Chicken abandons flock

[Smart Red]

I can imagine a young pullet being lured into another experienced rooster's flock, but this is a new one on me. One of my 2 year old birds, Egglet, an Easter Egger, has decided to move in with the new flock. She has gone from the bottom of the pecking order to darned near the top with this action.

We were talking about dogs -- and other pets -- making a plan of action. Could Egglet have made the switch with conscious thought and planning?

 

[so lucky]

It makes sense to want to move from bottom of the pack in one group, to top of the pack in another group. I bet my low-rung girl would gladly join another pack!

 

[Beekissed]

Yep, it happens and it's only natural to want to hang with a flock in which you aren't getting jabbed at the feeder or at roosting time. My young cockerels always separate out into their own flock that ranges far and wide all day, only coming into the coop to roost. If they try to join the big flock the rooster or older hens(mostly the hens) will peck them until they get the message and leave.

This year my older hens picked their new flock master by showing acceptance and favor to the best young cockerel(best conformation, most calm and confident) while driving all the others away. The others chose a new flock master and lived over in the honeysuckle grove all these months, except at roosting time.

That's one reason I really love free ranging all the time...the chickens get a chance to form social structures that keep peace in the flock as a whole. Lower animals have room to live in peace, away from those higher in the social order of the big flock, hens and chicks get to range off alone for the same reason...at peace and living their own little lives.

 

[Smart Red]

That is good to know, beekissed. It is information I had not heard before. All your chickens do return to the same coop at night? I haven't put my laying-age pullets in with the other flock although I would love to get my garden shed back.

 

[Beekissed]

That is good to know, beekissed. It is information I had not heard before. All your chickens do return to the same coop at night? I haven't put my laying-age pullets in with the other flock although I would love to get my garden shed back.

Yep...they all come into the coop each night. All the different factions unite each evening to share the safety of the coop.

The next time you raise up some chicks, you might try raising them right in the same coop as the flock so you won't have integration issues later on.

If you free range at all, that's a great time to integrate grown birds, as the new ones have room to get out of the way of the established matriarchs and are able to rustle their own food. Whenever I bring adult birds into my flock, I just check them over, slather castor oil on their legs, powder their bodies with pyrethrin powder and then turn 'em loose. They learn where the food and roost is by watching the other birds and I've never had any picking on the new bird so bad it can't join in with the flock within a few days, particularly if it's a pullet.

 

[Smart Red]

Thank you. I will still have to deal with a rooster (Nesco) and a gimpy-legged dowager hen, but only two birds in the garden shed is far more workable than all the young girls who fly up to the rafters and make messes all night long.

I also need to find somewhere to have several chickens processed. I can do it alone, but it takes so long rigor mortis sets in before I finish. That and the fact that I haven't figured out how to get a quick clean kill.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm making a vid on that soon...I'll post you a link on it when I get it edited. It will be very poorly done, so don't snicker! It doesn't matter if rigor sets in as you can rest that meat in the fridge for 24-48 hrs and it will be just fine.

Here's some that may help you until then.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-process-a-chicken-at-home

Part 2:

 

[Ridgerunner]

I can't free range. Every time I'm ready to try again someone abandons another dog out here and reminds me why I got that electric netting to start with. It's not ideal but they still have an area about 40' x 90' in addition to the main coop and run. It works.

I try real hard to raise all chicks with the flock, either broody hens raising their chicks from the start or integrating brooder raised chicks by the time they are 8 weeks old. Younger than that and they can get through that electric netting. For various reasons I sometimes do isolate chickens, usually a bunch of rowdy cockerels getting them ready for butchering. Other than the time a two week old chick killed his hatch mate with the broody hen standing by, every chicken I've had kill another chicken (two total) has had something to do with me isolating them. Mine all sleep together in the same coop. There are times I'm a little more diligent about getting down there in the morning to let them out, but normally 9:00 a.m. is plenty early enough.

Red, I don't know what to tell you about a quick clean kill. I grew up using an ax, hoe, and mattock. I'm comfortable I can hit what I swing at. I grew up bringing Mom a plucked and gutted chicken when she told me she wanted one. I'm extremely comfortable with a hatchet, a section of tree trunk, and a couple of long nails driven in a Vee to hold the head steady. You didn't grow up that way. I don't know what the best way for you would be. Ax, cone and knife, cone and pruning loppers, a broomstick, or something else. I tried wringing the neck once as a kid, swinging it around by the head and snapping my wrist. It worked but I wasn't happy doing it that way. Just didn't feel right but I had to try it once.

We all process in our own ways at our own speeds too. I don't set any land speed records but I can get 5 to 7 birds (depending on age and sex) cut up and wrapped in the freezer, the parts I'll use for broth bagged and in the freezer, and all areas, inside and out, cleaned and sterilized well before time to start fixing supper.

 

[Beekissed]

I use a bleach jug cone nailed to a tree, sharp knife to the neck for a bleed out...it's as quick as any other method, quicker than many. Demonstrated the kill for a couple of city folks a few weeks ago and they were amazed at how quick and calm it all was. They had visions of flopping, flapping chickens and gore flying everywhere but it just doesn't have to be like that.

 

[Smart Red]

Dad and I processed 100 cockerels way back in the time, so I know what to do. Back then Dad would "slit" and I would "hack, hack, hack". What I really want is the ability for a clean kill. Recently, DS has done the killing and I've done the rest. It is messy and time consuming, IMHO and as long as there are professionals I'd rather go that way. In an emergency situation, I wouldn't be doing more than one or two at a time and not all day, every day. That I could handle.

Beekissed, that was a very good, well-done video. Thanks!