BYC Café

[Shadrach]

Fat Bird. Nine years old, been there, done that, got the T shirt.
First in my house of her own free will. First not to do the post mating shake if I picked her up. She taught me about the escort call.

I mentioned in a post yesterday that Treacle had taken on chick supervision duties.
It seems to be what junior cockerels and roosters do. The division is quite apparent.
There is a reason for this but I haven't worked out what it is. It could be that the junior gets to court and mate with the new pullets as they mature without much interference from the senior rooster. I think it's a bit more complex than that. It would be just as easy for Cillin the senior rooster to leave Treacle with the others hens and do the rounds himself. Cillin has done this in other circumstances. You can see this isn't chance when he's done this in the past. It's an arrangement be it instinctive, or communicated.
I did at one point think he might be the father of one or more of Mel's chicks but every time I've seen him try and mate with Mel, she's either given him a slap, or ran.

This is Cillin and the rest of the hens. Poor Fudge (middle hen) is having a bit of a uncomfortable moult and she's still laying eggs. I've been getting a bit of extra fish down her. Tackle is also laying eggs but not moulting. She's a bit of a feather mess because she's mating with Cillin and Treacle. It will calm down next month. I have to check her for cuts to under her wing everyday.

 

[DobieLover]

Fat Bird. Nine years old, been there, done that, got the T shirt.
First in my house of her own free will. First not to do the post mating shake if I picked her up. She taught me about the escort call.
View attachment 1918599

I mentioned in a post yesterday that Treacle had taken on chick supervision duties.
It seems to be what junior cockerels and roosters do. The division is quite apparent.
There is a reason for this but I haven't worked out what it is. It could be that the junior gets to court and mate with the new pullets as they mature without much interference from the senior rooster. I think it's a bit more complex than that. It would be just as easy for Cillin the senior rooster to leave Treacle with the others hens and do the rounds himself. Cillin has done this in other circumstances. You can see this isn't chance when he's done this in the past. It's an arrangement be it instinctive, or communicated.
I did at one point think he might be the father of one or more of Mel's chicks but every time I've seen him try and mate with Mel, she's either given him a slap, or ran.
View attachment 1918600

This is Cillin and the rest of the hens. Poor Fudge (middle hen) is having a bit of a uncomfortable moult and she's still laying eggs. I've been getting a bit of extra fish down her. Tackle is also laying eggs but not moulting. She's a bit of a feather mess because she's mating with Cillin and Treacle. It will calm down next month. I have to check her for cuts to under her wing everyday.View attachment 1918601

Do you blunt the spurs at all to prevent cuts?
So far, Fabio's spurs are still not too long. Maybe 1.25" and they aren't sharp. But I will likely give the spurs and nails a little nip and file to round them off.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Nights are always the worst when you're sick, aren't they? I hope that stuff works for you!

me too will let you know in a few days .. your girl is the size of our crazy white dog now ..
When I actually keep a rooster I will cut off one spur do it with a cutting wheel on my dremel no fuss of muss no blood either spins so fast sears also

 

[Shadrach]

Do you blunt the spurs at all to prevent cuts?
So far, Fabio's spurs are still not too long. Maybe 1.25" and they aren't sharp. But I will likely give the spurs and nails a little nip and file to round them off.

I do yes. I file them. It's not just the points. Some of the roosters here get like ragged spur shafts as well. They need to be rounded away. Often it's not the spurs, it's the inside toe nail. I file these as well when I notice.
There seems to be something in the Marans genes on the female side that makes them prone to feather loss and damage during mating. The first summer I spent here all the Maran hens had completely bare backs and scraped sides and the bare patches were as big as my hand.
The bantams rarely suffer from broken feathers; the more bantam gene cross breeds don't get feather breakages either. The size and weight difference within the breed is relatively similar. I can't believe all the bantam males are more adept or gentlemanly.

 

[DobieLover]

I can't believe all the bantam males are more adept or gentlemanly.

Certainly not!
I'd go for the weight being a big factor.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Fat Bird. Nine years old, been there, done that, got the T shirt.
First in my house of her own free will. First not to do the post mating shake if I picked her up. She taught me about the escort call.
View attachment 1918599

I mentioned in a post yesterday that Treacle had taken on chick supervision duties.
It seems to be what junior cockerels and roosters do. The division is quite apparent.
There is a reason for this but I haven't worked out what it is. It could be that the junior gets to court and mate with the new pullets as they mature without much interference from the senior rooster. I think it's a bit more complex than that. It would be just as easy for Cillin the senior rooster to leave Treacle with the others hens and do the rounds himself. Cillin has done this in other circumstances. You can see this isn't chance when he's done this in the past. It's an arrangement be it instinctive, or communicated.
I did at one point think he might be the father of one or more of Mel's chicks but every time I've seen him try and mate with Mel, she's either given him a slap, or ran.
View attachment 1918600

This is Cillin and the rest of the hens. Poor Fudge (middle hen) is having a bit of a uncomfortable moult and she's still laying eggs. I've been getting a bit of extra fish down her. Tackle is also laying eggs but not moulting. She's a bit of a feather mess because she's mating with Cillin and Treacle. It will calm down next month. I have to check her for cuts to under her wing everyday.View attachment 1918601

Very cool pictures!

 

[Shadrach]

Certainly not!
I'd go for the weight being a big factor.

The thing is the size and weight difference is the same between bantam hens and roosters as it is with Marans and Cillin is only three quarters Maran.

 

[Shadrach]

Very cool pictures!

Thanks. The inside pictures haven't come out very well.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Thanks. The inside pictures haven't come out very well.

I love that you have chickens and chickies that come into the house. Pretty neat how much more you can obviously observe from that kind of interaction.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I admit never brought one in for long and only to the laundry sink guess I am more like Ma then I knew that way