On the subject of 'names for colors', so not exactly a topic change: ORANGE, so often described as RED. People don't like calling any critter orange? I'm thinking dog especially.
Mary
You have pullets and a cockerel (hope it's only one!) and everyone is too young to know how they will all get along. Many of us have found that having actual hens(over one year old) can help civilize cockerels, and that's not who you have.
He might be wonderful, or not, and if you really don't...
Last time i looked, our MSU veterinary lab had no 'live bird' test for Marek's disease, so only necropsy results were available. Not useful without a sick/ dying bird!
We do our best with biosecurity, buy vaccinated chicks, and our home bred unvaccinated birds haven't had Marek's type issues, so...
Chicks need two to three weeks isolated from your birds and their environment so that they develop the protection from the Mareks' vaccine. If you want them right out with your flock, don't bother vaccinating them. Unless you are POSITIVE that you don't have Mareks disease out there.
Mary
Our rescue pit bull terrier, from a very bad fighting dog situation, got out of our fence (Invisible Fence failed, and she dug under our 'real' fence), and killed 21 of our free ranging chickens, in about an hour! Horrible, she was incredibly 'efficient' and totally not her fault. Two weeks...
You are planning to order 55 chicks, including the straight run breeds? That's a lot of chicks!
Getting straight run chicks works very well here, and having all of these birds together, same age, will be easier. Extra cockerels can go into the freezer, or to a local auction, or craigslist, and...
Welcome, and I'm so sorry for your loss. She lived a very long life, and had the best care, including getting to be a chicken outdoors.
Mary
Is this a sure thing diagnosis? If yes, you should contact your own doctor, and your health department.
I agree, no heat needed, and definitely more ventilation! Having the waterer unfrozen is wonderful, although having it outside is the only way you can do it, because of that tiny closed in coop.
A 12g outdoor rated extension cord, raised off the ground, and in a up-to-code outdoor outlet, will...
It was required reading long ago, and a good thing. Also 'Animal Farm' another miserable story.
'Crime and Punishment', done page by page in HS English class. Awful!
Mary
This has been a learning experience for all of you, now you've seen the behaviors that led up to this first actual attack. And it should be his last attack!!!
Trying to 'reform' human aggressive cock birds is futile, IMO, and based on our experiences over many years.
He needs to be dinner...
Because they are chickens!
All insulation needs to be covered by wood or something to keep it away from the birds, and then it can become a safe haven for rodents or wasps. The only insulation we still have in our coop is in part of the roof, covered with plywood, which helps keep that area...
I'd be very unhappy having a bobcat come right up to me too! @azygous has a great way to bait the fence, but this particular kitty is just too unafraid of humans IMO, and maybe does need to be eliminated instead. Then baiting your electric fence, and having it on all the time, not only at...