I Built A Bridge!

[Teila]

Hey there Pooman welcome over to the bridge, sincere apologies for forgetting to invite you…… in my defence, you did drop off the grid for a while

Love the chicken pics and that definitely is a nice brooder.

Everyone else has already seen this photo but I see your puff ball and raise with a Blondie! Lol




Liz eeeew, at having to work some more when you thought you were done.

Glad to read your good news … I am still overwhelmed and right now, everyone is locked away in their separate corners because if I do not have a break from their attitudes they will all be going on Gumtree and I will be buying someone's hatch, 5 gals all the same age!

So we tried again today .... Wasn't going too bad, I was body guarding Blondie; Dusty was giving her dirty looks. I have actually lost track of who attacked who and who started what but I do remember that Blondie attacked LuLu, Cilla attacked Tina and LuLu starting chasing Spot and Gloria around! That was when I cracked the proverbials and locked them away. Now, they are all peeved because this time of the afternoon they should be out free ranging.

So I do some MORE research .....
1. Make sure they are separated but can see each other through wire. Check; been that way for weeks.
2. Give them lots of room on integration. Check; the whole back garden.

One suggestion was, just let them fight it out. I'm thinking that might be a plan but I am not talking pecking here, I am talking jumping on each other's back and pulling out feathers!

I have considered buying a water pistol to break up the fights but then some research advised against breaking up the fights so that they can re-establish the pecking order.

What does everyone think? Right now I am open to suggestions!

I do know one thing ... never again! IF I ever get everyone integrated back in, I don't care how desperate they are to become a mum .. forget it!!!

 

[Pooman]

Its true, i just sort of dropped off... It got too busy, 3-4 pages everytime i looked haha.

Teila i know what you mean. I have one mega hen flock now after finishing the breeding until autumn. (Boys are packed away) but some of the action in the hen flock. FULL ON STUFF. i have seen full fights like roosters do. Shagging each other. General beatings. But, not blood, a few feathers sure. But i think they are working it out. They still hang together in a group under the fig tree most of the time. As long as no one gets injured badly, they will get there.

That brooder was made from a corner tv unit. Its turned out a lot better than the previous one. And was holding 30 chicks at one point, quite comfortably.

Also, i agree the broodies are hilarious. I have 8 growing ones also living with Molly the broody and 3 chicks.... Well, she was let out of her area for the first time yesterday. I had to rescue the 5 smaller ones as they were cornered and getting a broody beating hahaa. They are learning fast to keep clear

 

[Teila]

I think I just pushed the pecking order totally out of whack with having two hatches, Blondie & Tina at the same time, along with Cilla being broody .. the whole hierarchical structure is probably pretty messed up right now.

Also, I am likely guilty of stressing too much and what may just be the pecking order reestablishing itself, I have turned into visions of everyone trying to kill each other.

Today is a new day and I think I was feeling a little overwhelmed and tired yesterday. I will go out there again today with a new perspective and try again.

Wish me luck!

 

[tommysgirl]

I think I just pushed the pecking order totally out of whack with having two hatches, Blondie & Tina at the same time, along with Cilla being broody .. the whole hierarchical structure is probably pretty messed up right now.

Also, I am likely guilty of stressing too much and what may just be the pecking order reestablishing itself, I have turned into visions of everyone trying to kill each other.

Today is a new day and I think I was feeling a little overwhelmed and tired yesterday. I will go out there again today with a new perspective and try again.

Wish me luck!

I do wish you loads of luck! I also have to tell you that your tales of integration are so well told that I love reading them. Not that I don't want you to go back to having nothing to report or anything...I would hate to see blood shed by any of your lovely ladies but you do a great job heling us to see what you are going through.

I think you may be on to something. When you have a small flock I imagine that having two clutches hatch close to one another does upset the apple cart..toss Cilla the brood monster into the mix and chaos can't be too far behind.

I hope today goes better..If it is possible, maybe try counting to 5 or something before intervening I don't know I have no experience but if there is not blood just try watching a little longer before springing to action...they may be drawing this out longer because they don't feel they have had the chance to get their message across. I wish we all spoke chicken...it would make things easier!

Hi PM that is quite a brooder! I read on the other thread that you had trouble grafting chicks on to the broody moms. If the situation arises in the future, it may work better to put the whole little family into a dog crate or other small space for a few days so that they can bond and learn one another's voices. I may be a nut but I have listened to my broody moms chattering on at their eggs in the last week or so of incubation and I believe that they are getting to know each other in those last days "in egg." Grafted chicks don't get that so I have found it to be totally successful to restrain the family for a few days of bonding.

