Chickies, Chickies, Chickies!! Meet the new additions! (Pic heavy!)

Yeah, I think I'm done with roosters after this set, namely hatchery roosters. Maybe once I have more space for birds I'll look into a good line of LF Cochins or Delawares. Those are the only ones I can think of that I've read about being genuinely good guys. I feel like once the pullets are squatting, Po will do fine with them, but I'm still a bit wary about him with my little niece and nephew.

Tonight, rather than attacking me, he ducked down and stared at my feet while screaming for a minute or two (that sort of "Ow! Ow!" sound that they make sometimes, if you know what I'm talking about). I'm not sure what that's about. I grabbed him and he calmed down pretty immediately. He's such a handsome guy up close! Still hoping for the best out of him!

Roha's been squatting, and Whiri started to recently. I think Whiri's going to be laying before long! Her pelvic bones are beginning to separate and she's looking a bit more like a laying hen now--although she has had a big comb for a long time now! Rangi and Huka's combs are getting bigger and bigger, but Marama and Ihi don't seem inclined to mature, which is perfectly alright with me. :) I'm pleased with how those two been tolerating my attention lately. You can tell they're a bit uncomfortable about it, but they both will let me reach out and pet them if I don't move too fast.

Margie was talking like she might be thinking about laying, too! You know, that sound they make before going into the nest? She didn't actually nest, but she made that sound! I've never had a Silkie before, but I thought she was still young to lay for them. She's about 5 and a half months old now, I think? Anyway, my dad has just fallen in love with her. It's very sweet. He's always talking to little Margaret and admiring her. :love She's already part of the family.
 
I just read through this whole thread and I am in love with your birds!! They are so beautiful and exotic looking. Too bad Po didn't turn out with frizzled feathers.
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I love your birds!
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Aw, glad you're enjoying the mutterings of a crazy chicken lady! :lol:



In other news, EEEEK! Look where I found Whiri!!! :celebrate :ya :weee

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She's hard at work building her first nest! :D

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Fling! :lol:

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Isn't she just precious? :love No matter how many hens I raise, I'm always excited for their first egg!

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OHMYGOSH she did it!!! :weee I barely had the last post typed up and posted when I heard over the baby monitor a lot of cackling! Ran down, and it was Whiri, and her little egg was in the nest behind her! I've got to get the picture uploaded! It's so tiny! :love

ETA: Here it is! :ya It's so white, my wall looks dingy in comparison!

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OHMYGOSH she did it!!!
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I barely had the last post typed up and posted when I heard over the baby monitor a lot of cackling! Ran down, and it was Whiri, and her little egg was in the nest behind her! I've got to get the picture uploaded! It's so tiny!
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ETA: Here it is!
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It's so white, my wall looks dingy in comparison!


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YAY FOR WHIRI!!!!
 
Hey, folks, it's been a little while so I thought I would update here. School has me pretty busy, but I always make time for my girls. :)

Whiri has laid just one egg since her first, but she's blossoming into a beautiful young hen anyway. She's started to get the henny 'bloomers' now. She was not the one I expected to be the most visually appealing of this set, but there is just something about the basic wild-type partridge that I find so gorgeous! :love Both Roha and Rangi are acting as if they'll be laying soon--I think Roha will lay first of the two. ;)

Margaret has decided to start free-ranging now. She tries to keep up with the other pullets, who only wander as far as the bushes just across the driveway from the coop. It's so funny to watch her waddle along behind them. I swear, she has the cutest little fuzzy butt I've ever seen! :love

In less happy news, when I went to get Po in this evening, he bit me. Not enough to break skin, but enough to pinch and leave a little welt. I think that may have been his last strike. I don't want a rooster that I have to be afraid of dealing with. :/ I'm hugely disappointed, but I'll get over it eventually. The good news is that with Po out, I have enough room in the coop and will definitely be getting chicks next year! :D

