Hi, be aware of excessive hot days.

[GentlemanBird]

Hi, one of my girls passed on today, had a fever yesterday, broke last night. Was up and walking around this morning. No trace of the fever. Checked her this afternoon and she was dead. Holding cage didnt have a cover on it. Had separated her from the rest a day ago and had come home to put her back in with the others when i found her. Looked like heat stroke. Plenty of water, etc. Very sweet bird.
Still have her two sisters and a rooster who hates his no crow collar. He knows he has to tollerate the collar & no crowing or its the pot for him. He and the girls all know their names, they come when I call, he goes in the other direction.
He tried to turn the hens against me but they love their treats too much.
My biggest problem is he's the perfect gentleman, won't mount the hens, so I may have to collect sperm and use insemination techniques to have chicks. He lays down next to them, they groome and baby him. Hes 5 months old, hens are 6 months so expecting eggs in the next two weeks. Need to clip his wings, worried he'll fly up and knock the tarp off the pen. Chicken Hawk in the area. Flies by a few times every day, looking for a way in. Dont want to lose my sweet birds. Anyone know of anywhere I can find videos on how to collect sperm and inseminate hens?
Love the website!
Thanks.

 

[N F C]

Welcome to BYC!

I'm so sorry to hear you lost one of your girls, that's always tough. We really have to watch the heat here in FL, they can get so uncomfortable. We put out extra waterers with frozen water bottles in them, give them cooling treats (like watermelon and cucumbers) and spray off their run a couple times a day.

I've never had a rooster so haven't had to look for the insemination information you want. I would suggest using the search bar at the top left of the screen to look for posts here on BYC or maybe Google the topic. It seems there is a You Tube for everything, you might find what you're looking for there. Good luck.

Wish you well with your flock, nice to have you here!

 

[Zerlog]

If they are panting excessively or seem uncomfortable, I find a good solution is to fill a storage bin with cool water(don't use pool water;it has chlorine), then slowly lower them into the water. Take them out after a few seconds, unless they seem pretty calm and don't mind it. I do this with them when they get hot, and they seem to enjoy it. (other than the fact that they preen for about 20 minutes afterwards.) Hope this helps.

 

[torilovessmiles]

So sorry for your loss and Welcome to BYC!
Make sure you have plenty of area to dust. Dusting is not only for reducing parasites; it keeps them cool in hot summers.

5 months old is still very young. Some cockerels mature earlier than others, but he probably won't dependably fertilize eggs until he's around a year old. He also may be mating them when you're not looking, because if a rooster see's you as the flock leader, he will not mate in your presence. I don't suggest clipping the wings, because he needs those in order to mate, so secure the tarp in a way that he can't get it off.
Are you wanting to hatch eggs as soon as your hens begin to lay? I would wait at least until they have been laying for a few months, because chicks from pullet eggs tend to be weak or even deformed. If you're not wanting to hatch right away, they don't need to be inseminated to lay eggs, so just give it until everyone matures before squeezing the semen out of your cockerel!

 

[GentlemanBird]

Thanks, held her for an hour the night before and yesterday morning so she knew she was loved. Been giving them raisins, had to force Fred the rooster to try one, he doesn't eat hardly anything I put in the cage for them to eat, just stubborn. My hens don't care if he eats the treats or not. Bandit is bad enough about stealing food from her sisters, and she had three worms in front of her just after I got them and she had to steal her sister's worm.
Fred was wild when I got him, no human interaction at all so he doesn't like me at all.
Wanted to get chicks asap, need to know if they'll take care of them etc. If the first ones have problems because of their age, I'll deal with it. Thanks for the heads up on the birth defects.
As to the temperature, they have a gallon of fresh water in a bucket i cut out so they can reach it. Not as hot in the pen as the holding cage. Had been keeping the rooster in it until I knew he wouldnt crow and he didnt have any problem with the temperature.
Bought a homemade coup from a neighbor but I have to rebuild it so they can get between it and the pen. Still have the chicken hawk in the area so i can't let them walk free.

 

[torilovessmiles]

Thanks, held her for an hour the night before and yesterday morning so she knew she was loved. Been giving them raisins, had to force Fred the rooster to try one, he doesn't eat hardly anything I put in the cage for them to eat, just stubborn. My hens don't care if he eats the treats or not. Bandit is bad enough about stealing food from her sisters, and she had three worms in front of her just after I got them and she had to steal her sister's worm.
Fred was wild when I got him, no human interaction at all so he doesn't like me at all.**
Wanted to get chicks asap, need to know if they'll take care of them etc. If the first ones have problems because of their age, I'll deal with it. Thanks for the heads up on the birth defects.*
As to the temperature, they have a gallon of fresh water in a bucket i cut out so they can reach it. Not as hot in the pen as the holding cage. Had been keeping the rooster in it until I knew he wouldnt crow and he didnt have any problem with the temperature.
Bought a homemade coup from a neighbor but I have to rebuild it so they can get between it and the pen. Still have the chicken hawk in the area so i can't let them walk free.

*They won't take hatch and care of the chicks unless they go broody, and you can't force that to happen. They usually won't raise chicks until their second year, unless you have a really broody breed, like a silkie or a game. Chicks without a mother are easy pickings for adult chickens, so you'll have to keep them separate until they are about the same size as your adult birds. They will also need a brooder to keep warm. If you are unable to make an outdoor brooder, they will have to stay inside.
If your cockerel is not ready to mate, and you artificially inseminate with his semen, chances are that it will be unsuccessful in fertilizing the eggs. He'll be ready in a month or two, just have patience
**Roosters don't eat all the treats because they are saving them for the hens. They will either pick it up and drop it, signaling for the hens to come and eat it, or he will let the hens eat while he keeps watch, or both. That's his job! Also, it seems like he is simply submissive to you. In his eyes, you're the Big Man, the top rooster, so don't be surprised that he doesn't like to cuddle as your hens do. It's actually a good thing!

 

[GentlemanBird]

I was handing raisins to him and he wouldnt take it. Once I get him firmly in my arms he stops struggling. But he's still a wild bird and doesn't like to cooperate at all. Still worrying he isn't eating enough. Using an egg laying pellet feed, found they go nuts over it if it gets wet. Was woried about leftover making them sick but they eat it all.
Before I got them had bought a bag of dust for them that I gave to the former owners. Still havent gotten it back.
Used to have chinchillas so I know how valuable a dust bath can be.
If I get a country place im looking at, may get another dozen birds and some chinchillas, all to raise for pets and sales.
Thanks for all the advise.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[drumstick diva]

Damp feed can go moldy fast in a hot climate. If they leave any behind - remove it. Moldy food can kill them. Roosters should NOT be getting layer feed- the extra calcium is not needed since they don't produce egg shells. The calcium can damage their kidneys. Pullets they haven't begun laying and hens that have stopped laying should n NOT get layer feed either.

Have you checked your birds for worms? That may be the reason your rooster is thin. Chickens don't need to eat raisins. I won't eat broccoli and NO ONE can make me.
Try finding something your rooster does like- watermelon, scrambled eggs, cooked warm oatmeal. I think he is afraid to eat in your presence especially after you tried force feeding him.

Chill out on him - he probably looks at your efforts as punishment. Let him be - he will come around when he doesn't think you are threatening him. A tarp will never keep out a hawk. You need a strong run cover solid or strong mesh to keep a hawk out. You could still put a tarp over it - to provide shade.

Please do visit the Learning Center, is will provide the information for you to raise and keep chickens successfully.