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

[ManueB]

Ini mini didn’t look fit at all today. She has been looking less active on and off lately and her tail feathers didn’t grow back nicely after her last moult. So altogether I start to worry if she is sick or would she just be getting really old?

My flock today:
View attachment 4031951

Ini Mini is certainly an old lady for a chicken. I hope she does get better and can get to enjoy another spring and summer ! I suppose that at some point, if she doesn't fall sick, her age would have to catch her up.

I know that some people give more antioxidants rich food to their senior chickens. But just like for people it's controversial whether that really helps.

 

[BDutch]

Ini Mini is certainly an old lady for a chicken. I hope she does get better and can get to enjoy another spring and summer ! I suppose that at some point, if she doesn't fall sick, her age would have to catch her up.

I know that some people give more antioxidants rich food to their senior chickens. But just like for people it's controversial whether that really helps.

I like to give her chick feed with water a couple of time each week. She love to eat the wet baby crumble with almost 20% proteïne.

Today I saw het sitting bold a few times again. But not for long. Hope its because the weather is around freezing temps. Tomorrow its getting warmer again.

I suppose she is comfortably warm @ night sleeping next to Gin-Tonic.

 

[BDutch]

Last week.

Two days ago I heard a strange noise coming from the playhouse when I went over to let the chickens free range. Gin Tonic and Ini mini were locked in. Both pullets tried to break out through the window bc automatic pop door hadn’t opened. The batteries went flat.

In the evening I didn’t lock the window, so if the auto door wouldn’t open, they could get out by pushing against the window. When I checked, both the window and the pop door were open.

The auto pop door probably went back to the factory settings. And now I have to figure out again what the right setting is (works with a light sensor) is to close and open.

Other than this , the chickens all seem happy and healthy except for Janice. The area around the eyes looks a bit swollen. But she acts normal, or I should say as she always does. Doesn’t like company at night and sleeps in her own small coop as usual.

 

[BDutch]

Yesterday I saw a sparrowhawk who caught a bird at the brook behind our garden.

Im not sure if chickens saw it bc they didn’t panic. My flock was on the other side of the run and in the garden of our neighbour.

You cant see the pray between his legs on the photo. But I did see it when he flew to another spot to eat his pray more quietly.

Locked my girls inside the run. Just to be sure. Sparrowhawks catch pigeons. So I figured, my small Dutch are not safe for sparrowhawks.

I think they have noticed something because they didn’t act as usual, looking out and jumping on things for a better view.

Edited: brook seems the right word for the water behind our garden. Its even smaller than a creek.

 

[Molpet]

Yesterday I saw a sparrowhawk who caught a bird at the brook behind our garden.

Im not sure if chickens saw it bc they didn’t panic. My flock was on the other side of the run and in the garden of our neighbour.

View attachment 4046353

You cant see the pray between his legs on the photo. But I did see it when he flew to another spot to eat his pray more quietly.

Locked my girls inside the run. Just to be sure. Sparrowhawks catch pigeons. So I figured, my small Dutch are not safe for sparrowhawks.

I think they have noticed something because they didn’t act as usual, looking out and jumping on things for a better view.

Edited: brook seems the right word for the water behind our garden. Its even smaller than a creek.

It's amazing how a raptor can take prey bigger than it's self. I would be worried too.

 

[ManueB]

Yesterday I saw a sparrowhawk who caught a bird at the brook behind our garden.

Im not sure if chickens saw it bc they didn’t panic. My flock was on the other side of the run and in the garden of our neighbour.

View attachment 4046353

You cant see the pray between his legs on the photo. But I did see it when he flew to another spot to eat his pray more quietly.

Locked my girls inside the run. Just to be sure. Sparrowhawks catch pigeons. So I figured, my small Dutch are not safe for sparrowhawks.

I think they have noticed something because they didn’t act as usual, looking out and jumping on things for a better view.

Edited: brook seems the right word for the water behind our garden. Its even smaller than a creek.

The sparrowhawks here attacked my ex-batt's once or twice before we had roosters. They would probably fly off if a hen defended itself, but most of my hens are afraid of them, even if they are bigger.
One attacked Chipie once.
Fortunately they are a lot more scared of humans than all the other raptors we have here so it's easy to scare them off. I would still definitely consider them a threat in spite of their small size.

 

[BDutch]

Two eggs today. Both my youngest, Gin & Tonic, laid an egg today.

 

[Skyeknight]

Because of your positive reactions and the humour in these names, I registered the chicks as Gin, Tonic and Whisky on Anymal.
So now its official!

View attachment 3922926
Please let me know if the app is available in English.

Kraai
View attachment 3922929

Janice
View attachment 3922931

Finally caught up on reading this whole thread!

I was wondering if this app anymal also let you track stuff like eggs per day? I have been searching for a free poultry app on android with an easy layout.

 

[BDutch]

Finally caught up on reading this whole thread!

Wow, that was quite a job. I hope you enjoyed reading all the ups and downs from the past 2 years.

I finally have reached a new status quo now with my sweet and sometimes hateful eight.

You are welcome to follow.But Im nog a regular poster. If you dont get noticed you can bookmark the thread and visit every now and then to see if there are any updates.

Are you interested in brooding with broodies? What kind of chickens/poultry do you have?

Katrientje (RIR) and my 4 older Dutch ladies

I was wondering if this app anymal also let you track stuff like eggs per day? I have been searching for a free poultry app on android with an easy layout.

The Anymal app does not provide in any kind counting. Its not a spreadsheet to keep track of the number of eggs laid.
[/QUOTE]

Google spreadsheet is available as a
app. Sure is not complicated to make one from one of the standard templates as a dedicated tool for your purpose.

 

[Skyeknight]

I especially found it interesting to see the ways to monitor mites and the repurposing of the children's playhouse. I mainly wanted to read this thread due to you also being located in the Netherlands, a lot of American ways to keep chickens aren't always applicable here.

I thought it was especially funny that somewhere around page 50 someone asked for a Too Long Didn't Read, and here I am just binge reading through it all!

I do generally prefer broodies, because I think being raised by an actual member of their species will always be better. But then it does become more difficult to to get them tame and treat them against diseases for example.

At the moment I have two six year old pekings ducks, 2 mixed breed hens being 4 and 5 years old and a 1 year old ayam cemani rooster. I am looking to expand in the very near future. Just preparing and reading up for all of that.

As for the app, thanks for your answer. I probably won't use it then and just stick to writing in a notebook everyday and input that into microsoft excel.