Coop Project: Maken the Plunge & Getting Chickens

[Rock Home Isle]

Hey there Ashdoes,

The ducks have more of an affect on the condition of the lawn than the pullets....any place that holds any water at all has their undivided attention. They are "dabblers" in the extreme, so I do have a few areas where I need to limit their access and let the lawn recover a bit.

I have noticed that my water consumption is up this year. The animals need fresh water daily and the lack of moisture that we are having this year both combine to take a toll. I fertilized the front and back yards this spring. The backyard is definately much deeper, richer and greener than the front...the frontyard looks pale by comparison. I'll take a few photos and post them at a later date for you to compare.

I shouldn't asign human traits to animals, but people tend to understand what is being said when that approch is done. The birds are like little kids. My backyard looks like a mess by the end of the week, until I mow it. I must admit that the mess does bother me...I like the lawn to be clean. The pullets and the ducks find all kinds of twigs, leaves, pieces of paper...whatever catches their interest...and they pick it up and drag it around the yard. If a branch falls from one of the trees, they seem to take great pleasure in stripping off the leaves and scattering them about the yard. They are like children. My lawn mower is now more of a vaccum cleaner for the backyard. As I run the mower in the backyard, I pick up all their toys. When the bagger is full I deposit their toys back into the garden; and they take the rest of the week; sort through the lawn clippings; and drag them back out again. I have to giggle about it.

But yes....my lawn is showing signs of stress. And its due to the twin factors of very high temperatures that we are having and the activities of the flock.

We're having a very unusual summer here in Colorado.

I hope that I have answered your questions...?

 

[PAChickenChick2]

I was curious about how you assert your "alpha" over pecker. I can't have roosters in my township...but my oldest hen did take over the alpha position in my flock, second to me.
Again...just curious more than anything else..

On a side note..he really is a cute roo..

 

[Ashdoes]

Yes, that was very helpful. We'll be using a field grass, that I'm going to add a clover mix to. I'm hoping it'll stand up to this horrible drought, and the chickens.
I lived here 9 years ago, during the last year of my husband being a Marine, and his transition into the Air Force...it was always green and beautiful and raining. I know it'll start raining again, I'd just like it to happen sooner than later.
~Ashley

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I missed one of your queries...

The grapes are pretty resilient. But there are no green leaves below ~3 feet. If they can reach it they eat it.

 

[Ashdoes]

Oh! Here's something I was wondering, in reference to the grapes. I see you have blocks around the bottom, and I was wondering if the chickens have figured out to use them to get higher? I have a ton of two foot sections we took off the posts we used on our fence, and I thought those pieces are perfect to make a "container" for newly planted vines. But, I thought, what if they just hop on them and tear the plant up?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Oh! Here's something I was wondering, in reference to the grapes. I see you have blocks around the bottom, and I was wondering if the chickens have figured out to use them to get higher? I have a ton of two foot sections we took off the posts we used on our fence, and I thought those pieces are perfect to make a "container" for newly planted vines. But, I thought, what if they just hop on them and tear the plant up?

The cement blocks protect the base of the grapes when I get out the weed-whacker and edge the yard. The pullets get on them all the time. They use them as impromtue roosts for those late afternoon naps or when they just want to sit around a socialize. It's funny to walk out into the yard and see all 6 of them trying to fit on the same cement block, just a big yellow puff of feathers and beaks.

They are not rocket scientists by any stretch...

 

[Ourfamilyflock]

The cement blocks protect the base of the grapes when I get out the weed-whacker and edge the yard. The pullets get on them all the time. They use them as impromtue roosts for those late afternoon naps or when they just want to sit around a socialize. It's funny to walk out into the yard and see all 6 of them trying to fit on the same cement block, just a big yellow puff of feathers and beaks.

They are not rocket scientists by any stretch...

I put up a very sturdy pallet, and they use that for the same thing. Didnt even need to build anything. My pullets dont care for my grape leaves. What kind of grapes are you growing?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Chickenology: Dealing with a ROO & his Oats

Note to self...roughdraft......rewrite for inclusion of missing details


Every time that I get attached to a ROO he turns out to be aggressive. The ones that I ignore seem to be regular ole ROO's, that give me no problems. My REAL problem ROOs have always been the ones that I inherit ,acquire, or have been given to me by others....I don't take gift ROOs anymore. (So I understand why I'm having such a time finding a home for Pecker)

It boils down to understanding a little chicken psychology. Chickens are animals that are essentially hardwired. Raise a chick from an egg and it grows to be a ROO...no one taught him how to crow and yet he does. They thrive on instinct. Go outside with a glass of icedtea and watch the flock. In chicken social structures, they are constantly testing the social boundaries of the flock to see where they are currently ranked; have they moved up or down in the pecking order. They are constantly reacerting their standing within their social network.

A Roo wants to be on top. The Flock Boss gets the girls; and in a Roo's eyes, “Handlers” are threats to their social standing. A threat that needs to dealt with in a poultry sense.

I have a 12 week old Buff Orpington cockerel, goes by the name of Pecker. This little guy is following a very predictable pattern of behavior. For the last few weeks he has started squaring off with me and doing his dance; causing me no end of irritations with his attempts at being top bird in the flock. I have been working with him...training him, and had the problem about solved. Our little spats were becoming very few and far between, until a recent incident involving my wife. She let me sleep in the other day and thought that she'd do me a favor. She went out to the run to let the flock out and Pecker went after her. For the first time ever Pecker won a “social challenge” with a person, and he has been a pecker ever since. This incident has renewed his challenges and I have started the training all over again.

