Companihens chickens

[Shadrach]

Pretty Pinch, shes getting more friendly but I would still struggle to handle her.
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Pepin, no chance of getting near her. Very flightly and doesn't even go near the other chickens.
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Black has just closed her eyes here so she looks worse. But her comb is pale.
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Armand
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Great picture of Armand having a shake.

 

[Callender Girl]

I once had a rooster who was almost identical to your Percy. I would have been grateful if Pauly NEVER came up to the house. Although gorgeous, he was a tiny bundle of feathered fury who delighted in attacking me as well as all other humans in his sight.

Pauly was rehomed to my then-vet's rooster flock, and we all lived happily ever after.

 

[Companihen]

I once had a rooster who was almost identical to your Percy. I would have been grateful if Pauly NEVER came up to the house. Although gorgeous, he was a tiny bundle of feathered fury who delighted in attacking me as well as all other humans in his sight.

Pauly was rehomed to my then-vet's rooster flock, and we all lived happily ever after.

I can well imagine. Percy was like this for a bit and I only went in the run with a stick or something to make sure he'd keep himself to himself. He stopped going for me ages ago and seems to always accept me around now. But he's always gone for my 2 boys... I'm trying to teach Percy to share the garden with them and the boys to learn that they must not go near him or the hens. I'm hoping we can reach a truce and everyone can share the garden but we haven't yet got there yet. He's flighty when he's angry and reaches their faces easily so we have to take care.
Armand has never fought anyone, he intrigues me, he is still young 7 months ish I think.

 

[Callender Girl]

I won't be surprised if some folks tell you to get rid of Percy because he is a potential danger to your boys. But, not me. I am completely fine with teaching youngsters to have a healthy respect for and keep their distance from animals or other dangerous things. The world is full of dangerous things!

 

[Companihen]

I won't be surprised if some folks tell you to get rid of Percy because he is a potential danger to your boys. But, not me. I am completely fine with teaching youngsters to have a healthy respect for and keep their distance from animals or other dangerous things. The world is full of dangerous things!

Please don't get me wrong I wouldn't let him harm my boys dangerously. Yes they have been scratched but nothing serious.
I agree it's about teaching healthy respect. If my boys kick a ball at the hens or throw something then yes they can absolutely expect the cockerels wrath. I want them to understand that. But if they leave the chickens to be chickens then they learn the chickens leave them. The boys are learning. My youngest can now enter the run with me and providing he is near me and no sudden movements Percy will be ok now, that's big progress.
Percy on the other hand needs to realise that the boys on the swing are not a threat. He goes berserk when they're on it. He would fly up at them whatever height and go crazy, hes done this before and is very scarty for the boys, i wont let that happen again. So that's when I have to stand by and keep him away. I would generally supervise if the chickens and boys are outside together just to be safe.

 

[Companihen]

8 eggs yesterday. Cleopatra has started laying now, as expected due to Percy's behavior round her recently she lays teeny tiny eggs! I must weigh one sometime again.
So that's all the bantams laying again. I'm happy about that, so far finishing their molt and coming back into lay they have all kept fairly well and they seem well now and everyone gets along as well as can be expected. Just Greedy and Black to lay, if they will again.
Time will tell with the cockerels, Armand will be 1 in the late summer, he's stockier than Percy and has fancier comb and wattles. He has mounted all the girls although only once successfully on cleopatra. I feel it in my bones that he may challenge Percy one day, and come out stronger. Esp since Percy had the odd head shaking/wobbly issue a while back and he's never been quite so confident since. Percy carries the frizzle gene, I'd be sorry for it not to work for him to stay here. We'll see.

 

[Companihen]

9 eggs today. And the cockerels started crowing at 5.30. It had been after 6. It was a beautiful blue sky day today and the automatic door on the chicken house opens at 7. But they were all making a racket and wanted out at 6.30 this morning. It seems spring has sprung for the chickens, crowing and waking early.

They all spent most of the day out of the run eating and resting in the sun. They seem active and well. But I do wonder if grey is already thinking broody again. She seemed angry with everyone today esp if they had recently laid. Much screeching to be heard.

Winter woes may be over but spring struggles begin
I have a few regular buyers for the excess eggs, really happy about this

 

[Companihen]

You see in these images what Percy and Armand do sometimes when they're close in the garden. They peck and cluck at the ground (its different to what they do when they're calling hens) and circle each other. It really does appear as though they're taunting each other and I always feel at any point an attack could occur. But it never does... @Shadrach I hope you dont mind me tagging you but what do you suppose they're doing? Are they biding time for when one outs the other or not at all?

 

[Shadrach]

what do you suppose they're doing?

I used to see a lot of this with the tribes; frantic nodding at the ground, little shuffle steps, odd calls. But, what you're not getting it seems are the sudden rushes at the other rooster which stop short by a good few feet. It's pre fight posturing; sort of testing each other out. It rarely amounted to anything when I've observed it, occasionally a quick fight as a face saving measure, then they go their separate ways with their hens who have been standing on the sidelines looking bored.
I didn't see much of it within tribes with more than one adult male though.

 

[Companihen]

I used to see a lot of this with the tribes; frantic nodding at the ground, little shuffle steps, odd calls. But, what you're not getting it seems are the sudden rushes at the other rooster which stop short by a good few feet. It's pre fight posturing; sort of testing each other out. It rarely amounted to anything when I've observed it, occasionally a quick fight as a face saving measure, then they go their separate ways with their hens who have been standing on the sidelines looking bored.
I didn't see much of it within tribes with more than one adult male though.

Yes that's interesting... there hasn't been any rushes at each other. Just the eyeing up and flapping wings.. walking away a few steps and back waking ground and clucking etc. I haven't seen this in the run. It seems only in the garden. But that said I don't observe them in the run a lot, usually only up there to let them out.