Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[ManueB]

I had an unexpected scare today. There was a flight of 15 to 20 vultures above, which often happen here, especially during hunting season. I wasn't worried because I was convinced they didn't attack chickens, and was taking photos of the younger chickens on the roof of the water shed. I turned around for a minute, heard a whoof and turned back to see a huge bird landing about ten meters from the chickens . I ran screaming at it while the chickens ran and flew the other way to go back to their "safe" place under the laurel tree. It took them an hour to come out. I'm not sure if this was an attack air just a random landing but it was pretty stressing for all.

Cannelle seemed slightly better, but I think that was the medication. However this evening she refused to eat in the egg and tuna mix so I'll have to find something else. @RoyalChick there is nothing visible either on the foot or leg, although if it was very small we would not see it because we can't hold her for more than thirty seconds. And it's really the nail she's pecking at. Maybe if she keeps doing it I'll try iodine at night.

Other highlight of the day included Gaston mating Piou-piou, poor girl.
And, zero egg today, which has only happened once or twice !

And we finished the definite securing of the right part of the run. We still have the entrance to do.

Léa found the sunflowers drying

Piou-piou is turning so pretty

Cannelle not so well in the evening

Chipie has almost finished growing back feathers- she's looking much better.

Cocorico

 

[ManueB]

your partner obviously has a soft spot for them

He does. When the ex-batts arrived it took me some time to get interested in chickens, so he did all the socializing with them ! He had the strongest bond with Vanille. It was very sad he wasn't there when she died. I have spent a lot more time with Chipie's hatch, so I have a stronger bond with them. Especially with Gaston who's really clingy .

 

[RoyalChick]

Ok, photos but please remember I am not accountable for this thing. The main idea was to allow the smaller chickens an escape from above. We will use the space under to put our brooder (dog crate) if we do another hatch.
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@HiEverybirdy nice to see you came to visit, I hope everything is fine for you and your birds !

Looks splendid to me!

 

[Shadrach]

Ok, photos but please remember I am not accountable for this thing. The main idea was to allow the smaller chickens an escape from above. We will use the space under to put our brooder (dog crate) if we do another hatch.
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@HiEverybirdy nice to see you came to visit, I hope everything is fine for you and your birds !

Ah, it's the classic rustic chicken climbing frame. Looks great and I'm sure they'll use it but maybe not for what it was built for.
Chickens like that sort of stuff, unless you're called Matilda then only the most comfortable chair will do.

 

[Shadrach]

although if it was very small we would not see it because we can't hold her for more than thirty seconds. And it's really the nail she's pecking at. Maybe if she keeps doing it I'll try iodine at night.

A long narrow towel is handy for this. Take the hen off the perch at night and wrap her in the towel. You should wrap her by folding the towel if necessary so her legs are free. Facing the hens rear end wrap from under her belly over her back to the front of the hen. The towel is now diagonal accross her back. Wrap under her front and over the top back to where you started. Each wrap most hold her wings to her body.
Last, the end of the towel can be placed over her head loosly. Not seeing is great, not breathing isn't.

 

[Shadrach]

He does. When the ex-batts arrived it took me some time to get interested in chickens, so he did all the socializing with them ! He had the strongest bond with Vanille. It was very sad he wasn't there when she died. I have spent a lot more time with Chipie's hatch, so I have a stronger bond with them. Especially with Gaston who's really clingy .

I had never come accross female chicken keepers until I joined this forum. Even the allotment chickens were a man's passion until he died. I got told why this is by a Catalonian friend. It's the best reminder in the world of what many wives would be like.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Ok, photos but please remember I am not accountable for this thing. The main idea was to allow the smaller chickens an escape from above. We will use the space under to put our brooder (dog crate) if we do another hatch.

@HiEverybirdy nice to see you came to visit, I hope everything is fine for you and your birds !

Thanks for the callout @ManueB . It's great you've started a thread. Your posts are fun to read, and your photos are beautiful.

Your partner's chicken playset is a hoot! It will be fun to see how they interact with it. Note that you could have the opposite problem: last spring, I had a surprise, 3-figure charge on the credit card for lumber for these "chookshelves."

When my partner saw the pencil sketches I'd made for these, he decided they'd be a fun afternoon project. The thing is, I'd envisioned them as a way to whittle down our scrap pile, not yet another thing to be spendy on. But he didn't think the wood on the scrap pile was good enough

All was quickly forgiven because the chickens immediately loved these. Love. They love my partner, too. Though I suspect that's because they know him to be generous with the scratch.

