Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Quote:
So you moved him OUT of the pen that had all your roos, then back in?

I've noticed whenever I move roosters around between pens, they always have to reestablish the pecking order, even if it was just the next pen over. By moving him you disrupted the "peace", and now they all have to reestablish themselves.

Sometimes this just takes a few pecks, sometimes they will all gang up on the "new guy" and he can never be reintroduced- just depends on your situation.

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

Quote:
So you moved him OUT of the pen that had all your roos, then back in?

I've noticed whenever I move roosters around between pens, they always have to reestablish the pecking order, even if it was just the next pen over. By moving him you disrupted the "peace", and now they all have to reestablish themselves.

Sometimes this just takes a few pecks, sometimes they will all gang up on the "new guy" and he can never be reintroduced- just depends on your situation.

We had a "main pen", large and roomy, all chickens were in it. everything peaceful. Rotated some hens to "infirmary/isolation cage". As they got better, they were rotated back, with aprons on. Wanted to have fertile eggs from imfirmary cage. Choose most gentle roo to go in there (Pretty Boy). Infirmary cage in garage, large coop is outside. Now want to reclaim infirmary/isolation cage back so I can add to my flock. Let everyone free range and "work out the buggs". Big mistake. Most agressive roo, (Lacy) got bloodied on face. Most handome/ gentlest roo, Pretty Boy, cannot find his pecking order. Is challenged by other 3 roos constantly. He will run for a while but then he won't back down. Our king roo, Elvis, outweighs every one else, some by 2 lbs. Elvis won't stop chasing Pretty Boy. Can't get rid of either. Elvis is DH's pet and the best protector of flock, Pretty Boy is my pet and a show stopper!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Yep, sounds like the moving around upsetted the pecking order. You may have to separate them by which roo's will live peacefully together.



What I do with my roo's is each "head" rooster gets his own pen and ladies, and there usually ends up being some of his sons in there, but since they are littler they don't challenge the head roo.


I don't move them around if I an help it.

 

[livin-green]

Quote:
So you moved him OUT of the pen that had all your roos, then back in?

I've noticed whenever I move roosters around between pens, they always have to reestablish the pecking order, even if it was just the next pen over. By moving him you disrupted the "peace", and now they all have to reestablish themselves.

Sometimes this just takes a few pecks, sometimes they will all gang up on the "new guy" and he can never be reintroduced- just depends on your situation.

We had a "main pen", large and roomy, all chickens were in it. everything peaceful. Rotated some hens to "infirmary/isolation cage". As they got better, they were rotated back, with aprons on. Wanted to have fertile eggs from imfirmary cage. Choose most gentle roo to go in there (Pretty Boy). Infirmary cage in garage, large coop is outside. Now want to reclaim infirmary/isolation cage back so I can add to my flock. Let everyone free range and "work out the buggs". Big mistake. Most agressive roo, (Lacy) got bloodied on face. Most handome/ gentlest roo, Pretty Boy, cannot find his pecking order. Is challenged by other 3 roos constantly. He will run for a while but then he won't back down. Our king roo, Elvis, outweighs every one else, some by 2 lbs. Elvis won't stop chasing Pretty Boy. Can't get rid of either. Elvis is DH's pet and the best protector of flock, Pretty Boy is my pet and a show stopper!

I agree, as WMR, said--they had an established pecking order, which was fine because the roos, I assume, had grown up together and they understood their place in the order. BUT, once you took one out (+ the hens, which was also a disruption), the pecking order was thrown all off. Elvis was probably fine with them being in there because they were not breeding or a threat to his dominance...until Pretty Boy came back from the hen pen! My guess, unfortunately, you won't ever be able to put them back together.
Here's my experience:
--out of my first ever Amer. hatch (2 roos, 2 hens) they were fine together, then all of a sudden that was it--not anymore & they had to be separated.
--out of 2nd hatch (2 roos, 1 hen), all were fine together. After a few short introduction visits, I put the hen & 1 that I thought was a hen into the pen with my main roo & top-dog hen. There was some bickering (oddly, mostly from the hen & young "roo"), but it settled down. I realized my mistake after a few more weeks when spur buds starting coming in. Still 2 yr old roo & this young roo were fine because the young roo was submissive and he wasn't trying to breed any of the hens, so the older roo didn't care.
--ended up selling both the young roos from that 2nd hatch, and even after growing up together and being separated for only a few weeks, there was NO putting them back together for delivery.
--put another young roo in a separate pen with only his momma (she had not "raised" him though) and she was super mean to him at first, then he started pecking back at her. Now, they are "okay"
--fall of 2009, I put a large young rooster in with my laying flock which had never had a roo. The hens really picked on him at first, and I didn't think it was ever going to work out. But he finally matured enough to stand up for himself, started crowing, and now he's "the man".

In short, I think a lot of it is a gamble. Sometimes, no matter how you carefully introduce or what the situation they just won't settle down and one be submissive. It does take time and it helps to "introduce" them slowly, I think...unless they're roos of a mating age and there are hens involved, and then I don't think that will ever happen.

Good luck with it all!

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

Quote:
We had a "main pen", large and roomy, all chickens were in it. everything peaceful. Rotated some hens to "infirmary/isolation cage". As they got better, they were rotated back, with aprons on. Wanted to have fertile eggs from imfirmary cage. Choose most gentle roo to go in there (Pretty Boy). Infirmary cage in garage, large coop is outside. Now want to reclaim infirmary/isolation cage back so I can add to my flock. Let everyone free range and "work out the buggs". Big mistake. Most agressive roo, (Lacy) got bloodied on face. Most handome/ gentlest roo, Pretty Boy, cannot find his pecking order. Is challenged by other 3 roos constantly. He will run for a while but then he won't back down. Our king roo, Elvis, outweighs every one else, some by 2 lbs. Elvis won't stop chasing Pretty Boy. Can't get rid of either. Elvis is DH's pet and the best protector of flock, Pretty Boy is my pet and a show stopper!

