Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[ManueB]

The phone signal is back working ! We can use internet again. Totally unexpected, but overall we are happy it happened much sooner than what the neighbour said.
The one thing that kind of bothered us, is that it was time for us to do our two months food haul that we normally order online and pick up at the drive in. My partner had to do all the shopping inside the supermarket, which is way longer and more painful.

I am going to catch up on all the other threads before posting a few news and pics from the last 13 days. But, I just wanted to say I found Théo's missing spur today. It was under his current roost so it looked like somehow this happened at night, or maybe he had some issues with Gaston at roosting. It's actually the whole keratin sheath that is torn off, it's not broken. I'm hesitant to buy another Dremel now we have internet or borrow the neighbours dog clippers. I don't want to leave the other untouched because I'm afraid he will hurt himself now because of the difference in size.

 

[BDutch]

The phone signal is back working ! We can use internet again.

Nice. It must be really difficult nowadays without internet.
& Glad to have you back a little more.

It's actually the whole keratin sheath that is torn off, it's not broken. I'm hesitant to buy another Dremel now we have internet or borrow the neighbours dog clippers. I don't want to leave the other untouched because I'm afraid he will hurt himself now because of the difference in size.

I dont know if the difference in size is a real problem. Maybe it's not a big deal for a rooster and not something you need to worry about. @Shadrach ?

 

[ManueB]

Before the spur fell off, I was checking carefully, because I knew they were too long, and he wasn't hurting himself. He has always had a sort of dancing gait which allows him to never have his spurs rub against the other leg. But now he doesn't move a lot, and he seems disturbed. And the other reason to trim or file the other spur is for the hens.

Here are the main points from the past two weeks. Sorry, it will make a very long tedious post !
We had two big rain and snow storms on both weekends; the ground was very muddy but now it's completely dry on surface as the sun is very warm.

Nougat is doing great, laying four eggs a week and Gaston is very attentive with her.

Blanche is overall relatively fine. She had one really bad day last Friday, and then it was over. But she has taken to the nest doing a very convincing show pretending to lay every morning. Her crest is very red so either she will indeed lay, or she may have a reproductive issue.

At the end of the day she always spends at least an hour on this perch. I think she gets tired and her eye hurts. But even as a pullet she used to spend time staring at the scenery.

Théo is unhappy that Merle doesn't want him anymore but he has some success with the younger hens. He a
spends a lot of time with Blanche. He also escorts Chipie but their relationship is complicated, and Piou-piou when she is not with Gaston.

Chipie laid twice. Her aggressive behaviour has made her a target for many of the hens, and her life has become a bit difficult. She stays with Gaston for protection. She has not shown signs of being broody or wanting to lay again. I'm still supplementing her every morning and I have not seen any "fits" since.

Piou-piou is doing great but unhappy that my partner is relentlessly chasing her away from the garden. Merle and Léa are turning broody, with Léa being a few days more advanced.

Gaston has understood that we don't want the chickens in the garden anymore and he tries various strategies to keep the hens from going there but it's always a failure . The irritated skin on his butt that he had last spring is getting very red and irritated again. All the products I tried last year seemed to make it worse so I am leaving it alone for now but I'm worried some of the hens seem to peck him.

With tiny crazy Chipie.

Alba and Nieva are their usual self. (If I was totally sure Bybob would never read this I would maybe use the F.....y word he so hates regarding leghorns.)

Kara is in trouble: she has a strange bumblefoot as if there were two adjacent abscesses. I've debrided it several times and it just seems to get worse. I'm reluctant to take her yet to the vet ; antibiotics didn't seem to help any of the other hens that had it and I would like to avoid a chirurgical intervention. And she has been having laying troubled the last three days.
Lilly still has a hard pocket in the middle of her fingers which seems neither worse or better. My partner thinks it's the scar but I believe she still has some infectious material inside. We keep tending her three times a week.

And the four younger pullets are very active and healthy but the three black ones make us grow crazy as they keep breaking in the garden. They have for the first time found the way to the terrace below their yard where we used to have a garden, which is really nice for the chickens ; but they haven't found the way back ( they can fly down the wall to get there but not up) so I have to get them in the evenings. I would like to show them the way but they don't follow me, even with treats- they are too busy foraging!
Annette and Merle

Mélisse

We have planted a lot of trees and shrubs in the chicken yard and just outside that should in a few years make a hay between the yard and the garden. I've reseeded and blocked part of the bare patches in the yard. Because the space in the yard is very reduced, we are opening the fences so that the chickens have access to the fields next to the yards and below. They don't seem as interested to go there as in the garden where we have now planted garlic, onions, early potatoes, salads, radishes, broad and beans so the chickens are not welcome.
And since we don't agree, we have not solved the garden fencing issue..my partner is not doing anything for now so we just spend a lot of time chasing the chickens, using umbrellas and straw hats and making siren noises to scare them away because the three younger pullets don't give a damn about us. It's all very ludicrous and / or aggravating.

