What did you do with your flock today?

[Zobot0110]

 

[PopoMyers]

I just witnessed my big Plymouth Rock hen - Apple jumped on my Golden laced Wyandotte and did a mating like a rooster does. I separated Apple from the rest of the flock as I just don't know what does this mean or what to do with this new situation.

Apple is the biggest hen in my flock and a bully. Only my old timer Isa Brown and Silver laced Wyandotte able to tell Apple off. The rooster knew she was not nice so pecked her off often, he did not do that the rest of his flock. His pecks did not cause her injury, she just back off.

We no longer have a rooster in our flock. We don't want the bully to take up the leadership role.

Apple is a bully, eat like a pig and does not lay egg. She seems to have some sort issues, she often make that drag on distress sound as if she wants to tell the world of her sadness. She likes human better than her flock.

My 2 eldest are co queens. After the roo got killed, Alfa and Ginger both keep order, making sure the younguns don't overstep, sounding alarms, etc. Hopefully your situation will resolve peacefully.

 

[CombNWattles]

It finally warmed up enough today for the birds to come out. I shoveled around the coop a little:

The birds escaped while I was distracted with shoveling and quickly found some dry dirt under the tractor for a bath:

Poor Maggie gets in the way and gets pecked a lot:

The old ladies:

 

[MaeM]

When Callia's last flock mate died, Callia became really close to my dad.

My dad had cancer, he couldn't work or do much in general, so he was lonely and depressed.

But Callia was there for him. She visited him every day at the same time, and he would leave the door open for her to come in the kitchen and "have tea" together.

It's been a while since my dad's cancer progressed and he gradually lost his mobility. Callia is no longer allowed into the house for safety reasons, and my dad started having his meals in his bedroom as he's no longer able to go to the kitchen.

Callia waited for that door to open for many days. When I came to my dad's house and realized that she was waiting for him to open the kitchen's door, I let her in and let her see that his chair was empty. She made a few distressed sounds, but eventually she seemed to understand and walked away. She never insisted on being let in again.

But she knows he's there. Now that he's bedridden, mostly sleeping through what we believe are his last days, she built a nest below my dad's window. And she's just there, waiting...

 

[SkyAJK]

It finally warmed up enough today for the birds to come out. I shoveled around the coop a little:
View attachment 4016410
The birds escaped while I was distracted with shoveling and quickly found some dry dirt under the tractor for a bath:
View attachment 4016411
View attachment 4016414
View attachment 4016415

Poor Maggie gets in the way and gets pecked a lot:
View attachment 4016416
The old ladies:
View attachment 4016417

What breed is your girl with white feather? She is beautiful.
I have a pullet feather and head like that, she is an off spring of Isa Brown X Isa Brown.

 

[SkyAJK]

When Callia's last flock mate died, Callia became really close to my dad.

My dad had cancer, he couldn't work or do much in general, so he was lonely and depressed.

But Callia was there for him. She visited him every day at the same time, and he would leave the door open for her to come in the kitchen and "have tea" together.

View attachment 4016428

It's been a while since my dad's cancer progressed and he gradually lost his mobility. Callia is no longer allowed into the house for safety reasons, and my dad started having his meals in his bedroom as he's no longer able to go to the kitchen.

Callia waited for that door to open for many days. When I came to my dad's house and realized that she was waiting for him to open the kitchen's door, I let her in and let her see that his chair was empty. She made a few distressed sounds, but eventually she seemed to understand and walked away. She never insisted on being let in again.

But she knows he's there. Now that he's bedridden, mostly sleeping through what we believe are his last days, she built a nest below my dad's window. And she's just there, waiting...

View attachment 4016442

Your story is so lovely and sad, it makes me cry.

 

[SkyAJK]

My 2 eldest are co queens. After the roo got killed, Alfa and Ginger both keep order, making sure the younguns don't overstep, sounding alarms, etc. Hopefully your situation will resolve peacefully.

I hope so too, rather not have the bully do any leadership job.

