Arizona Chickens

[chikdukturkmom]

Two quick questions about my new rooster:

1. I haven't heard him crow yet. There are two roosters about 200 yards or so just north of me that crow every morning and I expected to hear my fella start crowing this morning but he was quiet. Is that unusual? He has a very nice voice when he clucks - he should be on American Idol, so I was a bit surprised at his silence. He just spent his first night here though so maybe that has something to do with it.

2. I've read on here and other places that you should feed a mixed flock, like what I have now with the new rooster, a feed that doesn't contain calcium and then supply free choice oyster shell or other source since the extra calcium in layer feed may not be good for roosters and certainly not if you have pullets that aren't laying. I switched my girls to Nutrena 16% Naturewise Layer Crumble when they started laying about 2 months ago and they're doing really well on it. That's what I have out there now and the rooster's been eating it. I've also read that others let their roosters eat the layer feed and it's totally ok. Is there any consensus on whether or not a rooster can eat layer without any problems or do you just take it on a case by case basis?

Any info would be appreciated. I really love having that rooster out there. He's like the prettiest bird on the planet on steroids.

Gene

I had a rooster that wouldnt crow til he was about 6 months old. And even then it was a quiet crow for a couple months. Now it sounds beautiful.

 

[DesertChic]

Two quick questions about my new rooster:

1. I haven't heard him crow yet. There are two roosters about 200 yards or so just north of me that crow every morning and I expected to hear my fella start crowing this morning but he was quiet. Is that unusual? He has a very nice voice when he clucks - he should be on American Idol, so I was a bit surprised at his silence. He just spent his first night here though so maybe that has something to do with it.

2. I've read on here and other places that you should feed a mixed flock, like what I have now with the new rooster, a feed that doesn't contain calcium and then supply free choice oyster shell or other source since the extra calcium in layer feed may not be good for roosters and certainly not if you have pullets that aren't laying. I switched my girls to Nutrena 16% Naturewise Layer Crumble when they started laying about 2 months ago and they're doing really well on it. That's what I have out there now and the rooster's been eating it. I've also read that others let their roosters eat the layer feed and it's totally ok. Is there any consensus on whether or not a rooster can eat layer without any problems or do you just take it on a case by case basis?

Any info would be appreciated. I really love having that rooster out there. He's like the prettiest bird on the planet on steroids.

Gene

1. Don't worry about his lack of crowing. He may still just be getting a feel for the land and will start crowing when he's more settled in and confident. The most important thing right now is that he's bonding with your hens. I have a lot of cockerels/roosters right now....over 2 dozen...and they don't all crow all the time, and every time I relocate some of them or change things up it can trigger periods of silence while they adjust.

2. A 16% layer feed is just fine for your roosters. You don't need any special feed for them. The amount of calcium in the layer feed is sufficient to meet basic nutritional needs of both genders, but providing extra oyster shell is still a very good idea for your hens as they lose a lot of their calcium when laying eggs. I even occasionally notice my roosters consuming small amounts of oyster shell, usually around they time they'll be molting, or just when they want to encourage the hens to consume some. If your rooster's feathers start looking bad then you may want to slip him some extra protein from time to time, but as a general rule they get by just fine on layer feed.

All of that said, I've personally seen better results in hatching/breeding if I increase protein for a month before starting my breeding programs, and I also always switch to a higher protein feed when my birds molt. I also tend to feed them more protein during the hotter months as it helps them better deal with the excessive temperatures. I'm lucky though...the feed I use has zero corn (which raises body temperature) and uses fish meal as a primary source of protein rather then simply relying on vegetable protein. I think that makes a difference too.

 

[ejcrist]

1. Don't worry about his lack of crowing. He may still just be getting a feel for the land and will start crowing when he's more settled in and confidence. The most important thing right now is that he's bonding with your hens. I have a lot of cockerels/roosters right now....over 2 dozen...and they don't all crow all the time, and every time I relocate some of them or change things up it can trigger periods of silence while they adjust.

2. A 16% layer feed is just fine for your roosters. You don't need any special feed for them. The amount of calcium in the layer feed is sufficient to meet basic nutritional needs of both genders, but providing extra oyster shell is still a very good idea for your hens as they lose a lot of their calcium when laying eggs. I even occasionally notice my roosters consuming small amounts of oyster shell, usually around they time they'll be molting, or just when they want to encourage the hens to consume some. If your rooster's feathers start looking bad then you may want to slip him some extra protein from time to time, but as a general rule they get by just fine on layer feed.

