What did you do with your flock today?

[Shetland lover]

Beetle is home and approves of the coop and run improvements. Also, approves of freeranging and bugs... and cracked corn. View attachment 4019336View attachment 4019350
Nice to see Beetle butt and hear his crow. Makes things feel more happy and home-ish He is sparring with a feral roo and losing, but im keeping my ears open and backing his play so he wins his territory.

DH is doing some more tinkering and hopefully we will be able to pull some fence this eve. Anxious to get the girls down. I was able to grab a bunch of eggs while up Koke'e. Been buying for months so this is a real treat! Man, those yolks just stood up and were a beautiful dark yellow. Looking forward to being a chicken farmer again.View attachment 4019364

Beetle knows he's home. He looks so handsome!
Smart lady bringing him home without his girls. Give him chance to reclaim his territory without distractions.

 

[Shetland lover]

Update:
Separating my apple hen did not have any improvement. Now a few of the hens in my flock are jumping on the others. My flock is now a mess, they are trying to dominate each other.
What now? I just let Apple out with them, and let them free range at each other until they settled for a leader. I will keep post of new development. What a chicken drama

I think they would not have this issue if they never had a rooster, but they did have a rooster and he was gone just a few weeks ago, so now they are trying to find sort out a leader.

This is chicken's politic! I wonder if this is allowed in BYC..although it is CHICKEN politic, not just any politic.

I'd expect your other girls would start to battle for leadership when Apple was removed. I think I'd keep Apple out a little longer and let a leader emerge from the others. It will be chaotic for a while but I think I'd trust my ladies to sort it out. Just be on hand to break up any major fights and check for injuries.

Even before I had roosters my girls would mount each other as a display of dominance. I think it's just instinct.

 

[SkyAJK]

I'd expect your other girls would start to battle for leadership when Apple was removed. I think I'd keep Apple out a little longer and let a leader emerge from the others. It will be chaotic for a while but I think I'd trust my ladies to sort it out. Just be on hand to break up any major fights and check for injuries.

Even before I had roosters my girls would mount each other as a display of dominance. I think it's just instinct.

Ok, I will separate her for a little while so the girls can sort themselves out. Apple is the biggest hen in the flock and also the bully.

 

[SkyAJK]

Can I ask you about the sq footage in your coop and sq footage in your run? I'm not sure if you posted photos. I'm just curious. Also, how many hens do you have now?

I have 9 hens in 2 separate runs and coops, they jumping over the plastic dividing fence to each other places whenever they fancy. I don't know the measurement of my run because it is just at the end of my backyard and I divided it up. My Apple is a big girl so she really stuck in 1 run, can't jump or fly over like the others.

They all mingle in the afternoon in the general garden. While in each in their own run, few jumps on the other, and also while in the general garden which is quite big.

They have never jump on each other before until recently after their rooster gone. They were in good order and peace as he was their leader. One in a blue moon, 2 hens fight each other, he would jumped in between them, and sometimes he pecks at one hen. He knows who is naughty. Apple is a bully only when the rooster is not near by, she did not bully anyone while he was close by.

I have another 4 bantam hens that live separately from the standard chicken flock without a rooster and they are living peaceful with each other.

 

[TropicalBabies]

I have 9 hens in 2 separate runs and coops, they jumping over the plastic dividing fence to each other places whenever they fancy. I don't know the measurement of my run because it is just at the end of my backyard and I divided it up. My Apple is a big girl so she really stuck in 1 run, can't jump or fly over like the others.

They all mingle in the afternoon in the general garden. While in each in their own run, few jumps on the other, and also while in the general garden which is quite big.

They have never jump on each other before until recently after their rooster gone. They were in good order and peace as he was their leader. One in a blue moon, 2 hens fight each other, he would jumped in between them, and sometimes he pecks at one hen. He knows who is naughty. Apple is a bully only when the rooster is not near by, she did not bully anyone while he was close by.

I have another 4 bantam hens that live separately from the standard chicken flock without a rooster and they are living peaceful with each other.

I was just wondering if over crowding could be an issue now that the peacekeeper is no longer. Wondering if you could put in swings or tables or even a head of cabbage to distract the ladies from being so darn grumpy. It does seem strange that they are being so mean to each other for so long even after taking the bully out. They will sort it eventually but it is a shame they are being so unpleasant. chickens...

 

[SkyAJK]

I was just wondering if over crowding could be an issue now that the peacekeeper is no longer. Wondering if you could put in swings or tables or even a head of cabbage to distract the ladies from being so darn grumpy. It does seem strange that they are being so mean to each other for so long even after taking the bully out. They will sort it eventually but it is a shame they are being so unpleasant. chickens...

It is really not nice to see them like that. I will add some of the things you suggested and hope that eventually all these unpleasantness faded out. Might be they miss their rooster, they groom him often in the afternoon. Thank you.

 

[CombNWattles]

What breed is your girl with white feather? She is beautiful.
I have a pullet feather and head like that, she is an off spring of Isa Brown X Isa Brown.

Thank you! Vanilla is a white Jersey Giant.

 

[CombNWattles]

Welcome!
Lovely girls ❤
I just want to cuddle Maggie, she looks so sweet.
When my youngest roo, Stanley, saw snow for the first time last year, he took one look out of the run, turned round and went back in the coop.

Aww thanks! Maggie just grew back the feathers on her head and she is feeling much more confident. here she was bald:

Your boy Stanley sounds hilarious! I can just picture him sticking his head out and going, “nope.” My birds usually turn up their beaks at snow too. I don’t understand pictures of people’s flocks wading through 6-inch snow.

 

[SkyAJK]

Thank you! Vanilla is a white Jersey Giant.

Beautiful bird your white Jersey Giant.
I read some of the information on the www about the Jersey Giant, it is the biggest Chicken there is. Her egg must be 2 or 3 times the size of a standard chicken's egg. I have thought to have the biggest chicken and smallest chicken in our flock, but we will need to build a big coop & extend our chicken run if we have a Jersey Giant.

 

[SkyAJK]

What am I going to do with my flock today?
I know that I need to spend time with my flock for my happiness and health. They need me to spend time with them for their health, happiness. Definitely a match made in heaven.