So, this little fellow just appeared in my flock today, it's not one of mine, I am unsure if it wandered over on it's own, or a well meaning neighbor found it and knew I have chickens so tossed it over the fence assuming it belonged there... But it has made itself quite at home in my vacant...
I hatched out 2 of my 3 Cemanis (first ever attempt at hatching, so.. yay?)
It's looking like ive got 1 roo and one pullet, which is alright with me, as I currently have no roos in my small backyard flock. Id like to keep him, and am allowed to have 1 crowing poultry, per the laws in my area...
I tried to post some body tail pics, it wont really let me get near it with a camera so i cant get good pictures unless I have someone grab it and hold it still, which kind of blocks a lot of the body
Sorry, this is the best I can really manage to get of his/her body. I'm not 100% of its age, I just know that it looked pretty much just as it does now when I got it last august, so its probably a little over a year old. Ive never seen it try to mount any of my hens either.
I have a golden laced wyandotte a year and a half old maybe? that I THOUGHT was a hen, but I have recently caught her trying to crow.
I know it's not completely unheard of for a hen to crow, but I wanted to get your opinion.
I am not sure if she's laying... I have an easter egger who is old...
Yay Chicks! :
Are the roosts higher than the nest boxes? They will generally roost at the higher place. If the roost is already higher, you might try going in after dark and placing them on the roost for a few nights.
I tried this with a few of mine that wouldn't roost and found that...
I have a pretty simple "fence" of 2 foot high plastic netting supported by bamboo stakes every 3 feet or so around my garden. It's low enough that I can easily step/reach over it to tend to things, but my chickens do not cross it. It is also hardly visible, and was very cheap to put up.
Why...
your best option is to just put a little fence up to keep them out. both ammonia and vinegar water are likely to harm your plants and probably wouldn't keep the chickens out anyway.
You could try making a chicken tractor that you can move around the yard from day to day so they will not totally decimate one spot of the yard and then have nothing left to pick at. They still get to SORT OF free range, but they cant poop anywhere you don't put them.