Red Sex Link

Well, I tried a different approach, and I am having to come to terms with the fact that nothing I possess is as interesting to my chickens as running around, eating weeds, and digging for bugs.

So I reclipped their wings to make sure they can't make it over the four foot fence into the big dog's yard, because the big dogs are hunters and that would be the end of them. Then I let them run.

My chard and potato plants are gone, and I have half the geraniums I had, but after a few hours when I walk out with some swiss chard or scratch in my hand the girls come running and pretty much go where I ask them to go.

So I think they are just fat, bored, and tired of being cooped up (literally). It looks like I need to build them a big covered run so they can stay out as long as they want during the day.

The little Buff is one heck of a digger, and so funny to watch. )

Our 3 have been wonderful personalities also. Love RSL's!

I want to let mine out of the pen some there are other chickens next door that are in a larger pen then ours but we have a lot of wooded area and we have 50 acres but we also have other wild life present and hawks do fly over as well have seen evidence of foxes and yave heard a cyote. have also seen possieum and have some ground hogs that have taken up residience about halfway to the road in the front yard. Plus out side cat. don't know that he would do anything he has not tried to get to them in the pen when they are out . had a doe in the yard that was pretty close to us looking at us until the dog noticed her then she scampered away across the road to the other part of our property . which is fenced in and some of the property behind out house is fence in also we raised some cows for the freezer when we were younger . so I am afraid they will go into the woods and be taken for some animals meal or just not come back. we have to have some of it cut back it is really close to the house. so i am not sure one or more would not go missing due to other wild life or they would not come back to the coop.

I had a little red sex link that showed up in our yard almost 7 months ago. Don't know where she came from. Super sweet little thing. Didn't know I liked chickens until she showed up. Unfortunately she passed away last night. Don't know why. R.I.P. Clucky! You were a good little hen.

I had a little red sex link that showed up in our yard almost 7 months ago. Don't know where she came from. Super sweet little thing. Didn't know I liked chickens until she showed up. Unfortunately she passed away last night. Don't know why. R.I.P. Clucky! You were a good little hen.

I've had RSL's for years, and have never experienced any problems with the hens. They're not lap chickens 'cause I've never worked with them for that, and I can't pick them up, but they always come up to me whenever it's treat time, and follow me around if I'm out while they're free ranging. I wouldn't hesitate to own more. However, I have my 1st RSL rooster, and he bears watching; he's come at me a few times In fact, I just brought his replacement home yesterday

We do have 1 rooster Mr Mcoo from another science school project, they pick at him too. It's probably just a chicken thing, pecking order and all. We free range too so it's not for lack of room. I will probably go to straight Rhode Island reds after this but....I have a free source of fertile eggs. I have a freind that is a vet tech that I may have come show me how to trim thier beaks( I hear shudders out there) but if it keeps them from tearing each other apart it's a good thing.

I'm sorry you've had such trouble with your rsl's. I have 3 in my mixed flock; 1 is the head hen but is no more aggressive to the other girls than any other head hen I've had, 1 likes to be petted and will tolerate being picked up and 1 is my lap girl, she loves to snuggle. Guess this just proves once again, breed traits are just traits, each bird is unique.

I have 4 RSL's 2 died because of natural causes and they are all really nice to all the other chickens i have.

The only birds in my flock to wear peepers are the RSL's. They are great layers, though.

I have sex links, NEVER have had a problem. Sounds like they are arranging their pecking order. But every time you seperate them for awhile, I hate say it, it starts all over. I let mine sort it out. If it is a younger or new roo, same thing, unless they grew up together. My flock is 2 different ages...all is well. You should only add a full grown rooster to a flock, again unless he grew up with them. Chickens peck, it is a chicken thing. They will get over it. RIR, are where the SL come from, and are DEFINATELY not lap chickens. I have had friends cull their RIR roos due to agression to their grand children.

I have 3 RSLs or Golden Comets. I have a flock of 7 and for a while I was calling these three the Mean Girls. They were very aggressive to my two SLWs and at times I thought about separating them out for a few days, but adding an uncovered run to their covered run seemed to help. They are all nearly a year old and the pecking order seems to have settled. There are still occasional squabbles, but not like before with bloody combs, etc.
They are great foragers and do love their treats. They squat for me and will tolerate being petted and picked up. I don't love them as much as the RIR and the SLWs, but they are also great layers of large eggs. I would definitely have these again.

I have 2 RSL (ISA Brown), and they are very tame. Probably because I have them since they were 2 days old and a lot of handling. If I sit down on the ground, they will sit on my lap. I can call them and wherever they are they will run to me.

I have had hatchery Rhode Island Reds that were bullies but never any Sex-Links. For many years now I have been hatching my own chicks and so far not a mean one at all. Maybe because they are handled from the moment they hatch.

I have one isa brown and she is the tamest of all my spring chickens I bought. She is nibby and follows people around and loves to eat. She lays her egg everyday. She lets me pick her up and hold her and I've never seen her be aggressive to any of the other chickens.

They are very spoiled, handled plenty when young, we have one rooster and they are free range. When they were young the older hens pretty much ignored them. Once they started laying I had to keep the older hens from them because they ganged up on them.....it's just a chicken thing. They bully the rooster too.My old hen is recovering, she's 3 and will be buried in the cat cemetery when she goes...the other ones , are heading for the stew pot when they stop laying(my Amish neighbors do the deed).The next round of chickens will be in 2 years when my grandson is in 6th grade and they teach them reproduction(aka sex) by hatching chickens. So by then the flock will probably be down a few. Mr Mccoo discovered the Amish hens tonight, he was showing off for the ladies

These are the most aggressive breed I have ever had.

I handled all of these chicks when they were small...so it's not for lack of human touch, thier not trying to kill me... I think the hen in my profile pic is most likely a Rhode Island Red and I was thinking next go round to go to a Pure Breed. Any suggestions on least aggressive or suggestions beyond handling them as babies because that has nothing to do with thier interaction with other chickens.