Edens Acre - The Story of My Flock

[TwoCrows]

Exactly!! Have a coop for 20 even though it is 2x the size I intended to have haha

I don't know why, but chickens are SO addictive! I keep a dog but I don't seem to want more. Chickens? Good grief, you can never have enough.

 

[MommaG2023]

I don't know why, but chickens are SO addictive! I keep a dog but I don't seem to want more. Chickens? Good grief, you can never have enough.

I rescued cats (4) and a rabbit and yes NO MORE...unless we do meat rabbits in the future which is a possibility ..but yeah chickens are something different when it comes to acquiring more..and a few more...oh and those also..and ahhh..chicken math truly is a thing!

 

[TwoCrows]

I rescued cats (4) and a rabbit and yes NO MORE...unless we do meat rabbits in the future which is a possibility ..but yeah chickens are something different when it comes to acquiring more..and a few more...oh and those also..and ahhh..chicken math truly is a thing!

Oh how nice to take in rescue cats! My mom worked at a shelter when I was growing up. She brought home so many cats slated for euthanasia. It feels good to give these rescues a good home. But yes, you need to draw the line somewhere!

 

[MommaG2023]

Amazing how the world and your own thoughts can change in just a few days. A week ago I made the decision to slim down my flock. In doing so I have changed the dynamic of my flock. I hoped to bring about peace and less chaos by rehoming the 3 seeming to cause the issues, as well as giving someone the opportunity to have some eggs for their family and keep my flock smaller, more manageable and more peaceful. After a day of less hens, I had a cockerel potentially try to flog me ( though it could have been something else, still waiting on the verdict) and am second guessing keeping one of my beautiful boys. I sit down and check my book that I write in everything dealing with my Chickies and I ask myself why making the decision to re-home him is so difficult. I am wishy washy with this decision. One minute I am all for finding him another home, the next I am hoping he will grow into a gentleman rooster. I already feel good about sending Tinker Stinker (now Tito) to my sister's friends home. They lost their only Roo to a hawk last week and are very good with their chickens and animals in general. They have fixed the issue with the hawk coming in but didn't get a new boy to watch over their babies. He is young but will grow into his own in time and will be their only Roo. Ozzie has never been affectionate or liked being handled. He would run and cheep his little head off when I would catch him to clean his butt and feet as a chick, back when he was still an "Opal". He is beautiful and I raised him...that is my rock and a hard place. He is not being well behaved currently and what if this never matures out? What if he damages one of my pullets or children or me? I think the rub is, I don't trust him to mature into a better bird. I expect him to become more aggressive as the days and weeks pass, since this is already evident. I also wouldn't trust him in another family because he could potentially harm them or their birds or children. Which means Ozzie should be culled and made into food.
My perfect flock, hand raised, in my home for weeks, caring and cleaning and spending hours and hours rearing, is now changing in ways that make me saddened.
Naive expectations of a brand new chicken owner...really believing that by doing it this way my birds would be sweet and gentle and friendly and all get along because they were raised together and would live out their lives here in the home we made them. Another caveat is now my cockerels are crowing. They don't sound majestic yet but they have some lung capacity that is amazing. My husband does not want the cockerels competing for dominance by endlessly trying to one up the other, which is what we have been experiencing for the past 2 days. He said he thinks it would settle out if one of the boys was gone...one being Ozzie.
I am sure this is only the first hiccup in a string of more to follow over time with our birds. I just hope in the future I can do what's necessary for my flock without the feeling of failure I am currently experiencing. Best Sunday wishes to all!

 

[TwoCrows]

