Chicken math prevailed!

[VictoriaTemple]

@MissMarple, Roger looks like he wants to live. I don't have any Cornish cross myself, but I have read that they get to the point where they don't want to live anymore, and that's the time for chicken dinner. I would say watch him carefully, let him mature a little if he wants to, and worst case scenario you might need a bigger roasting pan eventually, and in the meantime let him enjoy his life and his girls. When he lets his feathers go ratty without preening or molting them, or if he seems depressed or lethargic, that would be the time. Otherwise, congratulations, a worthy rooster might help keep your flock safer and healthier. Besides, roosters plump up bigger and tastier anyway. I vote grow him out!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

First night out, one was injured by morning. Looked like she stuck her head through the chicken wire and caught herself; somewhat of a tear from about her ear to the back of her head. A couple days after Sally hurt herself, there went Nevermore.

Hi, I could be wrong and I don't want to alarm you, just an alert. Chickens don't typically stick their heads into openings they can't safely get out of. Your hen's injury sounds more like a raccoon grabbed her and tried to pull her through your welded wire fencing. They will do this if the hen gets too close to the fence. If someone came out and interrupted the process, or if the raccoon did not get a good hold on her, she would have escaped with this minor injury. If you could line your fence up to about 3 or 4' high with 1/4" hardware cloth, they would be much safer. Also extend the hardware cloth along the ground in an "apron" away from the hen house about two feet and bury it so critters can't dig under.

 

[MissMarple]

Haha ya i brought home 4 because "they were too cute not to"

I FEEL this. After the last round of 6, I've had to stay away from TSC or I'd just keep bringing more home. I'm still pretty serious about replacing Nevermore but that means upping our total to 35 and Chicken Man isn't having it. I tried to tell him that it was one less than the coop can comfortably hold and it's only 6 more and it's no big deal..... We're still not on speaking terms.

 

[MissMarple]

@MissMarple, Roger looks like he wants to live. I don't have any Cornish cross myself, but I have read that they get to the point where they don't want to live anymore, and that's the time for chicken dinner. I would say watch him carefully, let him mature a little if he wants to, and worst case scenario you might need a bigger roasting pan eventually, and in the meantime let him enjoy his life and his girls. When he lets his feathers go ratty without preening or molting them, or if he seems depressed or lethargic, that would be the time. Otherwise, congratulations, a worthy rooster might help keep your flock safer and healthier. Besides, roosters plump up bigger and tastier anyway. I vote grow him out!

I second this!!!! Hah! He is so incredibly sweet. We have bonding time every morning. He comes to greet me and I squat down and love on him and he lays down and stretches his neck out to the lowest knee and closes his eyes while I stroke his feathers. He makes low clucking sounds and just about falls asleep. He's just the best. He gets to LIVE!!! Hah! I'll have to snap some pictures of him today to show the growth since they've been outside. He's a big ole bird!

 

[MissMarple]

Hi, I could be wrong and I don't want to alarm you, just an alert. Chickens don't typically stick their heads into openings they can't safely get out of. Your hen's injury sounds more like a raccoon grabbed her and tried to pull her through your welded wire fencing. They will do this if the hen gets too close to the fence. If someone came out and interrupted the process, or if the raccoon did not get a good hold on her, she would have escaped with this minor injury. If you could line your fence up to about 3 or 4' high with 1/4" hardware cloth, they would be much safer. Also extend the hardware cloth along the ground in an "apron" away from the hen house about two feet and bury it so critters can't dig under.

I would agree with you if I hadn't seen them doing it myself. They have been testing the limits of the sides of the coop/tractor. They don't now but when they first went out, they did. Although, you may also be correct but this same feral cat that got Nevermore rather than a raccoon. Could've tried unsuccessfully the first time and then was successful the next. Either way, I'm not opposed to further predator proofing. This is a temp coop while we finish the big coop. They'll quickly outgrow this one and they HAD to get outside so we tossed this thing up in an afternoon and have been predator proofing more and more each day. We've been debating on putting flooring in (and extending it beyond the edges) so that tunneling in can't happen. But yes to all of these predator proofing tips. I want to get them all done no matter where they are.

 

[MissMarple]

Since we're off on a bunch of different topics anyway... Anybody got any guesses as to what she is? I was thinking Australorp but while she's all black (that gorgeous iridescent green-black) she has white tips on her wings. The other that we have looks almost the same as her except that she's getting some almost lacing on her breast feathers. White lacing. It's interesting. Wondering what she actually is since I have two more chicks that are on their way to looking like them also with their white wing tips. All my Barred Rocks and Cuckoo Marans already have their barring patterns and their legs are yellow and white-pink, respectively. These girls all have black legs and feet. Do Australorps have that white tip to their primaries and I just don't know it? Hah!

 

[Quackter]

Her primary feathers are thinner and her head is a little different than my Australorps, could always just be variance in the breed too. It's hard to see sunlight under their butts, but they are older too.

 

[MissMarple]

Her primary feathers are thinner and her head is a little different than my Australorps, could always just be variance in the breed too. It's hard to see sunlight under their butts, but they are older too.

Interesting. I'm at a point where a few of them are just going to be Breed Unknown until they're older cuz I'm stumped. This is one of them. I got three chicks that looked exactly the same as babies and two more of them look like small versions of this one. Same white wing tips. The three younger are the ones the woman was INSISTENT were BRs and by the time my actual BRs were their age, they were *Barred* while these are still all black minus those white tips. The other black chick (they're about 5-6 weeks old) has orange hackles. Looks like a Sex Link to me. Definitely not a BR.

I'm betting that TSC is about done with chicks at this point. Wondering if there are any left......... I mean, I need to go get feed........... I have empty brooders and it makes me sad.

 

[Quackter]

Interesting. I'm at a point where a few of them are just going to be Breed Unknown until they're older cuz I'm stumped. This is one of them. I got three chicks that looked exactly the same as babies and two more of them look like small versions of this one. Same white wing tips. The three younger are the ones the woman was INSISTENT were BRs and by the time my actual BRs were their age, they were *Barred* while these are still all black minus those white tips. The other black chick (they're about 5-6 weeks old) has orange hackles. Looks like a Sex Link to me. Definitely not a BR.

I'm betting that TSC is about done with chicks at this point. Wondering if there are any left......... I mean, I need to go get feed........... I have empty brooders and it makes me sad.

Got a Rural King near you?.....I mean for feed of course. Not like, because they still had chicks up here last week or anything.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Lol. @Quackter speaketh like an Enabler... @MissMarple , I have neglected to say how glad I am that you, the younglings and Chicken Man are all on the road to recovery. This ailment sounds very mysterious, with its constellation of symptoms but no fever... I'd be curious to know if you ever figure out or learn what it was. DH and I are finishing a round of prednisolone for allergies to mold, ragweed n whatnot, so much fun, but definitely feeling better. Hits him harder cuz he mows, I do this and bake cookies lol. Let us know many chicks you *ahem* (don't) get at Rural King!