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

[BDutch]

Great you found a new home for . I hope Whisky finds one too.

I had a serious reaction from someone on the add. She has 3 young laying hybrids and wants to add a nice looking rooster.
The woman liked my add so much, she prefers to buy from me.

Would be great because Whisky is making more attempts these last days. Pearl screamed an ran away from him last Monday.

 

[MaryJanet]

I had a serious reaction from someone on the add. She has 3 young laying hybrids and wants to add a nice looking rooster.
The woman liked my add so much, she prefers to buy from me.

Would be great because Whisky is making more attempts these last days. Pearl screamed an ran away from him last Monday.

Hope it works out!

 

[RoyalChick]

I had a serious reaction from someone on the add. She has 3 young laying hybrids and wants to add a nice looking rooster.
The woman liked my add so much, she prefers to buy from me.

Would be great because Whisky is making more attempts these last days. Pearl screamed a ran away from him last Monday.

Sounds promising.
Good luck.

 

[BDutch]

Sounds promising.
Good luck.

Thanks. However she said to discuss it with her boyfriend and wanted to come with him this weekend. So I asked to make an appointment tomorrow. She didn’t respond to that. Im afraid the boyfriend stopped her intentions .

 

[BDutch]

Wednesday the 3 juveniles slept in the tiny coop/large nest-box in the second run. I don’t know why. But Whisky was real loud in the morning. The playhouse does help to muffle the sound.

Thursday Whiskey got on the roost in the extension with the adult hens. So I grabbed him and put him in the playhouse with his 2 sisters. I slept through his morning serenade.

Tonight he did it again. So I grabbed him and put him in the playhouse with his 2 sisters. and Ini mini, who is changing places all the time. Hopefully I can sleep through his morning serenade again tomorrow.

 

[MaryJanet]

Thanks. However she said to discuss it with her boyfriend and wanted to come with him this weekend. So I asked to make an appointment tomorrow. She didn’t respond to that. Im afraid the boyfriend stopped her intentions .

Maybe she's just busy? I'm often a day late on getting back to people, sometimes even more.

 

[BDutch]

The person who showed interest didn’t reply anymore.

Again on Saturday night Whisky thought he could spend the night with the adult hens instead of keeping his siblings company. Gin and Tonic are not ready yet to start laying. And Whiskey is eager to show his manhood.

I picked him up from the roost in the extension of the main coop and moved him to the playhouse for 3 nights in a row. Because he is too loud in the more open extension. The darkened playhouse is further away from our house and the neighbours. And his voice is a bit smothered in there when he crows his morning serenade.
Obviously he was not amused when I picked him up in the dark. Glad he was back in the playhouse by himself tonight.

To my surprise I found Ini mini in a nest box this evening. I wonder why. Because I’m not sure and she is getting old, I let her sleep in there. Want to see how she behaves tomorrow before jumping into any conclusions.

 

[BDutch]

The neighbour asked if I sold Whiskey bc she hadn’t heard him crowing since Saturday morning.
I’m so glad. The darkened playhouse with the auto pop door actually works!

Monday evening I was outside when the hens just roosted and Whisky wanted to roost with his ‘ladies’ . I made him clear this what not an option, saying no and I opened the extension door when he jumped on the roost. He knew I don’t want him there. After a few attempts he gave up and went to the playhouse to accompany his sisters.
Ini mini slept with the Amrocks again.

Today I found Whisky in the playhouse with his 2 sisters at 17:15 (getting dark early now). Ini mini roosted with the adult flock in the extension.

Black and Whisky.

 

[Molpet]

17:15 (getting dark early now).

16:28 is sunset here. 17:00 the last cockerel goes in and the "foxlight" is going on. Foxlight is designed by Australian for sheep.... I had the game camera right under it and raccoons, opossum and yes fox ignored it after a week. So far the owls are leaving the turkeys alone with it.

 

[BDutch]

16:28 is sunset here. 17:00 the last cockerel goes in and the "foxlight" is going on. Foxlight is designed by Australian for sheep.... I had the game camera right under it and raccoons, opossum and yes fox ignored it after a week. So far the owls are leaving the turkeys alone with it.

Here the sunset was at 16:39. In the Netherlands it takes another 49 minutes before it gets really dark.

I have 2 solar lights near the coop/run that goes on after dark with a motion sensor. It switches off automatically after a few minutes. Its convenient to check on the birds at night and I believe it’s more effective to scare foxes/predators than light that shines or gives a light show all night. But I cant recall a research on that.
Please let me know if you find one. @Perris?

I only found a research summary on researchgate for the fox light:
Commissioned by the Fauna Fund, the efficiency of Foxlight against nocturnal predation was investigated. FoxLight randomly emits light signals to deter predators. Four poultry farms (free-range) in the Utrecht region participated in this research. Prior to the study, the companies mapped nocturnal predation of the poultry, after which camera traps were placed to confirm the presence of predators. After two weeks of observation by camera traps, two FoxLights have been installed per company. No nocturnald predation was detected during this test phase. However, it has been found that after a certain time there is a degree of habituation among the predators and they are no longer deterred by Foxlight.

Edited how the solar/motion light works