California - Northern

[caychris]

I am struggling a bit with a decision and hope you guys can give me input.

Our current roosters are sweet and a little goofy (with the exception of the nasty boy whose name chaged from The Skipper to Next Fall's Soup). Last spring when Ray died we lost the pea fighter. we have anywhere from 35-50 feral peas that roam our neighborhood. Because we feed birds they really like it at our place. Overall I enjoy them They are lovely, I am used to the noise, they though roost on the porch when it is raining. DH is great about cleaning up after them. But they are feed thieves. It was not a problem when Ray was alive...until about a week before he died he was still doing regular battle. There was one male that wanted to share territory with Ray. The rest kept their distance but that one was slow to learn and it showed in his missing feathers. The Peas NEVER entered the pen with Ray in there. Now it seems that there is a continuous flow of them into the pen. I leave the pen open so the girls can get to nests while they range and the darn peas are in there eating.

I want a rooster like him, he was part game. I have a line on game mix hatching eggs that I can get locally but am now having second thoughts because I know it will complicate my life to add another rooster particularly one who is part game.

First chicken job of the summer is covering that run which will make it pea proof from the air but it won't help with them coming in when the gate is open to give girls access to nest boxes. I try to let them range almost all day every day when I am home in the summer. I do have nest boxes scattered around but some of my girls are extremely devoted to their own boxes inside the hen house. I move their feed from the floor of the run to inside the hen house after they have had breakfast but there are still peas who go into the hen house. Last summer when the pea chicks came their mamas TAUGHT them to go in the hen house for food. I don't blame the peas but you can imagine. I have 30+ birds so they aren't cheap to feed in the first place and I would guess that I am loosing at least a quarter of what I feed to the peas. With Ray here it was not a problem.

I am open to suggestions and yes I know that there is no guarantee that adding a gamey rooster would have the desired impact. we have talked about creating a feeding area too small for the adult peas to get into but that doesn't help with the pea babies and juvies.

My hen house is a 4 x 5 raised structure that sits inside of a 400+ square foot, currently uncovered pen.

Thanks in advance.

I would think that redesigning the feeders would be the best, possibly simply covering them or removing them during the mid day (your girls are free ranging anyway.) Food near the broodys should be fine I wouldn't imagine that the Peas get near them anyway. You might try a more natural repellant like used cat litter or something (not sure what would work on peas that wouldn't also work on chickens but the fact that they are feral might make the difference) so that they are discouraged from entering the pen. Are there any legal restrictions on domesticating this flock to bring it under control? (Capture and thin the population through various means) Those not captured may get the idea to leave on their own.

 

[debs_flock]

Quote:
Darn right she is!! She's awesome!!

I'm glad you like her!

Deb

 

[BCollie]

Quote:
Darn right she is!! She's awesome!!

I'm glad you like her!

Deb

Thanks, me too!! I'll send you more pictures after a while. Need her to dry off before I take more pictures, and I'm letting her settle in first.

 

[caychris]

Thanks, me too!! I'll send you more pictures after a while. Need her to dry off before I take more pictures, and I'm letting her settle in first.

You take the most amazing pictures.

 

[SpringPeeper]

Is everyone ready for the heat this weak? The Bay area will be in the mid 90s today and we will be at or over 100 for the next two days..

I hope the chickens will be OK!

DO NOT WANT! Bleh... but working on getting the birds ready for it.

So this may sound like a stupid question, but why should one bleed one out first? Not trying to argue, but the disturbing videos of horse slaughter that I saw showed them being shot in the head. How would they drain the blood fromtheme after being shot... Is it just chickens that are done this way? Just morbidly curious....

-Kathy

Blood is great for growing bacteria, and if the carcass isn't bled out it can get clots of blood in the meat which a lot of people find off-putting. Large livestock can be lifted with a wench/pulley system or forklift-type equipment.

I joined this thread about a month ago, but it was so hard to keep up I unjoined, but now I'm going to try again because I've read posts before of things going around in this area that's good to know and there's so much info! We are new to ducks, we just got are first three yesterday! One Muscovy and two anconas

my four year old son named them Ana, Elsa and Kristof. We have spent the last month and a half building a duck house, making the yard ready, I've read a few duck books and tons of BYC forums (this site is amazing!) and now the babies are here! It's been so hot this year I almost feel like outside is as hot as there home inside! Some days my house feels like it's under a heat lamp even when I open every window.

Ancona ducklings are so cute!

 

[BCollie]

Quote:
Thank you! I try. Lots and lots of practice.

 

[Audio51]

Mother's Day Hatch!



Not sure who the daddy is on all of the yellow guys but I think it is Ozzie on all but 1. That one has a slightly red tint to his head you can see his back is to us at 5 o'clock in the above pic.




All the other yellow chicks are just yellow


So happy I got at least 1 pullet.

They are so adorable!!!

Is everyone ready for the heat this weak? The Bay area will be in the mid 90s today and we will be at or over 100 for the next two days..

I hope the chickens will be OK!

We are getting the same here. Paradise will be in the mid 90s today and tomorrow, but then cooling into the low 80s and maybe even the 70s by next week

Quote: That is one of the reasons I chose to slit the throats. My daughter was asking me how I was doing it and I told her I was slitting the throats. She was bothered because she has watched those videos showing how the commercial places do it. She said they hang multiple birds by the feet on a circular rack and spin the rack. The birds throats are cut as they spin and then they go almost immediately into scalding water. She was concerned that they are not really dead before they go into the water and that they feel it. (I have not seen the videos or really know anything about them, I am just taking her word for it). I assured her that I allow plenty of time to ensure they are dead before I dunk them and that this method allows the blood to be pumped out,

Quote: Here is mine: I just took a couple of deck screws out of the railing on our decl and screwed them back into the same holes thru the cone. I put a Home Depot 5 gallon bucket under it with a garbage bag liner. I tacked the top edge of one side of the bag to the upright slats on the rail under the cone. The top of the bag is above the bottom of the cone so the bloos drips right into the bag. I heat the water on the stove and after I cut, I go into the house and get the water. I do one or two other things that take a total of about 5 minutes. When I come back the bird has bled out and is dead

I am struggling a bit with a decision and hope you guys can give me input.

