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It all depends on the dynamics of your flock. I have bantams in with the big guys. Yes I would even try only one, if I wanted to. No matter what people claim, doesn't make it true for everybody. People say Silkies can't free range. I say hog wash! :old Mine are on range all day long and when...

Ugh, I had 5 broody's all raising chicks at the same time. With 3 of them being black Silkies it did get a little confusing to some of the chicks! :p So far, I let only my selected breed rooster mingle with the flock and collect only eggs from the girls of that breed... making sure not to have...

Things seem so fluid... like which breed to pursue! :oops: It is the back half of a pole barn that seemed like a dingy (dinjee) and dreary area, now fully usable. It's nice to change the association to something fun instead of scary and gross. :pop I am considering setting up a brood house but...

Hi, welcome to BYC! :frow My roosters and my hens both have 144 sq foot coops. My hens free range my whole property. My stags have pasture the size of some peoples' back yard, so that is their free ranging and they have access to it all day. So no, they don't stay in the coop all the time. In...

...he sees adults as a threat. Before long when one of the kids runs past fast or something like that.. he will hit another maturing point where he *might* suddenly decide the boys are also a threat. You have to watch for the "stink eye".. when they look real hard with one eye as someone passes...

My stags crow up a storm starting around 3 AM! Oddly enough, at roost time it's almost silence for many hours thereafter. It is NOT only my lead roo that crows, they just don't always do it next to each other. And they crow for lots of reasons... to compete with each other, to show the ladies...

See, we all have different thought processes and ideas. That's what makes BYC a great community! :highfive: And when my hubby is driving me crazy... I just remember there IS a method to his madness even if it isn't immediately obvious to me. :)

Sorry to be stickler about detail... some people free range in a city sized back yard and some on 10 acres. But i'm guessing since you haven't mentioned irritated neighbors that you aren't in the city? The really beat up one is in where? With the girls.. :woot

PSHH! why reward the offender?! :smack (that's to the bully, not you ;)) That's the opposite of how I would go. The bully would be in a time out pen. Possibly even out of sight from the flock for a couple days... so when he returns he can be the one to work his way back into the pecking...

That's just it, these guys aren't playing. It's not a game to them and they could fight to the death. :( You don't give enough info to help. Do you have these boys with hens? It's easy to get along when they are young. But they have hormones raging through them now, that say they need to fight...

...don't want to head off topic, it is a relative question. So according to the info I have layer has too much calcium in it for NON laying birds and *can* (doesn't mean will) cause kidney issues in the long term. It's possibly true for chicks, juveniles, molting hens, and boys. It will...

OK so here is a pic or two. I am happy to report that it looked worse than it was (I think). After 2-3 days this guy is looking pretty good again. :)

OK one more thing I did notice to be true in a lot of cases is an old saying... The best defense IS a good offense! ;)

...thing to the same boy (I'm guessing the biggest competition for the ladies affections). By this time (same breed raised together) I had noticed the *victim* (term used very lightly!) of course was bleeding and such but his eye was swollen shut and looked very bad. I tried to break it up, but...

I free range my roosters once a week, and keep the hens locked up in their pen. The roosters seem to like to flirt with the hens lol, even when they can't be with them. Yes, I see a couple of my boys flirting through the fence. They let the hens clean thier waddles and sometimes just hang out...

...chasing. Those things don't usually go on for too long but sometimes I do feel the need to intervene and can see how a look but don't touch *might* help the aggressor live another day and remain a part of the flock. :) I get what you're saying though, and I mostly let nature take it's course...

That's interesting... most people I know don't like to be ruffed up or see their hens get that way either. :confused: I mean a chunk was taken out of 1 girls comb. She bled a little and it wasn't serious. But she will never get that chunk of her comb back. Maybe it wasn't on purpose. But...

So far, all my boys may have starts of spurs, but none have gotten long yet. Maybe like 1/4 to 1/2 inch, look like nubs kinda. Guess they could be sharper than I realize. They are 9 month old FBCM and 11 month old SFH. As far as standard growth patterns none have been late bloomers... Could...

Wow, spurs don't come until after 1 year old. Boys are usually vigorous about mating much earlier than that. Them boys would have taken a nice, long, hot bath with aromatic veggies if they did that on my watch! I'm protective about my hens. Even good rooster, which they are not until after 1...

When I had too many boys... ya, they come running to knock eachother off and hold the girls down while they took turns! :mad::drool ETA: There was NOTHING funny about it. :he