Quote:I feel for you. Last year I had so many nice boys and no home for them to go to.
Yeah I'm not really comfortable rehoming my chickens here, particularly the males. If I ever had extra girls I could probably find a nice town home where they'd be spoiled pets, but the boys have to stay in the country and homes I would be comfortable sending them to seem to be somewhat few and far between. I was the unlucky one to find the remains of my neighbours' hen after a coyote got into the coop, due to it not being predator proof/them always forgetting to lock it up at night. The chickens were a farm-y novelty, and they've basically been forgotten now. It's kind of scared me off the idea of any rehoming. I just don't have enough connections to ensure my boys would go to a safe home and I'd rather offer them a swift death myself than send them somewhere where they'll get mauled to death by something. I understand accidents happen, but I just can't handle negligence. Still isn't making my decision any easier though.
On that topic... What is the best age to butcher them at?
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that if my super sweet tiny chick does turn out to be a rooster, maybe he'll stay nice and change my opinion on the mature boys. I'm remaining cautiously optimistic. My current one turned into a really nasty SOB. I can understand him being feistier/less friendly than hens, and even having a go at me every now and then, but he will follow me around the fenceline territorially crowing at me and occasionally trying to charge me through the fence. Is territorial crowing a thing? Because that's what it really seems like. He'll sit at the fence staring at me and belting out crow after crow after crow after crow... We can't go outside without him crowing nonstop until we go back in the house. He dropped the metaphorical axe on himself today when he attacked me just for letting them out of their coop this morning. I opened the door and he immediately sidestepped around me and attacked the back of my leg, drawing blood even though I was wearing heavy jeans. I just can't live with that anymore.
In d'Anvers, is beard/muff growth timing a sign of gender? One thing I noticed with my first three was that the two girls had noticeable cheek feathers by 5 weeks whereas the rooster took until nearly 7 weeks to get facial feathers. One of my chicks has cheek feathers coming in, and I hope so badly that means girl.
Quote:I feel for you. Last year I had so many nice boys and no home for them to go to.
Yeah I'm not really comfortable rehoming my chickens here, particularly the males. If I ever had extra girls I could probably find a nice town home where they'd be spoiled pets, but the boys have to stay in the country and homes I would be comfortable sending them to seem to be somewhat few and far between. I was the unlucky one to find the remains of my neighbours' hen after a coyote got into the coop, due to it not being predator proof/them always forgetting to lock it up at night. The chickens were a farm-y novelty, and they've basically been forgotten now. It's kind of scared me off the idea of any rehoming. I just don't have enough connections to ensure my boys would go to a safe home and I'd rather offer them a swift death myself than send them somewhere where they'll get mauled to death by something. I understand accidents happen, but I just can't handle negligence. Still isn't making my decision any easier though.
On that topic... What is the best age to butcher them at?
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that if my super sweet tiny chick does turn out to be a rooster, maybe he'll stay nice and change my opinion on the mature boys. I'm remaining cautiously optimistic. My current one turned into a really nasty SOB. I can understand him being feistier/less friendly than hens, and even having a go at me every now and then, but he will follow me around the fenceline territorially crowing at me and occasionally trying to charge me through the fence. Is territorial crowing a thing? Because that's what it really seems like. He'll sit at the fence staring at me and belting out crow after crow after crow after crow... We can't go outside without him crowing nonstop until we go back in the house. He dropped the metaphorical axe on himself today when he attacked me just for letting them out of their coop this morning. I opened the door and he immediately sidestepped around me and attacked the back of my leg, drawing blood even though I was wearing heavy jeans. I just can't live with that anymore.
In d'Anvers, is beard/muff growth timing a sign of gender? One thing I noticed with my first three was that the two girls had noticeable cheek feathers by 5 weeks whereas the rooster took until nearly 7 weeks to get facial feathers. One of my chicks has cheek feathers coming in, and I hope so badly that means girl.
I completely understand the part I put in red in your post. It kills me when I hear of a bird I entrusted to someone being killed unnecessarily. That doesn't mean that they did all they could, had a good coop set up and still, something happened to the bird. And that doesn't mean that I don't understand that some of the birds I rehome/sell are free ranged-I do that myself. What makes me crazy is when someone doesn't have a safe place for the birds to be at night when they are completely vulnerable.
That is why I say in my ads to please have a safe, predator proof night coop for the birds if you answer my ad and that I reserve the right to refuse to rehome/sell my birds for any reason I deem necessary. Might put some folks off but hey, they're my birds. I've had people email me photos of their coop. If it's chicken wire walls, nope, not acceptable, not safe. Of course, someone could send me a picture of someone else's coop, but I can't control that. I do what I can to make sure they go to responsible owners.
I haven't noticed a difference in the beards. My Aimee plucks her chicks' beards and muffs so I'm not sure if they aren't coming in on the males or if she's just tidying up the scruffy kids, LOL.
Thanks, Karen, I have the Corid 20% powder concentrate on hand. Got it at the co-op. Appreciate the offer, though! Hopefully, they're all over the cocci this time. I'm hesitant to keep treating it since they're approaching 9 weeks old and really shouldn't be quite as susceptible to it by now.
