Re: Perches and chick update

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

Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 14:36:01 +0100

"Jill" <news@REMOVETHISkintaline.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4108dd22$0$76956$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
> Jay wrote:
>

fruit cage is great for
> the first few weeks until they are big enough to not go through the
fencing
> and not be so likely to be picked off by the crows.
> As long as the bare soil is dry - ie its only for a short time and there
> will be litter and stuff around. The babies will love the seeds and the
bugs
> Mum finds for them. Watch the compost heap though - Mum will have that
> completely scattered !!! and partly decomposed stuff can be dangerous -
> botulism. So it might be better to screen that off.
>
> Buzzards can be a problem with young growers.
>

Since posting I've been thinking (while walking dog and weeding etc) - I
like the fruit cage idea. The compost is simply the mulch of rotted compost
around the fruit bushes. Not an actual heap. I'm ready for it to all get
scattered though. I think there will be much more to occupy mum and
youngsters in the cage and they can dust bath to their hearts content. -
they are rapidly destroying the grass which I had got looking lovely for the
hens to move back to this winter :~((. I can also add to their green veg
intake with lettuce and greens from the veg garden.
The ark and run are not really big enough for much longer and I'm going to
convert the run area into a house until my new house and run arrives.
(Thank you Jill for all your help in choosing the best one.) But that means
there won't be a safe run area for the chicks so the fruit cage should work
well. It's about 3.5m x 12.5m and I think I'll jsut let them in half at a
time.

> > 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.
>
> She might lose some interest in them - she does not always get the choice
> :~))) The babies will have other ideas. She is the best one to introduce
> them to the rest of the flock as she will make the others mind their P's
and
> Q's. Youngsters will courrie up to Mum even when they are well grown.

My plan (well the most recent one) was to put Mum back with the others but
as that house won't accomodate many more birds, put the new ones on their
own in the new house. But perhaps this isn't the best plan. What do you
think - should I leave Mum with them? Whan can they survive without her (and
without extra artificail heating?
>
Regards

Jay