Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[BDutch]

Given the area of town is a poorer section with lots of immigrants. The roosters probably got eaten and the hens sold or kept for eggs.

How probably? Sure it wasn’t a fox, a dog or another predator? I certainly would hesitate to accuse immigrants.

 

[BDutch]

@Shadrach , I found an English alternative for the Finecto that sold in the Netherlands. The brand name is Poultry shield. You probably know this already. But its recommended to use together with other things too.

https://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/blogs/information-centre/red-mite-in-chicken-houses#:~:text=Life Cycle of Red Mite&text=They tend to live in,to adult is 7 days

Spoiler: Info red mite cyclus

Life Cycle of Red Mite​

Red mites feed on the bird between one and two hours each night. They tend to live in cracks and crevices in the hen houses as this is where they deposit the eggs.

When the nest conditions are correct the mite larvae hatch 2-3 days after being laid. The time it takes for a mite to go from egg to adult is 7 days.

 

[ManueB]

And I'm still sad about Lorna the Dorking pullet.

View attachment 3607537

They're a very endearing species.

I really hoped for a different ending. She was beautiful, sweet, young, and you did so much to care for her.

My convictions would lead me to suggest to every chicken keeper I addressed on just about any issue would be don't keep chickens

I think I may be done with chickens when all 19s are gone. But hopefully that won't be before a long time, since the last six are not even three months old.

I can't wait to be promoted to "Bucket Boy". (right now I need to be in academia to feed my chooks ...)

I hope you’ll get there ! I started working part time before quitting completely and it made a huge difference.

I trust obsessing over this or that hen's latest wobbly step or sneeze or weird poop will be far more pleasant than keeping 100s of students and dozens teaching staff all heading in the same direction. But I've been known to misplace my trust before now

I do find chickens most often a thousand time more peaceful than managing colleagues and professional projects. However, when there is chicken stress, it is a lot more emotionally taxing, at least for me. But you already deal with that on top of having a job so yes, you will probably find it very peaceful.

How probably? Sure it wasn’t a fox, a dog or another predator? I certainly would hesitate to accuse immigrants.

@GregnLety already explained it on the FBA thread. While the migrant is indeed an hypothesis, sadly the human specie of the theft is certain.

Piou-Piou surely is going through a lot, now that she is having worm issues :-( In one of the pictures she looks like she has more feathers on her?

No, she is fluffed up from going (half heartedly) broody! We thought it would never happen, since Merle and Léa have been broody countless times, but never her. We can't let her set obviously.
---------------
Things did not go as planned, all the better for us. We had a nice thunderstorm yesterday and pouring (welcomed) rain. So honey taking is postponed to tomorrow and our friends left earlier, before the storm broke out.

Chicken updates : Saturday night roosting was chaotic because the six chicks are now fighting between them. The two cockerels want the chick's roost all to themselves, and they throw the pullets out ! The pullets also fight one another ; and the alliances seem to shift all the time. I actually had to pick two chicks up and put them on a roost in the end because the quarrelling wasn't settled at night. Yesterday evening was slightly better. I need to spend more time following the chicks during the day to understand who’s friend with who, in case we re-home one or two pullets with the cockerels.
Petit Blanc is now trying to mate adult hens, and getting told off.
Piou-piou is turning broody ! I shouldn't say this... but she is so cute making those broody murder screams and puffing up what little feathers she has .
The chicks were a bit worried about the thunderstorm ; the adults behaved rather well and Gaston tolerated Théo sheltering in the coop while he was in the run with the hens, though the poor roo was completely soaked before he dared attempt to go in.

Update on health issues : Cannelle's and Nougat bumblefoot both show real improvement, the swelling has diminished. It's not so clear for Alba and Nieva , who are more swollen, and on both feet. Since it's incredibly easier and less stressful both for human and chickens to bandage the chickens being two, my partner postponed his second mountain trip. I will still get away to see my parents but he’ll have to manage just one day on his own.

@RoyalChick : I was disappointed to learn the products containing ichtammol have been discontinued in France two years ago. There is no such notion as a drawing salve here, so my partner was given this product, a mild antiseptic and soothing cream. I did not use it but kept on with sugardine, as I don't see in the ingredient list anything that would actually have a drawing effect and I trust iodine more as an antiseptic. Any opinion? (I will try to order an Ichtammol cream from Belgium but the last time I tried, it turned out they were also out of stock and they told me a week after I placed the order)

On a less optimistic note we have a new symptom since yesterday (before the storm), several chickens are coughing slightly. I’ve identified for sure Léa , Piou-piou, Petit Blanc and Ann, but I think there are a few others as well. No nasal discharges or foamy eyes that I could see. No worrying attitude other than Lilly taking not well to the heat in the afternoon.

