WK #3

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Bringing the egg convo over here to keep together https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/so-th-girls-are-laying-eggs.1365495/

Took a trip down memory lane reading all of this. Boy was I confused. Lol.
Nugget-still an outcast,free ranges either alone or w/a lady friendView attachment 2110526
"Bella" is the RP I thought was a she but isn't, or atleast, by sound, isn't. Still a brat,still chases everyone,still goes nuts if apart from Blu, always has to know where I am. Will forage w/the others but constantly runs back & forth to make sure I'm where he left me.View attachment 2110532
Blu is still my sweetheart. He's more active & vocal since removing the toe. The last time,it seemed cruel to even try saving it. It healed well & quickly, & since then, toes are no longer a thing.View attachment 2110547
PJ is the jumbo male. His markings are striking.View attachment 2110549
And incase anyone ever stumbles across this after hearing all of the "howto tell tale from female by looks", this is one of my girls with her big ol' floppy cupped wattles. The size of those, their helmets, the length of their legs, how striking they are or aren't, or the way they walk- makes absolutely no difference in trying to sex them.
View attachment 2110555
I've learned what a "hiss" is, though it's more like heavy breathing than what I'd consider a hiss. No one has attacked me or pays me much attention when I'm in the coop. They still sit with me in and walk over me but no one is a lap sitter anymore except when I bring Blu in.
In addition to being bug eaters, they've gained fame for eating chickweed and maple tree helicopters. I give them all of those they want!
I don't think I mentioned the food we settled on as adults. View attachment 2110582
I think it met R2elk's (someday, I'm just going to say "Bob") nutritional requirements, & seemed logical if I wanted them to eat bugs, I'd feed them bugs. TSC started ordering for me, after a confused look over feed made of bugs. Lol.
I smart over the winter & installed dropping boards. That made keeping the coop clean much easier!

Loved your update!!! I’ve been meaning to post an update myself!

 

[Sydney65]

Hehehe..so...buckwheat buckwheat...would that sound anything like bar-reee. Bar-reee? Found one of those little white eggs plopped in the walkway yesterday, and the only ones out & standing there were Blu & Bella....
So I picked it up and they followed me as I put it in what I found to be a 3rd nest in a 3rd corner and they marched in right behind it...

 

[R2elk]

Hehehe..so...buckwheat buckwheat...would that sound anything like bar-reee. Bar-reee? Found one of those little white eggs plopped in the walkway yesterday, and the only ones out & standing there were Blu & Bella....
So I picked it up and they followed me as I put it in what I found to be a 3rd nest in a 3rd corner and they marched in right behind it...

Everyone has their own view of what the "buckwheat" sounds like. My neighbor thought it sounded like puh kwee, puh kwee.

I have one hen that sounds like a duck quacking.

 

[Sydney65]

Everyone has their own view of what the "buckwheat" sounds like. My neighbor thought it sounded like puh kwee, puh kwee.

I have one hen that sounds like a duck quacking.

Yep, I hear the quacking at times. Nugget sounds like a kazoo. I can't even describe what PJ sounds like, but it sounds painful & he used to scare himself & jump back. The 2 big girls sound like "come back"- and they do it in unison.
Hm. Thought they both said barree- but then, they're inseparable so. The broadnesss of Bella's back reminds me of a small plump turkey breast always think of a small turkey breast. Don't know if that has any bearing. Blu doesn't, but I thought the size diff was due to the toe issues. This will be an educational spring.

 

[Sydney65]

Well, no one came out of the run today, too wet& chilly. Went out to close the coop up tonight, then in through the back to check on everyone. Lucy was sound asleep, PJ at her side. Thought that-different. Rosie & a RP were going corner to corner to corner, digging frantically, then Rosie wld go to one corner, settle, then jump up and do it again. Heard the familiar think of an egg dropping-it was BLU!! Back to pacing. Finally I rounded up all of the eggs & put them in the corner they kept going back to. Blu was content, hopped on the perch, Rosie settled in over her pile,and Nugget stood looking at her like he thought he shld be doing something but not sure what, so lay down next to her. I had tomorrow tagged as 14 days, assuming I had found the original 2 on day 1. Thank God THEY know what they're doing!

 

[Sydney65]

