Colorado

[Latestarter]

No rain down here

 

[21hens-incharge]

None here either. Getting really really really dry up here.
We did get a small amount of rain a while back but it was less then 1/2 inch (quite a bit less).

 

[Robilyn81]

It finally rained on Friday but that was the first significant rainfall in like 3 months. I heard here in the FoCo corridor we're officially in drought conditions yaaaaaaay (not).

 

[Latestarter]

Yeah, that big cold front that "threatened" us on Friday went through so fast here, I think it blew like the dickens for half an hour and we got barely a sprinkle

A month from now I'll be in a much greener, wetter, warmer place... Now have a fully executed contract to purchase my next place. Should be my last, and it meets every need I set out to fulfill. http://www.trulia.com/property/3230547387-4147-County-Road-4260-Mount-Pleasant-TX-75455
Nice places in the corners of both front and rear fields for dug ponds, Creek transverses property right inside back tree line. Mostly fenced and ready for livestock. and the price was right!

Close scheduled for 9/29

 

[laurajb]

I called Wardle Feed and asked about taking my roo to the chicken swap in a couple of weeks. The guy was real honest with me and said cockerels don't sell well, unless you are offering a flock with hens also. Sigh. They also are full with boys at the moment and aren't taking anymore. They charge $15 to take your rooster. Sigh. I'm going to go see the Jason Bourne movie to lift my spirits.  

I'm late seeing this, but I brought our unexpected roo to Creative Acres in Brighton. They ask a $100 donation to help with feed and any medical throughout the life of the bird. It's a no-kill place with a few other roosters and assorted other animals. I much would've preferred to keep ours with us, but Creative Acres seemed like the best option to ensure he wouldn't get turned into soup.
***just saw you found a home for your roo .

 

[Robilyn81]

I have another newbie rooster question. What does a rooster who is 'good' with the hens look like versus one who is too 'rough'?

My roo and oldest gals are just shy of five months; the younger girls are about 18 weeks. The older ones look routinely fed up with him and the younger are often downright terrified. He'll chase them across the yard until he catches them. Then he looks offended that they don't like him lol.

I realize it's normal for things to be a little awkward until everyone matures, and that he's probably a little hormonal right now, but this has been going on for weeks.

Chicken love doesn't really seem gentle, lol, but what does a 'gentlemanly' rooster look like?

 

[Latestarter]

They coax the girls close with food calls... "excited clucking while scratching and pecking at his feet to lure the hen over to see what goody he's found for her" Then as soon as she gets close he pounces on her and grabs her by the back of her head feathers in his beak and digs his toes and spurs into her sides to hold her under him and proceeds to rape her. If he's a gentleroo, he'll call her over and then "seduce her" vocally and she'll squat down and he'll gently mount her and gently hold the back of her head by the feathers, and do what he's meant to do then get off with minimal loss of feathers and screaming by the hen. Normally if she squats, he doesn't do as much damage with his toe nails and spurs. The hens will still end up bare backed over time if there aren't enough for the roo to move among.

 

[Robilyn81]

@Latestarter Thanks!

Not much seducing going on... He's definitely the grab and pounce type. He'll do his wing-drop dance often but then assumes this is an open invitation to nab whoever is nearby... Even tried it on the dog... That didn't go well (dog ran in terror lol).

The hens haven't started squatting willingly yet that I've seen, so maybe they just need time... We will see. If he doesn't ease up he may be in trouble ;-)

 

[Latestarter]

For a really randy young roo, many will remove him and give the pullets time to mature and the roo time to grow into his hormones. They can really do some damage to the pullets. I have one with a ruined wing because the roo destroyed the elbow joint when she was a pullet. I should have put her down a year or more ago but she has a will to live and fights off the infections and even though the wing is frozen as is and doesn't flex, she's a fighter. Sometimes she or the other hens will peck at it and open it to bleed pretty badly but I just clean it up, blukote it, and she's good to go for another little while. She was at one time top hen. not since the injury.

 

[Robilyn81]

Yeah I thought I might try this and give the pullets a break. I'm not really set up for it, not ever intending to end up with a roo, but it might be necessary. I have seen them with abrasions on their combs from running blindly into walls/fences in there attempts to escape him. For some reason he chases my youngest pullet the most mercilessly. She's taken to hiding in the coop. If he sees her come out he'll give chase from across the yard.

I am currently working on a nice rooster jail.

Since having a roo I do appreciate his flock protecting duties, he's good at warning for hawks, but I have no issues sending him to freezer camp if he doesn't shape up. Haven't done it before but my job involves feeding carnivores so I am used to that sort of thing.