Goodbye to Little Pete

Last Friday, Little Pete travelled by box to The May Farm, where Paul May was kind enough to dress him out for us and explain to me the process as it unfolded. It was as merciful as we could expect. I was told he looked like he had been well fed and cared for, and he weighed 3 and a half pounds once dressed. He is currently in the freezer and we will honor him by sharing him with the coop members at our up-coming potluck and workshop planning session, tentatively scheduled for September 10. It was not an easy decision to make, taking him in. But the fact is that we have to face our food someday, and all of us eat chicken as well as their eggs. We are also faced with limited space for the winter months in the coop, must integrate the ten new layers, and some have to go. Little Pete was the obvious choice for the first, as he was beginning to attack all the hens and they were not happy. Although he was only being a regular rooster, we have decided we cannot have one here, for the health of the hens and safety of members. We will be saying goodbye to at least six more in a few weeks. They will be taken to the Emu farm where Patty has agreed to help assure it is as painless as possible. We just have to decide who goes as a group. We want to keep good layers, of course, since we aim to produce food with this operation. We also want those with friendly attitudes and a willingness to not eat eggs or peck at the eggs of others. There are a few with rather bad habits who will most likely be leaving us.

Now that the rooster is gone, we are mixing everyone up in the daytime, and they are sharing all three pens and eating the same food. The older hens tend to take over however. The young ones are a rather polite lot, and wander off by themselves rather than engage in turf wars. All the new ones are trained already to return to the coop when we bring the old ones in. At night they sort themselves out for the most part into the two coops they are used to, though now and then one ends up sleeping in unfamiliar territory. None of the new ones seem to be laying yet. A few are peaking into the big coop and showing an interest.  Hopefully they will get the idea and lay there rather than out in the woods.

Total egg production for August was 379 eggs, down from 387 in July. Only one hen is brooding now. The other two have gone back out with the rest and may be laying again. 20 dozen sold to our regular customers this month. They are grateful to have healthy eggs these days.

Peggy

Chicken TV, Episode 250

     It's 4 AM and I am awake enjoying the full moon and worrying about little Pete, who is spending his first night outside. The coyotes are barking somewhere. Have they noticed that he is not in his coop? I get up and wander outside in the moonlight to check on him. All is well and he is asleep on the new roost I installed this evening for the back pen. Little Pete has been sent to isolation and is not with his coop mates anymore. He has begun to feel the effects of the testosterone overload common in roosters and was pecking at the heads of his little flock mates. He was also finding the old hens too attractive suddenly and they were not happy at all to be jumped on once more. So Little Pete has new digs as of this morning. Matt helped get him confined to the back coop. He has food and water and will be leaving us as soon as we can arrange his departure. We must send at least five hens with him to get the flock down to a manageable size for the big coop in winter. We have lost none to predators this summer. This evening I was ready to send them all.

     It began with an attempt to give Little Pete some shelter in his new digs, in case there was rain. It was time for the girls to come in, so they were gathering up for their evening treat and we were headed to the coop, but we were dragging this plastic bin with us to prop up for Pete Jr. The girls freaked out at the sound of it dragging across the ground and began running in all directions hysterically. It got worse when we didn't stop moving the thing right away. Some went into the coop and jumped at the walls. Most fled into the woods in all directions. The ones in the coop were yelling and frantic. It was an amazing display of total melt down in the chicken brain. Even after the bin stopped making noise and we began to try to calm them down, they were still totally bonkers. Most had forgotten how to get to their own coop and would not come in. It was getting dark. The young ones managed to finally calm down enough to go in. The old ones were another story. With this little stress fracture in my foot I'm not in great shape to be chasing chickens, so I stood at the door to let them in as Jeanne tried to round them up. Even when  some came back they circled the coop and would not slip in the pen door as usual. It was like they were seeing it all for the first time. We finally herded all we could see in and were still missing two and it was getting dark. So I called Frank and he and little Keith came running to help. They circled out into the woods and located them, but they kept running past the coop and on into more trees. It took some time and careful strategy, along with more scratch, to finally get them corraled into their pen. Keith and Frank went home with a job well done. By this time it was dark enough that they went inside and all got on their roosts. But they still couldn't settle down and alot of squacking could be heard all the way to the house, so I went back. Jeanne had talked to them once and it had helped, but they still needed some reassurance. A little petting and a few words of gentle good night did the trick and they settled in for the night. Little Pete seems to be content without shelter for now. His pen is pretty secure and the moon is shining brightly on the sleeping coops.

