Fowl not Foul Flock Diary

June 2008

On 4th June the chicks were 4 weeks old, and feathering up nicely. During the day they were allowed outside in an enclosure to expolore. They enjoyed this, scratching and pecking about in the vegetation and exercising their wings. Both chicks are off-white, with ginger feathers appearing on their necks and wing coverts. They both have cushion combs like their father, Sopwith.

Below: Boris

Below: Horse

Below: Boris and Horse

Eggs from Damaris and Carmen are now in the incubator, and are due to hatch on 21st June.

Below: Sopwith, Carmen and Damaris

Below: Sopwith

Below: Carmen

Below: Damaris

Below: Various views of Boris (left) and Horse (right)

Below: Boris and Horse on 8th June 08

Below: Boris

Below: Horse

On Friday 13th June I was late shutting the chickens in. When I arrived at their enclosure, I first noticed some of Carmen's orange feathers, then Sopwith by the gate. I opened the gate and he rushed out. It was then that I noticed the fox running away from me. It was a complete surprise, as I had heard no squawking or commotion. The fox ran frantically about in the enclosure, as I was blocking his way out, and he couldn't get back over the fence, his way in. I managed to kick him, and he rushed past me and escaped through the gate. I discovered Damaris near the gate, dying with a broken neck. Carmen was in the same state, under the henhouse. There was nothing I could do for them.

I searched and searched for Sopwith, but to no avail.

Carmen and Damaris will be sadly missed.

On the next day, Sopwith turned up in next door's garden while we were securing the run. He allowed himself to be caught, and on inspection he had a couple of scrapes on his back, and reddened bruises on his neck, and a bloody comb. He had lost feathers from his tail, saddle, back, neck, breast and underparts. His voice sounded very hoarse. When he tried to crow it sounded very croaky, and only 20% of his usual volume.

When he was let go into his enclosure he stayed mournfully behind the henhouse, near where I found Carmen's body. However, he ate and drank well, and otherwise seemed none the worse for his ordeal.

Boris and Horse were in a different enclosure entirely when the fox attacked, so they were absolutely fine.

Also on 14th June, at about lunchtime, Carmen and Damaris' eggs in the incubator began to chirp and tap.

By Sunday morning, two of the eggs had pipped.

Below: Boris, 15th June 08

Below: Horse, 15th June 08

Boris and Horse's plumage is coming through Red Pyle.

By Sunday evening, the first little chick had hatched, but the second had made no progress.

Below: the first chick hatching

I enlarged the air hole on the second egg, but by Monday morning nothing had happened. I waited until the afternoon, and then helped the little bird out. It was very weak, but seemed ready to hatch as there was no blood and the yolk had fully absorbed. I left it in the incubator to rest and dry out

Below: the second chick, 16th June 08

I decided to name the first chick Shuffler, as it seems to prefer to just shuffle about rather than use it's legs. I'm worried that it won't learn to walk properly.

Below: Shuffler

Unfortunately the second chick died. It was too weak to stand, and did not survive the night..

Little Shuffler was also a worry, as it still could not control its legs properly, which were being held out the the sides. To stabilise Shuffler, I put corrugated cardboard on the floor of it's box, so that it could grip more easily. I also taped the legs into a more stable position, using a hobble arrangement. This helped Shuffler, and it was able to stand up, if a little wobbly.

By Tuesday 17th, little Shuffler should have been eating by itself. However, it was showing no interest in food at all, so I began to hand feed it a mix of water, chick crumb and Poly-Aid mashed together, using a small syringe.

By Thursday 19th, little Shuffler could walk slightly, but had almost no control over its direction. I continued to hand feed it, and continued to encourage it to eat on it's own. But little Shuffler did not eat enthusiastically, only occasionally picking up a morsel to swallow, the rest of the time it just played with the food. Today Shuffler weighed 25.18 grammes.

On Thursday 19th we collected two Light Sussex cross pullets, the father being an Old English Pheasant Fowl.

Below: The two new pullets

Below: the darker pullet, Bridget

Below: the lighter pullet, Hilda

As soon as Bridget and Hilda were let out in the run with Sopwith, he clucked softly to them. They were very wary of him, and when he did the dropped-wing mating dance to Hilda, she pecked him smartly on the head, and he gave up. Bridget agve him the same treatment. however, Sopwith seemed delighted with his new girls.

On Friday 20th, Shuffler weighed 24.12 grammes. Past chicks have weighed double that amount at that age. Unfortunately little Shuffler died, despite my best efforts to hand feed it, and give it love and attention. I'd grown very attached to little Shuffler, and although it lived for only a week, it will be missed.

Please check back here next month for more news of the chicks

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