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

[cherylcohen]

This is what I was told by my uncle as a wee child on his Leghorn fryer ranch. Everyone out in the country here in CA raised chickens for food and profit in the 40's. I have never tried it, but if I had my choice of first draping a couple feed sacks over the nest boxes or building this thing I think I would try the curtains first. You will know in a day or so if it works. I have never tried it so let us know how it works......or not. If I have tried something and it works here I always qualify my statement that it works with my flock here with my style of management., because I found long ago that there can be huge differences in flocks just by geography alone.

Walt

COOL I'll give it a try and report back, thanks everyone

 

[HappyHenMama]

What is everyone's experience with Rooster to Hen ratio? I mean what has worked for you guys? I have 9 hens 3 of which are Bantams between the ages of 18 months and 13 weeks old. My Rooster is a OEGB and his mate is the mother of a 6 week old cockerel. I don't want to have cock fights here and since my eldest Roo is king of the roost I'm just wondering if their are enough ladies to go around? What do you guys and gals think. Since my cockerel is a Banty he wouldn't make much of a dinner.

 

[al6517]

I never said that a curtain would prevent egg eating, it wouldn 't keep another hen out either...it's a curtain. And al, culling is not synonomous with killing, culling means to remove from the flock...put your glasses on, and read Websters.

I can read just fine thank you................ you failed to miss the point or refused to acknowledge it. Culling is commonly refered to as permantly removing from your flock....... as in no longer in circulation to put it in a way as not to OFFEND !!!. Good breeders don't cull birds from their flocks by selling them to some unwiting fool or pawning them off as better than they are. I am saying if the term culling is to be understood just moving a bird, the Pet chicken community will be up in arms and you will have their heads spinning more than usual, thinking culling just means moving one Fu-Fu bird from one couch to another. Do you get my point now.
The OT thread is not Wikepedia we still know what culling means, we have been using it longer than the BYC has been in exsistance. Just trying to spell it out in true OT fashion as to not create another trend or fadish term. Putting things into perspective you know how these online groups can jump to irrational conclusions on the hearsey of the internet information, use of common age old terms need to be preserved in fairness to all. With all due respect I do understand where your coming from on this and websters is correct but that doesn't mean it's right and how it's used.

I hope you can get your Polish hen back to the flock and regular laying habits, have you ever thought about those nest boxes with smaller round openings and bigger insides, kinda like a wild bird house entry only bigger. My next boxes will be made like that to see if I can keep them from crowding 2 and 3 to one box when they have 20 available LOL. Good luck to you.

 

[fultzie]

question ...if i seperate a couple roo's form the flock ..say a week or two..will they go to the bottom of the pecking order..only have the 2 ..sep my silke roo..and he is just an awesome little boy..other 2 are just so stinking mean...both mutts ..ee and not sure what other one looks like ..maybe a ee / cochin mix ..i really like the looks of both..i would like to keep them some how but they are coming out tomorrow ..there not letting the others eat and all..just culled 10 roo's and left these 2 behind..if there is no fix ..its axe time or sell time ..but no time back in the flock for sure lol ..just like a couple pointers how one could settle there hide down

 

[stonykill]

question ...if i seperate a couple roo's form the flock ..say a week or two..will they go to the bottom of the pecking order..only have the 2 ..sep my silke roo..and he is just an awesome little boy..other 2 are just so stinking mean...both mutts ..ee and not sure what other one looks like ..maybe a ee / cochin mix ..i really like the looks of both..i would like to keep them some how but they are coming out tomorrow ..there not letting the others eat and all..just culled 10 roo's and left these 2 behind..if there is no fix ..its axe time or sell time ..but no time back in the flock for sure lol ..just like a couple pointers how one could settle there hide down

I've put roosters in rooster jail for a few days to a week at a time. This sometimes works the 1st time, sometimes it takes a 2nd time in rooster jail. Solitary if you will. I've only had to do this a few times and it worked for me

 

[fultzie]

ok..i was wondering if that would settle them down some ..think removing both boys at same time will work as well or do they need there own little jail sell lol

 

[stonykill]

ok..i was wondering if that would settle them down some ..think removing both boys at same time will work as well or do they need there own little jail sell lol

if it were me I would keep them each in their own jail. Others may speak up with their results or suggestions as well

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I have been culling animals before there were computors, but not before their were dictionaries, which I try to not change the meaning of words. Breeders have been cullng stock for centuries, not all go to slaughter. A good breeder sells some culls, that doesn't mean they are decrepit, it might not be the best, only a fool would sell the best, but it doesn't mean their not worthy to breed.by saying cull to mean kill you change English language, not all oldtimers I know do that. Pretty soon nobody knows what you mean. Cull, remove, kill,process, slaughter..say what you mean, there is no fufu here.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Fultzsie I doubt it will work...likely, when you let them out again...they will fight harder to be on top, I think the breed will have alot to do with it, but once they get that way, they stay that way until another roos beats em a few times. I don't think the ones you want to keep are kicking enough you know what.
You could always try it though, I wouldn't if i wanted to keep one pretty.

 

[Zanna]

Ok so I'll try this, I also like this concept on this video - But the curtain idea...they aren't solid are they, or more like flaps I imagine

Not an OT but I have two rows each with 4 nestboxes in my laying coop. I thumbtacked up an old opaque shower curtain cut to length and cut several flaps in front of each nest box and also one for the opening of the auto door. My purpose was to keep the Starlings out of the nestboxes, they were breaking the hens eggs. It worked............