Today the weather is so much nicer and cool, 29c max, and the chickens are loving it foraging and scratching around everywhere they shouldn't, to my partner's despair .

Yesterday evening after the rain. These two and Pied Beau went to roost half an hour after their hatch sisters.

Still no name. The discussion with my partner is tough .

Blurry broody action.

Léa early morning.

Same feeder, but Blanche was joined by Cannelle and Gaston chased Théo away.

Pied beau still makes baby talk. (A lot).

Pullet pack.

Joined by Petit Blanc.

Only Ann in front has a black crest, like Merle when she was a baby. The two other black pullets have light red crest. Genetic mystery ?

Pencilled ? Double laced ? None of that ?

 

[ManueB]

A long rambling post about debating ideas, especially politics.
Putting it in spoiler so you can feel free to skip if not interested !

Spoiler

I’ve said before I can appreciate, if not enjoy, listening to people I disagree with explaining why they think this way. It's more the case when their opinion has been thought about and is at least a bit knowledgeable. I also said we disagree politically with most of our local friends, including those who came over for the weekend. We’ve known them for a very long time and usually we manage to stop discussions before they become arguments. I’m interested in phase 1 of the debate : explain why you think like this, give information, sources, facts, ask questions. What I truly hate is phase 2 : when it gets to i’m right and you are wrong and why can't you just see it since I said this and this and that.

So in this case, we disagreed over the war in Ukraine. I’ll explain briefly both sides point of view, but it's not what I want to get at. They strongly disapprove of France’s support to Ukraine while we approve with reservations.

What we agreed on : The support of NATO and our country France to Ukraine is not driven by humanistic considerations but economic and geostrategic.
Putin is a ruthless leader who doesn't tolerate dissent but he has built the Russian country back economically from the disaster it was in after the fall of communism, and especially due to Eltsin's terrible mandate. Until the war he had a massive support of the Russian population and he is still very much approved of.
It is understandable that under the circumstances Ukraine decided to go fully into war.

What we disagree on :
We find Putin is the aggressor in this story and his motives is driven by nostalgia for the old big CCCR. We think Ukraine has the right to remain an independent country and to enter NATO if it wishes. We think NATO is there to support imperialist economics, but has no interest in war.
They think NATO is the aggressor, as any country on the Russian frontier adhering to them is a direct military threat to Russia. They believe Putin is acting as a real statesman, with a vision for his country, and putting the Russian population's interest before his own. While they don't agree with the way he deals with political opponents, they think it's a sort of collateral damage to a strong leadership.

After a lot of moderate discussion, checking historical facts, and explaining positions, the discussion degenerated into the type of heated argument I hate. When we got deeper, it turns out we disagree on things that I would call core personal values, and those things don't depends on facts. Do you believe economical welfare is so important for a population, that it can justify the sacrifice of some freedom of thought and action, or not ? Or to come back to chickens, like @Perris stated it, are you ready to let one of your individual chicken die because you want to preserve collective health / environment, or not ? I think the answer each of us has to that type of questions, will not change or move through heated arguments. These values are built for each of us through a whole life and while they may evolve, this will happen through life experiences and specific events. They make us who we are.

So I hated how our discussion turned out and I think I'm less and less able to debate controversial points, as it is very rare that the discussion remains on the simple exchange of information and ideas without trying to convince the other party, and when it switches to trying to convince, it's just one step to "how can you be so stupid to not think like I do". It's why I was very glad @Perris made an article on DIY feed instead of just replying to opponents. And it's why I prefer reading medias to TV or radio.
I know some of you believe it's important to stand strongly for your opinions. Do you feel like having debates, even overheated ones, can actually be helpful to convince people ?
Is there a better way to deal with this than just cutting off further discussion?

I think our friendship will survive but honestly I believe we won't be seeing each other for quite a while .

 

[Perris]

Do you feel like having debates, even overheated ones, can actually be helpful to convince people ?

