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[rebrascora]

Hi Jayne. Sorry for the delayed reply.

I did a bit of research but couldn't find any Brahmas listed as rare breeds but that may be my poor research skills. I have no personal experience of the breed.

As regards my own cocks/cockerels, I have 2 cream legbars , 2 welsummers, 3 exchequer leghorns, one brown leghorn cross, 5 marans crosses and 5 legbar crosses and 5 farmyard mutt youngsters that are about 10 weeks .... I hadn't actually totalled them up until now that you've asked about them and it's worse than I thought....as I said..... far too many and some will be getting processed tomorrow night as they are making a nuisance of themselves with the girls. Having an established head cock bird helps to keep the junior males in check as regards aggressive behaviour.... it's just raging hormones causing them to grab any hen or pullet they can sneak up on. My bachelor pad is already full, so the ones still within the flock that are causing a nuisance will have to go first. They have had a much better and longer life than supermarket shelf chickens, so whilst it is emotionally very hard for me to process them, I can at least ease my conscience that they had the best life possible..

Harry my original legbar, who is head honcho was very well behaved towards me when I first got him but extremely aggressive towards Horace my original exchequer leghorn. Eventually I had to move Horace and his ladies to a separate area as he was really getting a daily hammering from Harry. The moment Horace was out of the picture, Harry decided to have a go at me. We had two or 3 weeks of dispute over this until he accepted I'm the boss and since then he's been good as gold and not aggressive towards me or anyone else or any of the other cockerels that have grown up in the flock, many of which have been his sons.
Interestingly, after I moved him, Horace, who had never been a problem, decided to challenge me too on a daily basis and I was never able to train him and had to keep a broom handy at all times in his presence. He was the one that took on a dog and lost and I was not as sad as I might otherwise have been. So, the more dominant of the two was trainable and we now have mutual respect but the lower ranking one, once he had his own area and girls, would attack me the minute he got the chance.

I now have Harry and Henry (Henry is no trouble at all) as my two flock cocks and the youngsters are all surplus cross breeds that get raised to about 6 months for meat. Once they start harassing the girls it helps to motivate me to deal with them..

How are things going with your laddo? Do you think you are making any progress with his manners?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Good morning all

Just popping in to see how everyone is doing, hope everything is good for you all?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi Kim

Hope you haven't had too much wind damage where you are. The wooden telegraph pole right next to my stables (like two feet away) came down onto the main road but hugely relieved to report that it missed my new roof.... by inches! Phew!! Otherwise my plastic greenhouse took off down the garden and collapsed at the bottom where I managed to get it pinned down and made safe.

I did another two cockerels last night but it didn't go well. I think the ground must not have been completely level under the broom shank and I didn't manage to dislocate the neck properly first attempt. Unfortunately I didn't realise straight away as of course they flap and struggle during death throws, so I was mortified when I realised it wasn't dead and had to pluck up the courage to get hold of it and do it again. Up until now I have found them pretty quiet if I lifted them off the roost at night and carried them into the feed room to do them. Unfortunately the second one I did was a screamer. He and I had had a few run ins during the past fortnight when he had been harassing the hens and as a result he has been very wary of me and I think he knew when I took him off the roost that his number was up. Even the horses came clattering out of the stable at all the commotion. I has set myself a target of doing 3 out of the 5 that were ready to do but after two I had to call it a night and go for a stiff drink! I had a gut feeling that I wasn't in the right frame of mind to do them last night but felt that I must do it for the sake of my hens. I now have them to process, which will be a slow but less emotional task. I couldn't sleep last night for being so upset at my incompetence to dispatch them quickly and cleanly and it's going to make the next ones mentally more challenging still.

