I had silver laced Wyandottes from their third day, and they always hated being picked up. I gave up and they remained aloof and not friendly until they died. I finally realized that they were just snobs!
Very interesting thread, thanks. I have a friend who had chickens for a while, and he noticed that hawks always got the white ones first. when we had a white rooster that no one wanted to adopt, we named him Bait. But Bait survived and eventually found a good home. Now I have a pure white...
A nice person came yesterday and captured all the for-sure roos. On close inspection, the red one had well hidden hackle feathers, and the white one didn't - so for now, the red one is gone, and the white one remains, but she will be watched. We did have a lot of very pathetic crowing going...
They're very skittish and hard to get photos of - I"m also disabled and can't get down too low. I'll try again tomorrow when they come for treats. Thanks.
These are my last two uncertains - hens or roos? There are two shots of the red one, a solo and with two other chicks that I already know are roos. Hatched April 13. Thanks for your expertise, much appreciated. I would hate to send a pullet off to freezer camp.
I live in a fairly suburban city. My initial run was covered with netting which worked (except for the time that a young cooper's hawk snuck in and got trapped - no chicken losses but a very distressed hawk!) there are not a lot of predators, but there are occasional hawks. I believe that we...
Severe infestation that got out of hand because I have been too old and ill to cope. I have someone coming to pressure wash the coop. Should we use any soap or? in the water for the washing? I'm hoping to get someone to whitewash the interior of the coop. I have put up an ad to pay someone...
Hatched June 14, 14 weeks ago.. Random breeds from the clutch my hen hid in the yard until I rehomed the rooster, one grandparent probably a Brahma, but the person I got the layer from bought random lots of hens, so their grand mother could have been anything, certainly at least one Americana or...
This cracked me up - I salvaged a dog crate for no reason and then I had a hen raise 12 chicks from a hidden nest when they were free ranging! I had to bring in one chick that wasn't doing well (took him 3 days to stand and walk) and then one more for company. The dog grate moved to my living...
Oddly, no predators. Cage can be in total shade, with mister available if temperatures go up towards the 100s.
I like the housing them outside for a week, then turning them loose. Let's see what happens! Thanks for a good commonsense approach.
Well shaded, with optional mister if it goes towards 100. No predators. Flock sleeps in the coop, which has plenty of room for all of them. Expecting at least 50% roos, and really little hope of rehoming them - resigning myself to finding a kind way to send them to freezer camp.
I told earlier about my hen who set up housekeeping under the cedar tree unbeknownst to me. She hatched quite a brood (not sure they were all actually hers, the other hen might have been laying in the nest, too), and she has been a great mom to 10 chicks outside. But one was born a day late...
I kidnapped one from the flock or chicks and brought it inside, now the first one and its buddy are doing very well in a big cage in my living room. I'm thinking about trying to integrate them with the others in the next few days, but I may just leave them for a few weeks.
Sadly, my late hatcher wasn't able to stand - it took 3 days before it was strong enough to stand and walk on its own. But it's fine now. Trying to figure out how to integrate them at this late date.