What did you do with your flock today?

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Today what I did with my flock is that I free ranged them and I sat down next to them and took time to bond with each one of them and hear my rooster crow and tell the hens where the food is and made sure that nothing was out of the ordinary and they were in good health.

Oh that does sound like a nice day with the flock!!!
What breeds do you have!?!

 

[PopoMyers]

wish Mother Nature would just figure her stuff out.

Like any man will tell you, can't figure any woman out. That includes mother nature. So sorry for your swinging temps. So hard to relax.

 

[PopoMyers]

Yup! I hear you on that. The cold front came through here today and it was a high of 60 and in 20 min dropped to 50. There was even lighting behind the warm front as the cold front pushed it out. And now we are looking at 30 degree days. Fools weather is what all this is.

The weather this winter is so bipolar!

 

[PopoMyers]

I really cannot imagine these kinds of health problems! I've only ever dealt with babies health problems...it's kind of overwhelming to think such major stuff can happen once they begin layin!
How's she doin now?

I tagged you in the update. She's fine.

 

[PopoMyers]

Today DH and I dug and moved an apple tree that was getting too crowded. He had built the run and coop roof quite near it. The chooks had a grand time getting worms and drinking as we watered the tree in. It should provide more cover for them in the big run, along with all the other fruit trees. Also got a nice, heavy tarp 10x20 to cover the run. DH is rigging it up so the rain and snow slide off, away from the run. Have two more tarps coming to cover the other half. Maybe we can avoid the mud, if it dries out before July. Not holding my breath, though. Weeds are going crazy in the garden, with the warmer temps. I do not let the chickens weed, because they excavate the dirt right out of the raised beds. Little boogers! So far the only inexpensive solution to the sweating metal roof is to replace it with the wavy plastic sheets. Someone shared their cold with me. I have it now.

 

[Shetland lover]

Kind of like a soft pineapple x lychee.
They are less sweet than the pineapple and don't taste as sugary and the texture is soft and pliable that is firm enough to section off usually with a big black seed in it that spits out easily. I would not know how to cut it, it is more of a cut a section off and hold and eat and pop out seeds as you go.

I am so impressed with all of you mushroom hunters. I have thought of buying plugs and plugging a log or 2 up Koke'e but never learning and harvesting from the forest. Mr son is a bit of a mushroom head too but just a little, he is mostly busy with being a young man. So, i'm intrigued. Your big beautiful showy shrooms are too beautiful to not get a heartfelt reaction. It is like a whole world into itself amazing!

Love the sound of that! Pineapple is one of my favourite fruits so a less sweet version sounds yummy!

We had earthstar fungi under one of our figs this September. I have never seen them in the flesh and there they were, right in my own tiny back garden! I'm hoping they'll fright again this autumn but apparently they're very unpredictable and may never appear in the same place twice.

 

[Shetland lover]

@ChicksnMore they are all acting normal except for the 3 porcelain d'uccles...they stopped laying after the blizzard! They laid every day through the blizzard then stopped! Only thing I can tell that's different is the 8 week old babies were using the nest boxes to keep warm and the d'uccles got mad?! Gabby (the only d'uccle thats always got an attitude and keeps her distance unless there's a treat involved) chases the babies all around pecking em.
Then my oldest boy Joey is getting more aggressive towards my legs n not just my feet...it was so bad yesterday that I kicked him...didn't stop him at all. Then this morning I knocked him upside the head..stunned him n I got worried I hurt him but then a few seconds later he got up and came at me again.
He's not like this when I'm holding him...I really don't get it! So frustrating!!!
But I'm black and blue and cut up all up and down my legs and hands and arms cause of him!

Does he always attack or is it only if he's out with the ladies (or within sight of them?) or in an area he considers his territory?
Sylv was only ever aggressive to me if the ladies were all with him in the coop and I put my hand in. He'd peck my hand hard enough to draw blood on occasion.

 

[Shetland lover]

He turned 1 yr old in November...yeah he's always been a big cuddle butt! Idk better obviously and I luved it as much as he luved it...ugh! He's getting higher up to my waist with his lunges at me and his spurs are only getting bigger and pointier!
Pic of belly rub time
Is there no hope for him being good outside of my lap now?

I don't know if I've just been lucky but I've had 6 cockerel now and not one of them has displayed bad behaviour beyond Sylv giving my hand a peck when he felt the girls were threatened.
The two Swedish Flower boys I had - Leo and Matilda - were absolute sweethearts and had great manners with the ladies. Neither were at all aggressive. Even full size they'd both sit on my shoulder and snuggle. They both had to be re-homed through absolutely no fault of their own but I'm still in touch with their new owners and neither have any issues with them. I still get to see Leo and he comes running to me as soon as he sees me.
Before I even got hens, i rescued a roo that had been dumped on our allotments. He was re-homed with a family who had two little girls and he used to sit in their laps and escort them round the property. He was very protective of them.
Sylv was a lovely boy and Ferdy has an even softer temperament. I can literally do anything with him. Stanley is turning into as much of a cuddlebug as his dad. Time will tell whether his hormones will turn him into a nightmare but fingers crossed
I've always handled them a lot. Sylv and Leo were 8 wks when I got them. Matilda was 2 wks and raised in the kitchen as a lone chick so had a lot of cuddles and handling. Ferdy and Stanley have been handled since hatching. I do spoil them rotten and do everything you're told not to do, including having them sit on my shoulder.

I think having older, experienced hens also helps as they teach little pip squeak snots good manners. They don't stand for any nonsense like young pulletts do.

