BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[oshun55555]

But then again I have been blessed with a good eye, I can sense a young cockerel is gonna be mean and he gets butchered like all the excess males, every one or two years (sometimes one will make it to 3 years if they are exceptional) I replace my cock birds and only choose the most docile yet flock protective bird I have.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I don't cuddle the cockerels a lot especially once I know they are boys. But I do handle them - weekly weights at first, and then into adulthood, occasionally to remind them that sometimes I'll need to pick them up to take care of them and that it's ok. I found these photos - these are the two most well behaved boys I have, very good and protective with their respective girls. I'm figuring genetics is part of it for them.

Tank (on one of those days when I pulled him off the top of the coop to put him to bed):


Snape (on a day when he was bothering a girl who didn't want to be bothered. He got plucked right of the top of her and got a time out in my lap. He's 9lbs.):




I've posted this elsewhere (maybe here?), but I find that it's a lot like training or having dogs - there's so much in the body language and demonstrating that you're alpha in a subtle way (like facing off with them if they challenge and waiting patiently until they back down). If I'm hyper-aware of my body language and position, and don't make any quick threatening moves toward the girls, it's fine... (At least that's been my experience.) But I certainly respect them, never take them for granted (after all, they are my hen protectors), and am not careless around them - even sweet Tank.

We'll see how Chunky Monkey turns out. He's feistier than the very mellow GNH boys, but not abusive, and have actually been tidbitting for them (go figure...)

- Ant Farm

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I should add that whenever I am around any of my boys, my internal script, which I believe completely and therefore project, is "I am bigger than you and I will always win." It sounds silly, but it changes the way I move around them, etc., and they just don't challenge me (or they back down quickly if they consider it). I don't really have to do anything. (Well, Dumbledore gets the occasional squirt.)

It always worked with my cats and dogs when I was trying to give them medicine, so I figured it would work here.

- Ant Farm

 

[Mini Meat]

Okay, it's not chicken, but we have been breeding them for production...my first Tilapia harvest from my aquaponics setup!





The larger was measured 14-15 inches long and the smaller was 12-13 inches long. The fillets were about 3/4 of an inch thick at their thickest point. These guys had about 7 months to grow to this size. It's been a long time since either my husband or I had filleted a fish, but we didn't do too badly and I know we'll only get better at it from here.

Very nice.

What plans do you have for the fish frames?

 

[DesertChic]

Very nice.

What plans do you have for the fish frames?

Fish frames? I don't know what you mean by that.

 

[DesertChic]

- Ant Farm

I LOVE this picture. Seriously...this should be your avatar.

 

[Beekissed]

Well Bee, I don't have these kinds of issues, in the last few decades I have only had one kinda mean Cock bird, I never handle any of my chicks except to examine them, from all I have read on BYC these last few years, I am convinced the loving on them as chicks messes with their minds once the hormones kick in, btw the one cock bird i mentioned got his rear end kicked across the yard and never came close to me again, I ate him, I don't like scared chickens either.

I don't have those issues either. In 40 yrs of keeping roosters, only one bird has made aggressive contact with my legs and he was not raised here. I got him in a mixed pen of roosters for eating and he was too small to bother, so turned him loose to let him get some size on him. One day I was rounding the corner of the coop and he ran up from behind and bit my leg! I grabbed a nearby walking stick and waited for him to meander around the other side of the coop and whapped him one. A little too hard, maybe...he went down, started flopping and his eyes rolled back in his head. Then he stopped moving. I figured I'd killed him, so gave him a hardy toss out into the brush and forgot about it. Felt a little bad for the use of excessive force, but he started it, so I wasn't going to beat myself up over it.

Later on that evening that bird came walking~a little crooked, I might add~up the yard. Never had another problem with him and later on he was big enough to butcher.

Another bird not raised by me and only just arrived, flogged my egg basket once. I laid in wait for him to enter the coop and surprised him in a similar manner...by the time I was done with him he was trying to make a door in the coop that didn't exist, but finally found the exit. He never repeated his bid for whatever he was trying to accomplish either.

Males I raise here never get to that point, never attempt a coup of any kind on the food bringer. I don't handle them unless I have to, I don't let them get comfortable in my personal space...reach down and give them a little friendly goose to the tail if they walk too close by or just whenever I feel like it. They all seem pretty comfortable and calm in my presence, will settle down next to me while I'm doing a particular chore, don't fight or struggle much when being handled for any reason.

Judging from those I've raised personally(different breeds) and then those few attempts by visiting roosters that were quickly corrected with a one time lesson in who's who in the barnyard, I'd say male aggression might have a lot to do with body language and intent of the human, as much as it is about genetics or breed. I've even been at a memorial service done on a farm place where a rooster was crowing through all the eulogies....I got a little tired of it, so quietly slipped over to the edge of the lawn where he was shouting and persuaded him to shut up and go elsewhere, without lifting a hand or saying a word. He didn't crow the rest of the day.

I've also seen this happen on my sister's farm, where she had to carry a buggy whip with her to go feed the flocks, as she had several roosters that would sneak up behind her and flog her and also a few tom turkeys that would do the same. When I visited, I could walk through their flock, squat down, do whatever I wished without any aggressive overtures from these same birds. Just faced down a couple when they approached and then backed them up and sent them away. Didn't have to do that again, so they must have remembered me from the first time.

When it comes down to it, chickens are....well....chicken. It doesn't take much to change their minds about attacking a human.

 

[Mini Meat]

Quote: A fish frame is head skeleton and tail left over for filleting.
I was thinking you could use them to make a fermented fish fertilizer for your garden.

 

[oshun55555]

Quote: My experiences are like yours, maybe they just know not to mess with us, I raise my walking stick (crippling arthritis so I walk very slowly and carry my stick) and they think I am an old testament prophet raising my staff, no chicken in my yard not even some of the flighty breeds ( don't have any of that kind anymore) dare even think about being bad birds. Although I have noticed since I now walk very very slowly like a goose I have no birds scrambling to get away, they can out run me. Hell my geese can out run me.

 

[Beekissed]

No birds scrambling to get out of my way either....I have to swing my legs to get them out of the way and to keep from tripping!

I'd carry a stick if I thought it would do any good. They are most decidedly NOT afraid of me and will jump right up on the scoop when I'm dishing out feed, the big hogs.

Could be the birds just see us as predators, as well they should.