 

[SkyAJK]

Hopefully separating Apple will do the trick. Fingers crossed
Gladys has always been the same since she took over after Connie passed. Ultimately, she's queen bee and knows it. She's a kind leader and mostly content to let the boys think they're in charge but more than happy to put them in their place when she thinks they're out of line.

Gladys is a smart girl.

 

[ValerieJ]

When Callia's last flock mate died, Callia became really close to my dad.

My dad had cancer, he couldn't work or do much in general, so he was lonely and depressed.

But Callia was there for him. She visited him every day at the same time, and he would leave the door open for her to come in the kitchen and "have tea" together.

View attachment 4016428

It's been a while since my dad's cancer progressed and he gradually lost his mobility. Callia is no longer allowed into the house for safety reasons, and my dad started having his meals in his bedroom as he's no longer able to go to the kitchen.

Callia waited for that door to open for many days. When I came to my dad's house and realized that she was waiting for him to open the kitchen's door, I let her in and let her see that his chair was empty. She made a few distressed sounds, but eventually she seemed to understand and walked away. She never insisted on being let in again.

But she knows he's there. Now that he's bedridden, mostly sleeping through what we believe are his last days, she built a nest below my dad's window. And she's just there, waiting...

View attachment 4016442

That is a beautiful and tragic scenario. Callia is a special hen.

 

[kurby22]

Happy Holidays all. It’s been awhile since I’ve had time to catch up on here, but I’ve missed you all!

@TropicalBabies im so sorry to hear about Elliot and all the losses youve suffered this year. I know your heart will need time to heal, but like @Shetland lover said…make sure you are doing self care too! Looks like the chickens are going to be living the dream when they come back down the mountain!! It’s so good to have you back in the thread I’ve missed you

@ChicksnMore its so great to hear from you too!! You've been missed!! I need to hear how all your birdies are doing!

As for me, we’ve been super super busy and the poor chickens have been a bit neglected. :-( We’ve decided that we can no longer do year-round sports so that we have a life at home at least part of the time. We’ve decided it’s time to thin down the flock some, and I know it’s going to hurt my heart more than I can even imagine right now, but it’s for the best. I got too excited about all the fun project colors and just can’t find enough space for them all! I will be letting go of the modern game, the silkies and satins, and most of my Easter Eggers. This should cut things down a great deal and reduce the coop chores I’m hoping. The kids can’t keep up on their own and my back has gotten worse so they have to do a lot more of it than they used to :-(

On the bright side, we have some really nice show birds that we hatched this year and I’m feeling good about the direction we are headed. I too, have found myself thinking I got too ambitious and think the flock needs to be more manageable!

Some of the babies that have grown up and my daughter showing off her wins at the last poultry shows in showmanship and with her birds. Our bantam Ameraucanas won Jr Champion and Reserve Jr Champion in the All Other Combs Class, and our black pullet bantam Ameraucana managed to win the Open and Jr Champion in same class at the Reno show in October! You can see she loves her bird she uses for showmanship…he’s our runt bantam Splash Ameraucana that had serious wry neck as a baby and has been babied ever since…his name is Tiltneck Was the only way we knew which splash bird needed meds—“go grab the tilt neck baby”. I’ll have to add another post so I can share some of my other birds, since it’s been awhile since I shared

For those of you that know me, I added some pics of the other animals too! Lola got some fun Christmas clothes…that she LOVES , Shadow is as naughty as ever…he will sit by a doorway or hallway opening and wait for you to come by and then hit you and run away He still loves to taunt Lola by sitting just out of her reach and whacking at her face…and he’s made it very clear that while I may have had plans for him to be outdoors…he did NOT. He will go outside for about 15-30 mins and then sit by the door and yowl to come back in…and FORGET about it now that it’s cold and rainy and muddy Such an ungrateful one he is! Miyuki is okay but I’m certain now that she has some kind of organ dysfunctions that cause her mobility and sight issues. Shadow however, has brought her out of her shell and she now sleeps with us and hangs out in the house more now, instead of hiding behind our bed all the time. And Koda is as goofy as ever and still our best rat hunter! I just wish he was willing to do it full time instead of only when the weather is nice and they’re easy pickings