California - Northern

[chiqita]

Almost 200 posts behind but just needed to brag a little. DD is doing Round Robin this afternoon after taking grand champion in poultry and the phoenix took best in show for 4-H.

Huzzah!!

Agreed! I don't allow any small kids near any of the chickens without a responsible adult supervising.

Good way to look at it; I've never had poultry of any sort before so this is all a learning experience. I'm trying to be extra cautious and proactive on my education so that my lessons aren't learned like your poor little brothers.

So True!  But it's nice to know that there is the possibility of finding a "gentler" roo in SEVERAL YEARS that she might be able to handle with supervision.

I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts and the reasoning behind them.


This particular roo will be finding a home is someones dinner pot (not ours, we made the mistake of naming the darn thing and my husbands attached) One of his hatchmates was aggressive early so even if it's not the breed; I think this line may have that tendency.

[COLOR=0000FF]Thank you everyone for all the insight! It is very much appreciated.[/COLOR]

I'm going to re-review my chicken plan for the next several years. Either put off my breeding projects for a couple of years or build a separate breeding pen away from our layers...off to do more research.  Thanx again!

A small pen with a boy you can rotate girls in is a great idea. Would keep him seperate keep your girls fertile and let your daughter see and not touch.

I just want to say that I think you made it clear all visiting is . I think people were talking in general and I got a little defensive for you. Haha.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

I agree too. It is good to read this. I was blasted on a different thread for saying that little children should not be around Roosters.

Thanks!

Probably by people who've never witnessed a serious rooster attack.

And then there are the people who are in denial, who just can't believe that their animal would do whatever horrible thing it did. People who keep unneutered male dogs around children are another of my pet peeves. Many are fine; some are just great until the day they remember they are a territorial descendant of a freaking wolf.

 

[chiqita]

Probably by people who've never witnessed a serious rooster attack.

And then there are the people who are in denial, who just can't believe that their animal would do whatever horrible thing it did. People who keep unneutered male dogs around children are another of my pet peeves. Many are fine; some are just great until the day they remember they are a territorial descendant of a freaking wolf.

or mothers. Frankly Id not let a young kid around a mother dog or broody either.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

or mothers. Frankly Id not let a young kid around a mother dog or broody either.

True.

 

[chrissyr]

So I have Marans and Bresse at 3 months old to be processes.
Modesto milling has a broiler finisher at 17% protein and a turkey grower at %28,
And I believe the chick start is 22%.
They aren't broilers but I'd like to put meat on them.
Any ideas on what's best?

 

[ronott1]

So I have Marans and Bresse at 3 months old to be processes.
Modesto milling has a broiler finisher at 17% protein and a turkey grower at %28,
And I believe the chick start is 22%.
They aren't broilers but I'd like to put meat on them.
Any ideas on what's best?

Use the broiler finisher and let us know how much weight they gain on it.

 

[tridentk9]

I breed dogs. The chickens are for fun. But some of my theories for dogs do translate into chickens.

For dogs, health tests in the US can be finished at 2 years old. Some countries it's 18 months, some it's 12 months. So theoretically an ethical breeder with a good reputation in the US can breed their dogs at 2 years of age. Sexual maturity occurs much sooner. However, not all breeds (or individuals) are emotionally or behaviorally mature at 2 years old never mind physically mature. Maturity is hard to define or test, it's an opinion.

I consider my dogs to be physically mature at about 4-5 years old. They may appear mature earlier but there's a final bit of oomph to their body that you don't realize is missing until it's there. You know what- it's the same emotionally. There's an indefinable mental difference between the dog at 3 years old and the dog at 4. The age of maturity is different for different breeds, home life will even make a difference.

Maturity in poultry also depends on both breed and individual. If character and adaptability to "family life" is one of your goals in breeding, my suggestion for breeding stock is to wait until full maturity, not just sexual maturity, can be tested. Test those bratty kids find out how they react to stress, stimuli, etc. And how they recover, recovery is IMO even more important than the initial reaction. Though I guess finding parents of young children that will allow you to use their child as bait will be difficult!

