So. Down on the Allotment we checked over Rose and Ruby and decided they were ready to be re-saddled. Fitted lovely saddles (from Orpingtons.co.uk - adjustable!). and watched the girs run about for a bit while we got on with skipping out.
The two girls adjusted to their saddles surprisingly quickly, so we decided to take down the barrier between Rose&Ruby and Roo&Mrs. The four birds were quickly together.
We carried on with the rest of the tasks: disposing of dead rats from the traps, topping up the feeders, scrubbing and refilling the waterers, skipping out, etc etc. I caught Mrs and checked her over, and gave her a dusting of powder under her saddle.
In the Baby pen, three of the boys are crowing. But they are only 12 weeks old! They are already wearing 18mm rings, and I think we will need to change them soon. Checked over everyone else and made a note of who needs a ring change. I must take a camera, they have changed so much. 2 of the 8 are definitely girls, 4 are definitely boys; not sure about the other 2. They look more like the cockerels, but I'm not sure.
We had a little bonfire to burn the rubbish (away from the chooks of course), all the time we were keeping an eye on Roo. He jumped on poor Rose, who didn't look very impressed. We scooped her up immediately afterwards to check that she was OK.
And then it was time to leave. What to do? Separate them again? We really want to get Roo and Mrs out of their pen, as the cockerels in the baby pen are starting to irritate him. We could also do with the space to move the baby girls into, in the hope that it causes less trouble between the boys. But was it too soon?
We decided to leave the fence open. DH has gone back now with strict instructions to catch both Rose and Ruby and inspect them. We'll also go back this evening, to see whether they are sleeping in the same coop or whether they have gone back to their separate coops. (Hopefully they'll be in the same coop, and we can close the other area off, providing a very large "no mans land" between Roo and the Boys.
I hope this goes OK.
EDITED TO ADD: DH just got back, both Girls fine. (And one of the 5 Laydees-who-lay had managed to get in with the Babies).
The two girls adjusted to their saddles surprisingly quickly, so we decided to take down the barrier between Rose&Ruby and Roo&Mrs. The four birds were quickly together.
We carried on with the rest of the tasks: disposing of dead rats from the traps, topping up the feeders, scrubbing and refilling the waterers, skipping out, etc etc. I caught Mrs and checked her over, and gave her a dusting of powder under her saddle.
In the Baby pen, three of the boys are crowing. But they are only 12 weeks old! They are already wearing 18mm rings, and I think we will need to change them soon. Checked over everyone else and made a note of who needs a ring change. I must take a camera, they have changed so much. 2 of the 8 are definitely girls, 4 are definitely boys; not sure about the other 2. They look more like the cockerels, but I'm not sure.
We had a little bonfire to burn the rubbish (away from the chooks of course), all the time we were keeping an eye on Roo. He jumped on poor Rose, who didn't look very impressed. We scooped her up immediately afterwards to check that she was OK.
And then it was time to leave. What to do? Separate them again? We really want to get Roo and Mrs out of their pen, as the cockerels in the baby pen are starting to irritate him. We could also do with the space to move the baby girls into, in the hope that it causes less trouble between the boys. But was it too soon?
We decided to leave the fence open. DH has gone back now with strict instructions to catch both Rose and Ruby and inspect them. We'll also go back this evening, to see whether they are sleeping in the same coop or whether they have gone back to their separate coops. (Hopefully they'll be in the same coop, and we can close the other area off, providing a very large "no mans land" between Roo and the Boys.
I hope this goes OK.
EDITED TO ADD: DH just got back, both Girls fine. (And one of the 5 Laydees-who-lay had managed to get in with the Babies).
