To make me crazy!
Remember that temporary fencing? It was a great way to keep the chickens contained yet able to be out of the coop.
Then one day, I come out and find all the babies cozy in the coop. They were so relaxed….where were the big girls??
Zombie started flying over the fence…and all the big girls joined her. They wandered in the woods. They went down to the pond. They came running back when I shook some treats.
Then they got bold. They decided the berm (the trees between the road and our property) was the best place to hang out. We tried raising the fencing a few inches, but it was no challenge for them.
Then one day I go to meet my son at the bus and find them by the highway! I chased them up the hill…and they came right back down and even closer to the road.
Thank goodness for step-sons
Chicken wire to the rescue! In just a short time my amazing step-son was able to add 6ft tall wire to the temporary fencing and no more flyovers by the chickens. Still need to find a way to add height to the coop door when it’s open, but otherwise it’s been a success.
What about the Wyandotte babies?
Those good baby girls never tried to fly the coop. They are 16 weeks and definitely not babies, but still babies compared to their big sisters.
The Wyandotte chickens are still try to keep some distance from the big girls, but they are officially integrated.
Feeding a mixed flock
One important thing I forgot to mention in the last blog about integrating the flock: what type of feed to use? The big girls are ready for “layer” feed, but the younger girls still need “grower” feed.
After some research, I learned the biggest difference between the two types of feed was the calcium content. We added a dish of oyster shells to supplement the calcium and continued to feed everyone the grower feed. Our eggs (still usually 2-3 a day) and nice and hard. The next time I buy feed the babies will be over 18 weeks so we will finally switch everyone to layer feed.
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