California - Northern

[OR4-hmom]

Amy, you made the only choice you could. It was not done to be mean, vilianous, or easily. Up here a young boy spent 5 days in the hospital and had surgery to drain the infection under his knee-cap from an attack from an EE roo. His Mom asked how to de-spur the bird. You absolutely have your priorities right! There are so many things we can't protect our kids from, Gary sounded like a problem waiting to happen. I'm sorry you had to do it just the same.

 

[chiqita]

I need some affirmation. I just culled Gary. Many of you recall who he is. Only the neatest rooster ever...gone mean on me. I never did anything to him but over the months it's escalated. The more I chased him off, or put him in penned up time out...the more he seemed determined to stalk me. He only sometimes went after my 9 year old son but completely left my 11, 6 and 4 year olds alone. He also did not go after my hubby or mil. It was getting so bad we were penning him up daily just so I could go outside (we free range). Culling him has my 6 year old messed up and my 11 year old is being fake stoic - he ADORED that rooster. Like...loved him. I feel like a horrible person for doing it. I feel like a horrible person that I can even do it. Who can do that?? Me. No one else in my house. Not husband, not mother in law...nope just Amy. And it's not fun, I don't enjoy and I want to barf. Killing for the table is one thing...this was not that. I just feel rotten. But I know I could not give him away- he could be mean to someone else. I couldn't keep him- he was growing spurs. I wouldn't have a purpose for him- can't breed him, can't let him be with the others (or he'd get me). I swear when I was holding him he knew. He kept staring at my face. It was SO weird. Can I just skip to bedtime? I still have to teach Wednesday church to a room full of toddlers. So not feeling it- probably be good for me though. Thanks for listening. <3

/hugs zoo. We went through that with speedy, my very first hatched chick. He wanted to be dominant so he went after me . He also started making my other roos more aggressive.

We did eat him, because I wanted it to mean something. Not be for nothing. It was very stranger n a strange land however . I am proud you can do it, I can't yet. I can cull chicks with irreparable problems, but not adults. I have to say a little prayer to them to tell god to watch for them when I do it.

On a happier note, what are you going to give Betty to sit on?

 

[OR4-hmom]

Haven't heard of Rainbow Girls in a very long time. It was my Mom's thing not mine, I am not a dress kind of person. Only got out of it when we moved to Dunsmuir.

Up here kids can join "Cloverbuds' when they start kindergarden. No animals until they are in 4th grade. Mariah did dog for 4 years but really came into her own with the poultry. We have some really wonderful kids that watch out for each other.

 

[Meg2000000]

Quote:
It doesn't always take spurs. I have a pen with two Iowa Blue roos. I've been having a heck of a time deciding which to keep, they both have redeeming qualities. About two weeks ago, one of the roos jumped my DH a couple of times, but it was the feed bucket he hit. He's never shown aggression towards me and never when we go in to collect eggs. About a week ago, DH was in filling their feeder and he jumped him again. He is only a cockerel, so only nubs for spurs. His toenails caught DH across the back of his calf in two places, sliced him clear across. He had blood running all down his leg enough that it puddled in his shoe. I think it has made clear who to keep. Yesterday he went in to feed and I went in the pen to keep an eye on the rooster while he was tipping the bucket of feed into their feeder. He never showed any sign of jumping us, but I can't keep a rooster like that around (even if he does have a perfect tail set..........

).

Omg ouch! I'm so bummed too. Everyone is in aww of how pretty he his and I think he's almost exactly the SOP.. And he's super rare (I only have two). I don't know what else to do though

 

[Deerling]

I don't have time to reply to everyone right now, but

Amy. I'm sorry about Gary. I think it's really wonderful that you are able to do what needs to be done, and this did. I think having kids gave that to me.

But I just wanted to say that while we were gone today our house was broken into. By the chickens. And they pooped everywhere. I had to laugh. And judging by the poops our chickens are very healthy!

 

[Meg2000000]

I don't have time to reply to everyone right now, but

Amy. I'm sorry about Gary. I think it's really wonderful that you are able to do what needs to be done, and this did. I think having kids gave that to me.

