California - Northern

[debs_flock]

Quote: You got the answer to the rolling over.

The hand feeding, I mostly mean you don't want this girl to feel like she ranks high in the flock. A submissive hen is less likely to be aggressive towards you. A rooster is going to feed hens that he favors. Even roosters will ignore some low ranking females. You want her to think she is the lowest of the low. It's like dealing with a dog that is too pushy in your household. You make them eat after you eat, you pretend to eat from their food bowl before you give it to them, you only pet them on your terms, you never let them get on the furniture, all things to make them rank lower in the pack...............same for chickens in your flock. A low ranking hen would never dream of challenging a high ranking hen.

Good luck with them.

ETA - even if you have to mildly chase off the aggressive girls when you put out treats. Just shoo them away until the other birds eat first. Then let them approach, the same as birds establish the pecking order in the flock.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Good Morning Everyone!

How do you all handle pullets that are fairly persistent in challenging you every time you walk in to the coop?  These two darn Welsummers just keep at it.  After I have been in there a while they usually go about their business, but I don't trust them.  They keep eyeballing me.  I tend to wear shorts in the evening when I go out there and one of them grabbed my knee they other day and gave me a nice bruise.  (jerk)

I don't really want that type of bird around my daughter but I feel like I should be able to curb this behavior.   I usually use my foot to push them back when I see them starting to get ready to jump at me.  They peck my shoe and get all huffy.  Then I push them back some more. Last night I picked one up because she just wouldn't stop and she didn't struggle any but she didn't like it.  After a minute or so I put her back down and she sort of kept her distance, but it just seems that she won't stop.

Anyone have any thoughts on the subject?  

I've never had issues like that with a pullet or hen.  Maybe try the same as with an upstart cockerel and pin the bird to the ground for a few minutes.  You just need to hold them down until you can feel them relax and submit to the treatment, then let them get up and walk off.  It helps to establish you in the pecking order.  Don't give them special treats and certainly don't feed them by hand.

I agree. Put your hands over their wings on their back and force them into a squat.

Alli I had one red star go all agro on me shortly before she began to lay.  She would peck and twist so I did what these guys said.  Picked her up and carried her under my arm, when I set her down I held her down and before I released her I ruffled her feathers a bit.  She stopped and then about a week later began laying and has never been like that again. 

Ron I grew up going to the creek.  few things are more soothing to me. Thanks for the pics.

Well I wish I could chalk it up to getting ready to lay an egg, but this is a Welsummer we are talking about here.  One of the biggest egg hold outs there is.  10-12 months usually.  Slackers.

I guess I will have to pick the snot up and carry her around a while.  Dumb bird.  I call the two Welsummers the "mean girls".  So far out of of 13 chickens I only have 4 names.  The mean girls, Spike, and Fatty Patty (She is an Orp that runs up and down the run when she sees me coming)  She will even jump off the roost at dusk to see if I brought any treats.

My welsummers are breeder quality. They start laying in the 24-30 weeks range. I've only had one pullet hold out for 11 months - she laid for a couple months and went broody.

I've never had a mean wellie. They are not lap chickens, meaning they hate being picked up, but they are very friendly and come up to me easily. Younger pullets are a bit more skittish, but they settle down when they start laying.

A not spelled well form of exhibition. Did you get your Orpingtons from GFfarms yet?

Yes and the 3 hens Are beautiful but the rooster was dead

I'm so sorry. How awful.

 

[lawatt]

Yes and the 3 hens Are beautiful but the rooster was dead

ugh, so sorry for you! reminds me of my attempts to get some isbar and CL chicks last year -- in the first box shipped, they were all dead, and in the second only two survived. i gave up on shipped chicks after that!

 

[Nikon]

Ok chicken Masters,

Our babes are 20 weeks old. When can we expect our first eggs? I know that our Brahma will probably take longer than the others, but isn't 18-20 weeks about right for egg laying?

 

[liz9910]

Quote:
Have the combs/wattles turned nice and red? Any squatting?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Ok chicken Masters,

Our babes are 20 weeks old. When can we expect our first eggs? I know that our Brahma will probably take longer than the others, but isn't 18-20 weeks about right for egg laying?

20 weeks is still pretty young. Hatchery birds will generally lay before breeder quality. Most of my original hatchery girls started laying in the 21-25 week range. My breeder quality birds I never expect anything before 24 weeks.

It's actually better for their bodies to start laying later. Early laying can cause laying problems when they are older.

 

[Nikon]

Have the combs/wattles turned nice and red? Any squatting?

Hmmm.... dang, can't say off the top of me head, but I think they're pretty tan still.

 

[Nikon]

Hi guys/gals!!! I hope everybody is well!!! My baby quail are almost 5 weeks already!!! I heard one try to crow today

So cute!!! Getting ready to cook up another batch

!! NOT 111 this time!! uugghh..lol

I just have to brag a bit!!! My daughter entered her barred rock pullet & my Golden Manchurian Quail into the Nevada County fair!!! The BR was too young, I guess, but my Golden Boy, "Mr. Man," GOT 1ST PLACE!!! WOOHOO!!!!

Awe! Super cute! I wish adults could enter birds, as far as I know it's just for the 4H'ers.

 

[Nikon]

OH!! I placed at the Nevada County Fair in photography!

A portrait got second place and one of my chicken portraits (my avatar pic) got a third place! YAY!

 

[ronott1]

Today one of my Crele Penedesencas laid an egg. It is the second egg from the two of them. I am very happy to have Penedesenca eggs again!

I have missed them since Jane succumbed to her last Calamity.....

I had to take the picture while the egg was wet--It had a crazy amount of bloom on it. The egg weighs 38 Grams.