Not sure if I mentioned it before but one of my bachelor pad cocks has had a second Marek's attack just over a year since his first. It doesn't look like he is going to recover so easily (if at all) from this one but for some reason I feel compelled to care for him whilst culling perfectly strong and healthy ones..... I know ....I must be insane.... especially as he was always supposed to be processed.... It's just easier to do away with the ones that are ravaging my hens than a poor sick one.
The two chicks that were exhibiting symptoms are holding their own and maybe even improving a little. They go out with the flock during the day and go into the infirmary at night so that I know they have plenty of access to food and water.

On a positive note as regards the processing, I made some really tasty chicken soup with my neighbours hens and used the slow cooked meat from them to make a chicken, peach and broccoli crumble which we had last night and it was delicious. I hadn't made that recipe for years and it really hit the spot.

I rode out a couple of times last week but the weather has been too wild and wet since then to risk it.

Still no eggs from my young pullets but hoping that less cockerels running around will make them feel more secure and help things along. The older hens have also been harassed so hopefully once I get these last 3 males from this batch removed, they might come back into lay. Tasha's comb has gone pale and wizened again, so it looks like I was wrong about a secret nest for her but one of the leghorns has a very red comb and gave me a couple of eggs and then no more, so she may well have a nest somewhere that I haven't discovered yet. She lets herself out on a morning through a hole below the eves where the jackdaws pulled the masonry out and drops down into my neighbour's garden, so her nest could be anywhere.

Think that is all my news. It's raining now, so probably a good time to pluck and dress these birds.

Hope everyone else has survived the storms damage free.

Regards

Barbara

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi Barbara

Oh boy sounds like you have had it rough up there
I bet you were panicking with your new roof, that sure sounded close!! Not too much down here although my run covers have ripped slightly form being buffeted by the wind. It really was getting blown about!!

Try not to feel about the boys you did last night These things happen so I hope it does not put you off. Chin up girl next time will be fine
I'm sorry one of your bachelor boys has another bout of mareks, I think your doing the right thing in nursing him. I would do the same too but not think twice about getting shut of an evil one.

That chicken soup and crumble sound delicious Cooking is not one of my fav jobs, would sooner be out doors. I think if it were not for Charlie me and his Dad would probably live of rubbish!!

I've not ridden this week No way am I going out in the rain that we have had!! Harry does not need to be super fit for his laid back life so for now as long as I've sat on him at least 1-2 a week I will be happy to just keep him ticking over for now. He was desperate for in the other day and to get the heavy wet rug off, was at the gate waiting for me ~

I'm getting about 3-4 eggs per week right now, I've been getting some of my Mum and wait for it "Had to buy some" It was awful really was!! My three pullets are just not showing any sign of getting on with the job even though they are red. Hope you find a secret leghorn nest and some eggs


Speak to soon Barabara, hope your having a lovely evening

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi Barbara!!

How you doing? I've just been watching the news and have seen snow up your way? Have you got a covering? How about the floods have you escaped that?
Are you all set for Christmas? I getting there and have quite shocked myself with it!! Nearly all done and ready for the day.


Hope everyone is good and well?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi Kim

Thanks for concern. Yes we got a covering of snow which is crispy on top this morning. Maybe 2-3inches here in the bottom of the valley but several more up on the top. Ian was out hunting yesterday but the snow was just balling up in the horses feet and not safe. By the time they got back to the lorry, the roads were pretty bad, so it was a very slow and careful drive home. Thankfully no flooding problems here. It's hard to imagine how awful it must be, getting flooded at this time of year particularly.

I'm afraid I'm an aetheist and a "bar humbug" to boot, as far as the "C" word is concerned. It's considered a bit of a swear word to me. "C" stands for stress on a grand scale. Of course we still have a family lunch together although Ian goes to his brother's and I go to my sisters but we don't really do presents and stuff. Just spending time with the people we love. Not having children makes it less of a necessity to conform and with animals to look after still, it's no different to any other day.... so not exactly a "holiday". I know.... I really sound like a miserable git, don't I!!

