California - Northern

[PetRock]

On roosters: i'm thinking of having a "rooster pen" and taking them out as needed. otherwise they tear up my hens. So far the Bresse boys are small (2 1/2 months) and my marans rooster is very docile. But will put them in their place. If I start now I figure I may be able to get them used to this situation. Any ideas? In my mind, it works perfectly

. Just not sure if they'll fight as the young ones grow.

@juststruttin - so sorry about your eggs. That is so weird that only 3 are doing well. It is a letdown when you order eggs and that happens.

Just keep a close eye on them and be ready to separate them if things get out of hand. At the farm, we kept our Langshan and SPPR cockerels together in a pen while they were growing out (20 weeks until past 30 weeks). Almost all of them came from chicks that I hatched and raised until they were 18-20 weeks old. They were in a space that probably should have been bigger. They all of a sudden turned on one of the black Langshans (brooder mate to most of the others) and beat him up. My friend took him out and set him free. He chose to live with their pregnant sow inside the electric fence. He supervised the birth of the piglets and lived with them until they were processed. He was a good pig nanny and kept a close watch on them!

 

[PetRock]

Thank you. 8x4.

Thanks! DH told me that I could design the next chicken coop/enclosure and he would build it exactly like I designed it! My head is spinning with ideas!

 

[CackleJoy]

Just keep a close eye on them and be ready to separate them if things get out of hand. At the farm, we kept our Langshan and SPPR cockerels together in a pen while they were growing out (20 weeks until past 30 weeks). Almost all of them came from chicks that I hatched and raised until they were 18-20 weeks old. They were in a space that probably should have been bigger. They all of a sudden turned on one of the black Langshans (brooder mate to most of the others) and beat him up. My friend took him out and set him free. He chose to live with their pregnant sow inside the electric fence. He supervised the birth of the piglets and lived with them until they were processed. He was a good pig nanny and kept a close watch on them!

 

[lawatt]

Anyone have a jersey black roo? My jersey black hen is apparently broody and I'd like to pump her up lol.

but if she's broody, what good will a rooster do? when hens/pullets are broody, they STOP laying eggs, and pretty much ignore roosters until they've either raised their chicks or been broken of the broody mood...

 

[capayvalleychick]

He chose to live with their pregnant sow inside the electric fence. He supervised the birth of the piglets and lived with them until they were processed. He was a good pig nanny and kept a close watch on them!

He was lucky that he didn't get eaten.

Are those Tamworth hogs? I'm looking for a Tamworth gilt/sow that does not ever display aggression.

 

[CackleJoy]

Here's a photo of the interior walls of my pens, while it was under construction. Plywood on the bottom, wire on the top. The roosts were installed at the top of the plywood, so chickens on the roost can see the other chickens.
I did have an issue with a couple roosters trying to fight through the wire, while on their roosts. I hung a fabric feed sack on the wire, so that they could no longer see each other. Solved that problem.

The only thing about the wire & roost position that I don't like is that I can't use these as conditioning pens. The males can break their tail feathers on the wire, if they sit too close to the side and turn around on the roost.

Oh I do like the way this looks.

Would love to have a set up like this. I'm working out designs in my head to utilize space. Also trying to utilize free lumber that was recently dropped off. It limits me a little because I have to work within perimeters. This looks so NICE. Easy to clean out too!

 

[chrissyr]

are toe punches that hard to do? I just imagine using one on a chick and uncontrollable blood. am I over thinking it?

 

[lizanne]

So the code enforcement officer just called me back. She said the complaint was about Melvin. She was really nice about everything, and told me how to file an appeal. I told her my plan was to downsize and look into changing the code. She is okay with me keeping some of my chickens for now (I told her I would keep about 5, but I didn't explain chicken math to her.). She also told me the city planning department in Citrus Heights is already working to change the code to allow chickens, and gave me the name and phone number of the person in charge of re-writing it. I guess that is better than nothing.

 

[farmhand]

Quote: That's pretty much what I'm thinking. Only backed up against a building so the angle would go up towards the back. How high are the plywood sides from the pen floor?
I'm also concerned about dogs digging under and how to stop that.
I had an aussie once. She would figure out how to break into the chicken coop or whatever and then sit back and watch everyone else get into trouble and later look at me like "What? I didn't do anything!"

 

[WendyJeepchick]

Anyone have a jersey black roo? My jersey black hen is apparently broody and I'd like to pump her up lol.

I have two. And, excuse my french, but they're horny little devils.