Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[MaryJanet]

But it turned out the unlikely couple knew something I didn't because Piou-piou laid a first tiny egg today! In her sleeping nest . She's the first of Chipie's hatch , even though she was a slow grower and is still a runt little cutie .

Wow! I was not expecting that! Go Piou-Piou!

 

[ManueB]

that's terrific!
I'm jealous. Mine generally wait till the days start drawing out again before they start

It's strange because my ex-batts are all really slowing down on laying or stopping completely. We had a lot of sunlight for the last two weeks, and we get full sunshine from 8 to 4.30 as we're exposed south. I don't know if that makes a difference.

I'm pretty sure if you built a second coop many of these problems would sort themselves out. I write this having had similar problems and finding the this provided the best solution.

I'm totally convinced, just wondering how we would convince Gaston's tribe to move. I think I've convinced my partner, but he's not convinced we need to do it quickly. And it's likely he won't want to be spending time doing things for the chickens before he has finished the other things that need to be done for winter.

Wow! I was not expecting that! Go Piou-Piou!

There were a few signs - her comb turning red, the fact that Gaston only mates with her and none of the other pullets, and that he's been building nests for her everywhere for a week, and also she's been staring at the laying ex-batts these last days. It's pretty incredible that she's the first, seen how worried I was for her as a chick that wouldn't grow up or fly.
*******
Apart from Piou-piou's first egg, it was a lousy day for all.
Blanche limps and has either bumblefoot or a strain.
Nougat has lost about three thousand feathers in two days.
Gastounet got chased by Théo not only inside the netted zone around the coop, but also in the garden.
Gastounet tried to mate Blanche and attacked Cannelle.
It was supposed to rain and it just staid cloudy all day.
There was some raptor threat I was never able to see that terrified the chickens for most of the day.
And we had planned family visits plus unexpected people dropping by, which I definitely don't enjoy.
Two positive notes : Cannelle was not too bad (though she still has horrible poops) and there was no fighting at roost time.

Blanche having a warm footbath with betadine.

Piou-piou star of the day : tree hugging then hiding from the hawk in the beans.

With her sweetheart Gastounet

Posing for the photo

Nougat's molt (nudity warning)

 

[ManueB]

The mighty chicken up there must have heard my rants yesterday because today went a lot better. It rained a lot during the night. Blanche didn't limp anymore and her right foot was barely warmer than the left. Nougat's accelerated molting didn't stop her from being in good shape, much better in fact than before she began turning naked. Gastounet managed an early escape from Théo and almost behaved himself during the day apart from picking an argument with Cannelle through the netting. And there was no trouble at roosting time!
Only one hen laid today but it was before I opened the coop so I'm not sure who- from the clucking sounds I heard I think it was Brune.

My partner took Gastounet, Léa and Piou-piou in the barn when he went to work on the roof of the old house, and he melted over seeing how happy they were in there. He finished the first part of securing the roof for rain, now he only has to put the snow stoppers and he'll be done.

The smaller chickens finally decided they could climb a level to be out of reach from the bullying ex-batts.

Gastounet after escaping Théo's wrath this morning

Inside the chicken nettings at the same time (Gastounet's in the background)

Cannelle

Nougat enjoys life while looking like a porcupine

I left two broccolis to flowers for the bees, but someone else ate the leaves and the flowers

Visiting the highest terrace they have never been to yet

They spent a long time staring at the man on the roof

Everyone was in bed at 5.10 pm even though the night only falls at 5.35. This was after locking the coop.

 

[Perris]

Visiting the highest terrace they have never been to yet

how many terraces do you have? some look quite narrow; reminds me of Greece!

