What did your chickens do today?

[jstlitlome]

[COLOR=0000FF]Is it OK to not have a rooster in w/ the hens? We aren't planning on raising any chicks but I know a roo kind of watches out for his flock, too. Any other benefits of a roo?  I think we'll just get rid of him. Just got home from work and am going outside now to clean her up - he got to her last night again, somehow, and she's a mess, but is living.  I have her in a box right now. I think he pecked her eye. All our hens are around 2-3 years old. I think roo is, too.[/COLOR]

I think that if they free range it "might" help to have a roo, but certainly not necessary. There are plenty of people looking to get rid of their perfectly nice roos just because some cities won't let you have one. Look on here or look on Craigslist?

 

[iamjohn]

I did a couple things to work on his attitude. The first thing was I separated him from the rest of the birds so he lost his position in the flock. I denied him access to them, didn't let him see them or interact with them. I started at 3 days and put him back but he soon find his way back to his original position and attitude. I took him out for a week and put him back in and by that time he'd lost all his rank in the flock and had to try to assert himself again, he failed and he's fallen to the bottom of the pack now. I also taught him his name during that time by repeating it to him over and over. I would say his name in a very stern voice and used that to correct him when he would go after a hen. During this same time I also started holding him and not letting him go until I was ready to let him go, made him submissive to me. Now I can walk in and pick him up and he won't try to peck at me and rarely resists, he doesn't put up much fight with the other roos and he is much easier on the hens.

I try to avoid physically aggressive corrections because it just reinforces their belief that aggression works. I focus on trying to knock them down in the pecking order and making certain they understand I am the boss. There are many other little things I do to show them I am boss like mimicking their behavior and never backing down from them. Now I can say "No" or "uh uh" to the roos and they will stop whatever they are doing and watch me. It may sound touchy feely but I can walk back into the middle of all the roos with shorts again and no roo will peck at me and my hens are not getting hurt like they had been.

It can be a long process, several weeks, but my roos are getting used to the way things are now and there is peace returning to the coop.

 

[LittleBits]

All the chickens in the run did normal chicken things today!

I made a little wooden cage without a floor for Greenie, who has been attacked by Roo, whom I am pretty sure we will get rid of as soon as possible.

Greenie has been resting quietly all day. Roo did peck her eye last night - looks like it is gone - and did a bad number on her head. I am so sick over this.



(I'm not much of a carpenter...)

 

[BarredRockMom]

All the chickens in the run did normal chicken things today!

I made a little wooden cage without a floor for Greenie, who has been attacked by Roo, whom I am pretty sure we will get rid of as soon as possible.

Greenie has been resting quietly all day. Roo did peck her eye last night - looks like it is gone - and did a bad number on her head. I am so sick over this.



(I'm not much of a carpenter...)

Once Greenie heals & is ready to go back in with the others, why not put Mr Saucy Pants in chicken jail?

 

[LittleBits]

Quote: Not a bad idea. He may not last that long. (Does Greenie's little house look like a jail?!!! Guess it kinda does! Just had to use a bunch of scraps!)

 

[PekinBantam]

Brooders are easy enough to make, just a box with a light. We used a pallet box but I know people who have used plastic bins and all kinds of things. As for the electricity, that sounds like a problem. :-(

Yeah, the electricity is a problem. Our electric company cuts off whole villages for seemingly no reason.

 

[ChickenFox]

My EE's got to free range for a few hours today.

I love watching them dig for bugs and pick their favorite greens from the yard. Dandelion and clover seemed to be the faves today.



Sebastian wasn't fond of me stalking them with the camera though. lol These 3 are around 4 months now.

This is a picture of them a couple days after I brought them home. They grow so fast!

 

[BarredRockMom]

Not a bad idea. He may not last that long. (Does Greenie's little house look like a jail?!!! Guess it kinda does! Just had to use a bunch of scraps!)

Lol, no, no...I'm so sorry!! Oh my gosh, I hope you didn't think I was poking fun at you!!. Your construction wasn't what I was referring to. You did a great job, especially using what you had and constructing it on the spur of the moment. That little girl is safe & healing, which is the main thing. It was more a reference to him being in solitary confinement and being on lockdown when you can't watch him every second, while poor Greenie gets to enjoy some peace out with her flock. I can see how you' might think I was referring to Greenie's safe house as a jail, but I was talking about restricting that naughty roo. (Here's where I'd insert a little smiley emoticon smackin itself in the forehead, saying "doh!"...but they don't have one!)

 

[BarredRockMom]

We let the girls out to free range after work. Hubby was ALL excited to spring the girls & show them where he'd found the giant, black crickets in the yard he'd finished mowing. He took a handful into their chicken yard and when they were all gone, he said "C'mon girls! I know where we can get some more!!" Beaks were snapping up crickets and moths at lightning speed. Run, flap, flap, crunch, crunch, run, peck, beg for help finding more in the grass, steal from the unsuspecting, run, run, crunch, crunch.... Today was a bad time to be a cricket at our house!
After they'd gotten their fill, they moved into the side yard and would've been perfectly content to chase moths & eat clover, until the Great Cricket Giver started picking the ripe cherry tomatoes. You know you love your chickens when you'll break off a small taste for yourself and feed the rest to the sharks!

 

[LittleBits]

Quote:

No, I didn't think you were poking fun! But when I looked at it in the picture, I am saying that it rather does with those bars on it! I saw somewhere on here about turning a playpen upside down and that would give the same effect! lol

She did lose her eye and I'm cleaning it every day and putting antibiotic cream on it. She doesn't like it when I fuss with it. Doesn't seem to be eating or drinking much, though, and that worries me, too. To have her survive a mauling and then die from dehydration?