BDutch's bantam flock & natural breeding projects #5 🪺 🪺 and #6

[NanaK]

I just can’t imagine how uncomfortable that must be!

I would think it would be itchy at times too.

 

[Sequel]

I would think it would be itchy at times too.

Yes!

 

[BDutch]

Honestly I don't know if moulting is itchy. Janice doesnt bite more into her feathers as usual.

Today my Bantams went to the naturally kept green strip behind our garden. After an hour I did see the horrible cat again. I was relieved the chickens where all inside the run again by that time. This horrible cat never went inside the coop/run until now. My harmless neighbour cats do. 2 of them love to be in the coop/run to eat from the chicken feed or to take a nap.

Im not pleased with the works on the green strip this year. The municipality outsourced the work to a contractor. The contactor didn't do the job properly because he should have mowed the whole area completely.

Mowing has taken place near/along the stream and not between the trees where the blackberries grow freely now.

Asking the municipality to do a proper job had not the outcome I’d wished for. The department wrote in short; “Unfortunately for you, he won’t come back. Better luck next year.”

The blackberries grow upto the border of our garden, if we don’t clear them ourselves. Normally we keep 1 meter free, but I suppose we have to clear a few meters more this winter.

 

[BDutch]

Finally the rules and regulations for the bird flu in the Netherlands came to an end. The message:
THE KEEPING AND SHIELDING OBLIGATORY, WHICH APPLIED SINCE OCTOBER 5, 2022, WAS FULLY WITHDRAWED ON NOVEMBER 3, 2023.

The freedom only lasted 8 days. Within a week a huge egg farm with free range - open air - hens was contaminated. 65.000 hens were killed because of the bird flu. Only 15 km from where I live.
All previous rules and regulations, in the area where I live, are back again.

 

[kikiruru]

This is the first time that I haven’t separated the broodies with chicks from other flock members (now 3 hens).

There is no (not yet a) problem with the chicks and the other 3 hens. Only when mama Janice went out , maybe to poop/for a sand-bath , she was harassed by Kraai. Ini mini comes up in the ‘portal’ to eat the watery chick feed, but doesn’t disturb the broodies or the chicks.

Feed and water are near the nest-boxes in a ‘portal’ between the nest-boxes and the chicken ladder/board.
If the chicks leave the nest to eat or drink one of the mama’s is guarding the pop-door opening. I can’t close it because it needs to be open for ventilation.

One Dutch chick escaped
One chick escaped from this part of the tiny coop were the chick feed is and went down. I think I noticed it before the mama’s did. She was peeping and getting a bit cold. Of course I rescued her, but ferling this is a hazard. Even with 3 mama’s the chick probably escaped unnoticed and if there is no mama calling the chick the chick probably cant find his way up.

If all eggs are abandoned I hope the mama’s will go down to another bigger laying nest thats easy accessible and only a 2 inches from the floor.

What would you do?
Can I leave it to the mama’s to make the right choice. ?
Or.
Shall I put the mama’s and babies in the bigger nest box near the floor? I could do that now or maybe better tonight when they are all sleepy.

 

[kikiruru]

Yesterday’s report
My chicks are doing great.

A few are already going to the big run this afternoon.

First the hens tried to call the chicks, but the 'sill' under the chicken hatch was much too high for them.

After I've made a step of some stones some chicks succeeded.






Later in the evening all mama’s and chicks were in the large run. I gave a little fine scratch a mix of bird seeds and a left over of organic fine scratch .
The other 3 hens got the normal scratch in the back run. But before everything was finished I opened up the gate between the two runs. The broodies , especially Janice was very aggressive towards the thiefs. Protecting the chicks and the food is a good thing, but I didn’t like the harshness of her behaviour.

 

[kikiruru]

View attachment 3544970Almost a week later. The broodies wonder of more often and leave the chicks by themself.

View attachment 3544971The chicks get an hour on the grass each day and enjoy a few more meters behind the run. One or two of the broodies immediately jumps over the rabbit fence to free range. The first days the escaped broody clucked to the chicks that she found some food but they don’t do that anymore so often now.
We have to stay near to avoid that the chicks jump out of the run. Some regularly try or do so.

