Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[stonykill]

ladies and gentlemen I present you with Sir William. William has his 2nd confirmed weasel kill late this afternoon.



William is a 9 year old Maine coon mix weighing in at 15 lbs. He IS the man of the week!

 

[gardendufus]

Has anyone had a problems with chickens and feeders? Mine will intentionally bury it as soon as I put it in and won't eat from it. The only thing I have been able to get them to eat from is a cat dish and one of my old cake pans propped up. I have tried the long feeder and the round ones, I have even hung it up and they still fill it with what ever they can and refuse to eat from it. Maybe I just have picky birds, they also don't like being held or touched at all, even though I have held them every day of there life.

Minchi, I'm certainly not an old timer, but since you're not getting a response.........

FWIW, no I have never heard of this problem. My gut reaction is that if you have tried a hanging feeder, it must not be hung very high. Mine is high enough that my birds have just enough neck to crook over it and peck at the food. I can think of no way they could get dirt or debris into the feeder. Try hanging your feeder higher

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

Looking for some good info on roosters. We had one who was too rough on the ladies (7 of 'em), barebacked a couple so he went in the crock pot. Went without for a few months and the girls seemed fussy (bunch of girls together without men - you know how it gets). Got another rooster.

This guy came from a ranch with too many roosters. He won't go into the coop at night, and would prefer to roost in a nearby tree. If I close him in the run, he'll just sit by the door. Will he figure that out? Have tried physically putting him in at night, but it doesn't stick.

Also, he seems a bit rough on them too. Lots of head feather pulling, and yesterday I saw him chase one, get a feather, and eat it.

Long story for a short question. Not being familiar with roosters - how rough is too rough? I'm not attached, the girls just seem so much happier with a man in the picture.

It sounds like he is young and immature. He will get better with age. He is showing his dominance and it may take awhile for the hens to accept him. I have a White Rock Rooster and because he is bigger than average is a little harder on the pullets than his smaller brother. Keep in mind these chickens all grew up together. Ten hens and two roos, one was a packing peanut. LOL He grabbed one of the pullets too hard and put a 2 inch full skin thickness laceration in the back of her neck. Took 2 stitches to close it. I attributed to a point of lay pullet resisting and a big frustrated rooster. He is not overly aggressive in any other way. I am keeping him. Pullet is doing fine. Stitches come out tomorrow.

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

Quote:


A picture is worth a thousand words. I have it on a 3 inch thick paver. I have this same feeder on top of an upsidedown Coke soda can crate. If I can find a picture I'll post it. Hope that helps.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

smarcebird-I will give you my opinion. I don't think fowl need much practice, I think they already know how and what to do. Some are just not that graceful, or, well mannered. It shouldn't cause injury and if it is, I would get to the bottom of the issue...no pun intended. My roos court the hen, most of the time a hen will ignore him, dodge around and continue on, of course he just dances in front again, and she goes around the other way. Eventually she is receptive to him...but when she is not he does not grab a beakful of feathers and roughly mount her anyway. I have another roos who lost his top spot due to injury that is decidedly frustrated, but tries to win over hens back with his charming manner and lure them away from the flock. I won't keep a roos who injures the hens...young maybe so, but I had one like that and he did start flogging people...so off he went. Maybe your hens are mismatched too. Is he worth keeping, that is up to you. There's too many good ones to bother with a bad one....oh, and yes, all my eggs are fertile, and the hens are happier too.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Minchi- I have my feeder on a block that's a foot off the ground. I put smaller blocks at the sides so they can stand on those to eat, the water can is the same....even little chicks can find a way up there to eat and drink, they don't foul it or kick stuff in there. As for taming, chickens don't like to be held or confined, it goes against their nature as once they are caught they are goners...but to tame them, it helps to find an itchy spot on their heads, or around their ears and gently rub it for them, some time the neck where they can't really preen themselves, just so they know this is what they get when 'you' hold them...be sure to release them gently to the ground before they get the urge to leave. I had to catch a roo who got one of those feed bag strings wrapped around both his feet and toes, he barely could hop on the perch and get away...once I caught him and started working on the string he went completely limp and closed his eyes...I guess he remembered his earlier treatment and was happy to have me work on that for him. Good luck, but remember, chickens aren't usually snugglers.

 

[stonykill]

Minchi- I have my feeder on a block that's a foot off the ground. I put smaller blocks at the sides so they can stand on those to eat, the water can is the same....even little chicks can find a way up there to eat and drink, they don't foul it or kick stuff in there. As for taming, chickens don't like to be held or confined, it goes against their nature as once they are caught they are goners...but to tame them, it helps to find an itchy spot on their heads, or around their ears and gently rub it for them, some time the neck where they can't really preen themselves, just so they know this is what they get when 'you' hold them...be sure to release them gently to the ground before they get the urge to leave. I had to catch a roo who got one of those feed bag strings wrapped around both his feet and toes, he barely could hop on the perch and get away...once I caught him and started working on the string he went completely limp and closed his eyes...I guess he remembered his earlier treatment and was happy to have me work on that for him. Good luck, but remember, chickens aren't usually snugglers.

well said. I agree chickens shouldn't be held unless it is needed. I DON'T handle my chickens unless I have to. When I need to I can and they allow it. I saved a RIR hen ( the one raising chicks now) from hypothermia this past spring. She was stuck in a tote full of muck and water. Nearly dead. I handled her to save her, then put her back in the coop. Now I can handle her to check on her little ones. Although I only did that the 1st few days. I have handled and helped a few others. But only on an as needed basis. a cuddly chicken will end up a dead chicken imho.

 

[Minchi]

I am not wanting them to be cuddly just not have a heart attack when I have to pick them up or come to there name so if they are in a dangerous spot I can get them to get away from it quickly. Right now I have to carry them outside because we are still working on the coop but I want them to get some fresh air and get use to being outside. If I could get them to follow me I could just bring them all in at once rather then have them cry while I bring them in one at a time. It would also be nice if they didn't cut my hand up during every trip.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

then use their instinct to your advantage, when you hold one I assume you keep the wings close to the body, then put your free hand over its head and push down a little, cover its vision...it should calm down quite a bit and will not slice you up so badly. Some chickens are very flighty, I'm glad myself they do not have razor sharp beaks, but mostly I laugh at the ones who have that much nerve as to bite me.

 

[Kassaundra]

I am not wanting them to be cuddly just not have a heart attack when I have to pick them up or come to there name so if they are in a dangerous spot I can get them to get away from it quickly. Right now I have to carry them outside because we are still working on the coop but I want them to get some fresh air and get use to being outside. If I could get them to follow me I could just bring them all in at once rather then have them cry while I bring them in one at a time. It would also be nice if they didn't cut my hand up during every trip.

Not an oldtimer here, don't hold my chickens except when needed (well except the babies) either, but I can tell you how to get them to follow you, mine all follow me like I'm the pied piper. Feeder insects (or an irresistable treat) I raise and feed insects to my chickens and I have a special container I use, they KNOW the container and would follow me over hot coals!