This was after locking the coop.

stunning. I imagine because you're so high up the slopes, as well as south facing, you get quite a bit more winter sunshine than do your neighbours lower down.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

The mighty chicken up there must have heard my rants yesterday because today went a lot better. It rained a lot during the night. Blanche didn't limp anymore and her right foot was barely warmer than the left. Nougat's accelerated molting didn't stop her from being in good shape, much better in fact than before she began turning naked. Gastounet managed an early escape from Théo and almost behaved himself during the day apart from picking an argument with Cannelle through the netting. And there was no trouble at roosting time!
Only one hen laid today but it was before I opened the coop so I'm not sure who- from the clucking sounds I heard I think it was Brune.

My partner took Gastounet, Léa and Piou-piou in the barn when he went to work on the roof of the old house, and he melted over seeing how happy they were in there. He finished the first part of securing the roof for rain, now he only has to put the snow stoppers and he'll be done.

The smaller chickens finally decided they could climb a level to be out of reach from the bullying ex-batts.
View attachment 3318489
Gastounet after escaping Théo's wrath this morning
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Inside the chicken nettings at the same time (Gastounet's in the background)
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Cannelle
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Nougat enjoys life while looking like a porcupine
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View attachment 3318469
View attachment 3318491
I left two broccolis to flowers for the bees, but someone else ate the leaves and the flowers
View attachment 3318470
Visiting the highest terrace they have never been to yet
View attachment 3318474
View attachment 3318483
View attachment 3318487
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They spent a long time staring at the man on the roof
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Everyone was in bed at 5.10 pm even though the night only falls at 5.35. This was after locking the coop. View attachment 3318476

Your photos are always really good, but these are excellent! It's fun the chickens have joined the campaign to convince your partner to upgrade their accommodations.

 

[ManueB]

how many terraces do you have? some look quite narrow; reminds me of Greece!

I'm not sure terraces is the correct translation. We would use "plank" in french because although they are man made they are not really flat, and there isn't always a real stone wall between them. The widest ones are about 12 meters / yards and the most narrow around five. I think there are about eleven or twelve, we only use 7 either to grow vegetables or as pastures for the neighbors cows and donkeys. Our place with the house above us, is called "Les Sauches" which means terrace (or whatever would be the correct english word) in the local dialect.

stunning. I imagine because you're so high up the slopes, as well as south facing, you get quite a bit more winter sunshine than do your neighbours lower down.

Yes, there is a big difference. The lowest part of the village in the valley is 400 meters below. In the winter they have about two hours less sunshine, and there often is a difference in the morning of 3 or 4 degrees! When spring comes around it's the other way round though.

Your photos are always really good, but these are excellent! It's fun the chickens have joined the campaign to convince your partner to upgrade their accommodations.

They don't realize that it will be their future accomodations . I don't think getting them to move will be so easy!

 

[ManueB]

This morning Brune didn't come down the roost. She had that penguin posture that says egg stuck. We got her down carefully and still she didn't move so I put her on a platform covered with straw Blanche uses to lay. Twenty minutes later I saw her walking around clumsily - she had an egg stuck in the vent. We got her inside and took the pieces of soft shell out. I'm not sure I got everything out but I couldn't feel anything left and she looked better. She still was slightly off throughout the day.

Piou-piou laid in her nest during the night. But she must have refrained from pooping on the egg because there was no poop in the nest, just the egg- hope she won't do that every night.

We had some drama again today. Théo is now bullying his hens that he thinks get too close to Gaston ! He's attacking Cannelle and also Chipie.
Gastounet jumped on Brune to mate her as soon as we got her out of our house. It seems in his stupid cockerel mind any hen that crosses the netting enters his territory and he's allowed to mate. Needless to say that doesn't go well with the hen, who are a bit flabbergasted as he's about ten times Theo's weight, or with Théo himself.

And tonight I didn't check on them when Gastounet and his team had gone inside the coop : he attacked Chipie, threw her out of the coop, and was immediately attacked and chased by Théo. Gastounet jumped over the netting and whimpered outside. Both Chipie and Gastounet were terrified of going back in the coop . In the end everyone went to roost but I did have to supervise the whole thing and watch that Chipie didn't get bullied again by the ex-batts.