I think it can, as long as things stay civil, which is usually easier if there's a moderator or chairperson to make sure everyone gets their say and is not shouted down or deliberately humiliated. Cooling off periods / intermissions are helpful too.

Is there a better way to deal with this than just cutting off further discussion?

Postpone for another occasion, when calm has been restored - and suggest doing this before things get heated. Of course all this is easier said than done

 

[BDutch]

A long rambling post about debating ideas, especially politics.
Putting it in spoiler so you can feel free to skip if not interested !

Spoiler

I’ve said before I can appreciate, if not enjoy, listening to people I disagree with explaining why they think this way. It's more the case when their opinion has been thought about and is at least a bit knowledgeable. I also said we disagree politically with most of our local friends, including those who came over for the weekend. We’ve known them for a very long time and usually we manage to stop discussions before they become arguments. I’m interested in phase 1 of the debate : explain why you think like this, give information, sources, facts, ask questions. What I truly hate is phase 2 : when it gets to i’m right and you are wrong and why can't you just see it since I said this and this and that.

So in this case, we disagreed over the war in Ukraine. I’ll explain briefly both sides point of view, but it's not what I want to get at. They strongly disapprove of France’s support to Ukraine while we approve with reservations.

What we agreed on : The support of NATO and our country France to Ukraine is not driven by humanistic considerations but economic and geostrategic.
Putin is a ruthless leader who doesn't tolerate dissent but he has built the Russian country back economically from the disaster it was in after the fall of communism, and especially due to Eltsin's terrible mandate. Until the war he had a massive support of the Russian population and he is still very much approved of.
It is understandable that under the circumstances Ukraine decided to go fully into war.

What we disagree on :
We find Putin is the aggressor in this story and his motives is driven by nostalgia for the old big CCCR. We think Ukraine has the right to remain an independent country and to enter NATO if it wishes. We think NATO is there to support imperialist economics, but has no interest in war.
They think NATO is the aggressor, as any country on the Russian frontier adhering to them is a direct military threat to Russia. They believe Putin is acting as a real statesman, with a vision for his country, and putting the Russian population's interest before his own. While they don't agree with the way he deals with political opponents, they think it's a sort of collateral damage to a strong leadership.

After a lot of moderate discussion, checking historical facts, and explaining positions, the discussion degenerated into the type of heated argument I hate. When we got deeper, it turns out we disagree on things that I would call core personal values, and those things don't depends on facts. Do you believe economical welfare is so important for a population, that it can justify the sacrifice of some freedom of thought and action, or not ? Or to come back to chickens, like @Perris stated it, are you ready to let one of your individual chicken die because you want to preserve collective health / environment, or not ? I think the answer each of us has to that type of questions, will not change or move through heated arguments. These values are built for each of us through a whole life and while they may evolve, this will happen through life experiences and specific events. They make us who we are.

So I hated how our discussion turned out and I think I'm less and less able to debate controversial points, as it is very rare that the discussion remains on the simple exchange of information and ideas without trying to convince the other party, and when it switches to trying to convince, it's just one step to "how can you be so stupid to not think like I do". It's why I was very glad @Perris made an article on DIY feed instead of just replying to opponents. And it's why I prefer reading medias to TV or radio.
I know some of you believe it's important to stand strongly for your opinions. Do you feel like having debates, even overheated ones, can actually be helpful to convince people ?
Is there a better way to deal with this than just cutting off further discussion?

I think our friendship will survive but honestly I believe we won't be seeing each other for quite a while .

You have written an interesting article about the Ukraine war discussion with friends.

I wonder where your friends get the info / news from they read.

Spoiler

My thoughts
Here the official media (big newspapers and independent TV paid by the government ) is all pro Ukraine and Say Russia (Putin and his staff) are the attackers / aggressors.. Images on tv and articles in the newspapers show us this is true. But we can’t be very sure that we aren’t manipulated. The people who are in favour for Russia are mostly people who are gathering news from social media and connect in Telegram groups. Personally I think the get news from the wrong source. If a country locks up all the people who are in favour for a democracy, forbids the news that opposes what is a threat to its government, then something is very wrong.

All countries where the big media are in the hands of the government (total control) are manipulating the thought of their inhabitants.

Its so important to have a free press. And its also important that it gets more clear where influencers come from and by who they are paid. I honestly believe that your friends would talk differently if they know where their ideas come from. And would admit they have believed unreliable influencers.

I don’t think I have friends who are influenced by the Russian KGB or contaminated by social media in a way they lost it.

