Possible breeding program

[LaurenRitz]

The Biel x BA cockerel is stuggling. That leg is not healing. He got out the other day (high winds blew the door open) and the girls started chasing him again. Now he's right back where we started, refusing to put weight on that leg.

Add in his aggression toward me and toward the girls, he needs to go. I understand he's just a teenager with no self control, but I see behaviors hardening into habits that I won't tolerate.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I went out to the coop to explain to him what was going to happen tonight, and he was already gone.

I'll do a necropsy tonight, hopefully find out what happened. I suspect some heart problem, based on the color of his comb (purple). I didn't realize he was sick, I thought it was just his leg being hurt.

I try not to do necropsies or butchering where the other chickens can see. It just seems disrespectful.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Looks like heart failure because of liver failure. His liver was seriously engorged, and I think the heart just gave out. Most of the blood was around the heart, not the liver, which was unexpected.

The fact that this was so far advanced after only 18 weeks suggests a genetic link.

 

[LaurenRitz]

The Biel x JG cockerel seems to be settling in. They were all having a communal dust bath this afternoon, and he was right there. No one chased him away.

The JG x RIR teenagers are almost 6 weeks old. The adults are foraging around their enclosure and pretending to ignore them. They are freed every morning but still prefer to stay close to safety.

The chicks are almost two weeks old. If I can get the older chicks into the coop this week then I can move the babies into the outside brooder so they can get used to each other.

Half of them will be the hens for the new coop. Half will go to the old coop, and once they're laying I'll rehome the older hens.

At least, that's the current plan.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Noticed something interesting. Actually I noticed it before but decided to record it here. The two brown maybe-pullets have green legs.

The other two are definitely yellow.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I saw something interesting with the teenagers yesterday that I have never seen before with chicks. I am not sure if I am misinterpreting.

Two of the chicks, one male and one female, seemed to be titbitting for each other. They were taking turns picking up a piece of food and dropping it.

I find it encouraging that they are (or seem to be) mimicking adult behavior at 6 weeks.

Another interesting thing was two cockerels faced off, and rather than either of them submitting they sort-of bowed with their necks crossed and then both went back to foraging.

I am not sure what that means, if anything.

 

[LaurenRitz]

The brooder is closed so the teenagers will have to roost in the main coop tonight. The chicks met the adults for the first time. The cockerel flared his hackles at all the little boys, then ignored them.

Tomorrow I set up the brooder for half the new chicks. Marans and Speckled Sussex will be part of this flock.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I am seeing the transfer of authority. Yesterday the young cockerel got in a fight with the lead hen. When he had her down and was pecking her head, the other girls piled on to stop him. He backed off, she attacked him again. Same result. He backed off a little, she attacked again. This time the Beast got the worst of it and ran.

He chased her right around the house, and when they got back he was still running easily and she was staggering, panting and ready to drop. When he stopped she did drop, which he of course took as an invitation to mount.

She fought him off, ran again, dropped again. Rinse, repeat.

This is the hen that has knocked roosters off other hens, chased the roosters away from the flock, attacked other hens for letting the roosters mount, and apparently badly injured the cockerel that died last week. She'll squat for me, but no one else.

I hope the change is permanent, but we'll see.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I keep hoping I am seeing what I think I am seeing with the JG x RIR backcross.

I built my new coop with a built-in brooder and broody box. The new chicks are in the broody box, which is rather cramped and opens straight to the unsecured run. The teenagers are in the main coop at 6 weeks.

The teenagers are intensely interested in the chicks.

I was working in the broody box yesterday and one of the babies got past me. If I moved she would panic and run right outside.

The teenagers were hanging around watching. As expected, the baby jumped up on the lip of the broody box. One of the teenagers moved to stand right on front of her.

The baby hopped down, outside. The teenager bopped her on the head once, and she jumped back in the brooder. The teenager stayed there, sort-of guarding the door, until I came out.

There seems to be a level of "other" awareness that I have never seen in chickens before.

I guess adulthood will show whether it's wishful thinking or reality.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I was confused when I heard a second crow after my young cockerel. None of the chicks are old enough yet...

I looked outside and it was the lead hen. Not a full blown crow, but definitely a crow!

It will be interesting to see what happens when there's a second cockerel. Same fight all over again?

She is crowing right after the cockerel, which if she were a rooster would put her in the beta position.