We've almost cleared the barn and put a separation from the hay. It can be used as an emergency shelter. Now we have to see what kind of structure we put for the chickens - a classical coop or something more open since it will already be in a closed building.

Edited to add the photos

Stinky eye but he's got his good looks back!

First time Merle climbs on a human and of course it's not on me

 

[RoyalChick]

This morning Brune didn't come down the roost. She had that penguin posture that says egg stuck. We got her down carefully and still she didn't move so I put her on a platform covered with straw Blanche uses to lay. Twenty minutes later I saw her walking around clumsily - she had an egg stuck in the vent. We got her inside and took the pieces of soft shell out. I'm not sure I got everything out but I couldn't feel anything left and she looked better. She still was slightly off throughout the day.

Piou-piou laid in her nest during the night. But she must have refrained from pooping on the egg because there was no poop in the nest, just the egg- hope she won't do that every night.

We had some drama again today. Théo is now bullying his hens that he thinks get too close to Gaston ! He's attacking Cannelle and also Chipie.
Gastounet jumped on Brune to mate her as soon as we got her out of our house. It seems in his stupid cockerel mind any hen that crosses the netting enters his territory and he's allowed to mate. Needless to say that doesn't go well with the hen, who are a bit flabbergasted as he's about ten times Theo's weight, or with Théo himself.

And tonight I didn't check on them when Gastounet and his team had gone inside the coop : he attacked Chipie, threw her out of the coop, and was immediately attacked and chased by Théo. Gastounet jumped over the netting and whimpered outside. Both Chipie and Gastounet were terrified of going back in the coop . In the end everyone went to roost but I did have to supervise the whole thing and watch that Chipie didn't get bullied again by the ex-batts.

We've almost cleared the barn and put a separation from the hay. It can be used as an emergency shelter. Now we have to see what kind of structure we put for the chickens - a classical coop or something more open since it will already be in a closed building.

Edited to add the photos

View attachment 3319555View attachment 3319557View attachment 3319559View attachment 3319560View attachment 3319561View attachment 3319562Stinky eye but he's got his good looks back!View attachment 3319563View attachment 3319564View attachment 3319565First time Merle climbs on a human and of course it's not on me View attachment 3319566View attachment 3319567View attachment 3319568View attachment 3319569View attachment 3319570

I feel the saga of your chicken jealousies would make a gripping TV series.
It has everything to attract viewers - sex, violence, beautiful clothing - the so called 'revenge dress' that Diana Princess of Wales wore is nothing compared to Merle's beautiful haute couture for example. The setting is also exotic for most of us.
I think all that is missing is obscene wealth but I believe dedicated fans will be hooked even without that.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm totally convinced, just wondering how we would convince Gaston's tribe to move.

What I've found is if you provide alternative accomodation it will get used. Build/arrange what you need to and let them have access to it. In Catalonia this meant having a habitable space (sometimes a maternity/isolation unit, or my house) available all the time. I had seven coops at one point.
If they breed sit and hatch then the population will grow. the social stuff between then gets easier. The other tribes become neighbours rather than strangers. Chickens are very adept at sorting this social stuff out, better than humans I think.

 

[ManueB]

What I've found is if you provide alternative accomodation it will get used. Build/arrange what you need to and let them have access to it. In Catalonia this meant having a habitable space (sometimes a maternity/isolation unit, or my house) available all the time. I had seven coops at one point.
If they breed sit and hatch then the population will grow. the social stuff between then gets easier. The other tribes become neighbours rather than strangers. Chickens are very adept at sorting this social stuff out, better than humans I think.

From what I can see there is definitely a notion of social territory at work and if Gastounet and Théo didn't have to cohabitate in the same place, they would probably just pretend to ignore each other most of the time.

If I owned this place and I was single I would build coops everywhere and let the chickens free range all the time . Since I'm a freeloader on this land, I will be very happy if I can negotiate to keep the two roosters in two different places.