What did you do with your flock today?

[TropicalBabies]

Got home a little late last eve, past sunset and close to dark. Flock had put themselves to bed perfectly, no sneaky nestbox sleepers and all old biddies went to the main coop leaving the younger to the mini coop and the little, littles to the roo coop. Great having our space back and a world of difference.

Met with Cisco's new family but first had to warm him up on a lunge rope, then heard the round pen and arena were open so saddled him up and went that way to warm him up further. First time for me to get on him and he was a good boy and fun to ride. I will miss him. The family is lovely with 36 acres in a BEAUTIFUL local. Great folks with a terrific daughter beaming with beauty inside and out. We really liked them and their kind energy. Cisco will do well.

Mosquitos are still pretty bad. Flies are pretty bad too. Put fresh traps out. Picked up fly bait on Amazon for a decent price so am stocked up and ready to thin their #'s.
Got stocked up on fresh feed yesterday. Was low through the holidays so feels terrific to be back in the green again.

Fresh mulch is lovely ♡♡♡

The little, littles enjoying the run while the bigs are out.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Almost forgot to share pics of the peas posturing today.

Bowie showing off for Java.View attachment 3367365

Javas response. Poor Bowie failed to impress her today View attachment 3367366

OH MY GOODNESS
What incredible and amazing creatures. What a charming zoo you have ♡♡♡
Can tell Bowie I am impressed. What a treat! Thank you!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Made my trade of oegb spangles for Isabel. Their colors very pale, feathers are rough and the roosters dubbed. But they're lovely. They went through a 2 hour drive to get here so once they've recovered and groomed themselves they should look a little better. Most of the year my oegb's are all together so once quarantine is over, they'll go in with the group. Not the oegb porcelain I had wanted, but I'm pleased anyway. And no dead or unwanted chicks like what happened with my spring order. View attachment 3366895

Oh what beautiful chickens!!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

View attachment 3366937getting to spend some quiet time at home b4 I go feed the big boys. After raking leaves I grabbed a few Starfruit for the flock.View attachment 3366938was fun watching the games. Took a few bad photos of up and coming cockerel so I can place an add today.View attachment 3366939
I'm not in a hurry to separate him from his pullet pal yet. They are still very bonded.
My few standouts this morning.View attachment 3366941View attachment 3366942
☝Hope, fully recovered ♡
And then Spider meeting feral roo at the fence. A few goes and done. Feral will not come in our yard.View attachment 3366943View attachment 3366945Spider is worth his weight in cheesecake and gold.

Beautiful pictures! Hope looks fantastic! Spider is a good protector and of course just stunning looking!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Yeah I've tried different boots, different shoes. It's like he's gung-ho against me being inside the run...and now even outside the run when I put him out too.
@TropicalBabies @PopoMyers @Shetland lover there are so many different things ya hear about how to treat/train a roo...what to do and not do etc. I've tried everything I've heard on BYC. I'm not sure in my haste if I'm not trying one thing long enough or what. I had gone back to giving him luvins when he got this bad before and more one on one time. That seemed to help for a while. Maybe I just need to stick with what worked for him specifically instead of what I read? Idk...I had started that last time with putting him in the bachelor coop for a time...then went back to the one-on-one time. Maybe I'll give that a try again. I just hate to do that and us having another cold weather bout to hit again.
That video was him being very mild...I can't record him when he's like he normally is when I'm standing up cuz I'd end up fallin or getting attacked worse than I am already.
I really thought I had found him a solo home but when I was honest bout how he's been doin she changed her mind. Can't blame her.
@TropicalBabies I'm sure letting them have open areas is much better. But the way hawks are here they would never survive a week. Do yall not have those type predators in Hawaii?
And Hope looks amazing by the way!!!
@Shetland lover i have been putting him inside the coop whenever im tidying up the run and what not or when grandkids are with me. It hasnt helped.

I checked most of em for lice n mites, vent issues, stuck eggs and what not...didn't see anything abnormal at all.
I did notice one that's about to be laying any day now acting constipated and puckered up back there somewhat. But she doesn't sleep on porch with others...she actually roost inside the coop.

I know how you feel about all the advice. But really the fact is, not one thing is going to work for every roo out there. They are like kids, all with different personalities and different things that work with them. All 6 of my kids are punished differently for their behavior or actions. Grounding only works on a couple, the corner works for a couple, and sometimes it just takes some one on one talking. Whatever you choose to do will either work or it won’t, but at least your trying.