Our current roosters are sweet and a little goofy (with the exception of the nasty boy whose name chaged from The Skipper to Next Fall's Soup). Last spring when Ray died we lost the pea fighter. we have anywhere from 35-50 feral peas that roam our neighborhood. Because we feed birds they really like it at our place. Overall I enjoy them They are lovely, I am used to the noise, they though roost on the porch when it is raining. DH is great about cleaning up after them. But they are feed thieves. It was not a problem when Ray was alive...until about a week before he died he was still doing regular battle. There was one male that wanted to share territory with Ray. The rest kept their distance but that one was slow to learn and it showed in his missing feathers. The Peas NEVER entered the pen with Ray in there. Now it seems that there is a continuous flow of them into the pen. I leave the pen open so the girls can get to nests while they range and the darn peas are in there eating.

I want a rooster like him, he was part game. I have a line on game mix hatching eggs that I can get locally but am now having second thoughts because I know it will complicate my life to add another rooster particularly one who is part game.

First chicken job of the summer is covering that run which will make it pea proof from the air but it won't help with them coming in when the gate is open to give girls access to nest boxes. I try to let them range almost all day every day when I am home in the summer. I do have nest boxes scattered around but some of my girls are extremely devoted to their own boxes inside the hen house. I move their feed from the floor of the run to inside the hen house after they have had breakfast but there are still peas who go into the hen house. Last summer when the pea chicks came their mamas TAUGHT them to go in the hen house for food. I don't blame the peas but you can imagine. I have 30+ birds so they aren't cheap to feed in the first place and I would guess that I am loosing at least a quarter of what I feed to the peas. With Ray here it was not a problem.

I am open to suggestions and yes I know that there is no guarantee that adding a gamey rooster would have the desired impact. we have talked about creating a feeding area too small for the adult peas to get into but that doesn't help with the pea babies and juvies.

My hen house is a 4 x 5 raised structure that sits inside of a 400+ square foot, currently uncovered pen.

Thanks in advance.

What about putting a pet door with a flap somewhere one the fence? Chickens can be trained pretty fast to use it to get in and out. I suspect the pea fowl are bigger. Not sure if the younger peas would be willing to go thru it.

Two hours in the car, a trip to Tractor Supply to get a new feeder and waterer...and I have a new chicken! She's a frizzle Tolbunt Polish. I love her! She had to have a little bath in the sink because she laid in poop on the way home. I bet it actually feels nice to be wet when it's already hot out.
She's so pretty!! I love her. My flock has not tried to bother or peck her at all, but she will be kept in a dog crate in the coop for a few days just to be on the safe side.

Wow...what an amazing looking bird!!!

I joined this thread about a month ago, but it was so hard to keep up I unjoined, but now I'm going to try again because I've read posts before of things going around in this area that's good to know and there's so much info! We are new to ducks, we just got are first three yesterday! One Muscovy and two anconas

my four year old son named them Ana, Elsa and Kristof. We have spent the last month and a half building a duck house, making the yard ready, I've read a few duck books and tons of BYC forums (this site is amazing!) and now the babies are here! It's been so hot this year I almost feel like outside is as hot as there home inside! Some days my house feels like it's under a heat lamp even when I open every window.

Welcome back! Hopefully someone can help you with the ducks..

Quote: X2

 

[Alice28]

@SpringPeeper
Ancona ducklings are just about the cutest thing ever! They are so unique! I'm really excited we got a Muscovy too! I've just read tons about how cool they are and what great personalitys they have!

 

[caychris]

@SpringPeeper
Ancona ducklings are just about the cutest thing ever! They are so unique! I'm really excited we got a Muscovy too! I've just read tons about how cool they are and what great personalitys they have!

There is a reason ducks,chicks and bunnies are the Easter pets of choice. I cant really decide which is the cutest. To be honest probably ducks because the fluff out like chicks, imprint on humans better and have cute webbed feet. Bunnies are adorable but don't usually start out that way.

 

[tommysgirl]

I would think that redesigning the feeders would be the best, possibly simply covering them or removing them during the mid day (your girls are free ranging anyway.) Food near the broodys should be fine I wouldn't imagine that the Peas get near them anyway. You might try a more natural repellant like used cat litter or something (not sure what would work on peas that wouldn't also work on chickens but the fact that they are feral might make the difference) so that they are discouraged from entering the pen. Are there any legal restrictions on domesticating this flock to bring it under control? (Capture and thin the population through various means) Those not captured may get the idea to leave on their own.

Thanks for replying. Can you give me an idea of a feeder design? I can't picture anything that will accommodate a rooster with a full comb that won't accommodate a pea. I have a learning disability when it comes to spacial relationships so if you can tell me what you would do I would be so happy to hear it.

Never heard of using used cat litter for anything. We are now and forever will be catless so don't have any but that is an interesting idea. What exactly is it supposed to do.

I do catch and re-home pea chicks for people who want them...unfortunately supply always exceeds demand. There was a peacock battle in out neighborhood like 10 years ago. Those that want to keep them around out number those that don't so though it isn't illegal it is unpopular and I like living in peace with my neighbors...most of whom are relatives.

Seriously if you have a feeder design I would like to hear about it. Thanks again!

Anyone else?