In the parrots- oh my. The birds that don't fit into households, whether the fault of the bird or the human, a lot of times get sent off to be ..... bred! It's backwards IMO, when the worst or untested individuals are bred and the best ones, the ones that can adapt, are kept as pets. Sigh. Fortunately that's not true all the time, some breeders do live in close proximity to their birds and do take temperament of the parents into account.


Just my opinion. Thanks for reading.

 

[tridentk9]

Probably by people who've never witnessed a serious rooster attack.

And then there are the people who are in denial, who just can't believe that their animal would do whatever horrible thing it did. People who keep unneutered male dogs around children are another of my pet peeves. Many are fine; some are just great until the day they remember they are a territorial descendant of a freaking wolf.

I can not stand those videos, photos, etc found in great number on facebook with a comment on how their dog is so great with kids-
>>Little Betsy is riding the dog. Isn't that cute? Fido even lets her pull his ears and tail.
>>Fido is put to sleep when his arthritis hurts and he gets grumpy when Little Betsy rides him or he has an ear infection and Little Betsy pulled his ear.
>>Little Betsy had to have plastic surgery, all she did was walk up to a stranger's dog to kiss and hug it and the mean dog bit her.


Even though my dogs are used to kids I still keep a hand on the dog when a child wants to pet them, usually I'm holding the dog's beard. I don't trust other people or kids to behave correctly. I even have a spiel when a child approaches to pet any of the dogs. You must ask three times to pet a dog, any dog. Ask the adult with you. Ask the adult with the dog. Ask the dog. I have been known to scold both adults and children if they pet without asking! This is not a petting zoo.

 

[caychris]

I breed dogs. The chickens are for fun. But some of my theories for dogs do translate into chickens.

For dogs, health tests in the US can be finished at 2 years old. Some countries it's 18 months, some it's 12 months. So theoretically an ethical breeder with a good reputation in the US can breed their dogs at 2 years of age. Sexual maturity occurs much sooner. However, not all breeds (or individuals) are emotionally or behaviorally mature at 2 years old never mind physically mature. Maturity is hard to define or test, it's an opinion.

I consider my dogs to be physically mature at about 4-5 years old. They may appear mature earlier but there's a final bit of oomph to their body that you don't realize is missing until it's there. You know what- it's the same emotionally. There's an indefinable mental difference between the dog at 3 years old and the dog at 4. The age of maturity is different for different breeds, home life will even make a difference.

Maturity in poultry also depends on both breed and individual. If character and adaptability to "family life" is one of your goals in breeding, my suggestion for breeding stock is to wait until full maturity, not just sexual maturity, can be tested. Test those bratty kids

find out how they react to stress, stimuli, etc. And how they recover, recovery is IMO even more important than the initial reaction. Though I guess finding parents of young children that will allow you to use their child as bait will be difficult!

In the parrots- oh my. The birds that don't fit into households, whether the fault of the bird or the human, a lot of times get sent off to be ..... bred! It's backwards IMO, when the worst or untested individuals are bred and the best ones, the ones that can adapt, are kept as pets. Sigh. Fortunately that's not true all the time, some breeders do live in close proximity to their birds and do take temperament of the parents into account.


Just my opinion. Thanks for reading.

In all my reading on chickens one of the things that seems to crop up with roosters is that at about age 2 they go through a change in temperament. This seems to always follow that they will become more aggressive. Not necessarily bat crazy aggressive but even the most sweet roo will occasionally threaten and challenge others. To some extent if the temperament is good to begin with this can be dealt with but often times not. I think this is probably part of that Maturing process you are speaking of. I think in some ways roosters invented the terrible twos. Roosters that eat laying feed can also suffer organ failure around this time too. I think considering both processes are happening around the same time that they may mask each other on occasion.

 

[caychris]

The other 2 foster buffs left today. Yeah. Now I have some room for the birds I want.