidbit out foraging and for treats. He ALSO eats the treats though.

Oscar is a hardcore tidbitter, and he never eats what he finds. He has been successful in finding hens who follow him during the day but at night, he sleeps in the same spot he did as a baby and has no cuddlers like Chuck does.

I have not observed Cream nor Cracker tidbit out foraging yet -- they are way more wily and secretive, I barely see them during the day I honestly don't know where they haunt. At night, they sleep together with all the hens who don't like Chuck and their own pullets they grew up with.

Cream is a very confident little Cockerel. He has jumped onto the fence to crow - the only one who has done it besides Chuck.

I kinda can't wait to see how the next row of boys to mature are going to act. Cocoa, Miss Pecky, Chuck Jr and Batman are 11 weeks old so a while to wait yet.

Galahad, Lancelot and Arthur are 8 weeks old so awhile for them as well. I am still moving a couple over to the roost every night lolol

 

[thistlewick]

By the way look how cute Miss Pecky is

I know everyone says friendly cockerels become monsters, so we will see what happens with him! He's been raised in the flock and he absolutely knows his manners. All the lollipops are little darlings and very friendly, so we will see what happens.

We split up and took Chuck and Oscar out of the flock and stuck them in the bachelor pad today.

Cream and Cracker are now available to learn how to become Cockerels or not. Not sure how long I need to give them. Right now, they don't know how to do anything. But they are only 18 weeks old or so.

Absolutely zero hens cared that Chuck was gone, no one went to visit him or Oscar and when we did treats tonight, *every* hen came out to eat together. That's the first time that's really ever happened, typically before when the big boys were out, they were very wary and had to be kind of fed treats separately.

Will be interesting to see if the nighttime roosting spots change.