@lizgarf Ugh! life would be easier if realities never collided with preferences and life style choices. I think you are amazing and that the amount of thought and angst you put into the rehoming decision qualifies you for some kind of award.

Broody news here. I gave Julie Taylor 5 silkie eggs. They were fertilized by Cosmo so will be 1/4 D'Uccle and 3/4 silkie. I looked for cochin eggs locally and couldn't find them so went with what I had on hand.

Norma is broody again. I am going to give her a combination of eggs from a fellow NorCal chicken person. Her backyard flock has Pita Pinta, Langshan and RIR roosters and Langshan and PP hens so good chance that I will get some pure PPs and Langshans in the mix. Can't get those eggs until next month but Norma is hanging in.

Hope all are well!

I am at the start of a 9 day staycation so all is very well here.

 

[lizgarf]

Hi everyone,
Well, the two brahamarans have just gone off together to a new home! The man and his adult daughter who came to get them were very nice and showed me lots of pictures of their chickens snuggling up to them & chicks on their shoulder, and their yard, so I have no reason to not hope for the best for Brian and Norma, though one never knows. I had planned to only give them Brian, but they wanted both and they had no doubt that Norma was a boy - I guess only Bettina's number 1 fan-mom could be deluded enough to hope otherwise.
So, wow! There'll suddenly be a lot more space in the coop and extra feed without those two huge brahmarans! They were already bigger than everyone except Desi, Bettina, and Lucy! I'm sad I won't get to see them in their full-grown splendor. I hope their new farmers keep them long enough to send me some pictures. I am actually glad they went off together - it's been nice that each of my boys has had a buddy for their transitions. Should be interesting to see how Diego and Frankie do together now - they act a bit like rival gang members (with more taunting than attacking), but maybe this will bring them together . . . one can hope! If nothing else, with just these two left, I can probably take my time to find the right homes for them. . . again, one can hope!

Oh, I forgot to mention that I had put in my last craigslist ad that I'd consider the right home and offer for Desi, and got an offer to adopt him from a family in Los Gatos. I told them I wasn't ready to part with him - I waned to get the cockerel-situation sorted out first -- and I didn't hear back. I do think it's helpful to have him as the younger boys are growing up, but if I have trouble rehoming both of them, and if it's not working out to keep a second little rooster, then I'd consider doing a broader search for a new home for Desi. I think some of the hens (and neighbors) would like that and some would prefer he stick around.

Hope it goes better with the integration today, Teila! I agree, with TG - multiple sets of broodies made it harder for my clan, too!
Enjoy your staycation, TG! And thanks for the kind words!

 

[Teila]

TG I second your words to Liz and also that award!

Liz sad but good news!

An update on The Feathered & The Feisty!

If you recall, last episode, we dropped the curtain on the whole cast locked in their separate dressing rooms.

Opening scene this morning, lots of jumping on each others backs and pulling of feathers! Pretty much where we left off yesterday.

Enter Mr $4 Water Pistol!

Good thing I am typing because I am speechless. A quick shot with the water pistol on the rump of anyone being over aggressive and by lunch time we were reduced to a bit of vocalising and pecking. Vocalising and pecking I can handle; no-one is trying to kill anyone!

Up until lunch time Cilla was throwing her weight around also but the water pistol worked a treat!

Within a couple of hours we only had to pick the water pistol up and whoever was looking like the aggressor had a change of heart.

As I type, Dusty, LuLu and Blondie are mooching around the lawn together. Tina and the bubs have gone to bed and Cilla is having another shot at being broody! While I thought I had her broken, I swear she takes one looks at Tina’s bubs and goes broody again!!

Anyways, while everyone is still not going to sleep together tonight, we have made huge progress .. if I hadn’t seen it myself, I would not have believed it!

I am a very happy chicken mumma who just spent the past hour and half just sitting in the garden watching her gals play nice.

PS. As you know, I am convinced Spot is a boy and I am just waiting for him to crow before finding him a home. He is 9 weeks old today and bless his little heart, when Cilla got too close to his mum he took her on! OK, he ran away peeping but he gave her a peck!

 

[tommysgirl]

TG I second your words to Liz and also that award!

Liz sad but good news!

An update on The Feathered & The Feisty!

