Recent content by LaurenRitz

  1. LaurenRitz

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    They don't seem to be going hungry, although I'm not sure. They are the best foragers, as I said. They look and act healthy. I never see them far from the other birds, although there's one spot they can get into that the other birds can't so I toss some treats in there.
  2. LaurenRitz

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    Had a weird thought. You know how animals are sometimes scared away by predator urine? Maybe find out what kind is repulsive to bobcats and put that in and around their tree.
  3. LaurenRitz

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    Snakes get very young chicks. Possums will take out whatever they can catch, which is usually ground-roosting birds. I have seen bobcats, heard coyotes, and seen hawks. I heard the neighbor's dogs going insane the other day in their kennel and looked over to see a really big cat taunting them...
  4. LaurenRitz

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    6 feeding stations for 33 birds, all out of sight of the others. I put out a bowl of eggs this morning and they were first there, well ahead of the others, but circled around the bowl rather than diving in and got chased off when the other birds arrived about a minute later. It's happened...
  5. LaurenRitz

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    Question. I have two, the Kraienkoppe girls, who are the smallest of my flock and also the best foragers. I noticed early on that other birds would follow them around and take away anything they found. These two would abandon it and move on. Now that they're adults (just over 6 months) and...
  6. LaurenRitz

    I'm so old I Remember when:

    Or it's a second/third marriage. They often had kids with the first wife (or husband) who then died and they remarried.
  7. LaurenRitz

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    I have one girl that goes broody like clockwork, spring and fall. She's been a good mom. The chicks seem to have no problem with hatching in the winter. They just spend more time under Mama warming up. I do choose which eggs they sit on, and now that I have the broody box I'll try to put them...
  8. LaurenRitz

    Possible breeding program

    They're now eating every scrap of food I put out for them, so it appears their foraging is no longer giving them what they need. Time to increase it a bit. Currently 2 quarts per day for 34 birds. Other than not leaving any food they don't act hungry, but I want to make sure they can all eat...
  9. LaurenRitz

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    Hardware cloth underneath? Raccoons can dig.
  10. LaurenRitz

    Rooster aggression help?

    Probably because of the similarity of the sound.
  11. LaurenRitz

    Rooster aggression help?

    How old are they? Do they do this only when you are not present? If so, that suggests that they know they're doing something you would disapprove of and you're the alpha--which also means that the second they see you as vulnerable they're going to try to unseat you and take the head spot. You...
  12. LaurenRitz

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    When I'm looking at which birds to cull I take out only the birds that have traits I don't want. Roosters that mate pullets too young, overly aggressive toward me, etc. Eliminating the negative rather than choosing the positive. So far I haven’t found any physical traits that fit this criteria...
  13. LaurenRitz

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    I have introduced outside roosters several times. The only real fights were between the new roo and the lead hen. I did see no touch for a couple weeks before I let the other roo out.
  14. LaurenRitz

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    My boys only have their own coop because I've moved the girls out deliberately and the boys haven't chosen to change.
  15. LaurenRitz

    Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

    I agree with you. I never want to have fewer than two at a time, now that I have a more mature flock. For exactly the reason your past week demonstrated. It may take a while for the girls to accept the beta, but it's going to go much smoother if they already know him.
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