Cream Legbars

[mellcrowl]

Got home tonight after 3 weeks away and finally got to see my birds tonight.

They are 9 weeks old now I believe. The little cockerel is quite a character, and I'm also pretty happy with how he's feathering out. He settled very quickly and only fought me briefly when I picked him up. He was pretty vocal when I picked up the crested pullet but he wasn't mean or aggressive in anyway. I think he's going to be o make a really nice lil roo. Especially considering that I have been away at university and they have not been handled up to this point other than once for pics at 6 weeks old.
I will take better photos tomorrow when it's light.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I don't have any way to separate them all right now. I have 26 chicks in 3 pens different ages. pen 1 are the 10/11 week olds, pen 2 are the 6 week olds and pen 3 are the 2 week olds

That is all the space I have.
The eventual plan is to house each of the 3 breeds in their own pen - sell/place or eat the extras and end up with:
Cream Legbars (target is 4-5 hens and 1-2 roos)
Barnevelders (target is 4-5 hens and 1-2 roos )
Delawares (3 hens 1 Roo for now)

In that case, I'd suggest adding things to the pen that make it easier for the pullets to get up and away from the cockerels. I didn't separate my batch of Naked Necks last year, and when the boys got out of hand, adding an old broken chair to the paddock helped. (Maybe more than that for you if you have more). A friend used to have all her pullets perch all over her lap and shoulders in the evenings to get away from the boys - she was "safe harbor". In my recent CL batch of 7 pullets and 6 cockerels when things got out of hand, all the pullets started perching in a low branch of a tree.

It's always worse in the evenings, so if you have to, you could try to be around at that time to break it up if it looks like someone is going to get hurt... (A water pistol works well, or the hose.)

I learned from that first group and now forward, I try to arrange housing for separating boys and girls once they start acting like that. Not only does it protect the girls, but also without the girls around, the boys are somewhat less likely to fight. I've heard from/read many folks who breed seriously who always separate boys from girls as soon as possible to ensure good growth in both groups, vs. irregular growth due to the shenanigans. So I try when I can. Not always possible, but makes like easier and much, much quieter, so your teeth aren't always on edge with all the chasing going on.

- Ant Farm

 

[Bantambird]

My pens are half full of sagebrush. The pullets hide there .

 

[ChicKat]

Really have to agree with Fire Ant Farm - about separating the sexes when the males start to get ideas and the females aren't ready. It has to be so stressful for the pullets at just a time when they are maturing and you don't want them to have stress. I have read that the incidence of Mereks is most frequent in pullets at POL -- and that stress is a major contributor to Mereks....


The little pullets have so much going on in their insides that adding external stresses seems doubly cruel...JMO.

 

[duluthralphie]

I so need to get the bachelor pad finished... Of Course Andy will not be put in with the common roosters....

 

[ChicKat]

LOL - was just ruminating..I've only had chickens since 2011 -- so I'm a newbie -- but I want my roosters to mind their manners....and living without pullets is one avenue.

Then when they are combined -- they are awkward -- but better behaved IMO. I also only have one male per group -- so things like double teaming don't happen around here. JMO

 

[Bantambird]

I need to get handy too. I did come up with a simple pen that could be used for bachelors. An old truck topper, propped on bales of hay, with 2 x 4 s between the topper and bales for roosts. This would rely on the pen being secure though...

 

[ChicKat]

I need to get handy too. I did come up with a simple pen that could be used for bachelors. An old truck topper, propped on bales of hay, with 2 x 4 s between the topper and bales for roosts. This would rely on the pen being secure though...

I wish there was a way to deal with them -- an armoire for them -- the idea about a truck topper -- is that like a camper shell? -- sounds good. And if you have security you're home free.

 

[rottlady]

I just want them to learn manners and social skills
I have not had chickens in 30 years and when I had them before did not breed them but had Roosters and don't recall issues

I have bred Zebra finches, Button Quail, Horses and Dogs and in those animals males raised isolated from the opposite sex have no social skills and often can never be left unattended with the opposite sex as they are unable to communicate with them well, don't understand "buzz off" signals and are just socially inept

 

[ChicKat]

Often if the young male is in with mature - not pullet females -- they can teach him manners......

ETA - here is a male that has been raised totally without female companionship -- he was hatched in an all male hatch of 3. The other two were legbars and had crooked combs and one became aggressive to his roomates so they were both culled. He has been alone for over a month --Today is his first day with the females -- and his first day in a month or so being even with other chickens of any kind.





He may just understand 'buzz off'...... dunno - but peaceful and quiet in that pen -- with normal chicken activites for a day in the 100's for 'feels like' temp -- it's pretty brutal out there right now...They have been together about 7-hours total... No fireworks the entire time I have been here and was only away twice for about an hour each time....

My thought is that there are a lot of dynamics that can go into their behavior...