Just got caught up with Mixed Flock. Frankly I'm impressed that you were able to get them to lay and brood in coop. Here they did trial runs in the coop, but then abandoned them. Now we have atleast 2 nests, not too far out but in the fallow area of fields.
As with every second living with goonies, it's hilarious, topsy turvey, and defies everything ppl say is "normal." They started off the season paired up 2 by 2, always together- but since nesting in the field, 2 pr have swapped mates. The other 2, the RPs, I still question who's what or if both are one gender-wise,-but they always stay together.
Lucy was first to lay, and she spends a good portion of the day out there. She used to come up midday for a break, but has stopped, not coming back until lockdown time. She even stayed through a horrendous storm today.
Now before Rosy made a nest, the routine was they'd go out in the a.m., forage in the yard, then all 6 would head out there. I cldnt see Lucy, but the others I could, and they seemed to do perimeter patrol, spaced apart foraging, but on the look out. They'd come back mid morning when I go out and sit with them for a snack and then head back out.
Then Rosy went "missing" from this routine. I realized she had gone off to make her own nest the day only 4 had come for that morning snack and suddenly Lucy started the "quacking", which I interpret to mean "I'm bored and alone," because all 4 went racing off to check on her, then came back (heh, it's millet, what can I say?).
So they come back for the millet,she quacks, and again, they go racing off. But they only get about 1/2 way there before Rosy does the same thing-from the opposite direction- and they freeze before splitting up, 2 to Rosy, 2 to Lucy.
I can't see Lucy's nest (wild wheat) but she & Nugget both call out periodically, so I know they're there.
As I said, bad weather today so I tried to round everyone up to get inside. When I called for them, Rosy's head popped up, so I now know where her nest is, and PJ was laying next to it. While I was watching, she decided to come out, and as she did, PJ slipped into her spot.
Then the 2 RPs heads popped up about 5 feet away. Since I still can't determine anything abt those 2, & only saw their heads, I don't know if they're also nesting or just guarding.
Rosy & PJ stayed out all day as well,and even when they came out, opted to forage in the corn rows before coming in, despite the rain. The RPs came up during the storm, looking like drowned rats on stilts.
The 1st nest they had out there I found Rosy on so brought the eggs to the coop where they were immediately dismissed, so I hate to do that again, and honestly have no idea how old the eggs are-or if there are eggs, for that matter. I wld assume so.
Thankfully, we've had no snakes, but have been driven to decreasing the raccoon population in the past 2 weeks. The 1st one we "relocated"via live trap. The 2nd one didn't even LOOK cute n cuddly. 12 raccoons, 1 oppossum. Nothing like seeing 3 or 4 raccoons climbing all over your coop, but none found a way to get in. Hopefully there won't be anymore, I'm afraid DH is going to either develop a complex from euthanizing them or..start enjoying it.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Just got caught up with Mixed Flock. Frankly I'm impressed that you were able to get them to lay and brood in coop. Here they did trial runs in the coop, but then abandoned them. Now we have atleast 2 nests, not too far out but in the fallow area of fields.
As with every second living with goonies, it's hilarious, topsy turvey, and defies everything ppl say is "normal." They started off the season paired up 2 by 2, always together- but since nesting in the field, 2 pr have swapped mates. The other 2, the RPs, I still question who's what or if both are one gender-wise,-but they always stay together.
Lucy was first to lay, and she spends a good portion of the day out there. She used to come up midday for a break, but has stopped, not coming back until lockdown time. She even stayed through a horrendous storm today.
Now before Rosy made a nest, the routine was they'd go out in the a.m., forage in the yard, then all 6 would head out there. I cldnt see Lucy, but the others I could, and they seemed to do perimeter patrol, spaced apart foraging, but on the look out. They'd come back mid morning when I go out and sit with them for a snack and then head back out.
Then Rosy went "missing" from this routine. I realized she had gone off to make her own nest the day only 4 had come for that morning snack and suddenly Lucy started the "quacking", which I interpret to mean "I'm bored and alone," because all 4 went racing off to check on her, then came back (heh, it's millet, what can I say?).
So they come back for the millet,she quacks, and again, they go racing off. But they only get about 1/2 way there before Rosy does the same thing-from the opposite direction- and they freeze before splitting up, 2 to Rosy, 2 to Lucy.
I can't see Lucy's nest (wild wheat) but she & Nugget both call out periodically, so I know they're there.
As I said, bad weather today so I tried to round everyone up to get inside. When I called for them, Rosy's head popped up, so I now know where her nest is, and PJ was laying next to it. While I was watching, she decided to come out, and as she did, PJ slipped into her spot.
Then the 2 RPs heads popped up about 5 feet away. Since I still can't determine anything abt those 2, & only saw their heads, I don't know if they're also nesting or just guarding.
Rosy & PJ stayed out all day as well,and even when they came out, opted to forage in the corn rows before coming in, despite the rain. The RPs came up during the storm, looking like drowned rats on stilts.
The 1st nest they had out there I found Rosy on so brought the eggs to the coop where they were immediately dismissed, so I hate to do that again, and honestly have no idea how old the eggs are-or if there are eggs, for that matter. I wld assume so.
Thankfully, we've had no snakes, but have been driven to decreasing the raccoon population in the past 2 weeks. The 1st one we "relocated"via live trap. The 2nd one didn't even LOOK cute n cuddly. 12 raccoons, 1 oppossum. Nothing like seeing 3 or 4 raccoons climbing all over your coop, but none found a way to get in. Hopefully there won't be anymore, I'm afraid DH is going to either develop a complex from euthanizing them or..start enjoying it.

Sounds like you have your hands full with their nesting! Mine nest in the coop because I’ve been locking them in so much. They have an attached run, but they’ve eaten everything so it’s a red dust bowl deadzone, and apparently not nest worthy. We have a lot of raccoons here too, though our raccoons are almost totally nocturnal. It’s our daylight loving bobcat that we’ve all come to fear.

 

[Sydney65]

Sounds like you have your hands full with their nesting! Mine nest in the coop because I’ve been locking them in so much. They have an attached run, but they’ve eaten everything so it’s a red dust bowl deadzone, and apparently not nest worthy. We have a lot of raccoons here too, though our raccoons are almost totally nocturnal. It’s our daylight loving bobcat that we’ve all come to fear.

Oh, our raccoons and oppossum are no different, I just happen to be a night owl myself.

 

[Sydney65]

When you know it's going to happen but that doesn't help prepare - just found Bella in the roa.Poor Blu is wandering all over calling for his co-gender-unidentified buddy.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

When you know it's going to happen but that doesn't help prepare - just found Bella in the roa.Poor Blu is wandering all over calling for his co-gender-unidentified buddy.

Oh no - that’s doesn’t sound good! What’s the roa???