Peggy, from the psych ward on Homestead Rd. 

Chicken Up-date

The new girls (plus little Pete) are adjusting well. They now roam the grounds with the big girls and there seem to be few issues. Their rooster does keep an eye on them and keeps them traveling together for group power. The old girls sneak into the little pen and eat the starter food when they can. Today for the first time I opened the gate between the two pens, and little Pete walked through the big coop. So they are really mingling now. We figure the kids are about 4 months old, so it is time to get them into the idea of where the eggs are to be laid. We don't have nest boxes in their coop and don't plan for them to stay in it this winter, so they are now in training for the big coop.

All the girls are pretty easy to get in now when we need to put them away. The big ones follow whoever has a treat in hand into their pen, then the little ones notice and run into theirs as well, waiting for their share. We don't have to do much actual herding any more. When they hear the hawk they put themselves away or hide under the spruce. There is a juvenile red-shouldered around, obviously being fed by someone, so they are on their toes these days and no one has gotten eaten.

Matt and Wendy are working a ridiculous number of hours these days, and though employment is a good thing, it means our tech expert has not posted numbers on the blog. Here is the production for the last three months. As you can see, it is going down. The girls are getting tired. We are still selling about 20 dozen a month however. But we don't have to search anywhere for customers. We have regulars we try to keep happy. Some of our eggs will be going to Dunegrass Festival next weekend. Keith B. is planning to cook breakfast for a bunch of folks. Remember, he was one of the original builders of the coop, and now regularly buys eggs from the Co-op. It's great to keep the eggs flowing in the neighborhood.

Egg production: May 447, June 400, July 387

Peggy, Substitute bean counter

Teenagers and nest slugs

It now seems that there may be three broody hens spending their days on nest boxes. The two old ones move around to different boxes to be on eggs recently laid by others. Another buff seems to want to join them. It is not clear yet if she has stopped laying her own eggs. Now and then we throw the brooders out and they spend a few minutes being grumpy outside or get picked on by the others and run back inside again. The rest roam around doing their work, which is eating bugs, taking dust baths and trying to stay cool under the trees. They also seem to enjoy raiding the teenage coop when the young ones are out in the woods. They eat what they can find and keep the little ones from returning for water and food. So we have to take it out to them under the trees or evict the big girls so they can return. They are almost big enough to assert themselves, but not quite. The rooster, who looks more like Pete every day, is not at all aggressive, and does not seem to know what he is yet. But the little ones do kind of stick with him anyway. They stay in their own little flock mostly under the trees and on the state land, sometimes in a clump under a spruce. They are learning how to be herded by us, and we can now get them back home much easier. Jeanne cut off some of the low branches on the spruce so we could get through to move them back home. They are very good about going in when it starts to get dark, better even than the big ones. But the big girls are so well trained now that we just have to call them and offer a simple cup of scratch to get them all running to the coop in an hysterical pile right in front of our feet. Egg production is getting later in the day now. Sometimes the first egg doesn't drop until nine in the AM, with the last coming at 5 or later. Average between 11 and 14 a day. The coops need to be cleaned more in this hot weather, so all help is welcome on that. Earwigs have found the small coop, but the girls do eat them as soon as the door is opened. Water has to be filled fairly often during the day now also, given the heat. They are going through it fairly fast. Some new beetles appeared in the last few days, swimming in the pails of rain water. They look much like Japanese beetles, only brown. since we suspect them of being evil, we have discovered that the girls really like them, so no problem. They liked the potato beetles too, but the fence kept them from doing the job needed to keep them under control. We had to hand pick and then carry them to the coop.

