I had one that nothing happened until day 23 and finished on 25. I almost died waiting. Find a really good book that you been wanting to read and forget about the bator.
I see tiny muffs but no beard. I have had EE with neither, also the ones I have had with legs that weren't green didn't lay green or blue eggs. They laid tinted or brown eggs. I hatched them so I knew what color eggs they had come from but if they didn't have green legs they didn't have green...
Typically you don't see that type of comb (or waddles) on a 12 wk pullet (hen), very red also. With that view only I am going with cockerel, pullets will only develop a red comb when they start laying which is usually not before 18-20 wks and often 22-26wks. I have had a couple start at 14 but...
Did you get them from a hatchery as pullets? I had that last year. 9 pullets and 1 cockerel, it happens. Honestly, I always wanted to buy them that way because it is a ready made flock but that's not how they sell them.
Well if he is 6yrs. old he is a rooster not a cockerel and he IS bullying them. I don't know how long you have had the hen's but if it doesn't resolve in about a week you may have to separate them. He is a mature rooster and he should know how to dominate and control his flock.
I don't know if he is a cockerel, he is probably trying to assert his dominance as well as mate them but he is just stupid. You might separate him until he grows up a little but to be honest, I have had hen not like a certain roo and they never gave in to him and that was that. How old is he...
I have always keep the more aggressive rooster, because he was the dominant and I thought that's the one you were supposed to keep. That would explain my rooster problems. The one I really like is not aggressive he just had a smaller comb and waddles, and they were as red as the more...
Thanks for all your info. I have been very interested in caponizing for a long time and have also read everything I can find.
I bought 10 cockerels speckled sussex when I ordered my pullets this spring to caponize but did chicken out. I decided to wait and caponize them after I butchered them...
I am reposting this from Management.
OK, I have a question. I have read some on husbandry for buckeye's (which I don't have at this time) but I image it is similar to all breeds. Here is my question. I have Speckled sussexs, 9 cockerels and I only need one. The first one I had picked looks...
Thanks for the advice.
Well he is definitely getting enough food because he weighs at least 1/2 - 1 pound more than any of the others. He isn't aggressive at all, his body type is awesome. He has wider hips I know that's not the right term but this means that his daughters will be able to lay...
Yeah, I had to butcher on a hotter day once it was terrible. Flies out the wazoo. I really prefer 50's, November works great for me here but you should be OK in December too. I like to do it before Thanksgiving, then I have birds for both Thanksgiving and Christmas but that is me. I have...
Mobile processing unit??? Wow, we are lucky if we get a bookmobile every couple of years. I hear the amish will butcher for a price but I still do the duty myself.
Cuzwurth, I am glad you are enjoying your chickens. I really enjoy mine as well. In my experience EE roosters are very aggressive and I don't keep them anymore. The reason yours comes up to and not the others is because he isn't afraid of you and if he someday see's you as a threat to the...
Mine are going in about 8:30 but a couple of years ago I did have a group that would go in at dark. They were terrible. As they got older they did start going in at night. Mine are going in but they are sitting on the nesting boxes instead of roosting. I keep putting them over and I only have...
Yes, I agree with Capvin, I had the same thing over the years with my hens and have had two setting in a nest at once and one standing there clucking for them to get off with an empty nest right below them. I did the same thing with putting golf balls in the other nest and it helps but they lay...
OK, I have a question. I have read some on husbandry for buckeye's (which I don't have at this time) but I image it is similar to all breeds. Here is my question. I have Speckled sussexs, 9 cockerels and I only need one. The first one I had picked looks a little knocked knee'd so he is out...
Yeah I would just add them all and only go through it once. How many cockerel and pullet/hen will you have? If you have too many cockerel it will be very rough on your girls and it could delay egg laying.
I think it should be fine but maybe only move 1/2 the eggs to be safe. That way if something did go wrong (which with what your saying it shouldn't) you would not be out the whole hatch.
Some people hatch their eggs in egg cartons. You might want to try that.