More perch training

It's been a few weeks since the pullets moved in to their new mini-coop. The new pad included perches, but the birdies were using them as a daytime jungle gym rather than a nightly roost.

After my co-worker took her nine home last week I thought maybe the group would get a little more adventurous with the extra space. Not so. Instead they spent their nights huddled together on the floor of the pen, in the corner furthest from the window. My coworker told me hers took to their perch the first night in her coop, so I thought a little lesson was in order.

I waited until dusk to carry out the lesson plan. Just enough light to see what I was doing, but dark enough that the birds wouldn't be interested in leaving their new post. One by one I scooped them up and put them on the perches - five in the middle and three on the lower, only because I couldn't reach the top.

I flipped on the barn lights quick to get the horses fed, and one unsettled bird decided it preferred to be on the ground. Lights went back out. Scooped up the errant pupil. Put it back on the lower perch. Then take a picture and hope the flash doesn't disturb them too bad.

Working for elbow-err, wing- room

If I flipped the lights on they pullets would start getting restless and looking at the ground. Rather than risk another repeat lesson the lights stayed off while the horses finished eating (which they were NOT happy about).

Would it work? I went back out about 10 p.m. and everybirdy was still on the perch I placed them.

The next morning I went out early to feed the horses, hoping to catch the pullets on the perch. Two were on the ground, but the others were getting restless and joined them soon.

The big test was that night. Would they take to the perches on their own?

I would say yes.

Now if they could get up there in one flying leap. For now they are still using the temporary perch, about waist high, to leap-frog onto the permanent ladder-style perch. I'll probably "take off the training wheels" and remove the temporary low perch in a week or so. I can only take so many knocks to the head when I duck under it to scoop up one of the birds.

Before and After

Monday was B-Day for the meaties, as in "Butcher Day."

Before

After

Very after (well, six of them)

Thirteen chickens total, average dressed weight of 7 lbs. I haven't had a chance to try one yet but my coworkers who have say they are very tender and juicy.

I'm contemplating the next round already, but it won't be until fall at the earliest.

Operation MiniCoop

Not to be confused with Mini Cooper.

The pullets have outgrown their brooders. I phased out the heat lamp about a week ago. They are big enough to knock over their waterer on a daily basis, and their chick feeders are getting filled up daily with litter. The last straw was yesterday's escape when I didn't tighten down the top netting well enough.

The problem is that for various reasons they are not ready/able to be moved into their permanent adult housing at this time. Among the pullets are thirteen birds I'm starting for other people. One, like me, doesn't have her full coop set up yet. The other has a bunch of older birds so these would have to remain separated for a few more months.

I have a pretty big horse barn, which includes one stall I've already converted to a coop for the meat birds. The logical thing would be to convert another stall to a coop, but I don't need anything quite that large. The solution - convert part of a stall to a sturdier chicken coop. I was planning on having something more storm-ready than a chicken tractor for my laying hens anyway.

Hence the MiniCoop!

First step was critter-proofing the stall windows with chicken wire.

Then I needed to build the fourth wall.

Stand it up and attach more chicken wire. Put in a roof. Build a door.

Periodically stop to wash various cuts and wounds on my hands and apply antibiotic ointment. (I'll spare you that image).

Put down bedding, hang the feeder, place the waterer, and move in the birds!

The only thing missing is a roost system. For now I've moved over the cinder block perches from the brooders.

They're too busy exploring and scratching to notice. But I did have two fly from one end to the other. Finally enough room to spread their wings!

And this morning they were pecking the wall separating them from the meaties. I wonder if chickens know Morse Code.

Perch training

I think they are getting the hang of it.

Unfortunately, the pullets are also outgrowing their brooder. The other one is just as crowded. And messy. And dirty. Think about putting a group of toddlers in a walk-in closet and throwing them fresh food every few hours. Yeah, not pretty.

Time to move up to a new coop. I had the lumber delivered today. There's an empty stall on the east side of the barn. Should give them plenty of room to test their flight skills. in an enclosed space. I can already hear the theme song of the next adventure...

"Well we're movin on up, to the East Side.
To a deluxe apartment in the sky.
Movin on up to the east side.
We finally got a piece of the pie."

 Name that show.

Yum

Four weeks old. Another three weeks to harvest. Just under five pounds each.

Is it wrong that I'm sizing them up to see if they are big enough to stick a beer can up their bum and put them on the grill?