But I just wanted to say that while we were gone today our house was broken into. By the chickens. And they pooped everywhere. I had to laugh. And judging by the poops our chickens are very healthy!

Omg!! That's hilarious!! Thanks for the good laugh (but sorry you have to clean up all of the poop!) Wanted to share this picture of my chicks. This little guy thinks he's the king of the hill apparently:

 

[tommysgirl]

I need some affirmation. I just culled Gary. Many of you recall who he is. Only the neatest rooster ever...gone mean on me. I never did anything to him but over the months it's escalated. The more I chased him off, or put him in penned up time out...the more he seemed determined to stalk me. He only sometimes went after my 9 year old son but completely left my 11, 6 and 4 year olds alone. He also did not go after my hubby or mil. It was getting so bad we were penning him up daily just so I could go outside (we free range). Culling him has my 6 year old messed up and my 11 year old is being fake stoic - he ADORED that rooster. Like...loved him. I feel like a horrible person for doing it. I feel like a horrible person that I can even do it. Who can do that?? Me. No one else in my house. Not husband, not mother in law...nope just Amy. And it's not fun, I don't enjoy and I want to barf. Killing for the table is one thing...this was not that. I just feel rotten. But I know I could not give him away- he could be mean to someone else. I couldn't keep him- he was growing spurs. I wouldn't have a purpose for him- can't breed him, can't let him be with the others (or he'd get me). I swear when I was holding him he knew. He kept staring at my face. It was SO weird. Can I just skip to bedtime? I still have to teach Wednesday church to a room full of toddlers. So not feeling it- probably be good for me though. Thanks for listening. <3

((((((((((((((((((Amy Beth))))))))))))))))))) so sorry.

 

[lawatt]

Betty is the healthiest broody I swear. She leaves her nest to eat and drink, sometimes dirt bathe and comes back. Usually twice a day. She is however incredibly cranky. She is chasing all the other chickens away from her- even when she is out of her nest. Although she yells at us she lets us pet her though. I love her. Yay for broodies! I hope to pick up some eggs from Jeff to slip under her- possibly today. I am culling Gary today. I'm very sad but it is necessary. RIP Garebear. Hubby is going to bury him in our little pet cemetery. I hate being the only who has to do these things. No one is else is 'capable'. At least I have some Betty/Gary babies from their wild love affair. Funny thing about them? She would never let anyone else mate her. Not the top roo, not ANY other roo. She beat them all up- only Gary. Silly hen.

i love this story -- although i'm sure Gary doesn't love the ending. but yay Betty -- stick to your guns, girl.

day #22 for my second broody (Frances) and no sign of any pips or peeps... *slightly anxious* -- she's sitting on 12 araucana eggs , which i understand have something of a reputation for being difficult to hatch -- plus one mutt-egg from my own chicklets. all quiet so far. hoping that the bumping around on the road from vacaville to petaluma & then petaluma to here (in individual cars, not postal trucks) have slowed them down in development by a day or so...?

 

[debs_flock]

day #22 for my second broody (Frances) and no sign of any pips or peeps... *slightly anxious* -- she's sitting on 12 araucana eggs , which i understand have something of a reputation for being difficult to hatch -- plus one mutt-egg from my own chicklets. all quiet so far. hoping that the bumping around on the road from vacaville to petaluma & then petaluma to here (in individual cars, not postal trucks) have slowed them down in development by a day or so...?

Quotes not working, again.................

It's not that they are difficult to hatch so much as genetically 25% will die in the shell because of the lethal tufting gene. My araucanas hatch like champs!

 

[tommysgirl]

i love this story -- although i'm sure Gary doesn't love the ending. but yay Betty -- stick to your guns, girl.

day #22 for my second broody (Frances) and no sign of any pips or peeps... *slightly anxious* -- she's sitting on 12 araucana eggs , which i understand have something of a reputation for being difficult to hatch -- plus one mutt-egg from my own chicklets. all quiet so far. hoping that the bumping around on the road from vacaville to petaluma & then petaluma to here (in individual cars, not postal trucks) have slowed them down in development by a day or so...?

good luck!! hope you get some sign soon!