Dominique Thread!

[The Yakima Kid]

I agree, Norma looks like Norman. Yellow legs, big wattles, lighter coloring. Also is the dead give-a-way: "Free ornamental" AKA rooster title. I don't think any hatchery would knowingly give away a pullet.

The big wattles and the suspicious tail feathers and the "free ornamental" were the part that made it clear to me. The yellow legs are just more frosting on the cake.

I hate it when she turns out to be a he and she is a chicken.

 

[jtn42248]

OMG!!! I suspect I thought that might be the case but wanted more opinions. He does not crow but his behavior towards the hens and his "relationship" with my other rooster seem to point in that direction. I a funny sort of way that makes things better. I thought I was going to have to get rid of a hen but a rooster acting like a rooster is somehow better.

I originally did not want any roosters and ended up with Little Dude, the Andalusian rooster that really looks like every picture you have ever seen of a rooster. Tall, slim, massive cluster of sweeping tail feathers, comb to the sky and wattles to his knees. Norma, now Norman, never looked like a rooster. Maybe he was trying to hide the fact from Little Dude as a survival technique?

So, what do I do. That makes 2 roosters and 22 hens. The distribution seems to be o.k. but Norman and Little Dude seem to go after the same hens a lot of the time. I don't want a hen to be hurt by over breeding. I suppose I could rig a totally separate coop for Norman and move him in there with some hens of his own but I would hate to have to do that.

There coop is metal set in (not on) concrete about 10 x 12 with two runs, one about 100 sq ft and the other about 250 sq ft. Also, they free range several times a day on about an acre range they share with 24 ducks. So, the only time they are in close quarters is in the coop which they have free access to during the day and are all closed up in at night (chickens only, ducks have their own coop).

Any and all suggestions will be more than greatly appreciated.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

OMG!!! I suspect I thought that might be the case but wanted more opinions. He does not crow but his behavior towards the hens and his "relationship" with my other rooster seem to point in that direction. I a funny sort of way that makes things better. I thought I was going to have to get rid of a hen but a rooster acting like a rooster is somehow better.

I originally did not want any roosters and ended up with Little Dude, the Andalusian rooster that really looks like every picture you have ever seen of a rooster. Tall, slim, massive cluster of sweeping tail feathers, comb to the sky and wattles to his knees. Norma, now Norman, never looked like a rooster. Maybe he was trying to hide the fact from Little Dude as a survival technique?

So, what do I do. That makes 2 roosters and 22 hens. The distribution seems to be o.k. but Norman and Little Dude seem to go after the same hens a lot of the time. I don't want a hen to be hurt by over breeding. I suppose I could rig a totally separate coop for Norman and move him in there with some hens of his own but I would hate to have to do that.

There coop is metal set in (not on) concrete about 10 x 12 with two runs, one about 100 sq ft and the other about 250 sq ft. Also, they free range several times a day on about an acre range they share with 24 ducks. So, the only time they are in close quarters is in the coop which they have free access to during the day and are all closed up in at night (chickens only, ducks have their own coop).

Any and all suggestions will be more than greatly appreciated.

I'd put a divider in the coop (plywood or some other solid barrier at the bottom so they don't try to fight through the divider) and give each his own harem. I'd confine the groups to separate runs until bonding happened, and then let them all out in the pasture together. If you provide separate feeders and waterers, they should probably manage fairly well.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

OK. This isn't Dominique related, but there is an eleven year old kid looking for advice on raising chickens. The title of the thread and the link is :

Is this a good plan?

I figured I'd ask here since Dominique people tend to have common sense.

 

[lazy gardener]

Is there a reason why you can't leave the flock together and let the 2 roos come to an understanding? Generally, they'll duke it out until one of them backs down into the submissive role. Or, if you have too much rooster drama and only want one, get rid of the other one. No wrong decision here.

 

[jtn42248]

Is there a reason why you can't leave the flock together and let the 2 roos come to an understanding? Generally, they'll duke it out until one of them backs down into the submissive role. Or, if you have too much rooster drama and only want one, get rid of the other one. No wrong decision here.

No reason at all at this point. I think that is what I am going to try doing. Everything goes o.k. and I suspect the two of them have pretty much already reached an agreement as to who is in charge etc. My perspective of the flock is what has changed now that I see what is really there and have stopped wondering why this "hen" was acting so strange. Hopefully everything will be fine and no one will need a new home.

 

[87jmchugh]

Thanks for the compliments! We too hope to start breeding next year or perhaps earlier!! Oh golly if I had a bit of extra time to put into enlarging the someday farm, i would buy another 25 day olds and start it all over again!

 

[lazy gardener]

Hold the bus... You're mid-coast Maine, and have Doms? How many? Where from? And you'll be breeding them in the spring????? Selling eggs???????

 

[Sylvester017]

I agree, Norma looks like Norman. Yellow legs, big wattles, lighter coloring. Also is the dead give-a-way: "Free ornamental" AKA rooster title. I don't think any hatchery would knowingly give away a pullet.

I agree the hatchery did a slight-of-hand since day-old Dom chicks are relatively easy to ID. Hatchery didn't want to obviously send a pullet as the "free" rare chick and knew darn well it was a cockerel they added to the order!!!

 

[Sylvester017]

OK. This isn't Dominique related, but there is an eleven year old kid looking for advice on raising chickens. The title of the thread and the link is :

Is this a good plan?

I figured I'd ask here since Dominique people tend to have common sense.

x2