Araucana thread anyone?

[cashdl]

I had a young roo years ago that was learning to dance for the girls from watching my other roos and it was quite goofy to watch. He would unfurl one wing really long, sing and start to dance in a circle. Every dang time the poor guy would trip over the wing and go rolling. Sad to say none of the girls were impressed. He had huge feet and it took him months of trying to get his dance down. Now he is one of the sweetest boys with the hens.

I think it is important for new roos to learn the mateing rituals. You can help it along by putting them in with older hens who will not put up with anything untoward. I have a young roo right now who is a bit of a lech. He waits for the girls to not be paying attention and then he pounces. I hate it, but havn't taken the time to kick him every time I catch him. He is not a keeper anyway, so I will probably put him in with my older roos in the table egg pen, and let them teach him some manners.


Lanae

 

[Ashburnham]

It is interesting to see the parellels between chicken and human mating rituals - a guy will take a girl out for a romantic dinner before trying to have his wicked way with her - my roosters call the hens over to a (often imaginary) piece of food before trying to jump them! lol

 

[happyhensny]

 

[shanshan51]

Ok so I have had a bunch of chip monk striped chicks lately. How can I tell silver duck wing from gold duck wing at this age? Can anyone post photos of their chicks a month old or less with these colors?

 

[Illia]

Here's silver vs gold. (as in, wildtype BBR not golden)



Silvers are easy to spot although some look exactly like goldens. They're light gray with black stripes, hardly to no yellowish or reddish coloration. True pure gold/BBR duckwings are often more reddish in color or have more brown colored stripes instead of black.

Lanae - that courting fumble story is hilarious! I've luckily never had such thing happen before. Most is my Polish having very large, long wings like a gamecock, so they often get their feet tangled in their primaries and secondaries when dancing.

I have my little guy in with all the older/adult hens as well as his father, the thing is I just need to remove the poor Buff girl. She's very submissive and doesn't say no. Well, she does, but she doesn't say it like it is. It is indeed a big importance to have gentlemanly roosters here though. I find it sad the amount of people who see it weird a rooster making a nest or calling a hen to a nest, that's practically a must for a rooster around here. That and plenty of courthship, calling to food (fake or real) and looking out for them when predator danger arrives. I think my Marango passed that test a little while ago as I heard one evening some long screaming, ran out there, and by the time I got there everyone was huddled into some safe corner or building except for Marango, one of my Polish hens (flat on the ground in the middle of the pasture) and a Sussex hen who wasn't even in the pasture, she was in the forest on the other side of the fence with a slight trail of feathers towards her. I'm hoping but not fully sure that Marango spurred the heck out of whatever (bobcat? coon?) tried to steal the Sussex away because when I got her back to the other side of the fence, she was scratching around like nothing happened. Last time a bobcat came around, it took a hen and didn't let go until I was right on its stumpy tail. It let her go, but, her wounds were far too serious.


Marango and son. (they seem to, although it looks otherwise in the photo, have respect and boundaries for each other)

 

[happyhensny]

Coberdor - check out the tufts on this little one! Rumpless too! YEAH! (Phone pic, sorry)

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I found this Easter Card at Sprouts. It was WAY too adorable to pass up. Thank goodness araucana breeders are not nearly as picky about the blue of araucana eggs as are ameraucana breeders

:

 

[coberdor]

Coberdor - check out the tufts on this little one! Rumpless too! YEAH! (Phone pic, sorry)

Great! I'm waiting for my first batch of my Araucana, Mille fleurs d'uccles and heritage turkeys. Next weekend for my chickens, the week after for the turkeys. I also traded some of my eggs for some dark Cornish, they are due in 2 weeks.

 

[Illia]

lol that is adorable! If I saw that I'd be shocked but excited with glee to see an actual true Araucana on a card. Cute little cockerel.

 

[cashdl]

I don't care what breed it is, if it laid an egg that color and that big, its a keeper.

Lanae