Thistlewick Smallholding - Chickens (for now)

[thistlewick]

Frame is up of the extension! Just have to do all the hwc now, my back is SHOT from doing the first run. So this will be interesting. I can barely move right now lol

Going to add a door in the roofed run that will have a pop door (automatic) to the extension that is not going to be roofed, but will have HWC panels on top.

Ducklings are silly and doing well, when they 'fledge' at 8 weeks we will leave open the run door to see if they want to explore any. I doubt it, they are NOT curious about anything. lol

The chickens love them, all except Pepper, our SLWyandotte. When she shows up in the run, the ducklings make a racket and run away away away. She's a bully. She doesn't make contact with anyone she bullies, but she TRIES. They do NOT like her.

However, ALL my other lovely ladies are sweet to the ducklings and Pudding, our endearing, puppy-like Easter Egger, ADORES them and they like her right back <3

I find it *fascinating* to observe their personalities like this and to watch how what we know about our chickens is accurate, because the ducklings learned who was sweet and safe and gentle.

Also I have to say, if you can brood IN your hen house, OMG do it. Do it. DO IT. The pure integration is perfection. The chicks already respond to the flock calls, are *desperate* to go out with the big girls already and its just amazing to watch. They are too small to allow for free ranging (never making that mistake again) but by 8-9 weeks they should be okay.

 

[TwoCrows]

Frame is up of the extension! Just have to do all the hwc now, my back is SHOT from doing the first run. So this will be interesting. I can barely move right now lol

View attachment 4088071

Going to add a door in the roofed run that will have a pop door (automatic) to the extension that is not going to be roofed, but will have HWC panels on top.

Ducklings are silly and doing well, when they 'fledge' at 8 weeks we will leave open the run door to see if they want to explore any. I doubt it, they are NOT curious about anything. lol

View attachment 4088073

The chickens love them, all except Pepper, our SLWyandotte. When she shows up in the run, the ducklings make a racket and run away away away. She's a bully. She doesn't make contact with anyone she bullies, but she TRIES. They do NOT like her.

However, ALL my other lovely ladies are sweet to the ducklings and Pudding, our endearing, puppy-like Easter Egger, ADORES them and they like her right back <3

I find it *fascinating* to observe their personalities like this and to watch how what we know about our chickens is accurate, because the ducklings learned who was sweet and safe and gentle.

Also I have to say, if you can brood IN your hen house, OMG do it. Do it. DO IT. The pure integration is perfection. The chicks already respond to the flock calls, are *desperate* to go out with the big girls already and its just amazing to watch. They are too small to allow for free ranging (never making that mistake again) but by 8-9 weeks they should be okay.

Nice run build! They will definitely enjoy it I'm sure!

 

[thistlewick]

The run/extension is for vacations, which we are too skint to even do any at all right now so yeah, I hope they won't mind being stuck in there for a weekend or three sometimes.

---------

Jane/Ginger (Jersey Giant twins, I swear they are they look the same, act the same, I know its not possible but I swear these two... lololol) are STILL laying in the Barn/Workshop. I blocked off access past the pallet with a roll of hwc and she just squatted under the roll (it was leaning kinda diagonally across the steps) and laid one there. JEESH

To be fair, Chuck is desperate for them to lay somewhere in the Barn, as he comes in there every day and squats all over trying to show them its a great place to lay. And tbh he's not wrong lol it IS a great place to lay, it might be a workshop but it is in fact, also a barn hahahah

So yeah we are now doing egg hunts every day, which to be fair is kinda fun.

 

[thistlewick]

Okay so updates!

It was day 10 yesterday in the incubator and so I did a candle; 3 out of 5 were moving and looking good. 2 had no veins and had the telltale red circle, so I got rid of them. I am now highly concerned I will get 0 babies and none will be Toffee's but it is what it is. It was an impulsive thing to do since she passed quickly. Sophia's egg was moving and wiggling quite nicely.

So because Tilly is broody, and we are incubating eggs basically right along with her broodiness, we are hoping/crossing fingers that if we get any chicks, we can just give them to Tilly and see how she mothers them. IF she doesn't take to them, I don't want to put tiny little babies in with the 4-7 week olds (the age they will be when these eggs hatch in 10-13 days) SO we are building a 'better' brooder in the hen house;

will be framed and have a wood around the base to hold in the shavings but it will be hwc on 3 sides and allow me to NOT bend over or get on my knees to do anything with baby chicks and still let them be in the hen house. The floor brooder, which looks like this:

will be for when they are several weeks older. Transitional - a safe space for them to retreat to if necessary to get away from older chickens. It still has access for food/water replacement, etc but ooof right now anyway my back cannot take it. Struggling right now!

In other news - Ginger is being... a chicken;

Thanks girl, that's a Diesel can.. what ARE you doing?!

oh my godddddd lolol

 

[TwoCrows]

Okay so updates!

It was day 10 yesterday in the incubator and so I did a candle; 3 out of 5 were moving and looking good. 2 had no veins and had the telltale red circle, so I got rid of them. I am now highly concerned I will get 0 babies and none will be Toffee's but it is what it is. It was an impulsive thing to do since she passed quickly. Sophia's egg was moving and wiggling quite nicely.

So because Tilly is broody, and we are incubating eggs basically right along with her broodiness, we are hoping/crossing fingers that if we get any chicks, we can just give them to Tilly and see how she mothers them. IF she doesn't take to them, I don't want to put tiny little babies in with the 4-7 week olds (the age they will be when these eggs hatch in 10-13 days) SO we are building a 'better' brooder in the hen house;

View attachment 4089884

will be framed and have a wood around the base to hold in the shavings but it will be hwc on 3 sides and allow me to NOT bend over or get on my knees to do anything with baby chicks and still let them be in the hen house. The floor brooder, which looks like this:

View attachment 4089885

will be for when they are several weeks older. Transitional - a safe space for them to retreat to if necessary to get away from older chickens. It still has access for food/water replacement, etc but ooof right now anyway my back cannot take it. Struggling right now!

In other news - Ginger is being... a chicken;

View attachment 4089887

Thanks girl, that's a Diesel can.. what ARE you doing?!

View attachment 4089888


oh my godddddd lolol

Very nice coop area you've got going here!

Silly Ginger, chickens sure know how to warm our hearts.

 

[thistlewick]

Very nice coop area you've got going here!

Silly Ginger, chickens sure know how to warm our hearts.

Thank you so much

Honestly if everyone knew how lovely chickens were, everyone would keep them.

 

[TwoCrows]

Thank you so much

Honestly if everyone knew how lovely chickens were, everyone would keep them.

Non chicken keeping people have no idea just how intelligent and interesting chickens can be!

 

[thistlewick]

Brooder done, with a lot of cursing... the last bit of hwc rolled up so tight is NOT FUN.

Earlier pic of the lid held up with the hook & eye:

This of course just makes me want more chicks......

 

[TwoCrows]

Brooder done, with a lot of cursing... the last bit of hwc rolled up so tight is NOT FUN.



View attachment 4090682

Earlier pic of the lid held up with the hook & eye:

View attachment 4090683




This of course just makes me want more chicks......

Excellent job! Yes working with wire can be annoying but after it's all done, you forget all about it. Beautiful brooder!

 

[WingItRanch]

I'm very impressed how fast you're getting all your projects done! I'm expanding my run but the closest I've come is taking measurements... And that was several weekends ago!