Some of the girls are still looking very raggedy as they are still plucking their own feathers. We really need to get the blue kote on them soon. Help needed for this too. Jeanne and I will be gone Friday night and return Saturday afternoon, so maybe some of us can find time after we get back to take care of this together. They aren't going to like it.

Peggy for the girls

Chicken Coop News

It has been busy lately. The young chicken with the neurological disorder had to be put down, as she could not stand up and was clearly suffering. We are told it might have been from a mosquito bite. Sometimes young ones can't take the toxin. We will never know. Anyway, thanks to Frank for taking care of it for the coop in a merciful way. The teenagers have tripled in size in just the last week it seems. Baby rooster is looking more and more suspicious, but he is friendly, and will probably play a protective role for awhile. We are now talking about letting him grow up and prove his gender before giving him up. We won't name him or get attached, as he/she might have to go to chicken retirement along with some of the bigger, problem hens in August. The two brooders get fatter and limper every day. They feel like jelly when picked up. But we have been carrying them outside everyday, several times a day, and putting them on the ground with the others. They will take a small dust bath, drink some water, act grumpy with the other hens, even run around a bit, and return shortly to their chosen nest boxes. The white one will move to different boxes to brood eggs laid there. It does not seem that either of them is laying anymore, just babysitting.

We have also been told that the feather picking and bald areas are a result of mites or lice, and that we need to dust the pens and chickens, then put on this blue stuff that tastes nasty so they will stop eating their own feathers. So we have purchased these things, and I am putting the dust in the pens and dust bathing areas. It will take two people to dust the rear areas of each hen (we are told around the vent is important) and then spray the blue-kote on the bare spots. I hate to use chemicals, but the girls are looking pretty ratty and some are quite raw. Anyone wanting the experience of playing vet this week is welcome. The stuff is on the counter. It isn't supposed to get in the nest boxes or the food and water, even though it is supposed to be relatively non-toxic stuff made from plant material.

We will be gone for four days. The girls will go nuts if they don't get outside for that long, so hopefully someone will come spent some time here in the late afternoon or evening and let them out. The big girls can take care of themselves for a few hours outside, if you put the outside water can in the shade for them, and leave the side door open so they can easily get food and water and dump their eggs inside. I did find one egg out by the compost bin today, because I had let them out too early. The rule has been ten eggs before release. They are getting good about putting themselves away when they hear the hawk or are warned by the crows and chickadees. If they are too far out, they will hide under the pine trees and spruces. When it is time to go in as far as you are concerned, it is possible to lure them with two plastic containers of scratch. Usually they will follow you in (most of them) and you can close the door while you are in the pen, but able to let in the stragglers as they arrive. We do sometimes have to chase one or two down. Boots on a leash works well also. I usually put them away just before I think Wendy & Matt might want to let Boots run when they get home from work, or at about 8 if they are working late. Then I let the little girls out about half hour before it starts to get dark. They don't go very far and will put themselves away. In fact they are easier to corral than the big ones sometimes. In both cases, do the count. Some do hide. Big ones: Buff-5, barred rock-4, black-2, white-1, Wyandotte-2, reds-3, red & white- 1, araucanas- 3. For the little ones: 3 reds, 3 barred rocks, 3 wyandottes. And don't try to let them all out at once yet. I tried that and a big one immediately attacked one of the little guys.

The gardens are really doing well and we hate to leave them. Everything is planted, some seeds just put in, so everything needs lots of water this week. Be generous with the water as everything is getting off to a good start or is brand new. Jennie's radishes are beautiful. We had to pull ours up as they were planted too deep. We started over. Wendy has some great looking chard. Frank & Jennie are going to have a three sisters garden that will be amazing. Ours was started later and the beans and squash just went in today. The whole thing will be an amazing jungle before long. Lots of inter-planting going on. We have put beets and carrots everywhere, determined to get a crop this year. The potato beetles are on all the potato plants, in all four places, so we are patroling regularly. The eggs are bright orange and can just be scraped off the underside of the leaf and crushed. The little beetles are kind of cute, orange and black with little spiked sides. The adults are yellow and black striped. All of these can be easily gathered in your hand in a bunch and carried right to the big hens. Throw them into the pen and they will gobble them right up.

