2018 Newbie Chat!

[CannedMonster]

Good video. Prince does give me space but, always a but, he can be to interested in when I bring food out. He does not give me space all the time. He gets close and wants to know what I got. He has always had issues with bigger stuff so he will take smaller pieces from me versus the ground. He does flap his wings every now and then. He never does the side dance.

Even if I have to watch him and myself around him, I do not see me giving him up. He is to good with the girls and I enjoy learning every day what he is about. He meets me at the gate and he watches me, he most likely is trying to figure me out. If I were to hatch any eggs it would most likely be the faverolle or the EE with him. I think they would turn out wonderful. The barred rock is to confident. The brahmas can be to skiddish. The RIR is a possibility to.

The day he was flopping around, he trusted me enough to make sure he made it to where I was to help him. He could have just as easily gone where I wouldn't have saw him, but he made it a point to literally come a foot from me. He did look at me like I was crazy when I stuck my finger down his throat, but I also thought afterwards, boy was that a crazy stunt. I will never forget how he was looking at me as I was telling him to hold on. Then within a couple days the little shit flogged me. I had a whole conversation about how I saved his life with him--my neighbors must seriously think I'm nuts--talking to chickens, roosters and ducks.

The wing flapping is actually a non-aggressive behavior.
My first rooster used to do that.
I thought he was being kind of aggressive although he never did anything else.
Then I got more cockerels...a lot more.
I noticed the lower ranking birds would do this to the higher ranking ones.
Only the cockerels though.
Never pullets.
I read here on BYC from an experienced keeper that the wing flapping behavior is their way of saying, “I’m just hanging out here. I’m not going to fight.”
Angus and Oliver both do the wing flapping when I come into the yard.
And they also turn to the side and/or move away a few steps.
Usually as I’m walking towards them.
Oliver will do it if Angus approaches him.

 

[CannedMonster]

I hope so because I adore him. I do not hold anything against him, nor will I ever. I am dedicated to him and respect what he is bred to do.

Also keep in mind that he’s probably just curious about what you’re doing and what you may be bringing them.
I really don’t think he’s aggressive either.
He sounds like a pretty nice boy.
My friend has recently acquired a SLW rooster that she named Ranger and she just loves him. So do the 3 Wyandotte girls I gave her lol. They’re not bullies at her house.
Angus approaches me curiously all the time.
I allow it because he’s not dropping his wing or side stepping at me.
He hasn’t engaged in any aggressive behavior since DH taught him not to flog him.
I think all chickens are curious animals as many social species are.
And since the some of the girls like to see what I’m up to, why wouldn’t the boys?
As I’ve raised more and more boys I’ve seen how different they can be as individuals and what signs and behaviors need to be addressed in order to train and make them safer and easier for humans to manage.
I’m enjoying my relationship with Angus and I know you’re enjoying your two guys also.

 

[CannedMonster]

So I have an egg eater...sort of.
Red hasn’t laid in a week.
I became very concerned because she couldn’t get on the roost last night and she’s normally very athletic.
Then today I noticed she walks funny; kind of waddling like a duck.
She didn’t forage much and laid down a lot.
So I became extremely concerned.
I went over to her and she allowed me to pick her up!
She would never do that if she felt okay.
Right before I did she pooped and it was runny and yellow & white.
I examined her body.
She had poop stuck to her feathers under her vent.
Her abdomen seemed full.
After the examination I put her down and she slowly walked away and jumped down from the deck.
Angus grabbed her and bred her and I yelled at him.
The know he did that because I was holding her.
She went into the coop and got into the nest box with a bit of difficulty.
She was in there for a while.
My friend called me and decided to come over so we could do an internal exam of her vent and see if there’s an egg.
After my friend arrived we talked about how to approach things and got our things ready and I went out to check on Red.
She was still in the nest but she had egg yolk all over her mouth!
I went over to her and moved her gently and saw a soft shelled egg in the nest.
I moved her out of there and picked the box up and yelled for my friend telling her I’d figured out the problem.
Red had egg yolk stuck to her bum feathers, her right foot and her mouth/beak.
She seemed to be walking fine though.
I discarded the soft egg pieces and cleaned up the nest material and put it back in the coop.
I hope that Red has solved her own problem but I’ll have to see how things go tomorrow.
I’m hoping to see a normal egg in the morning

 

[CannedMonster]

No changes with Frodo.
He sits puffed up most of the time.
Ignores the six bantam pullets most of the time.
No crowing- no breeding- no tidbitting
He hardly makes a sound.
What could be wrong with him that would last for weeks or even months?!?
He’s been like this for a long time!
There’s no signs of any respiratory problems.

 

[llombardo]

Completely dark out and my chickens are scratching around the grass. My butt they can't see in the dark.

I had to use the flash for the picture

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Completely dark out and my chickens are scratching around the grass. My butt they can't see in the dark.

I had to use the flash for the picture
View attachment 1576159

I second that! I too have evidence that they move around in the dark, which is I've seen them and I have heard them too - have been outside in the dark and can hear the tinging of their beaks against their food dishes.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

No changes with Frodo.
He sits puffed up most of the time.
Ignores the six bantam pullets most of the time.
No crowing- no breeding- no tidbitting
He hardly makes a sound.
What could be wrong with him that would last for weeks or even months?!?
He’s been like this for a long time!
There’s no signs of any respiratory problems.

Thinking it might be worth your while to start a thread in sick forum? You never know you might find someone had the same or similar and can shed some light on the matter for you - I only know of one case where a rooster stopped all and sat puffed up for days - tuned out he had a frozen foot!

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Completely dark out and my chickens are scratching around the grass. My butt they can't see in the dark.

I had to use the flash for the picture
View attachment 1576159

Wow, lol! That's amazing that they're up at night.
I let my little flock out in the yard today after realizing they come running when I shake the meal worm bag and call them. Seems I've been doing that every time I give them some.
They stayed pretty much together and went around the perimeter of the yard. It was so nice seeing them out and about.

 

[llombardo]

Wow, lol! That's amazing that they're up at night.
I let my little flock out in the yard today after realizing they come running when I shake the meal worm bag and call them. Seems I've been doing that every time I give them some.
They stayed pretty much together and went around the perimeter of the yard. It was so nice seeing them out and about.

I think they prefer night over morning to be honest. They are stuck on the 9 pm lights out. They are not having the it's time to go to bed at 6 because it's dark--not at all. The ducks swim until 8-9 pm too. I recently put a light in the coop. I turn it on at 6am and off at 9 pm. This picture was in the side area away from the coop. I've tried leaving the light off to get them to roost in the coop when it gets dark--that is a no go. They are by the gate waiting for me. It's crazy. Prince is crowing at 7:30 to get me out there, the ducks are quacking and I'm just shaking my head.

 

[PNW_Peepers]

We named little blue...
She attempted to peck my eye out this evening. We named it manchineel or “tree of death” little thing is up to no good.