I too think that space is good for any chicken, especially the roos but the fact is it doesn’t always work that way. I too have problems with hawks, owls, coyotes, raccoons, and opossums. So the reality of them free ranging, yes possible, but is not ideal. Especially because of how open our property is for the sky but also how flat everything is. And yes coyotes do run during the day here too, so if one seen a chicken it wouldn’t take much for it to take off with it. There is a neighbor of ours, whose daughter is friends with ours, had Brahmas and Rhode Island reds. Well we seen on RIR that was hit on the road and then we noticed less and less chickens roaming in their yard. Well we stopped by to talk to them and they were picked off by the predators around here. But this is their first year having them and they didn’t even have a secure coop for them at night. Now they are down to like 2 chickens. At least last I noticed. I don’t think they care about their birds like we do though either. To hear them talk it is more “they are just animals” feel to the conversation. But anyway the point really is, is that predictors act fast when they know a free meal isn’t far.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Almost forgot to share pics of the peas posturing today.

Bowie showing off for Java.View attachment 3367365

Javas response. Poor Bowie failed to impress her today View attachment 3367366

They are so pretty!!! Absolutely gorgeous!

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I know how you feel about all the advice. But really the fact is, not one thing is going to work for every roo out there. They are like kids, all with different personalities and different things that work with them. All 6 of my kids are punished differently for their behavior or actions. Grounding only works on a couple, the corner works for a couple, and sometimes it just takes some one on one talking. Whatever you choose to do will either work or it won’t, but at least your trying.

I too think that space is good for any chicken, especially the roos but the fact is it doesn’t always work that way. I too have problems with hawks, owls, coyotes, raccoons, and opossums. So the reality of them free ranging, yes possible, but is not ideal. Especially because of how open our property is for the sky but also how flat everything is. And yes coyotes do run during the day here too, so if one seen a chicken it wouldn’t take much for it to take off with it. There is a neighbor of ours, whose daughter is friends with ours, had Brahmas and Rhode Island reds. Well we seen on RIR that was hit on the road and then we noticed less and less chickens roaming in their yard. Well we stopped by to talk to them and they were picked off by the predators around here. But this is their first year having them and they didn’t even have a secure coop for them at night. Now they are down to like 2 chickens. At least last I noticed. I don’t think they care about their birds like we do though either. To hear them talk it is more “they are just animals” feel to the conversation. But anyway the point really is, is that predictors act fast when they know a free meal isn’t far.

Yeah yall remember the coons I trapped as well as a opossum. But the hawks know as soon as I let just one chicken out of the secure run and are overhead within less than 3 minutes! I even had that one dive down and do a u-turn as I went to grab the d'uccles while I was just trying to get an updated pic of em!

@TropicalBabies sounds so peaceful!
Flies can be annoying though...let us know what ya end up getting and how it works!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

So the cockerel has been favoring his foot more and more since the blisters all popped. But I expect that. There is so black where the blisters popped on the top on his foot. The swelling is still going down slowly. He is getting to the point that he wants to fight me on everything. I put my hand in the kennel to try to get him to move closer to the door and he pecked at my hand and took off to the door anyway. He is fighting me on the epson salt baths. Luckily I know a few tricks so I can at least look at his foot and see how it’s going.

Magu and Maggie are still being shifted from the house and the run. We were originally going to just make the dog pen we have work for them 2 but they are cattle panel fencing so that wasn’t going to work. So we decided to add an addition to the run. Basically 2 coop areas but the new side will be for mating, but this house will set lower to the ground and be perfect for the babies. So, the drakes will go into the original run and the hens will stay with the ducklings. Then when everyone can live together we will open both sides so they can go to either coop. Only a door will be open between the 2 so we can separate again as needed.

This is all we have gotten done so far and with the snow we got last night I’m not sure when we will be able to finish it. But I’m the second picture there is a bag setting on a pallet but that is where the house will be.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Yeah yall remember the coons I trapped as well as a opossum. But the hawks know as soon as I let just one chicken out of the secure run and are overhead within less than 3 minutes! I even had that one dive down and do a u-turn as I went to grab the d'uccles while I was just trying to get an updated pic of em!

@TropicalBabies sounds so peaceful!
Flies can be annoying though...let us know what ya end up getting and how it works!

Yup, I normally don’t even see them over head. It’s normally after I have taken a picture and look at it, and just see them flying in the sky. I see them though on power lines around here though just waiting for something for them to scoop up.

 

[TropicalBabies]

To hear them talk it is more “they are just animals” feel to the conversation

It takes 6 months to care for a chick so it can be old enough to lay an egg or be able to fertilize an egg. Takes a good 2 years to get a spectacular rooster. The best wealth of knowledge for the flock are the older seasoned hens... it is the age that guides the young generations and makes the whole thing a show...
Guess those folks are missing out sorry for them.