Arucana, Americauna, EE

[chickcrush]

Quote:
Funny...shorty bus hen. We just got 2 ameraucanas and a gold sex link which we'll be integrating with a Brahma, gold lace wyandotte and another gold sex link. It'll be interesting to see if they too will be short bus riders.

 

[Hockeychick]

I have 5 EE's and they are the lowest in the pecking order. I see that this is not unique to my flock. Is it because they are kind of small? The lowest ranking bird is super flighty and I think her contant running and chirping annoys the other birds. She primarily gets chased by SLWs and BRs. I tried to take her out of the coop last night and she freaked out and flew at my face. Good thing I wear glasses!! She did the same to my husband tonight. I guess she was just scared, because she is a sweet bird - just don't approach her in the coop!! As cute as they are, I am always worrying about them and checking on them. If only they would be a little more assertive!

 

[CindyG]

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I work with kids who come to school on the "short bus" Not sure I care for your reference.

 

[pips&peeps]

My daughter rides the short bus.

 

[cashdl]

I have a son who has some issues lets say, and a very good friend who's son rode the short bus, and my mother-in-law drove the short bus for years and enjoyed every second of it. My uncle could not go to school because he was too mentally disabled to be given the priveledge of riding any bus much less the short bus. And for all your info in our town the shortest bus is for the football team. LOL. I was not offended and I could be seen as having a right to be. I think as a society we look too quickly to be offended which I find is highly offensive. This thread is about chickens and a chicken reference was made, that some people understood and others thought funny. I am sure it was not ment to be offensive, so why even comment about it. If you didn't like it walk away, you don't have to participate in the thread. I found that her comment about EE's being dumb was offensive to my EE's. EE's are not dumb just too smart to get into a fight with a bigger bird. They are pacifists, sorta. My EE's and Araucana's get along great. My barred rocks and Rhode Island reds are bully's to everyone else.

My EE's are not flighty just the opposite. They are quiet and happy to be. I do believe it depends on the breeds in their pedigree. If they are a cross with a flighty bird than they will be flighty. Now I do have some EE's Polish cross's that I did because I could and not only are they goofy looking, but they are really flighty. Always running away from you with their Dr. Seuss head bobbing. Ridiculous. makes me laugh every time they do it. AHHH cheap entertainment.

My Araucana's are not flighty either. They are stubborn and want to do things their way. Now I have a roo who will peck you and crow at your feet as loud as he can untill you pick him up and hold him like a baby. Then he warbles and coos then goes to sleep. Kind of embarrasing when company comes over. You have to pick him up and cradle him so you can hear yourself talk.

So there is my two or four cents.

 

[nancy1zak]

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Hi Warren County...I am in Morris County. Did you read my post? It was the first one. My EE did the same thing and flew right into my face when I tried to catch her. My EE makes a weird guinea hen noise all day long. I see that other people have nice EE's...I was beginning to think it was just me. Although our other 7 chickens are fabulous. The lady we got her from said she would take her back. I feel like I am sending her back to Russia because she didn't do what I had expected. So, before I do that I will keep trying with her. I bought a saddle to put on her to hopefully help with the feather picking. I think I will have to wear my son's catcher's mask so I don't lose an eye in order to get her to put the saddle on. I bought her a brown saddle. My husband said I should have gotten the camoflage...maybe the other chickens wouldn't see her.

 

[Hockeychick]

nancy1zak, we're practically neighbors. Good luck with the saddle - maybe it would be easier to put on at night when they are a little calmer? I can't tell if my crazy EE is having her feathers pulled out or not. For lack of a better description, her coloring is 'mottled' - not the neat little pattern on the other 4 so that alone makes her look messy. I am not entirely convinced that she is a she. some of the feathers on her neck and before her tail are not pointed, but split on the ends. Picture an upside down V, and she has a wicked high tail. I would love to have an EE rooster, just not that one! As flighty as they are, I still think that they are the cutest of the bunch. I love their fluffy little heads.

 

[schellie69]

I have 3 EE bantams, and they are not flighty at all now these girls were not hand raised so I have been working with my whole flock and it takes time but they do settle down. now to address some one statement Americuanas=EE this is not true there are 3 breads true Americuanas Aurcuans (sp) and EE's the EE's are a mix of the other 2 in some way they can lay anywhere from a pink blue blue/green or green egg. I can't stand that the hatchery's sale the birds under the wrong names when I see 4-H kids come in to get a bird and then don't understand why their bird did not win since they thought it was this kind of chicken when ever I am in the store when they have chicks I try and help the people and let them know that they are not true breeds so the kids don't get a bird that won't win. and tell them to look for a breeder of these birds. and to the OP the brooder thing is not that hard I was worried this year but it was great simple and was not as bad as I thought and would do it again since I know that handling the chicks makes them easier to handle when they are bigger good luck maybe your EE just needs a little more time to adjust it is always a bad idea to introduce just one chicken at a time the others will gang up on the one its better to have 2 that way they can stick together and have a better chance.

 

[nancy1zak]

I put all eight of my chickens in a new coop, all at the same time. They were in different pens at the sellers, although no one came without friend from their pen. Within two days they were picking on my EE. The cochins she was penned with were picking on her. And, then the buff orpingtons started doing it. Even though the seller would take her back, we worry that she will be "one" added to many and she might get picked on worse. I think like one post says...she annoys the other chickens and they pick on her. She doesn't even try to get away and we have provided lots or hiding areas. I just don't think I would ever get any EE's or anything in that gene pool again.

 

[nancy1zak]

I think you would know if she is getting feather picked. I started seeing the white downy-like feathers showing through where her back ends and her tail feathers start. Then they made her bleed and we had to remove her. Now she has a bunch of white fuzzy feathers where she was picked on. So, they are growing back. I still see them pick on her, so that is why I want to get a saddle on her to protect her from the picking since she won't remove herself from the picker. Not a smart chicken.