In fact, the only chicken I've had problems with was Penelope. She was a terrible biter. She would take any opportunity to bite my face in particular. I tried all the holding her down techniques. Didn't work at all. Pecking her with my hand worked to an extent but she'd peck me back if she thought she'd get away with it. She did it as a teenager and I think although my intervention helped, she just grew out of it. She hasn't bitten me in over 6 months now.

I think you need to work out why he's doing it. Is it because he sees you as a rival or he's protecting his flock etc? Alfie, the roo dumped on our allotments, attacked through fear. He was very wary and frightened of people and would try to attack. I got him to a stage where he'd take food from my hand, be picked up, carried and come when called. I didn't have ladies then so he had no distractions.
Maybe it's worth taking Joey away from the girls for a while? See if that stops or reduces his attacking behaviour?

Your photo of him on his back made me laugh so much! Sylv used to do the exact same thing!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

@ChicksnMore they are all acting normal except for the 3 porcelain d'uccles...they stopped laying after the blizzard! They laid every day through the blizzard then stopped! Only thing I can tell that's different is the 8 week old babies were using the nest boxes to keep warm and the d'uccles got mad?! Gabby (the only d'uccle thats always got an attitude and keeps her distance unless there's a treat involved) chases the babies all around pecking em.
Then my oldest boy Joey is getting more aggressive towards my legs n not just my feet...it was so bad yesterday that I kicked him...didn't stop him at all. Then this morning I knocked him upside the head..stunned him n I got worried I hurt him but then a few seconds later he got up and came at me again.
He's not like this when I'm holding him...I really don't get it! So frustrating!!!
But I'm black and blue and cut up all up and down my legs and hands and arms cause of him!

My girls laid through the blizzard too but the next day only 3 laid. It has been pretty spontaneous since then but it seems most of them have a pretty much gotten back to normal.

I’m so sorry about Joey! I don’t have any advice to give, but I sure do wish I did. I know you love him. I have read that if they are lacking certain vitamins that it can help with them behaving like this. Other than that I’m not sure. Maybe too like @PopoMyers said it is a dominance thing.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Love the sound of that! Pineapple is one of my favourite fruits so a less sweet version sounds yummy!

We had earthstar fungi under one of our figs this September. I have never seen them in the flesh and there they were, right in my own tiny back garden! I'm hoping they'll fright again this autumn but apparently they're very unpredictable and may never appear in the same place twice.

I had to look up earthstar fungi....I've never heard of them. They're adorable

I don't know if I've just been lucky but I've had 6 cockerel now and not one of them has displayed bad behaviour beyond Sylv giving my hand a peck when he felt the girls were threatened.
The two Swedish Flower boys I had - Leo and Matilda - were absolute sweethearts and had great manners with the ladies. Neither were at all aggressive. Even full size they'd both sit on my shoulder and snuggle. They both had to be re-homed through absolutely no fault of their own but I'm still in touch with their new owners and neither have any issues with them. I still get to see Leo and he comes running to me as soon as he sees me.
Before I even got hens, i rescued a roo that had been dumped on our allotments. He was re-homed with a family who had two little girls and he used to sit in their laps and escort them round the property. He was very protective of them.
Sylv was a lovely boy and Ferdy has an even softer temperament. I can literally do anything with him. Stanley is turning into as much of a cuddlebug as his dad. Time will tell whether his hormones will turn him into a nightmare but fingers crossed
I've always handled them a lot. Sylv and Leo were 8 wks when I got them. Matilda was 2 wks and raised in the kitchen as a lone chick so had a lot of cuddles and handling. Ferdy and Stanley have been handled since hatching. I do spoil them rotten and do everything you're told not to do, including having them sit on my shoulder.

I think having older, experienced hens also helps as they teach little pip squeak snots good manners. They don't stand for any nonsense like young pulletts do.

In fact, the only chicken I've had problems with was Penelope. She was a terrible biter. She would take any opportunity to bite my face in particular. I tried all the holding her down techniques. Didn't work at all. Pecking her with my hand worked to an extent but she'd peck me back if she thought she'd get away with it. She did it as a teenager and I think although my intervention helped, she just grew out of it. She hasn't bitten me in over 6 months now.

I think you need to work out why he's doing it. Is it because he sees you as a rival or he's protecting his flock etc? Alfie, the roo dumped on our allotments, attacked through fear. He was very wary and frightened of people and would try to attack. I got him to a stage where he'd take food from my hand, be picked up, carried and come when called. I didn't have ladies then so he had no distractions.
Maybe it's worth taking Joey away from the girls for a while? See if that stops or reduces his attacking behaviour?

Your photo of him on his back made me laugh so much! Sylv used to do the exact same thing!

Your birds sound delightful! I had a roo raised solo that grew up to be the sweetest boy ever. Just a perfect little love bug all his life. My oldest has a roo like that too that still goes into sleepy mode the minute you pet him and he seeks out people for loving still even though he's getting old. Precious babies

My roo was sweet n mellow with other birds too, but my kids roo is a monster to other roos. He's a little banty mix and killed my favorite yoko roo who was 3 times his size when my daughter let him out to play one time. Everyone's so used to how he is with people that we were a bit shocked. Hers was raised with other chicks ands a really good roo to the ladies. Good protector too so we shouldn't have been shocked.

Now days most of my favorite birds weren't handled much... they're the birds that are more curious and friendly by nature. Though I still cuddle young ones occasionally.