Colorado

[JimReno]

Mtn Margie I might be interested in some quail. Where are you located?

 

[Mtn Margie]

West of Boulder, towards Estes Park area. Easy drive into Longmont, North I25

 

[COChix]

Hey gang, sorry been swamped. Just wanted to update on two fronts. Left Eye our blind out of one eye, was tried at flock integration with issues. I put Isis and Gretchen two sweet petite EE in the enclosed run with her and they did great! If anything Left Eye was more territorial about her run, coop and food. I picked the right girls for the job. They didn't fight her just ran and avoided her. I put them up in the small coop at night and they did fine. Then Thursday, I decided to open up the run and let them out as Left Eye was now scratching for food with the girls and roosting up in the run. So she ws eager to join the gang and her eye is no longer swollen or red so I figured the less time away the better. So I stayed and watched, well almost immediately leaving the run she was attacked by the youngest RIR Roo and he was pretty rough with her, she ran to he free range area after that and was attempting to eat and she was attacked by one of her Delaware sisters. She then rested under a tree and was again attacked by Rojo the big RIR Roo's. Rocco broke that up but she basically ran back into the run and into the smaller coop and into a nest box. So I closed her up and gave her some time. Then opened the coop again and left for awhile. Later she was out in the run on a roost. I left and returned after the heavy thunderstorm to find the entire flock huddled in the large coop. I thought great, this is gonna work out ok. Well came out 15 minutes later and found Rocco and Rojo ganging up on her in the run. Enough that she had her head buried behind a board and she wasn't moving. Well that upset me and I went and picked up Rocco by the feet and then carried him around in my arms while I chased down Rojo. Seems sort of silly now but I guess my mama chicken came out in me. I then put her back into the enclosed run with Isis and a Little One (another EE).

Also yesterday I observed the little red RIR chase and holding onto one of the Buff Oprh roosters, so things have been escalating between all the roosters. Plus observed some hens getting mated by Rocco and then immediately Rojo. Now all four roosters were all trying to mate. The girls have been nervous and a lot had been flying to the top of the 6 foot fence rails and roosting all day. The EE seemed especially flustered and a few had tried roosting in the tree's the last couoke nights, as they didn't seem to want to be in the coop. Bruno one if the Buff Oprh's was losing weight, being starved out of the food, mostly by Rojo. He spent a lot of time in the coop. So all of those things combined, we decided that the two RIR roo's were becoming thugs and seemed to upset the girls the most, so it was decided we would cull and process both of them today.

So we locked them in the enclosed run over night with most the flock in the big coop and Left Eye and the two EE in the small coop. Then is am after letting the main coop our for free range we moved them in there after an hour or so everyone seemed to already be allot calmer, the dynamic shift was already apparent. So we gave thanks and reverence to both rooster and then got to work. This was my first processing and to be honest I was a bit nervous, but after the initial head chopping it got easier. We processed both boys and cleaned them up. They both are in the fridge right now, We will eat one on Sunday. My BF was tremendous in teaching me the ropes and I obviously couldn't have done it without him. So just wanted to state two things, I learned many lessons from those roosters in my short chicken raising time. I also felt it was important to be involved in all of it, as that was the reason we got them. To be connected to our food source, to know they had a good life, were raised and treated well. So now the circle has come full circle for me and all I can say is thqt I feel very blessed to have had this chance to be involved in my food source, as many people will never have that connection.

So it has been a long week, given the injured bird. She was able to successfully integrate with the flock today and I am glad to report she roosted up with everyone in the main coop tonight. So for that I feel great about our decision on the RIR roosters. Also today the flock seemed pretty content, the flock engergy was more mellow and I saw one girl up on the fence and that was only briefly. I observed no fighting between the two BO Roo's. So I would say this affirms our thoughts about the other two, RIP Rojo and Little Red.

 

[Percheron chick]

Peace and harmony in the flock is never overrated. Glad you could pull the trigger before they killed her.

What you experienced with your RIRs is exactly why I will never own one. I'm sure there are some great individuals out there but they seems to be few and far between. It seems that the majority of bully chicken threads on BYC starts with "I have a RIR...". When I see posts of a mixed flock of chicks that are very passive plus a RIR, I think "good luck with that". RIR roosters are beautiful birds but the BOs are the keepers. I raised 150 pullets last year and inevitably the buyers would ask "Do you have any RIR?" Well, no and here's why.... If I was willing to do a single breed they would be fine but I need variety.

