Making the most of a sunny day and a dry dustbath. There were 10 chooks in the bath at one point.
One of our Wyandotte’s accidentally got trampled by the goats the other day. Her pupils were like little pins, she couldn’t see or hear. She was wobbling and dragging herself and her beak was chipped with a split in the middle. She must have got right in the middle of a goat scuffle.
The first night she was crying out randomly as if she was being attacked. Yesterday morning one pupil had some dilation and last night she could drink if I put the cup right under her. Today she can turn herself around in the cage and is drinking on her own.
I always give two or three days to try and help if I think there is a chance, especially with brain injury. Hopefully as swelling goes down she will gain more mobility and brain function.
Such a pretty boy, just like his dad Hunter.
Why do we charge for roosters? A lot of people are giving away rooster cheap or free at this time of year.
We sell a few roosters every season, a select few that have excellent temperament and other good qualities. They come from parents with great temperaments. We handle these boys every day, giving them lots of attention and monitoring their behaviour with younger birds and as they start to get a hit of testosterone we keep an eye on how the approach girls in the grower pen. Bad behaviour isnt tolerated, no aggression or fighting and no nastiness toward humans or cats or dogs. They really have to be fabulous to pass the test and confidently be sold for family homes, particularly with children.
A lot of work goes into these boys and they are worth it.
Boys that don’t make the cut live a great life and are then processed quickly and humanely for food and either make or save a lot of money.
So why would we do all that work for free?
Esther Very happy to have babies, gorgeous little day old silkies for her to raise.
Time to shuffle the growers around again. Lots of rain here in Robertson as usual so their run is nice and muddy from all their little feet scratching around. These are one of those groups that refuse to go to bed by themselves and have to be put inside every night or they literally sit in the dirt and complain until sunrise... the things we do for chickens!
I love the way roosters stand guard, all that lovely grass to scratch in but Hunter keeps a close eye on his surroundings to protect his girls.
Chief nest inspectors when I clean out each week. Randall, Esther and Olive had to check each one.