Texas

[Heidisgran]

Largish bantam Easter Egger. We think she is pretty!.

she's beautiful!

 

[hotrodflash]

Thanks for your comments. I've done a lot of studying and workshops with professional animal trainers who consult for zoos. In general, the operant conditioning branch of modifying behavior tends to avoid aversives. Violence often begets violence. At the same time, I don't want to let aggressive behavior go that could turn into dangerous behavior.

I'll drive him off by walking at him if he directs any of that behavior my way.

Now, what does a courtship dance look like? I've read how a dancing rooster is less rough on a hen than one who just grabs the hen, but what does it look like?

Have you thought of using a broomstick to push him away from you or to "bump" him? And I literally mean bump not hit. It has worked for my roosters and I also use it as a guiding stick. I can move them around with it and it allows me a larger "wingspan".

 

[akelley]

Hey y'all!

I've been researching here for a while, but am getting down to the wire as far as when my chicks will arrive (October 3rd!)

I was wondering if anyone here knows of a good feed store in or near Conroe (north of houston). We have a TSC here, but I'm looking for somewhere that sells more than just Purina.

Any Conroe folk around that love their feed store and want to brag about it?

 

[jajeanpierre]

Have you thought of using a broomstick to push him away from you or to "bump" him? And I literally mean bump not hit. It has worked for my roosters and I also use it as a guiding stick. I can move them around with it and it allows me a larger "wingspan".

He isn't very close to me when he does this, but I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for the tip.

 

[CatKai]

Largish bantam Easter Egger. We think she is pretty!.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Doing what we do

sorry not a chicken picture. Horse.
http://birdie52.smugmug.com/Other/NRS-Round-3-A/31623362_bfJQWp/2740101909_jn4hxR5

That looks like so much fun! What do they shoot with and how does everyone stay safe?

 

[bnjrob]

Thanks for your comments. I've done a lot of studying and workshops with professional animal trainers who consult for zoos. In general, the operant conditioning branch of modifying behavior tends to avoid aversives. Violence often begets violence. At the same time, I don't want to let aggressive behavior go that could turn into dangerous behavior.

I'll drive him off by walking at him if he directs any of that behavior my way.

Now, what does a courtship dance look like? I've read how a dancing rooster is less rough on a hen than one who just grabs the hen, but what does it look like?

Yeah, I don't like to use a lot of negatives when dealing with animal behavior issues. Redirecting their attention or preventing the behavior in the first place is so much better. Have had one cock that I practically had to beat with my straw hat to try to get him off me. He had started sparring with another cock and I was trying to get them away from each other, and then the cock swung around and went after me. I took my hat off and used it to keep him from spurring me but he was intent on continuing the fight, he just kept coming at me. I made sure to wear rubber boots to help protect my legs for a while after that, until he chilled out and quit trying to fight everytime I went into his pen.

I have never seen any of our cocks do any kind of courtship dance. They will see when a hen's vent is pulsating or when she is kinda lowering herself to the ground and then they'll run over and do their business. And that is usually when the hen is willing and things get done without a fuss. Other times, the cocks will just run up on the hens and do it without any sign of an invitation from the hen that I can see. Sometimes it seems more like the hens make a fuss just because he gets them while they were in the middle of something like going after a bug.

 

[uglychickens]

Ummm ahhs rain!

 

[uglychickens]

This was something I came across... I feel so bad for that pullet!!!

I have permission to re-post this as long as the original poster don't get any backlash! So on the side of caution I'm omitting the name!

Before there is any sympathy elicited, I can tell you I'll never have sympathy again. I've lost birds to predator getting in, or being able to drag birds out enough to kill them. We just keep making the pens more secure and trapping when we need to.

The final iota of sympathy came when I noticed a bird dragging itself around on the ground. I picked up the bird and was horrified by what I found. The bird had obviously had one of it's legs snagged during the night and pulled to the outside of the pen, nothing else would fit through the wire. The bird had the bottom part of it's leg eaten away, what would be the thigh bone (femur), was just a bare bone, every speck of flesh was eaten away. It looked just a like a chicken bone you would leave on your plate after dinner. However this bone was still attached to a living breathing pullet.

I have no sympathy for predators going after my birds that I have done my best to protect!

Like I said, that poor bird!!

 

[ellie32526]

1. I've heard mothballs are poisonous. Make sure they at in a chicken proof container with vent holes.

2. Mandy - do NOT answer this post!!

Sorry I should have said the mothballs were on the outside of our fence where the chickens couldn't reach them. No chickens were harmed in this intervention!