All of that said, I've personally seen better results in hatching/breeding if I increase protein for a month before starting my breeding programs, and I also always switch to a higher protein feed when my birds molt. I also tend to feed them more protein during the hotter months as it helps them better deal with the excessive temperatures. I'm lucky though...the feed I use has zero corn (which raises body temperature) and uses fish meal as a primary source of protein rather then simply relying on vegetable protein. I think that makes a difference too.

Ok, good deal. That's some great info - thanks.

 

[ejcrist]

Im in kingman and i have 5 week old barred rock that my broody hatched. Have a barred rock hen laying on some more too. If you are willing to make the drive they are beautiful. I can take newer pictures if you would like.

Thanks much for the offer. I got a very nice cock yesterday so I believe I'm good-to-go. I'd have gladly made the drive up your way for a good bird like you're describing.

 

[ejcrist]

Is it possible to have a broody pullet that's only 7 months old? I thought that was something that didn't occur until they were hens over a year old. I have one BR pullet that's laying just fine, and now she spends the majority of her time sitting on each egg she lays in the nest box. She's not puffed up or anything like I saw in pictures of broody hens but then again she may be but I just can't tell do to inexperience. Since I got the cock yesterday she went out into the run and dug down in the dirt a bit but she didn't seem too interested in mealworms or anything. She seems perfectly healthy just not in a good mood.

 

[DesertChic]

Is it possible to have a broody pullet that's only 7 months old? I thought that was something that didn't occur until they were hens over a year old. I have one BR pullet that's laying just fine, and now she spends the majority of her time sitting on each egg she lays in the nest box. She's not puffed up or anything like I saw in pictures of broody hens but then again she may be but I just can't tell do to inexperience. Since I got the cock yesterday she went out into the run and dug down in the dirt a bit but she didn't seem too interested in mealworms or anything. She seems perfectly healthy just not in a good mood.

She could definitely be broody at that age. One of my NN pullets went broody at 6 months of age. Another was kind enough to wait until 8 months. When they're broody, their "speech" changes and they're more likely to growl at you if you try to pet or move them. Do you weigh their eggs? Another sign of impending broodiness includes a sudden reduction in egg size prior to the cessation of egg laying.

 

[ejcrist]

She could definitely be broody at that age. One of my NN pullets went broody at 6 months of age. Another was kind enough to wait until 8 months. When they're broody, their "speech" changes and they're more likely to growl at you if you try to pet or move them. Do you weigh their eggs? Another sign of impending broodiness includes a sudden reduction in egg size prior to the cessation of egg laying.

Wow, no kiddin'? Yeah I think that's what I have then - you just described her to a tee. I haven't been weighing eggs but she meets the other criteria. I've read stuff you can do to break them of it but the other 24 are laying good so I'm not too concerned about it at this point. I also read that broodiness can be contagious so I hope the others don't all follow her lead. Of course she couldn't do this when convenient like during the winter. She had to do this during prime laying time. I built my nest boxes in the wall so I can access them from the outside, and I know it gets hotter in there than in the coop because they're more of a confined space even though the boxes face north. I've been cracking the lid open during the day to allow for some airflow but I hope she doesn't stay in there if it gets too hot. I guess there's not a whole lot you can do about it. I'll have to keep an eye on her and hope for the best. According to the weather it's supposed to cool off some later in the week and there's a good chance of rain by the end of the week. I'm really looking forward to fall.

 

[DesertChic]

Wow, no kiddin'? Yeah I think that's what I have then - you just described her to a tee. I haven't been weighing eggs but she meets the other criteria. I've read stuff you can do to break them of it but the other 24 are laying good so I'm not too concerned about it at this point. I also read that broodiness can be contagious so I hope the others don't all follow her lead. Of course she couldn't do this when convenient like during the winter. She had to do this during prime laying time. I built my nest boxes in the wall so I can access them from the outside, and I know it gets hotter in there than in the coop because they're more of a confined space even though the boxes face north. I've been cracking the lid open during the day to allow for some airflow but I hope she doesn't stay in there if it gets too hot. I guess there's not a whole lot you can do about it. I'll have to keep an eye on her and hope for the best. According to the weather it's supposed to cool off some later in the week and there's a good chance of rain by the end of the week. I'm really looking forward to fall.

Just keep in mind that if you don't give her eggs or break her broodiness, she could starve herself to death. A broody hen will eschew feed and even water most of the day while she sits on her eggs. One of my broodies literally didn't leave the nest for three days, not even to poop! Another would leave for a total of 5 minutes max per day. It was amazing to watch her fly off the nest and run full speed through the yard, first pooping, then gulping down food and water, then a quick dust bath and finally back on the nest, growling her warning to other birds to stay out of her way. The flock was terrified of her! A good broody will only eat enough to allow herself minimal nutrients while sitting, but in our desert heat it's all too easy for them to die of starvation as maternal instinct combats with environmental influences.

