sulphurous gust are howling outside my window , a stark monitor that theweather here in Michiganhas finally startle its dreary descent into winter .
Yesterday , as flurries paint our deck of cards an icy white , I was thankful that we had actually completed most of our seasonal prep oeuvre before the weather condition went south . Typically , we regain ourselves scrambling in the waning daytime , our fingers rude and red-faced from the cold . Not this year , however !
Perhaps it ’s because we ’re all home - found right now . Perhaps it ’s because we need frequent break from our screen and are felicitous to get outside for some impertinent tune and activeness .
Whatever the reason , our to - dos are pretty much complete , including this fall ’s edition of Musical Coops .
Due to rooster death , class tiff and eld / gender progeny , our birds ’ keep system had not exactly been what I ’d call idealistic . During the summer , shuffle the housemates between coop was not a of the essence condition , since they all had good deal of space in which to range and roam .
Hunkered down together for the winter , however , was a totally different deal . One morning last week , I go down out to pitch our birds around into more suitable housing chemical group .
Read more : These pourboire will aid you choose the right chicken coop for your hiss .
Birds of a Feather
First on the list was uniting our aged birds under one roof . For geezerhood , we had kept two Orpington lot in separate hencoop , most latterly headed by Thomas in the principal chicken coop and Claude in the New Orpington coop .
When Ginger Bean overthrew Claude , several of Thomas ’ female child defected to the younger rooster .
Since Ginger Bean ’s crew was now significantly larger than Thomas ’ faithful three , we exchanged their henhouse . Thomas and his trio incite to the modest New Orp chicken coop , while Ginger Bean and his hareem got the tumid henhouse .
tight forrad to hang : With both Claude and Thomas gone , it was meter to merge Thomas ’ trio back into the independent hencoop . The job ? Thomas ’ trio included the very headstrong Alex Royal Palm .
At eld 8 , our sole - surviving turkey young lady had been unwaveringly loyal to Thomas , worrying me that she would not take kindly to order from Ginger Bean . I need n’t have worried . Like the Royal Palm that she is , Alex made herself right at home in the main coop … and made it clear that she , not Ginger Bean , rule the roost .
Ginger Bean for once used his lilliputian razzing brain . He did not challenge the much larger Alex for henhouse leaders .
Duckie Do-See-Do
Now that the Orps ( plus Alex ) were ensconced in the main cage , it was time to reunify the Ancona kinsperson .
Our Ancona duckling couplet , Kiki and Butter Duck , had been continually bully by their much - larger parents . wound , accented and scrawny , the duckies needed out . So we moved them into our empty volaille tractor , where they had full access to intellectual nourishment and could convalesce in public security .
By mid - August , however , I need the tractor to precede Mama Silkie Natalya and her wench to the outdoors . Since I could n’t put the duckies back with their elders just yet , they became temporary houseguest of our Ameraucana little girl .
Now that they had fully recuperated , Kiki and Butter Duck switched hencoop to retort the duck’s egg mint . And , as the large two ducks of the grouping , they showed their parents they were no pushovers .
Read more : Ducks and goose are perfect permaculture poultry !
Cutting the Apron Strings
Meanwhile , Natalya and her three baby were facing two disjoined challenges . First , CJ and Margie , as large - poultry Orpingtons , had spent the summertime grow and develop . They leave both Natalya and their dwarf Orpington sibling , TJ , well behind size - heady .
Keeping the big boys in our winter brooder together with their tiny mama and sister was not an option .
What to do ? The boy were not quite 4 month old yet . The ducks would not tolerate two questioning immature intruders and Ginger Bean even less so .
The Ameraucana girl , however , had elbow room in their coop , specially now that Kiki and Butter Duck had move out . In addition , since Claude ’s death , the Ameraucana pile had been bereft of a shielder .
It was the perfect match .
I brought the boys over , and they were thrilled with all the extra room to explore and new ally to make . The lady friend were not as unrestrained about the two cockerels , however . They expend the intact first two years guide away from the enthusiastic youngsters .
By day four , however , Dolly Ameraucana had instruct the boys how to perch and where the honorable rubble - washup was to be had . CJ and Margie now follow the girl in at Nox and perch side by side with their new coopmates .
Winter Quarters
Natalya and TJ , however , would not be join the boys in the Ameraucana chicken coop .
For starters , we never let our Silkies winter outside . Their lack of hard feathering to protect them from Michigan ’s often sub - freezing temperatures would quickly turn them into chicksickles .
TJ , on the other hand , was a fully feathered Orpington . Her topic was her size : Even the small - sized Ameraucanas were giants compare to TJ . She ’d be smushed in no fourth dimension flat .
I therefore decide to move the mom - and - girl duad back into the winter brooder inside our pole barn . Without CJ and Margie , the brooder seemed positively roomy for the two lilliputian girl .
I still ferry them out to love the few remaining sunny and relatively warm autumn days , but soon they ’ll be hunkering down for the winter within their secure shelter , as will we all .