But I’m also convinced the news we get from Ukraine is coloured. We can’t know the whole truth.

 

[GregnLety]

How probably? Sure it wasn’t a fox, a dog or another predator? I certainly would hesitate to accuse immigrants.

We are certain they were stolen. Multiple chickens gone. No blood, no piles of feathers. Just gone. Nothing personal against immigrants, I'm married to one. Thieves are thieves no matter where they're from.

 

[GregnLety]

What a shame they weren't locked up. Or did the thieves break through the chickens' locks?

They weren't locked up.

 

[RoyalChick]

A long rambling post about debating ideas, especially politics.
Putting it in spoiler so you can feel free to skip if not interested !

Spoiler

I’ve said before I can appreciate, if not enjoy, listening to people I disagree with explaining why they think this way. It's more the case when their opinion has been thought about and is at least a bit knowledgeable. I also said we disagree politically with most of our local friends, including those who came over for the weekend. We’ve known them for a very long time and usually we manage to stop discussions before they become arguments. I’m interested in phase 1 of the debate : explain why you think like this, give information, sources, facts, ask questions. What I truly hate is phase 2 : when it gets to i’m right and you are wrong and why can't you just see it since I said this and this and that.

So in this case, we disagreed over the war in Ukraine. I’ll explain briefly both sides point of view, but it's not what I want to get at. They strongly disapprove of France’s support to Ukraine while we approve with reservations.

What we agreed on : The support of NATO and our country France to Ukraine is not driven by humanistic considerations but economic and geostrategic.
Putin is a ruthless leader who doesn't tolerate dissent but he has built the Russian country back economically from the disaster it was in after the fall of communism, and especially due to Eltsin's terrible mandate. Until the war he had a massive support of the Russian population and he is still very much approved of.
It is understandable that under the circumstances Ukraine decided to go fully into war.

What we disagree on :
We find Putin is the aggressor in this story and his motives is driven by nostalgia for the old big CCCR. We think Ukraine has the right to remain an independent country and to enter NATO if it wishes. We think NATO is there to support imperialist economics, but has no interest in war.
They think NATO is the aggressor, as any country on the Russian frontier adhering to them is a direct military threat to Russia. They believe Putin is acting as a real statesman, with a vision for his country, and putting the Russian population's interest before his own. While they don't agree with the way he deals with political opponents, they think it's a sort of collateral damage to a strong leadership.

After a lot of moderate discussion, checking historical facts, and explaining positions, the discussion degenerated into the type of heated argument I hate. When we got deeper, it turns out we disagree on things that I would call core personal values, and those things don't depends on facts. Do you believe economical welfare is so important for a population, that it can justify the sacrifice of some freedom of thought and action, or not ? Or to come back to chickens, like @Perris stated it, are you ready to let one of your individual chicken die because you want to preserve collective health / environment, or not ? I think the answer each of us has to that type of questions, will not change or move through heated arguments. These values are built for each of us through a whole life and while they may evolve, this will happen through life experiences and specific events. They make us who we are.

So I hated how our discussion turned out and I think I'm less and less able to debate controversial points, as it is very rare that the discussion remains on the simple exchange of information and ideas without trying to convince the other party, and when it switches to trying to convince, it's just one step to "how can you be so stupid to not think like I do". It's why I was very glad @Perris made an article on DIY feed instead of just replying to opponents. And it's why I prefer reading medias to TV or radio.
I know some of you believe it's important to stand strongly for your opinions. Do you feel like having debates, even overheated ones, can actually be helpful to convince people ?
Is there a better way to deal with this than just cutting off further discussion?

I think our friendship will survive but honestly I believe we won't be seeing each other for quite a while .

It is such a shame when that happens. I too find myself in general avoiding deep discussions because I hate the fight - but that is sad in itself - and as we have seen in the US results in dangerous polarization.
There are some exceptions - I have a friend where our friendship is almost based on this kind of disagreement and we respect each other enough to listen and in some cases learn from each other - but those instances are rather rare.

 

[BDutch]

We are certain they were stolen. Multiple chickens gone. No blood, no piles of feathers. Just gone. Nothing personal against immigrants, I'm married to one. Thieves are thieves no matter where they're from.

Manue explained . I was unaware you explained in another thread about the missing chickens and why you were certain humans caused the disappearance.

Must be awful Sorry for your losses.