The babies are 5 months old on October 12--and there will be pictures! I may take them on the 11th or 13th, though, as I'm busy on the 12th. We'll see as the day approaches. :)
 
Hey, folks, it's been a little while so I thought I would update here. School has me pretty busy, but I always make time for my girls.
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Whiri has laid just one egg since her first, but she's blossoming into a beautiful young hen anyway. She's started to get the henny 'bloomers' now. She was not the one I expected to be the most visually appealing of this set, but there is just something about the basic wild-type partridge that I find so gorgeous!
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Both Roha and Rangi are acting as if they'll be laying soon--I think Roha will lay first of the two.
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Margaret has decided to start free-ranging now. She tries to keep up with the other pullets, who only wander as far as the bushes just across the driveway from the coop. It's so funny to watch her waddle along behind them. I swear, she has the cutest little fuzzy butt I've ever seen!
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In less happy news, when I went to get Po in this evening, he bit me. Not enough to break skin, but enough to pinch and leave a little welt. I think that may have been his last strike. I don't want a rooster that I have to be afraid of dealing with.
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I'm hugely disappointed, but I'll get over it eventually. The good news is that with Po out, I have enough room in the coop and will definitely be getting chicks next year!
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The babies are 5 months old on October 12--and there will be pictures! I may take them on the 11th or 13th, though, as I'm busy on the 12th. We'll see as the day approaches.
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I wish I lived closer, I'd take Po.

I know you're probably not taking suggestions anymore, but the only thing I can think of trying right now, is waiting just a bit longer. A lot can happen with a young cockerel between the ages of 6 months and 1 year. Now I'm not "stepping" on your method, but I don't think separating cockerels from the flock of pullets is the best idea. I've found that they become even more aggressive then they would be if they were still with the girls. Once hens become of age, they'll usually tell a rooster off. Especially if that rooster is a bantam and they are large fowl.
 
The problem was that he was becoming overzealous with the pullets and ignoring the adult hens. The little girls are still not squatting for him and they are not defending themselves from him. Like I have said many times, the comfort of the girls is more important to me than that of the boys because they actually provide me with something while I have yet to gain anything worthwhile from a rooster.

It was my past experience with roosters that led me to go the route I did with Po. Our first chicks were from a farm who I am pretty much convinced gave us as many roosters as they could. Out of seven chicks, we had one pullet. We gave each and every one of those boys a shot with that pullet and the pullets that we got from the feed store, and all of them were overly aggressive with the girls except the last one, old Toes (who Hika Ma is bunking with now). By then, the girls were old enough to be laying and would squat for him, and he was mature enough that he was gentle with him, and I'm fairly sure the other boys would have been fine as well if we had given them second chances. That is why I had Po separate. To this day, Toes is very good, even with Hika Ma, who he put in his place and has since left alone. The only reason he is not still with the girls is because he is a little human aggressive--not as much as other boys I've had, but enough that I can't have him running loose.

Which brings me back to Po, who may have had another chance with the hens later on, but he is becoming human aggressive and I will not tolerate it. I will not have an aggressive rooster loose with my little niece and nephew out here. That is what's most important to me at the moment. Po has reached the point where he is getting aggressive with me any time I try to do anything near him. He rushed at the door of his carrier at me when I was closing Margaret's carrier last night, and he scratched my hand up pretty badly this morning when I was moving him from his carrier to his daytime pen. I don't know what happened. It's like he just snapped. I have never been anything but gentle with him, as gentle as I can be when he's flopping around trying to get away from me. I guess he has become human shy from me trying to correct his aggression, and that has made him even more aggressive. :/ I am disappointed, not only that he didn't turn out as I had hoped but because I apparently failed in raising him to be a proper rooster.

I would have gladly let you take him home if you were closer. I might be able to find him a home locally, but otherwise, he is out of my flock for the time being. He might get another chance next spring. The make-or-break point for roosters seems to be around a year old, when they either calm down or stay mean. We'll see, I guess.
 

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