Colorado

[P-Funk]

Preston, I'm with Margie, you sound less dopey post-op than I sound most days just doing my usual thing LOL Hope everything is okay!

Baaahaahahahahhhaa! I just had a molar pulled but they put me on all sorts of drugs. When the pouring rain just woke me up I thought 'Why am I not at work? Oh, Yeah, it's 3pm, not 3am, you dork.'

I may have to take tomorrow off as well.

 

[Minchi]

Baaahaahahahahhhaa! I just had a molar pulled but they put me on all sorts of drugs. When the pouring rain just woke me up I thought 'Why am I not at work? Oh, Yeah, it's 3pm, not 3am, you dork.'

I may have to take tomorrow off as well.

Ouch, teeth pulling's are never fun you should have a nice long weekend.

 

[Denverchickee]

Denverchickee, it depends on how committed you are to keeping her in the flock. Taking her out of the run and/or putting her in a "jail" run inside the larger run for a few days might help. Picking her up and carrying her in front of the others might help. For sure, any time she challenges your leadership/authority, put your hand flat on her back and make her squat as if you were the rooster, and hold her down until she stops struggling. If she tries to out and out attack - comes at you kicking out as if she had spurs - fling her off with your foot. She does look like a cross, but it's always hard to predict how that affects egg size/color. Chicken keeping is not supposed to be a hassle, it is supposed to be a pleasant and productive activity for you and your family. There is not only no reason to keep a mean chicken, there is every reason to not keep her. It creates chaos in the flock and can limit the productivity of the rest of your girls, and in some cases keep them from getting enough food, water, and exercise. If you are unsuccessful at correcting her behavior, particularly once she begins laying, which I would think should be anytime now, she should be relocated, whether to someone else who wants to give her a try, or to your freezer. Last year one of our list members was able to relocate a mean hen to someone who had a rooster, which seemed to have corrected her idea that she was in charge of all she surveyed. I'm not being mean, and I apologize to anyone who thinks I am. I am of the very firm belief that mean chickens have no place in any flock, but especially one where an unsuspecting person might be harmed or frightened. I had dogs for many years, and felt the same way about a dog that was willing to bite a human or terrorize other dogs. They are not balanced/healthy mentally, and most often are unhappy or fearful, which is a terrible life for them and for all around them.

I am in agreement with you Judy. Thanks for the nice response.
She has received some swift gentle foot tosses already. Some to get her to quit picking on other hens and some from me. The other day I was picking tomatoes and all the sudden I realized she was about to peck me and turned around an shooed her away for her to only challenge me. I threw a piece bark at her.
She is hard to catch but I will take your advice and try to handle her some more. Hopefully un-pecked. My only option to remove her is to put her in a dog kennel next to the run? For a temporary fix and see if it would help?
My main concern is how she is affecting the rest of the flock. I need more eggs not less.
I am a long time dog owner and responsible dog owner. I grew up breeding and raising dogs & horses. So I understand where you are coming from.
But I am only chicken farming for about 1.5 years. So I certainly appreciate all the great advice that is provided here.
Thanks sooooo much for helping me!

 

[Denverchickee]

Are you sure it is a hen?   My first roo did not crow at all for a good long time, actually not until about a year old because???  Not sure, but if there are no eggs and a seriously aggro attitude,
maybe?  I would isolate "her" and see if you can get an egg or at least it would help to reset her lines in the flock.  If she is out for a couple of weeks, maybe she will have have a different attitude.  Sometimes it takes more than one "time out" to get the desired behavior and sometimes they just go good with fresh bread. 

Margie, no I am not sure if she is a she? No crowing. But I agree with you too, cuz I just had a frizzle Roo that didn't start crowing for a long time. That's how I got this bird trying to replace the Roo.
Guess its dog kennel time for Miss Blondie.
Thanks for all the advice & stories you provide!
I heart BYC!!!