I went to feed store just to get picture of the label.
Cyn. I didn't get corrid last time. I got powder. It was half the price $15 and so far I've had no problem mixing it. I can get you a bag and meet you in town some time if you want.
Poor Rusty is so lonely with all his girls broody. Two hens are leaving the box with the five chicks. He is being a very hood daddy to them. Those two hens grew out like puffed up turkeys when I was feeding and attacked my lab. I was in a panic to start because I didn't know what she would do, but I font even think she heard my comands of no and leave she was do busy trying yo escape the feathered yellow jackets that were after her. After they ran her off they literly march back in their house looking at me like "Do you want some?" all puffed up giving me the stink eye. Rusty stood back like he didn't know what was going on or what to do about it. Funniest thing ever.
Quote:I feel for you. Last year I had so many nice boys and no home for them to go to.
Yeah I'm not really comfortable rehoming my chickens here, particularly the males. If I ever had extra girls I could probably find a nice town home where they'd be spoiled pets, but the boys have to stay in the country and homes I would be comfortable sending them to seem to be somewhat few and far between. I was the unlucky one to find the remains of my neighbours' hen after a coyote got into the coop, due to it not being predator proof/them always forgetting to lock it up at night. The chickens were a farm-y novelty, and they've basically been forgotten now. It's kind of scared me off the idea of any rehoming. I just don't have enough connections to ensure my boys would go to a safe home and I'd rather offer them a swift death myself than send them somewhere where they'll get mauled to death by something. I understand accidents happen, but I just can't handle negligence. Still isn't making my decision any easier though.
On that topic... What is the best age to butcher them at?
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that if my super sweet tiny chick does turn out to be a rooster, maybe he'll stay nice and change my opinion on the mature boys. I'm remaining cautiously optimistic. My current one turned into a really nasty SOB. I can understand him being feistier/less friendly than hens, and even having a go at me every now and then, but he will follow me around the fenceline territorially crowing at me and occasionally trying to charge me through the fence. Is territorial crowing a thing? Because that's what it really seems like. He'll sit at the fence staring at me and belting out crow after crow after crow after crow... We can't go outside without him crowing nonstop until we go back in the house. He dropped the metaphorical axe on himself today when he attacked me just for letting them out of their coop this morning. I opened the door and he immediately sidestepped around me and attacked the back of my leg, drawing blood even though I was wearing heavy jeans. I just can't live with that anymore.
In d'Anvers, is beard/muff growth timing a sign of gender? One thing I noticed with my first three was that the two girls had noticeable cheek feathers by 5 weeks whereas the rooster took until nearly 7 weeks to get facial feathers. One of my chicks has cheek feathers coming in, and I hope so badly that means girl.
I completely understand the part I put in red in your post. It kills me when I hear of a bird I entrusted to someone being killed unnecessarily. That doesn't mean that they did all they could, had a good coop set up and still, something happened to the bird. And that doesn't mean that I don't understand that some of the birds I rehome/sell are free ranged-I do that myself. What makes me crazy is when someone doesn't have a safe place for the birds to be at night when they are completely vulnerable.
That is why I say in my ads to please have a safe, predator proof night coop for the birds if you answer my ad and that I reserve the right to refuse to rehome/sell my birds for any reason I deem necessary. Might put some folks off but hey, they're my birds. I've had people email me photos of their coop. If it's chicken wire walls, nope, not acceptable, not safe. Of course, someone could send me a picture of someone else's coop, but I can't control that. I do what I can to make sure they go to responsible owners.
I haven't noticed a difference in the beards. My Aimee plucks her chicks' beards and muffs so I'm not sure if they aren't coming in on the males or if she's just tidying up the scruffy kids, LOL.
I was having a hard time wording it, but that's a better way of saying it. I don't necessarily expect all chickens to be spoiled pets kept in extra fancy coops with all the bells and whistles, and wouldn't even be opposed to sending a rooster to a home where he would be a flock lookout. I think it all comes down to intent. If the owner has weighed the pros and cons of free-ranging and decides the freedom is better for their birds than the added security of always keeping them penned, I think that's okay and just a different form of responsibility than I practice. I don't have many birds so it's a lot easier for me to cart a little exercise pen around for them. With lots of chickens it would be nearly impossible, and I don't doubt chickens allowed to range are happier for it. It's like the people who hike with their small dogs off leash. I don't personally do it because of coyotes/bears/cougars/eagles/raccoons/etc, but I don't judge other people who choose to. I would definitely judge if they left their little dog completely unprotected outside at night though (it would probably only last the one night here). It's the complete lack of caring/total negligence towards one's animals that bothers me. I've had someone tell me they'd like to get a rooster so they can get rid of their coop (cleaning it is a pain, feeding them is a pain...) and let them live naturally raising chicks and whatnot. I was like, "that's not really how that works..." I got the impression that to them the chickens were more like a lawn ornament to bring their picturesque acreage together, rather than a living responsibility.
That's too funny about the beard plucking. I can just imagine Aimee scolding them for their messy faces while she plucks out all the scruffy little feather tufts lol.
