Australorps breed Thread

[Gramma Chick]

I thought we already said looks like a boy on this one ?

 

[tnmommy]

Utility group of birds. Should I remove this cockerel from breeding for egg layers? He has a pendulous crop from repeated episodes of impacted crop but after changing to a mash and feeding scrambled eggs with oil once a week, yogurt with oatmeal twice per week it is improving and he is finally putting on weight again. He is now taking over the coop as the head of the flock and I saw him try to mount a hen today. Can this be genetic? One of the hens has also had this issue and he was hatched from that group. I planned to switch roosters with another one I'm growing out from an unrelated group.

 

[Turk Raphael]

Utility group of birds. Should I remove this cockerel from breeding for egg layers? He has a pendulous crop from repeated episodes of impacted crop but after changing to a mash and feeding scrambled eggs with oil once a week, yogurt with oatmeal twice per week it is improving and he is finally putting on weight again. He is now taking over the coop as the head of the flock and I saw him try to mount a hen today. Can this be genetic? One of the hens has also had this issue and he was hatched from that group. I planned to switch roosters with another one I'm growing out from an unrelated group.

Forgive me for being so blunt but a bird that has required that much care just to keep live (and all others that fall into a similar category) should be removed from the flock immediately ...and NOT re-homed.

 

[tnmommy]

No, I would never dream of re-homing him. Did I give you the impression that I would try to sell him? Sorry if it read that way. I just didn't know if this was something that he stood any chance if recovering from. I have no issue with culling if it is justified but I'm not ruthless either. Some things are genetic, some things are situational.

 

[Turk Raphael]

No, I would never dream of re-homing him. Did I give you the impression that I would try to sell him? Sorry if it read that way. I just didn't know if this was something that he stood any chance if recovering from. I have no issue with culling if it is justified but I'm not ruthless either. Some things are genetic, some things are situational.

Based upon what you posted, it sure sounds 'genetic' to me.

"Can this be genetic? One of the hens has also had this issue and he was hatched from that group."

You answer the question...does it sound genetic to you? I really don't mean to sound like a hard case but it sounds like that rooster and the hen as well have been some trouble. You didn't ask but I will still tell you and all else who wish to read... chickens like those mentioned are costly in almost every conceivable way.

In another vein, even hatchery chicks are really cheap and I personally don't why anyone would go through so much heartache with a few "Utility birds".

I see you are a 'mommy' and that can explain a bunch...perhaps you and your children are attached to the birds so again, I'm sorry if I sound harsh but I would have wrung their necks long before got to feeding them scrambled eggs and what not.

Best of luck with your flock!!

Turk

 

[Gramma Chick]

Utility group of birds. Should I remove this cockerel from breeding for egg layers? He has a pendulous crop from repeated episodes of impacted crop but after changing to a mash and feeding scrambled eggs with oil once a week, yogurt with oatmeal twice per week it is improving and he is finally putting on weight again. He is now taking over the coop as the head of the flock and I saw him try to mount a hen today. Can this be genetic? One of the hens has also had this issue and he was hatched from that group. I planned to switch roosters with another one I'm growing out from an unrelated group.

Could be genetic ...I wouldnt take a chance that it is ...especially if you have another rooster option

I see you are a 'mommy' and that can explain a bunch...perhaps you and your children are attached to the birds so again, I'm sorry if I sound harsh but I would have wrung their necks long before got to feeding them scrambled eggs and what not.

Turk

Generalizing : Women tend to mother chickens ...I do.. I get attached to them as pets . I will try to help them ...if I can .
That is part of compassion for a living animal .
Men tend not to get attached to livestock .. it may be easier that way ..

 

[Turk Raphael]

Could be genetic ...I wouldnt take a chance that it is ...especially if you have another rooster option
Generalizing : Women tend to mother chickens ...I do.. I get attached to them as pets . I will try to help them ...if I can .
That is part of compassion for a living animal .
Men tend not to get attached to livestock .. it may be easier that way ..

I can certainly appreciate your points of view. I grew up on a working farm and learned very early that it wasn't practical to get attached to any stock that is there to be either eaten or provide some worthwhile service...chickens lay eggs.

I did get attached to a couple of old 'Farm Collies' that earned their keep and much more every single day. My grandpa often said they did the work of 5 men but I didn't understand what he meant until I was in high school and the first one died. I thought I was going to die too!

I can still remember when I was forced to lop off the head of my first chicken, around age 10. I will admit, I was traumatized but It steeled me to be the official chicken killer, and thanks to that, I can remember so many wonderful Sunday dinners.

 

[tnmommy]

My husband grew up with chickens as livestock. I didn't. They are pets to me, to a point. Yes, they are providers of my eggs and the roosters are here to hopefully provide enough fertile eggs to sell to pay for the feed and such. I'm used to euthanasia for my pets, though, and what we have to do for our chickens out here in the sticks just looks worse, I guess. My local vet doesn't deal with chickens but I guess I can ask if he'll put them down for me. My husband will do it the old fashioned way, though.

I have euthanized a chick just after hatching, it had an exposed brain. First batch I hatched out, too. No hope for that little one. I learned a lesson, though. Snapping the neck has got to be easier than the carbon monoxide route. Will have to prep myself for that next time I hatch chicks.

My little boy is adjusting to farm life. Our kids growing up on with animals get used to the reality of life and death so much faster. You are right, about the mommy thing. We rehomed this rooster's dad due to his aggression with my husband and worried that he would also get aggressive with my kid. My kid loved the big rooster and this juvenile is his progeny. His name is "Junior." Other than the pendulous crop, there aren't other issues. Harder to explain to my son. Other than the "sick tummy" I guess. So yeah, it's the mommy thing. Not wanting to hurt my little boy's feelings over yet another animal. I have warned him somewhat that raising animals on a farm means that you sell some and some of them die. Maybe that's why he's developing an interest in growing vegetables.......

 

[Gramma Chick]

My husband grew up with chickens as livestock. I didn't. They are pets to me, to a point. Yes, they are providers of my eggs and the roosters are here to hopefully provide enough fertile eggs to sell to pay for the feed and such. I'm used to euthanasia for my pets, though, and what we have to do for our chickens out here in the sticks just looks worse, I guess. My local vet doesn't deal with chickens but I guess I can ask if he'll put them down for me. My husband will do it the old fashioned way, though.

My husband too .
As long as it is quick it is better I think ..so they dont suffer . It is not pleasant to do regardless .
My son & husband have slaughtered some of our Roos...I dont do it . We were given 11 chickens 7 were Roos .
We ate them ...they had a great life here before that ...If we kill them . we eat them ..because otherwise I feel it is wasting their life they gave for us .

 

[BethanyS]

Hey Astrolarp fans I would love some input.We have a surplus of 3week old black Astrolarp chicks.I have a friends with three fabulous gentle children and they want chickens bad!Space and money is limited and i I have a rabbit hutch I can give them.I wanted to give them 3hens but the little boy is dead set on having a Rooster to protect his ladies.So my concerns are Will the roo be ok around children,will he tormented only 2 hens.I do plan on fixing them a little run and a chicken tractor to move around the yard....should I consider more hens if we do give them a roo...they have been handled daily and will follow us around the yard the roo in question seems calm now...but he is a baby.Any advise would be great.thank you