 

[COChix]

Peace and harmony in the flock is never overrated.  Glad you could pull the trigger before they killed her.

What you experienced with your RIRs is exactly why I will never own one.  I'm sure there are some great individuals out there but they seems to be few and far between.   It seems that the majority of bully chicken threads on BYC starts with "I have a RIR...".  When I see posts of a mixed flock of chicks that are very passive plus a RIR, I think "good luck with that".  RIR roosters are beautiful birds but the BOs are the keepers.  I raised 150 pullets last year and inevitably the buyers would ask "Do you have any RIR?"  Well, no and here's why....  If I was willing to do a single breed they would be fine but I need variety.

thanks and from what I have read on RIR roo's is that they tend to be aggressive and mean. Sure like you said, there are some keepers out their, but we have a mixed flock and some smaller ladies and Rojo was probably 6-7 pounds at 4 1/2 months. Left Eye has been chased some this am by the BO Roos, but she has done well protecting her head avoiding being pecked I am sure. She also was chased by some girls, when I have seen this, I go in and give some scratch or fresh straw as a distraction and that seems to help. I also have three different feeding stations so everyone stays spread out and has plenty if space. I know the pecking order has to be re-established and she has to figure some of this out. I am trying not to intervene all the time, but making sure she is ok here and there. It is hard work being a chicken mom! Lol

 

[Double Kindness]

Cochix- that's great you have peace in your flock again! How much did your roos end up dressing out at? How long did it take you to process the 2 rir?

I'm so lucky my 1 rooster Lenny is so great to his ladies. He's a salmon favorelle x wellsummer x light brahma, and super mellow.

I think the rest of my pullets are about ready to start laying, but only 4 of the 9 are old enough to lay eggs.

Today the itty bitty peep peeps (aka the meat meats) are getting very big very fast on the 26% protein gamebird feed that I started fermenting and giving to them, and all flock feed for my laying flock with rooster fermented and medicated chick starter fermented for the super teensy weensie chicks.

It looks like out of 26 chicks, only 8-12 are female anyways. The barred rock are very friendly and curious. I'm hoping they will be ready to process in another 8 weeks or so.

I'm headed to go pick up more chicks from my friend, ayam cemani x orpington and purebreed ayam cemani to add to the 4 ayam cemani x orpington chicks I already have of hers last week. I'm getting over run with chickens, but I'm crazy happy and chickens are far more effective than therapy lol.

Well we gotta head to wardel's feed store. My bf hurt himself again last night in the metal shop making me a bucket hanger for inside the chicken run for the meaties. They eat a LOT!

 

[acdev]

My wife and I live in Littleton proper, not far from downtown Littleton. We've been keeping a small flock in our backyard for just a year.

I'm glad I finally looked for a thread for Colorado. There are a lot of questions I could've posted in the past year, especially winter, like what do you all do when the temperature drops to fifteen below? (We were so scared they would get frostbite, we put them in the garage.)

 

[Ashdoes]

That cold snap was brutal. We actually enclosed the a whole stall in the barn, after all three Roos had frostbite, but it still wasn't ideal. I can't imagine how people up north keep their chickens happy and healthy through a solid freezing winter.
We're not looking forward to this winter, a lot of people are predicting a real bad time. I'm actually buying a vehicle just so I have something to drive when it gets bad.

 

[Mtn Margie]

Well, unless you are showing, frostbite is mainly cosmetic. Both of my roos have lost their points over the years. I just let them heal naturally and they are fine. Smooth combed like that one dinosaur. I think this year's babies will have smaller EE combs and if they stay nice, they can live to pass that trait on.
Welcome to the Colorado Thread!!!

 

[trsturself]

That cold snap was brutal. We actually enclosed the a whole stall in the barn, after all three Roos had frostbite, but it still wasn't ideal. I can't imagine how people up north keep their chickens happy and healthy through a solid freezing winter.
We're not looking forward to this winter, a lot of people are predicting a real bad time. I'm actually buying a vehicle just so I have something to drive when it gets bad.

No!!!!! Don't say that! I want a very mild winter! Our road is horrible when it's wet and I can't imagine what it will be like with snow on it.

That cold snap was TOUGH! My girls all made it fine with just a halogen work lamp shining on the outside of the coop. But I don't think it really did much for them, I think they just toughed it out.
The new coop came with a heat lamp but I don't like using those. If the coop gets below freezing multiple nights I might turn it on though.