We will not be feeding birds for awhile, as the bear visited Wendy & Matt and our house last night and tore up the feeders. A reminder to make sure that the garden gate is always closed. We have friends who found a bear sitting on their strawberry patch two days ago. The row cover over ours and the fence seem to be protecting them a bit and we have actually gotten a few strawberries. Feel free to peak under the cover for ripe berries this week. If they haven't been eaten by slugs, they can go in the fridge. The other two row covers can stay on the mellons and cucumbers, as finally no one is eating them as they emerge now. Water goes through the cover.

That's it from farmer Peggy

Another hen in the hospital

Tonight Jeanne and I decided to let the small girls out of the pen for the first time. They puttered around not too far from the coop and did very well, munching on weeds. One of them ran into the pen after awhile and stayed there. When we looked in on her, she was just sitting with her head tucked back over her back. We checked closer and it was clear that something was wrong. She cannot straighten out her neck, and goes in circles when trying to walk. It looks like her neck is broken or there is some spinal injury. One other girl came in and started pecking at her in a mean way, so it may be that she was attacked outside and we missed it. None appeared strange when they were first let out. I picked her up and she can just lay there with her neck turned around. She is probably the smaller of the New Hampshires, the one that has already been selected as the bottom of the pecking order. Chickens can be as mean as young teens can to each other. Anyway, it is not clear that she will make it, but we put her in Esmeralda's box in the garage with food and water for the night. The rest came back in while we were trying to figure out what was wrong, with a little herding from Jeanne.

When I first went to college I was planning to become a veterinarian. This was the old days, and the dean talked me out of it because I was a woman and didn't stand a chance of getting accepted without a 4 point, which I had no plans to get. Wasn't a serious student at the time. I am often sorry now I did not pursue it. We could use a vet in the neighborhood. Boots is still recovering from the porcupine attack to the eyes several weeks ago, and now we have another hospitalized hen. We also have one suspicious character we plan to return soon, who looks alot like Pete in his early days. May be down to 8 new ones soon.

Peggy, unlicensed and unskilled veterinarian substitute

Teenager News

The young girls have tripled in size in the last week and they are getting into some grown up ways. They are quite curious about the big girls. Hopefully they will not imitate their habit of eating their own feathers. The one Rhode island red is almost completely bald now, and she is doing it to herself. The young ones are now able to get into their coop for the night, with a little persuasion. That means moving their food inside. Chickens always follow food. A few of them have figured out how to get on the roosts, though they still seem to sleep in piles. Yesterday when it was raining, they were under the coop in two piles, one at each end. One pile had the black and whites, and the other had the reds. So they have established some age segregation it seems, which coincides with color also. One of the wyandottes is really looking like a rooster already, and the guy at the feed store says we can bring it back and maybe exchange it for another. Hard to see what we would bring home however. All the chicks at the store are only a day old or so. There are so many really cute ones. I almost came home with a few of the Polish chicks, which have an extra cap on their heads that looks like a beenie. They are really sweet looking. But I was disciplined and only returned with food and a big chick drinking can.

Since the resident squirrel in the garage had chewed through the plastic feed container, we have moved things around and acquired another big metal can. The food for the young ones is in a white bag in the same can as the big girl food for now, so pay attention. Scratch and the new developer food in the other can.

Our broody hen has changed little in the last week. She sits all day in the same box. Some of the hens lay on top of her and she broods the eggs until we get them. She can be carried outside and she might walk around for a few minutes. But she is rather grumpy about it, attacks any hen that gets near her, and soon returns to her box. It is not clear when she eats or drinks, but when she is kicked out for awhile she seems perfectly normal. Since she gets no exercise, she feels like a bag of jelly. She doesn't seem to like anyone, but is willing to watch out for eggs. Several others will sit on a few until we come to get them. We do have a few egg eaters who have been caught in the act, so it seems the others are being protective. So far we have caught a red, an auracana, and a barred rock eating eggs. Average egg production is now 13-14 a day.

The new coop needs cleaning. Who wants to be the first to try it with ten teenagers running around under foot?

Peggy, teenage guidance counselor