I assume you don't have any snow?
Chickens refused to come out yesterday apart from the 4 that let themselves out via a hole in the eves before I got there and the snow started. I had a right time tracking them down last night in the dark and returning them to the hen house. Unfortunately I didn't get a good hold of one as she was in a difficult place to reach and she struggled and got free and | spent half an hour tracking her under and over and through the multitude of carriages and equipment and general clutter in the tractor shed and hay shed before I got her back into the hen house. Arrgghh! It was one of my young pullets that are POL so I wasn't going to leave her out for the fox to get. I think I might have given up earlier if it had been a cockerel. I have another 3 of those that I must process pronto and then the younger ones are just starting to get a bit full of themselves, so that will be a job for a few more weeks time when they have filled out. Looking forward to spring when I can enjoy having a break from that side of it and just be excited about pullets laying and perhaps the next generation of chicks.

Think that's all my news. Well done you, for being organised and ready for C. Hope you and everyone else on the thread enjoy the festive season.

Sincerest best wishes

Barbara

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi Barabara,

I'm so pleased to hear your ok up there No we have not had any snow down here yet. There has been some on the Pennines but we are on lower ground that so have escaped it for now. Saturday night was below freezing and after all the rain we had some spots were like an ice rink :/ Was a little hairy in places taking the horses down the field but we all got there in one piece. Chicken waters all frozen up and the like but been pretty mild again since. There seems to be no rhyme or reason with this weather of late. My poor frizzle mother hen has had to come indoors again due the the wet. Although my runs are covered it still gets damp in them and the others push her around. She's not an assertive hen with the others. Sure they have trampled her in the coop as well. Got her in for a bath, trim and blow dry this lunchtime. She's now fast asleep in the utility room. Looks so much better with the dirt off and she is fluffing up much better now.

Sounds like you had fun with the pullet, I can just imagine you tracking her down At least you got her
Good luck with the last of those cockerels, I bet you can't wait for the spring either. I know I can't!! This weather being wet and miserable is just depressing right now. I'm ready for some sun

Even though you don't celebrate "C" I hope you have a lovely lunch with your loved ones. I just have the chickens and dogs to do on the actual day as the girl who keeps her horses with mine is doing Harry for me and I'm doing hers Boxing Day. We have about 10 for dinner on the day so will be super busy here!!

Speak to you soon Barbara, have the most lovely evening

 

[sarahdal]

Hi everyone! I posted in the new members introductions and Yorkshire Coop asked me to post here too - my original post is here.

So I have inherited 6 lovely chickens with my new job, in South Cumbria, I've never had chickens before but I have always wanted to! This weekend I'm planning to fix up the shed they live in, as it's leaky, and clean up the fixtures and fittings.

Any advice or tips very welcome!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi @sarahdal

Welcome to the thread

As you have said getting your leak done and a good clean is a great start. Good quality food and plenty of clean water and they should be good. Also be predator aware especially on a night. Can you lock them up safely in their shed? If not that would be my first job on the list. I've suffered a fox attack and it's just so awful. Losing them due to my not being predator aware was a real harsh lesson.
And most important ENJOY them, they are lots of fun to keep. Watching them go about their chicken business is very enlightening!!


As you are in Cumbria, did you escape the flooding? It was awful watching it in the news.

 

[sarahdal]

Many thanks!

Yes there's a wee chicken size hatch in one wall, which we close at night, and a big door which is also closed and bolted. We do have foxes - and rats - but the rats are a real worry as there is a gamekeeper on the land for the foxes. I see where the rats have been digging around the area where the chicken shed is, so there mustn't be any way for them to get into the shed, phew.

Fortunately I'm out on the Furness Peninsula, so fortunately we didn't get any flooding, the rest of the county looked awful, so sad to drive through Kendal last week and see street after street with piled up ruined furniture and carpets.

I am already enjoying the chickens It is a real joy to have them running about, I love the noises they make when I go to let them out in the morning, or check up they're all inside before I lock up for the night! aw bless