 

[ManueB]

Ah, it's the classic rustic chicken climbing frame. Looks great and I'm sure they'll use it but maybe not for what it was built for.
Chickens like that sort of stuff, unless you're called Matilda then only the most comfortable chair will do.

It looks even more awful now I've sanded and oiled it so I'm sort of hoping the chickens don't use it so we take it down. Tonight Chipie was terrified when she saw it and she didn't want to go in the coop .

A long narrow towel is handy for this. Take the hen off the perch at night and wrap her in the towel. You should wrap her by folding the towel if necessary so her legs are free. Facing the hens rear end wrap from under her belly over her back to the front of the hen. The towel is now diagonal accross her back. Wrap under her front and over the top back to where you started. Each wrap most hold her wings to her body.
Last, the end of the towel can be placed over her head loosly. Not seeing is great, not breathing isn't.

She's molting too hard to try this, and seeing the state she's in I think the nail is a secondary issue.qq

I had never come accross female chicken keepers until I joined this forum. Even the allotment chickens were a man's passion until he died. I got told why this is by a Catalonian friend. It's the best reminder in the world of what many wives would be like.

I have two roosters and if it's a taste of what having two men would be like it's definitely not for me

Thanks for the callout @ManueB . It's great you've started a thread. Your posts are fun to read, and your photos are beautiful.

Your partner's chicken playset is a hoot! It will be fun to see how they interact with it. Note that you could have the opposite problem: last spring, I had a surprise, 3-figure charge on the credit card for lumber for these "chookshelves."

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When my partner saw the pencil sketches I'd made for these, he decided they'd be a fun afternoon project. The thing is, I'd envisioned them as a way to whittle down our scrap pile, not yet another thing to be spendy on. But he didn't think the wood on the scrap pile was good enough

All was quickly forgiven because the chickens immediately loved these. Love. They love my partner, too. Though I suspect that's because they know him to be generous with the scratch.

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Thank you ! Yes, it's easy to go overboard ! If I can, for the things that will stay I prefer spending more money and having a nicer or better result, like the fencing, or repairs on the house. It's an investment. My partner likes being thrift ... and in this case we're not sure if the chickens will use it ! You took quite a risk with the chookshelves .

And I'm ready to bet in chickens keeping couples, the man is always more inclined to give out scratch!

 

[ManueB]

Chicken TV was rather entertaining today. Gastounet's hormones have definitely woken up. First thing he did coming out of the coop was try to climb on Piou-piou who screamed for life as he was crushing her. Then he did the wing thing with his three siblings and began tidbitting for them- but he still eats the food he calls them for, because he likes food too much !

That led Léa to decide she would rather stay with Théo's team and the ex-batts than follow Gastounet out in the garden. Théo tolerated her, but he chased both Merle and Piou-piou several times throughout the day. And he turned red (or rather purple) anytime he saw Gaston and chased him at high speeds so many times that Gastounet didn't want to come back in.

Meanwhile Chipie is slowly but surely managing to win Théo's heart back, and she stayed with Léa near him most of the day. She realized much quicker than I thought that she can't fight Gastounet and so now she avoids him.

Obviously there is a size problem. Théo the cross bantam rooster has a court of standards ex-batts too big for him, and Gastounet the huge cockerel finds himself with two tiny hens, Merle the bantam and Piou-piou the runt, and Léa who is a very small standard. I wonder what will happen.

Three hens layed today, but Brune had a long and difficult time, and yesterday she had been in the nest box without success, so I will check on her the next few days.
Cannelle is doing terrible. She refused to eat the medicated scramble egg, we tried with tuna to no avail. She still eats a little layer feed, and has moments when she perks up, but it looks like it will be a matter of days now. Though she could still surprise us as was the case for Vanille and Caramel who both healed from their first illness and gained a few months of life.

Cannelle enjoyed the sun

 

[RoyalChick]

It looks even more awful now I've sanded and oiled it so I'm sort of hoping the chickens don't use it so we take it down. Tonight Chipie was terrified when she saw it and she didn't want to go in the coop .

I suspect that Chipie was not terrified at all, but rather disdainful of the design or workmanship or something. Did Chipie help oversee construction? They are sharp critics I find.