View attachment 3544972When I open the door to let the hens free range, one or two of the broodies come along too nowadays. And its not always the same broody that stays with the chicks. About the same is happening now if they roost. There are two broodies that stay with the chicks and a third broody sleeps on the roost with the hens in the larger extension of the coop.
View attachment 3544973A few chicks started to roost in the little coop for the night. Because its so warm they don’t need the mama’s anymore for the warmth.

We still don’t trust the big wide world outside for the little ones. This week I found a dead blackbird 2 meters from the cage with feathers scattered around. And my husband found a young blackbird between the terrace and the coop. The chicks are 6 weeks now, but the soze of them is still comparable with a blackbird. The Dutch chicks even a bit smaller .

Katrientje on the swing :
View attachment 3544967
Apple time:
View attachment 3545003
Kraai:
View attachment 3545006
Kraai was broody for a few days. She claimed a nestbox but the mama’s got annoyed and there was a lot of fuss with the chicks. Glad she stopped after 2 attempts to sleep in there.

The chicks are happy with the shade in the run. Last week is was warm and sunny. Each day about 30 C.
View attachment 3545013

 

[BDutch]

Its been a while since I posted.
Not much news to tell from day to day. No eggs, no broodies, no mites, not much noise, and the chickens don’t like a cuddle because they are still growing new feathers.

But there is good news too. The municipality did give orders to mow the blackberries behind our garden after all.

The chickens are allowed to free range most days for about an hour. But they never go far and often go back to the coop after 20 minutes.

I want to give chick feed in winter , mixed with layer, because all other complete feed has high levels of calcium and my chickens (3-8 yo) don’t lay any eggs for a months. So I ordered a bag of organic chick feed for the winter period several weeks ago at the mill. Had to pay in advance. Today I got a cancelation and my money back. reason : The factory didn’t deliver, only produces chick feed in spring.

The local animal/gardening store stopt selling normal size bags with chick feed. I refuse to buy these small bags with organic chick feed. Really too expensive, 12 euro for 5kg.

I searched for an alternative. And found two.
The first option is an online order. € 22,50 for 20 kg, thought this was okay. but its € 31,60 with delivery included.

The second option :
Buying 100 kg at once directly from a factory nearby. The factory doesnt deliver or take orders for less. I’m going to order together with a backyard chicken keeper in the neighbourhood. She has done this before and is pleased with the quality. The price is really nice. About 18 euros for 20 kg organic chick feed or scratch/mixed grains and only 16 euros for the organic layer feed. + 15 km drive or 20 euro for delivery.
One problem to solve: I need more large paint buckets for storage.

Chick feed - when Ini mini was mama for the second time in 2019.

 

[BDutch]

Today the feed arrived. An acquaintance who lives nearby picked it up and brought it to my hallway.

We talked a bit about last summer and the disappearance of Chef and Abby.

She has 9 chickens. 6 big and 3 bantam Sussex. I told here if it was too much for the piece of land she fenced for the chickens I would gladly buy the 3 bantams. After the bad luck with my 2 small Dutch I gladly buy a few young hens that are a bit bigger.
.
I do have room for 3 more bantams snd she admitted that her run is not very big for all chickens. So now she is considering my proposal. If I can buy her pullets, I won’t be buying hatching eggs in spring.

It seems my flock is ready with moulting.

 

[fuzzi]

Today the feed arrived. An acquaintance who lives nearby picked it up and brought it to my hallway.

We talked a bit about last summer and the disappearance of Chef and Abby.

She has 9 chickens. 6 big and 3 bantam Sussex. I told here if it was too much for the piece of land she fenced for the chickens I would gladly buy the 3 bantams. After the bad luck with my 2 small Dutch I gladly buy a few young hens that are a bit bigger.
.
I do have room for 3 more bantams snd she admitted that her run is not very big for all chickens. So now she is considering my proposal. If I can buy her pullets, I won’t be buying hatching eggs in spring.

It seems my flock is ready with moulting. View attachment 3703359

What type of bantam Sussex?