Random pictures

And an short video from two weeks ago. Théo has switched to staying on the main roost, on the side opposite to Gaston, who really doesn't appreciate it. Sometimes he chases him off quite aggressively, sometimes he can be rather civilised about it like here.

 

[Shadrach]

The phone signal is back working ! We can use internet again. Totally unexpected, but overall we are happy it happened much sooner than what the neighbour said.
The one thing that kind of bothered us, is that it was time for us to do our two months food haul that we normally order online and pick up at the drive in. My partner had to do all the shopping inside the supermarket, which is way longer and more painful.

I am going to catch up on all the other threads before posting a few news and pics from the last 13 days. But, I just wanted to say I found Théo's missing spur today. It was under his current roost so it looked like somehow this happened at night, or maybe he had some issues with Gaston at roosting. It's actually the whole keratin sheath that is torn off, it's not broken. I'm hesitant to buy another Dremel now we have internet or borrow the neighbours dog clippers. I don't want to leave the other untouched because I'm afraid he will hurt himself now because of the difference in size.
View attachment 3772442

He will adjust to the broken spur. They don't have to match. Rooster develope a roll to their walk to allow for spur growth.

 

[ManueB]

Hail to the chicken people ! Let it be known that I have laid my third egg today!

 

[ManueB]

I may have rejoiced too soon. We had another day and a half without connection.

Chipie laid another egg today with a lot of loud drama. I had left her very first egg in the nest, as she is will only lay if her own egg is there. An other hen broke it yesterday, and she didn't want to go back in that nest even though I put another of her egg in it.

Blanche has been very poorly the last two days. It looks like both her eyes hurt her and that the good eye is also loosing sight.
For the past three weeks, she had been roosting next to Lilly and they seemed to get along. But on Sunday Lilly attacked Blanche and now Blanche is terrified of her, like she is of Kara, and Lilly takes every opportunity to bully her. I'm taking this as a sign that Blanche is getting very weak, as she has always been the toughest and meanest of my ex-batt's. Not seeing on one side means she can't avoid pecks or close her eye to protect it especially when she is on the roost.
Tonight though Gaston let her roost next to him and on the other side she had Lulu who didn't dare come close to her.

Léa has giving up trying to sit after three days of taking her off the nest in the afternoon and at night, but Merle is getting ready for her turn, dustbathing for twenty minutes every hour .

This is supposed to be Blanche's good eye but I'm pretty sure she doesn't see Kara. She would move away if she realised Kara was that close.

The three black pullets in the garden below. Annette is really clever because she has understood how to make the big turn around behind our house to go back - this means she has joined portions of the property she knows separated by two terraces she has never been to. Mélisse knows how to go back through the garden, which we don't want. And Lulu just stands at the fence and honks like a loud duck until I come.

 

[MaryJanet]

Poor Blanche

 

[ManueB]

Poor Blanche

She is having a hard time. This morning I thought it was the end, she stayed lying in the nest with her eyes closed, and then at noon she perked up, got out, gobbled on food, and even went to hang out with the other chickens for a short while. It's been such a long time since I thought she would die. I think she's allowed to leave now if she wants. I'm just sorry her eyes seem to hurt and I'm not sure what I could do about it. The other chickens are not nice with her, but not as horrible as she was to them ; but I suppose not seeing who is who makes it terrifying for her.


In fact, all the hens are being really aggressive with one another. I'm not sure when it began, maybe three or four weeks ago. First it was only at roost time but now there is a lot of bickering and even real fights during the day. The hierarchy is changing ; some of the younger pullets are overcoming some of the older like Chipie and Blanche. It seems to be a vicious circle where aggression makes everyone more aggressive.
Today there was a nasty fight between Alba and Kara. I was amazed that Nougat stepped in to defend Kara. However it didn't stop there, they fought again several times, and Alba won. Kara the bully ran away defeated and avoided Alba for the rest of the day.

 

[Molpet]

In fact, all the hens are being really aggressive with one another. I'm not sure when it began, maybe three or four weeks ago.

Mine are the same. One hen changed coops last year because of this. This spring a cockerel in her new coop wouldn't leave her alone. And she went back to her old coop, but he was still after her. So I invited him to dinner. Now a hen won't let her in the coop at roost time. She gets on top of the coop. She tried to sleep there but I caught her with a net. Now she gets down and I have to yell at the bully. Bully may be invited to dinner too.

 

[MaryJanet]

Mine are the same. One hen changed coops last year because of this. This spring a cockerel in her new coop wouldn't leave her alone. And she went back to her old coop, but he was still after her. So I invited him to dinner. Now a hen won't let her in the coop at roost time. She gets on top of the coop. She tried to sleep there but I caught her with a net. Now she gets down and I have to yell at the bully. Bully may be invited to dinner too.

Chicken politics are almost as bad as human politics.