If you recall, last episode, we dropped the curtain on the whole cast locked in their separate dressing rooms.

Opening scene this morning, lots of jumping on each others backs and pulling of feathers! Pretty much where we left off yesterday.

Enter Mr $4 Water Pistol!

Good thing I am typing because I am speechless. A quick shot with the water pistol on the rump of anyone being over aggressive and by lunch time we were reduced to a bit of vocalising and pecking. Vocalising and pecking I can handle; no-one is trying to kill anyone!

Up until lunch time Cilla was throwing her weight around also but the water pistol worked a treat!

Within a couple of hours we only had to pick the water pistol up and whoever was looking like the aggressor had a change of heart.

As I type, Dusty, LuLu and Blondie are mooching around the lawn together. Tina and the bubs have gone to bed and Cilla is having another shot at being broody! While I thought I had her broken, I swear she takes one looks at Tina’s bubs and goes broody again!!

Anyways, while everyone is still not going to sleep together tonight, we have made huge progress .. if I hadn’t seen it myself, I would not have believed it!

I am a very happy chicken mumma who just spent the past hour and half just sitting in the garden watching her gals play nice.

PS. As you know, I am convinced Spot is a boy and I am just waiting for him to crow before finding him a home. He is 9 weeks old today and bless his little heart, when Cilla got too close to his mum he took her on! OK, he ran away peeping but he gave her a peck!

hahaha So happy it worked...That is excellent advice to store in the "chicken stuff "part of my brain. In the coop at night I have spanked and flicked meanies. The squirt gun would be such an improvement!. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and humor.

 

[lizgarf]

That's great news, Teila! Hmm, maybe I should dig one up for Desi. He had the nerve to pull some neck feathers on one of the pullets this morning! He's always a bit of a beast when he emerges from the man cave.
And thanks for acknowledging the bittersweetness of the Brahmarans' departure. I wasn't fully ready to have both go. I've spent so long staring at them and hoping Norma was a pullet, that I'm definitely missing them. But, assuming their new home is a good one, it's better for them to go through the move together, and it's better for my flock to have the space. They were mostly sweet boys, but they could throw their weight around when they wanted something. And I could tell their new people love birds. The guy sounded like he could rival your breakfast tray, talking about all the different greens he likes to feed them and he even grows meal worms! I won't even do that for my chickens!
A funny sidenote, both the men who adopted my cockerels offered me pullets in exchange! Who has so many pullets to share? I hope that's not a bad sign. In any case, my coop is full and I'm not taking on any more chicken trouble for a good long time! MaryAnn and Cindy better not have inherited their moms' broodiness, because there'll be no hatches in 2015! 10 hens should be puh-lenty!

 

[Pooman]

Hi PM  that is quite a brooder!  I read on the other thread that you had trouble grafting chicks on to the broody moms.  If the situation arises in the future, it may work better to put the whole little family into a dog crate or other small space for a few days so that they can bond and learn one another's voices.  I may be a nut but I have listened to my broody moms chattering on at their eggs in the last week or so of incubation and I believe that they are getting to know each other in those last days "in egg."  Grafted chicks don't get that so I have found it to be totally successful  to restrain the family for a few days of bonding.

You are right. And i kind of knew, when i transplanted them at night (as always) they weren't making the right sounds. A different broody a few weeks earlier i knew forsure cause of the sounds she was making.

Unfortunately id ran out of rooms. It was their last option.

In other news 5 black ones and 1 yellow one on the weekend. 2 failed to pip.

Last hatch for this year coming on Saturday

 

[Teila]

Just placed this on Gumtree (Craiglist equivalent)

Free to Good Home - Silkie Rooster (pet quality)

It is with a heavy heart I place this ad. From the day 'Spot' hatched I had everything crossed that he was going to be a she because I cannot have roosters. After living in denial about the size of his comb and wattles, I can live in denial no more as 'Spot' has found his crow!

So 'Spot' now needs to find a new, good home.

'Spot' is a pet quality Silkie with a single comb but what he lacks in quality he makes up for in looks and chickenality; he is a beautiful little boy and a sweetheart to match.

The pictures were taken on the 1st of November so he has grown a little bigger and his crest feathers have spread out even more.

If you are able to give 'Spot' a loving home, please send me a message or give me a call. So the neighbours do not get cranky with me, I need to rehome 'Spot' ASAP and therefore, cannot hold him for any period of time.

Many thanks
Teila