 

[xmonster0]

$1 just kidding

 

[Pozees]

I am in agreement with you Judy. Thanks for the nice response.
She has received some swift gentle foot tosses already. Some to get her to quit picking on other hens and some from me. The other day I was picking tomatoes and all the sudden I realized she was about to peck me and turned around an shooed her away for her to only challenge me. I threw a piece bark at her.
She is hard to catch but I will take your advice and try to handle her some more. Hopefully un-pecked. My only option to remove her is to put her in a dog kennel next to the run? For a temporary fix and see if it would help?
My main concern is how she is affecting the rest of the flock. I need more eggs not less.
I am a long time dog owner and responsible dog owner. I grew up breeding and raising dogs & horses. So I understand where you are coming from.
But I am only chicken farming for about 1.5 years. So I certainly appreciate all the great advice that is provided here.
Thanks sooooo much for helping me!

A dog kennel is fine, should be plenty of room on a temporary basis. Flock dynamics are not much different from herd and pack dynamics. Instinct tells them one must be in charge, and weaker members must be eliminated for the good of the group. As with a dog or horse, the moment one believes itself to be dominant over humans, it must be educated. For those with limited experience with group dynamics in the animal world, the leader of the flock/herd/pack tells the rest when to flee danger, where safe and good food may be found, and when to be still/hide. One should be dominant over the rest, but never over the human keeper nor any other human. The one dominant over the rest should not bully, but protect and lead.

One way you can tell which is the dominant member of a flock is to watch for one who is first out in the morning, last in to the coop at night, which is first to try a new treat/weed/bug and then call the others over to it - most often this role is occupied by a male, but in flocks comprised solely of hens it will be one of the hens. In some groups there is none so dominant as to be this obviously in charge, but I've seen some hens insist the rest go to the coop when a storm is brewing, chase others into the coop at dusk, and signal to the others that they should duck and be still with a single call. I find flock/herd/pack dynamics fascinating and frustrating at once. The humanity in me wants everyone to get along, and the part of me that understands Mother Nature's survival of the fittest rules, is mindful of the risk to the flock of protecting a weaker member, which may attract a predator. Herds of horses will circle new foals while they get their legs under them, but once they can get around, they must keep up with the herd. Human intervention and domestication of these animals has modified some behaviors, but instinct still rules among chickens to a large extent.

 

[Percheron chick]

Opinions please!!!!!!!!! Thanks

That's a roo. Pullets have tiny combs and waddles. Soups on.

 

[coopncottage]

Hi all --
We're in Colorado, and looking for someone with bantam Cochins... My daughter (13) had a nice old bantam cochin hen, her favorite, but the hen died recently at the age of about 7. We live in town, so it's hard for us to do straight run because we can't have a roo, but she's looking for a pullet or hen she can show. We're in no hurry... Even spring 2014 would be fine... But we're hoping to find someone in CO who has or expects to have one available that they'd be willing to sell.
Thanks!
Debbie

 

[Pozees]

Hi all --
We're in Colorado, and looking for someone with bantam Cochins... My daughter (13) had a nice old bantam cochin hen, her favorite, but the hen died recently at the age of about 7. We live in town, so it's hard for us to do straight run because we can't have a roo, but she's looking for a pullet or hen she can show. We're in no hurry... Even spring 2014 would be fine... But we're hoping to find someone in CO who has or expects to have one available that they'd be willing to sell.
Thanks!
Debbie

You might try contacting shyscreations (BYC name) in Boulder, she usually has some nice quality bantam Cochins.

 

[Denverchickee]

That's a roo.  Pullets have tiny combs and waddles.  Soups on.

You think so? Wouldn't I be seeing spurs or hearing crows at 22 weeks?
I got "her" from a guy here in Denver at a chicken swap. He said she was hatched 3/3.
Makes me wonder if its younger than I think?
I was replacing a polish Roo and came home with her and a Egyptian chicken both 8 weeks.
Ill be so disappointed if its Roo.