Amazing how the world and your own thoughts can change in just a few days. A week ago I made the decision to slim down my flock. In doing so I have changed the dynamic of my flock. I hoped to bring about peace and less chaos by rehoming the 3 seeming to cause the issues, as well as giving someone the opportunity to have some eggs for their family and keep my flock smaller, more manageable and more peaceful. After a day of less hens, I had a cockerel potentially try to flog me ( though it could have been something else, still waiting on the verdict) and am second guessing keeping one of my beautiful boys. I sit down and check my book that I write in everything dealing with my Chickies and I ask myself why making the decision to re-home him is so difficult. I am wishy washy with this decision. One minute I am all for finding him another home, the next I am hoping he will grow into a gentleman rooster. I already feel good about sending Tinker Stinker (now Tito) to my sister's friends home. They lost their only Roo to a hawk last week and are very good with their chickens and animals in general. They have fixed the issue with the hawk coming in but didn't get a new boy to watch over their babies. He is young but will grow into his own in time and will be their only Roo. Ozzie has never been affectionate or liked being handled. He would run and cheep his little head off when I would catch him to clean his butt and feet as a chick, back when he was still an "Opal". He is beautiful and I raised him...that is my rock and a hard place. He is not being well behaved currently and what if this never matures out? What if he damages one of my pullets or children or me? I think the rub is, I don't trust him to mature into a better bird. I expect him to become more aggressive as the days and weeks pass, since this is already evident. I also wouldn't trust him in another family because he could potentially harm them or their birds or children. Which means Ozzie should be culled and made into food.
My perfect flock, hand raised, in my home for weeks, caring and cleaning and spending hours and hours rearing, is now changing in ways that make me saddened.
Naive expectations of a brand new chicken owner...really believing that by doing it this way my birds would be sweet and gentle and friendly and all get along because they were raised together and would live out their lives here in the home we made them. Another caveat is now my cockerels are crowing. They don't sound majestic yet but they have some lung capacity that is amazing. My husband does not want the cockerels competing for dominance by endlessly trying to one up the other, which is what we have been experiencing for the past 2 days. He said he thinks it would settle out if one of the boys was gone...one being Ozzie.
I am sure this is only the first hiccup in a string of more to follow over time with our birds. I just hope in the future I can do what's necessary for my flock without the feeling of failure I am currently experiencing. Best Sunday wishes to all!

Yesterday I saw your thread on the cockerel leaping up behind you on the chair! I definitely think he had evil on his mind. They tend to only get worse, but NOT always. Cockerels/Roosters can be a lot of work. And absolutely, some are very disruptive to the flock and its dynamics. I understand exactly exactly where you are, it's difficult to rehome them. I've loaded up birds in the car to take them to a new home, driven out the driveway, got half way up the road and turned around only to keep them. Of course an hour later I wished I'd stuck to my plan of rehoming! I've kept mean boys, dealt with being attacked, and after all these years, I just don't want to keep the boys anymore. Roosters do keep hens in line to prevent aggression in the flock however, when there is no rooster, you tend to get one big bully hen as flock leader. Good luck with what ever you decide!

 

[MommaG2023]

I do believe he has to go. I know my silkies could become more aggressive in time but currently they are just lap dogs. The solution for them is to go back to the breeder most likely...though only if they become aggressive and dangerous. She wants my Maple due to his coloring and regretted selling him once she saw pictures of him feathering.

 

[TwoCrows]

I do believe he has to go. I know my silkies could become more aggressive in time but currently they are just lap dogs. The solution for them is to go back to the breeder most likely...though only if they become aggressive and dangerous. She wants my Maple due to his coloring and regretted selling him once she saw pictures of him feathering.

I think you are on the right path here, and you will know when the time is right to rehome the *cough*monster*cough*. Tough to do I know! As for your Silkies, I never kept them. They look so placid, how mean could the boys get? I suppose they could still be too aggressive with the hens though. I should keep some Silkies, they are pretty cute.

 

[MommaG2023]

I think you are on the right path here, and you will know when the time is right to rehome the *cough*monster*cough*. Tough to do I know! As for your Silkies, I never kept them. They look so placid, how mean could the boys get? I suppose they could still be too aggressive with the hens though. I should keep some Silkies, they are pretty cute.

My silkies are ridiculously affectionate and cute. The boys do spar but it's comical to me. I know they think their impressive but my gals ignore them. They only come up to their belly sooo...lol. I know they "can" breed but I honestly don't think Leroy would have any competition there. Ombre is in love with Bluebell has been for over a week. He follows her around and gives her grass from his beak...it is adorable . She ignores him but takes the grass lol.

 

[TwoCrows]

My silkies are ridiculously affectionate and cute. The boys do spar but it's comical to me. I know they think their impressive but my gals ignore them. They only come up to their belly sooo...lol. I know they "can" breed but I honestly don't think Leroy would have any competition there. Ombre is in love with Bluebell has been for over a week. He follows her around and gives her grass from his beak...it is adorable . She ignores him but takes the grass lol.

You are only making me want them MORE! I am glad you are enjoying them!

 

[MommaG2023]

You are only making me want them MORE! I am glad you are enjoying them!

I have 3 and they are great . I have seen differing opinions on them on this site but for me, they love people, are lap chickens, make the cutest noises and make me laugh.