Benny and Joon have got to go

[Mojo Chick'n]

If I'd had a gun near me, they'd be "just Joon" by now, anyway

Joon stood outside in the pasture, didn't go in - but Benny (I had chased him out of the area twice already today) went into my free range chicken coop and went after my broody hen and her babies. Tore a bunch of feathers out of her backside - sounded like he was killing her while I was running to the coop to see what the heck was happening in there.

I have goose eggs in the bator - maybe I can hatch out some goslings to raise here so they are used to the chickens - Benny and Joon I got at auction, full grown.

Back to the auction they go (if they don't go into the freezer before then).

meri

 

[DuckLady]

We had to separate our drakes in the spring.
He is just being his normal obnoxious springtime self.

Is there a way you can separate the ducks for a few months?

 

[BarnSweet]

Sorry to hear your hen got disturbed. But, this helped make up my mind to get ducklings with the chicks and not wait. Let them grow up together, but keep the drakes away from the chickens next spring just to be "safe".

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Benny and Joon are geese by the way. I don't have any trouble with my ducks and chickens...now the guineas and the chickens? That's a whole different story! Evidently, guineas don't like the color red

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Benny is a BIG gander. He's a mix of Embden and something else.

I have chickens (well one anyway) living with the ducks - and the ducks that I had free range either left the chickens alone, or only made moves towards them then backed off.

Joon, I believe, was just following Benny, as she/he didn't go into the coop with him (I think Joon is a boy also, btw, just by how they react to each other sometimes).

Benny has gone after my dog (beagle mix) and he goes after the chickens if they get near his food - but he's never done the stalk and attack thing with them. I had to chase him away from the coop area twice before he actually went in to attack her. I would have locked him up then, but he is impossible to pen until night-time when he is ready to go in himself.

What bothers me is 1) that hen has four babies - less than a week old and 2) she was in her own coop minding her babies and Benny went looking for trouble - she was nowhere near him. I can't have him attacking my broodies and babies.

I might understand if she had gone into his pen, or if she had been wandering too close to him and Joon - but she wasn't. He pulled some feathers on Mooney (black australorp hen) yesterday for going into his pen and eating his food - I understood that one, and didn't get too upset.

This one he had no excuse for.

meri

 

[Jeff9118]

Quote:
Benny and Joon are geese by the way. I don't have any trouble with my ducks and chickens...now the guineas and the chickens? That's a whole different story! Evidently, guineas don't like the color red

Thanks for clearing that up. I pictured that they were dogs while I was reading the thread. It just says Benny and Joon.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
Benny and Joon are geese by the way. I don't have any trouble with my ducks and chickens...now the guineas and the chickens? That's a whole different story! Evidently, guineas don't like the color red

Thanks for clearing that up. I pictured that they were dogs while I was reading the thread. It just says Benny and Joon.

Sorry, my fault - I've had a few Benny and Joon posts in this section, so assumed that most folks knew