Arizona Chickens

[pdx2phx]

I have a weird question (or maybe not weird, considering we're talking 2 month old chicks).

One cockerel (I'm pretty sure) just keeps ripping feathers out of the other chicks, just above the base of their tails and eating them. He stalks them and eats their feathers.....is this common?

We are already working on finding a home for him, but don't want to unload a feather eating chick torturer-weirdo if this is some kind of weird behavioral thing.....thoughts anyone? He's otherwise a really sweet little guy so far - likes people and likes to be handled, and is a cute red banty frizzle cochin.

 

[NoSkiveez]

MEG - No worries. It happens and I understand. Murphys law. Lol.

MAHONRI - I just picked up a forced air incubator with turner today. It has 42 openings for chicken eggs and I'm going to keep 7 quail cups in, plus I also have the other forced air I bought about 6 weeks earlier. I hand rotate 3 times a day. I need to pick up another thermometer and hydrometer tomorrow. I'm happy to hatch and return any hatchlings back to you. I'm sorry about your hen

BOB - I'm glad your seeing improvement. I'm sorry for the losses.

Today I picked up a cuckoo marans hen. This one lays hard shelled eggs. I'm rather excited. My hen hasn't bound up again (yet) but she hasnt laid another egg yet either.

 

[NoSkiveez]

Quote:
Yes, watch out for me. I am an enabler!

 

[5pinkarrows]

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ROFLOLOLOL!!!! That cracked me up. I don't know a ton about chickens, but I've heard of this, too. I have no idea if it ever stops. You're right that it sounds pretty weird. My silkie eats others' eggs, but not her own. I thought that was weird, but you win.

 

[squeakyballs]

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I think I read somewhere on here that feather eaters need more protein... I think you are supposed to offer him tuna fish or something. Then again, maybe he's just a butt.

 

[LarryPQ]

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True! I think I spend more time around my bators during lockdown and hatch than any other time.... and if you are up waiting for kids that are out celebrating anyway.... you may as well be doing something fun... like watching chicks hatch.

I've been around for Mahonri's hatches...and I promise waiting up until 3:30 is NOTHING like the mother-hen fluttering Mahonri will end up doing.

 

[Mahonri]

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TRUE

 

[newchickmom09]

GoneHomeGrown2~ He is a really cute pup just needs some more training. We are also using him as a bird dog for quail and dove hunting, so the line between the two is still thin. With our old lab she just seemed to know that the birds in the yard were off limit. He will get the hang of it he is super smart. Montezuma's castle is pretty neat, my son (4 yrs old) kept asking me to let him climb up there. He was pulling out all of the strings to make me really understand why he NEEDED to climb up there.

I wish I had an incubator I would love some of your eggs Mahonri. I wouldn't want to chance my homemade one that I used for my duck eggs on yours.

Tucson Tofu~ I think I read that the chickens needed more protein too if they are eating feathers. Can't remember for sure.

 

[Nuclear Chickens]

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True! I think I spend more time around my bators during lockdown and hatch than any other time.... and if you are up waiting for kids that are out celebrating anyway.... you may as well be doing something fun... like watching chicks hatch.

I've been around for Mahonri's hatches...and I promise waiting up until 3:30 is NOTHING like the mother-hen fluttering Mahonri will end up doing.

I am new here but I get the impression some of you are doing this just out of morbid curiosity of watching Mahonri bounce off the walls? LOL

 

[rufus]

Quote:
I climbed up to Montezuma's Castle about sixty years ago. Once was enough.

Rufus