Re: Perches and chick update

From: Jay (j_green156_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 07/29/04 

Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 09:04:56 +0100

"Jill" <news@REMOVETHISkintaline.co.uk> wrote in message
news:41078ad3$0$24227$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...
>
> "Jay" <j_green156@hotmail.com> wrote in message

> Have you got a bit of a roll of rabbit netting?? - some bamboo canes?? and
> and raspberry netting??
> If you have anything like that then if you weave bamboo canes through the
> rabbit netting you can then skewer them into the ground to make a
protected
> enclosure - raspberry netting over the top stops the buzzards and crows.
> This is what we have done a lot over the years for broods.

I was thinking of doing something like that.

> You don't have a fruit cage do you ?
> If you know anyone with one being sold off cheap they are great for
rearing
> babies in - the advantage is you get your fruit debugged

I have a new fruit cage which at the moment only has four bushes in - and
lots of weeds but not much grass (I plan to plant it up this autumn - when
the new ark arrives hopefully!). I did wonder about moving the broody ark to
the cage but wondered whether it was better to have :

Option 1. to have short grass to scratch about on, a few trees or bushes to
give shade, big hens nexr door (ie other side of electric fence) and an
electric fence. I could make a smaller area with the chicken wire and
netting roof but that will substantially reduce the stretching space for
Mum.

or
Option 2. bare soil (and compost and some weeds) within a fruit cage but
with no electric fencing (and it would not be possible to set up). Obviously
the ark can be safeley closed up at night. There are some bushes which will
provide shade. Loads of space for Mum to play, scratch and stretch her
wings.

AS you know I'm a complete novice at the chick rearing thing so don't yet
appreciate the speed of growth. At the moment the chicks can get through the
electric netting but as they don't (yet) go far from Mum they haven't come
to any harm. The other chickens have looked but not shown any great interest
as yet. But we do have crows and buzzards so I spent the whole of yesterday
looking up at the sky and listenning out for their calls.
I'm also consious that mum will loose interest in the chicks (at about 5
weeks ? ) when I will need to reintroduce her to the other big birds.

As always I'm really grateful for everyone's advice,

Jay