Here is my approach:

Usually social challenges with ROO's will start off small, they will do their little dance and display and then they will grab you. That is the way of it with a ROO. So any time a ROO comes at you in a stiff legged frontal profile, he is most likely going to challenge you in some fashion. If he has been abused by you, hit or kicked, the problem will only escalate. If you abuse your ROO, at some point he is going to LEARN that coming at you from the front is painfull and his attacks will start coming from behind; he also LEARN to duck for cover. Once it reaches this level, make him the center piece for dinner. He will never succumb to you being Flock Boss…If you don’t play by the rules; he won’t play by the rules either.






When these social challenges occur, he needs to know immediately that, in your eyes, he IS a hen and you are Flock Boss. If you delay he will not make the connection between the action and the associated punishment. By punishment: Take the ROO firmly and press him so that he is on his tummy on the ground. This is what a ROO does to hens. By doing this you are telling him in very direct chicken terms that he is a hen. He will struggle and fight and be very mad...Do not let go; hold him firmly until he stops struggling and then hold him a bit longer. Once he quits and succumbs to your ....advances; gently let him up. Most likely he will attack again. If he does, then once again grip him firmly and repeat the process...and again if need be.

This is not a one-time cure...This is a training process. The Roo needs to know that if he squares off with a human, any human, he will be made into a hen; and ROO’s are not quick learners...it will take awhile. You will need to teach anybody that comes in contact with the flock what to do if the ROO challenges, until he is trained. Even then I’d be in the yard with any visitors, unless you want to start this over again.





There will be times that your ROO is going to be especially trying of your patience. If you’ve pressed down holding him firmly to the ground and its just not sinking in, then grip him firmly and turn him over on his back and hold him to the ground. A ROO is very vulnerable when they are on their back…this is the ultimate insult to a ROO. Expect a strong reaction and hold him down until he quits struggling. If he LEARNS that if he challenges you and he is made into a hen or even worse, held on his back, then things start to change in your favor. Holding a ROO on his back for the first time will be a challenge, he will not like it and at the moment he will not like you at all. In all likely hood you will be putting him on his back several times. Be patient and keep your temper in check. If he does not LEARN he will continue to challenge you and this will lead to open attacks upon you. At that point he is destined to the dinner table...be patient.




Word of warning….do not mix punishments. Chickens are not rocket scientists. If you firmly press him to the ground and then follow with a diferent punishment by putting him on his back…he will be confused; he won't get it; he won't make the connection. If you press him the first time…then that is the chosen punishment for the challenge until the encounter ends. Once he decides that he's had enough, let him walk away, he’ll think about it. If he comes back later with another challenge, do the same punishment or put him on his back and hold him…he now has a new punishment. The punishment for the encounter needs to be the same punishment for the entire encounter…or it will mean nothing to him. It will be a missed opportunity to train him about who IS Flock Boss. If you change punishments during the encounter, in all likelyhood he will continue to challenge you again. Give him a very clear signal.




Through punishment, you have clearly shown the ROO that you are the undisputed Flock Boss. Once the challenge is over and he is thinking, let him be for bit then offer him a treat. Show him that you are also "the provider"; offer him a treat. Timing is everything, so the treat needs to be offered after he has walked away from you. If you offer it to soon, then you are just training the ROO to attack you when you come into the yard so that he will get a treat. NO...we don't want that...let a bit of time pass before offering the treat...maybe a minute or so after the encounter.

When the treat is offered, he may not take it at first. If your flock enjoys your handfed treats, usually a hen will rush in and start taking the treat. Chickens are like sheep. Once one of them goes first, the others will follow. Once he takes the treat; all is forgotten…until the next time.

You don't want your ROO's to think of you as a threat, if they do they will always challenge you. So after an encounter is over, after a bit time has past, give the ROO a treat...distract him with a treat...You want him to see you and think of only food.


Does this training work all the time...No. There are ROO's...there are breeds....where nothing seems to work. I have had times where I just keep rotating Roo's until I get lucky and one is right. But this will work often enough...and only if the ROO has not been abused. An abused ROO is a lost ROO.

Rule #1: Never make friends with a ROO...no good deed goes unpunished. (I break this rule way too much)

Rule #2: Never hit, kick, or physically bring harm to a ROO. He knows a cheater when he sees one and when the rules are gone...you loose...Sooner or later you or somebody else is gonna make him dinner.

Rule #3: Play by the chicken rules.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I put up a very sturdy pallet, and they use that for the same thing. Didnt even need to build anything. My pullets dont care for my grape leaves. What kind of grapes are you growing?

That is a very good observation. I have a grape that they do not really care for at all. Its a seedless something or other that I planted several years ago.

The grape that they love is a Beta Grape...its a wild grape. The leaves of the Beta are very tender compared to the other grape that I have in the yard....

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Last night, I went outside at dusk to herd the ducks into the run and lock up the flock for the night. Ole Pecker met me at the bottom of the stairs and followed me around the yard as I herded the ducks. One of the ducks (Gerty) turned and tried to make a run for it, I guess to get one more go around the trampoline before bedtime. Pecker headed him off and guided Gerty into the run in typical cockerel fashion with a few well placed pecks.

Is he part Border Collie?