No new photos as of yet. I should have some today.
I lowered the roll out nesting boxes to make it easier for the hens to get in and do their egging when the time comes. No eggs yet, the oldest ar maybe 10weeks or so.
I also added a bit more pine shavings to the coop and brooder After turning all of it over. It seems to last longer if I give it a turn once a week. I am sure the rain from yesterday did not help.
All the birds have been going out and foraging quite nicely. From what we have read this can be a hard transition for them. Easy access to food in the feeder can make them lazy And unwilling to forage. Ours damn near run out of the pen.
We have had some crows around, but with 100 birds they only land for food when the chickens are inside.
The chickens and keets did bag a tweet bird. He landed on the out side of the coop under the plywood I had leaning against it. The chickens defended their territory by pecking him to death. It was pretty interesting to watch. Reminded me of the scene in jurassic park, the book not movie, where the compys eat the old benefactor of a doctor. Peck, by peck. There used to be alot of frogs around the coop before I let them out to forage. I mean dozens Of frogs from bull frogs to green treefrogs. To the it bit garden frogs. 2 days after I let them out I have not seen one. I don’t know for sure that the chickens were able to get any of them. Clearly though the word went out about a new sherif in town.
The chicks are also learning to come in and out pretty well. They are doing a good job at returning to the run and coops as night falls. This was a major concern for us with the guineas. They all seem to be making the adjustment well though.
The guineas are getting big. They are easily flying 8ft high and 30 ft long when they want to. Right now they are sticking to the freedom foragers and treetop them like brothers and sisters.
The group as a whole is integrating better now that they can forage outside the enclosed run. Keets and FORAGERS are not being hounded by the older chickens, and are often in there midst.
Food wise the are eating significantly less crumble Perday. What was about 6 gallons per day spaced out into 3 2 gallon feeding is now 1 2 gallon feeding at night. At 15 bucks a 50lb bag. That ads up to a tidy savings. I think, in my limited experience, that is pretty good improvement for 104 chickens and keets.
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