I agree, as WMR, said--they had an established pecking order, which was fine because the roos, I assume, had grown up together and they understood their place in the order. BUT, once you took one out (+ the hens, which was also a disruption), the pecking order was thrown all off. Elvis was probably fine with them being in there because they were not breeding or a threat to his dominance...until Pretty Boy came back from the hen pen! My guess, unfortunately, you won't ever be able to put them back together.
Here's my experience:
--out of my first ever Amer. hatch (2 roos, 2 hens) they were fine together, then all of a sudden that was it--not anymore & they had to be separated.
--out of 2nd hatch (2 roos, 1 hen), all were fine together. After a few short introduction visits, I put the hen & 1 that I thought was a hen into the pen with my main roo & top-dog hen. There was some bickering (oddly, mostly from the hen & young "roo"), but it settled down. I realized my mistake after a few more weeks when spur buds starting coming in. Still 2 yr old roo & this young roo were fine because the young roo was submissive and he wasn't trying to breed any of the hens, so the older roo didn't care.
--ended up selling both the young roos from that 2nd hatch, and even after growing up together and being separated for only a few weeks, there was NO putting them back together for delivery.
--put another young roo in a separate pen with only his momma (she had not "raised" him though) and she was super mean to him at first, then he started pecking back at her. Now, they are "okay"
--fall of 2009, I put a large young rooster in with my laying flock which had never had a roo. The hens really picked on him at first, and I didn't think it was ever going to work out. But he finally matured enough to stand up for himself, started crowing, and now he's "the man".

In short, I think a lot of it is a gamble. Sometimes, no matter how you carefully introduce or what the situation they just won't settle down and one be submissive. It does take time and it helps to "introduce" them slowly, I think...unless they're roos of a mating age and there are hens involved, and then I don't think that will ever happen.

Good luck with it all!

Oh My Stupidity!
I'm sooo Depressed!
Thanks for your advice

 

[livin-green]

Quote:
No, don't feel bad...there's a learning curve to everything! Look at it this way--now you know, so you can be more careful not end up with this problem again!

Is there a reason you're keeping that many roosters? Usually people pick a couple of the best roos & sell off the extras--unless they're planning to eat them.

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

Quote:
No, don't feel bad...there's a learning curve to everything! Look at it this way--now you know, so you can be more careful not end up with this problem again!

Is there a reason you're keeping that many roosters? Usually people pick a couple of the best roos & sell off the extras--unless they're planning to eat them.

Not easy to put in a nutshell but I will try.
Rooster 1 Russle- I LOVE LOVE the look of Wheaton Roosters. The black with the copper and irridescence is so awsome to my eyes. We had a shoer of that vairiety but he started getting beat up and I re-homed him quickly. I can access him for breeding when I want but I can't have him in my yard - He's a pansy-pants. So we kept his slightly less beautiful brother for eye-candy.
Rosster 2 - Lacy - He's a splash B/W and a character. Alway posing for pictures and flashy looking. More eye candy.
Rooster 3 - Pretty Boy - A show stopper! B/W and perfect! No striping in his hackles. Perfect Comb. Great Tail. feathers seem to glow all over him. and he is "My pet"
Rooster 4 - Elvis - B/W and huge! 9lbs ! We've got lots of pics of Elvis growing. He made himself stand out because he grew faster than the rest and was very active. He is good with everything. Catches easily, knows us as head roo, will stand up to coyotes and golden retriever ( and has! ). Shouts alarms for airborn attacks. It looks like he keeps the peace. Always on guard. Has NEVER pecked at us. and he is my "husband's pet".
Right now I have the 3 roos ina small cage and Pretty Boy in the large cage with all the girls. Free ranging is again to start in a 1/2 acre parcel soon with moveable electric fencing since we've lost too many to coyotes. I want every one to get along with eachother. Don't want any one running into the fencing or killing eachother and I certainly don't want any of Pretty Boys beauty to be compromised.
Not a short answer but that's it.

 

[livin-green]

I totally understand, PFF. I met up for a kids' play day with several other of my chicken keeping friends, and we all agreed that it stinks that roos don't lay the eggs 'cause they're typically so much prettier than the hens!

Oh, well...guess you can't have your cake & eat it, too, huh?

Hopefully, you'll figure out a way to work it out. Unfortunately, I suspect that if any roo besides Elvis is in the running for mating those hens, you're gonna have a problem.

 

[just2rosey]

Quote:
HI, I am also new. I just hatched out eggs I got off ebay from Sally, SC. I purchased 6 BBS, and received 18, so lots of extras! But being shipped eggs, only 5 made it to lock down, and 4 of those hatched very healthy chicks. I am new to hatching, it was just my second hatch, I was having trouble candling them, and I don't know how many broken air cells I had starting off. I also had eggs from another breeder in Texas that hatch, and out of 10 that made it to lock down NONE hatched. So by the time you factor in shipping and my inexperience hatching, I think I could positively recommend him. I ended up with 2 black chicks which look very correct, and have great big cheeks

a splash with little cheeks, and a lovely little blue who doesn't show cheeks yet.

I don't know it they will show any muffs or beard later if I can't see them on a chick... Good luck!

 

[turkeybreeder]

from the group does anyone have 100 percent
lavender ameraucanas