If she's not a truly devoted broody, breaking her could take as little as a day or a few days of removing her from her preferred environment....say to a dog kennel, broody box, etc. with minimal bedding in which she could build a nest. I've even brought one into the air conditioned house in a dog crate for 24 hours, which was distressing enough to break her of her broodiness. Provide her with food and plenty of cool water. Her "tone of voice" will change once she's no longer broody.

Another trick is to give her 1-2 baby aspirin per day in her water. Broodiness resembles a fever as the bird's body temperature actually increases in anticipation of incubating eggs. Crushing up a baby aspirin and either putting it in her water, or forcing her to drink liquified aspirin water via a syringe or eye dropper often yields results in 24 hours.

The longer you permit her to be broody the harder it will be to break her. I have one girl right now who's been broody and sitting on a golf ball for a couple weeks, but I've allowed her to remain broody because her poor body was nearly completely devoid of feathers. She'd gone through 2 molts and a whole lot of mating without ever even slowing in her egg laying until finally her body seemed to scream, "Enough! I need a break!" I remove her from her nest multiple times per day to ensure she drinks and eats while new feathers grow in. During the hottest part of the day she also removes herself form the nest for an hour or more to tend to her needs...which is what makes me suspect she's NOT a devoted broody, but simply allowing herself some much needed R & R. Her crop is always nice and full at night, and her feathers are now about halfway in. Once she's mostly feathered I'll isolate her and give her some aspirin water to break her.

Good luck!

 

[cyborg]

@ejcrist, here are some pics of a California White cock and some of his pullets. On the pullets, check out the sparse black spotting. At hatch, this is how you tell the difference between the boys and the girls.

 

[ejcrist]

Just keep in mind that if you don't give her eggs or break her broodiness, she could starve herself to death. A broody hen will eschew feed and even water most of the day while she sits on her eggs. One of my broodies literally didn't leave the nest for three days, not even to poop! Another would leave for a total of 5 minutes max per day. It was amazing to watch her fly off the nest and run full speed through the yard, first pooping, then gulping down food and water, then a quick dust bath and finally back on the nest, growling her warning to other birds to stay out of her way. The flock was terrified of her! A good broody will only eat enough to allow herself minimal nutrients while sitting, but in our desert heat it's all too easy for them to die of starvation as maternal instinct combats with environmental influences.

If she's not a truly devoted broody, breaking her could take as little as a day or a few days of removing her from her preferred environment....say to a dog kennel, broody box, etc. with minimal bedding in which she could build a nest. I've even brought one into the air conditioned house in a dog crate for 24 hours, which was distressing enough to break her of her broodiness. Provide her with food and plenty of cool water. Her "tone of voice" will change once she's no longer broody.

Another trick is to give her 1-2 baby aspirin per day in her water. Broodiness resembles a fever as the bird's body temperature actually increases in anticipation of incubating eggs. Crushing up a baby aspirin and either putting it in her water, or forcing her to drink liquified aspirin water via a syringe or eye dropper often yields results in 24 hours.

The longer you permit her to be broody the harder it will be to break her. I have one girl right now who's been broody and sitting on a golf ball for a couple weeks, but I've allowed her to remain broody because her poor body was nearly completely devoid of feathers. She'd gone through 2 molts and a whole lot of mating without ever even slowing in her egg laying until finally her body seemed to scream, "Enough! I need a break!" I remove her from her nest multiple times per day to ensure she drinks and eats while new feathers grow in. During the hottest part of the day she also removes herself form the nest for an hour or more to tend to her needs...which is what makes me suspect she's NOT a devoted broody, but simply allowing herself some much needed R & R. Her crop is always nice and full at night, and her feathers are now about halfway in. Once she's mostly feathered I'll isolate her and give her some aspirin water to break her.

Good luck!

Good info - thanks for the details. I didn't think she might end up malnourished and starve herself - certainly want to avoid that. The other think I don't like about it is she's sitting in that nest box all hours of the day, and of course it gets mighty toasty in there. That alone worries me. Anyway I have a large dog crate I bought to transport my rooster so I can put that to good use. It has a removable plastic floor. I've read elsewhere that you should put them in a container with a wire-bottom floor to allow air to circulate under her and elevate the crate. If that's the case I'd have to remove the plastic floor and probably put in hardware cloth because the wire cage might be too wide for her to walk on. Is it absolutely necessary to have her on a wire floor? It'll be a lot easier if it's not necessary but if so I'll get her done. I'd rather start with the cage method before trying aspirin.