Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Kris5902]

Teaser :

The cats aren’t sharing my new chair very well! Bullet just hissed and swatted her brother. Pink is not my favorite color btw... but I do appreciate nice wingback chairs. Though this one needs a slight spring adjustment (fencing staples are like furniture staples right?) but is still an improvement on the sofa. And I even managed to crop that so no one can see the surrounding mess...

 

[Kris5902]

Thanks so much for all that advice, and experience. I really appreciate the time and care, and am heartened to learn that sometimes everything works out to an arrangement. Your chickens are quite lucky!
I’d be interested in what difference you notice between hen only and rooster+ hen flocks?

I don’t have any hen only flocks myself... so far, from what I can tell, the human often takes on the “rooster” role. Providing food, and being looked to for security. I see a lot more hen/human interaction, though that could also be the level of care/love/involvement of the humans in those hen flocks. I certainly have relationships with all my roosters, but I am ancillary to the flock for the most part, excepting Sammy and the rehab girls and some hens in mr Marans flock. Bob’s girls couldn’t care less about me, unless I’m holding the blue bucket of happiness (feed), then I’m interesting.

@BY Bob , @Ribh , and @MaryJanet all seem to take on a more rooster-like role with their girls, from what I’ve read. And have deeper relationships with their hens. It seems to be an entirely different dynamic.

 

[Ribh]

Thanks so much for all that advice, and experience. I really appreciate the time and care, and am heartened to learn that sometimes everything works out to an arrangement. Your chickens are quite lucky!
I’d be interested in what difference you notice between hen only and rooster+ hen flocks?

On behalf of all the Australians on this thread, I'd like to say "Pffft, that's not big!"

You should see ours!​

 

[Ribh]

@Kris5902 might know, but I can't think of anyone else with hatching experience.

Bob.aka @rjohns39

 

[drumstick diva]

BUT we love to see surrounding messes, so we are assured other folks have them too!

 

[Ribh]

I’d be interested in what difference you notice between hen only and rooster+ hen flocks?

I can't compare. The only time I ended up with cockerels I got rid of them fast. wyandottes & no~one could get near our place because they attacked anything that moved. So I have an all hen flock.

There are a couple of dynamics besides the presence or absence of a rooster. @BY Bob , @MaryJanet & I all have comparatively small flocks. Bob has 4, MJ 3 & I have 9 so there is just more interaction with individual hens compared with @Kris5902 's 69 & counting.

Secondly we are are more urban than Kris. I'm not allowed to keep a rooster & I'm pretty sure MJ is too urban to keep one too.

Thirdly breed choice affects interaction. I have mostly human friendly breeds.

As Kris noted, in some ways the human keeper is perceived as the rooster. My hens will gather around me. Treats are a form of titbiting, as is putting out food. They will look to me if there is perceived danger. They will alarm to call me if threatened & for a while [because of pen dynamics] I had to answer the escort call. If I am out with them not only are they never far from me, each hen will approach me individually @ some point for some special attention.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

And I ask you all, is this a pink egg? Perhaps both my EEs actually aren't laying brown eggs after all. It looks kind of pink in that nest.

It does look rather pink

 

[LozzyR]

They will alarm to call me if threatened & for a while [because of pen dynamics] I had to answer the escort call. If I am out with them not only are they never far from me, each hen will approach me individually @ some point for some special attention.

Chickie did two escort calls earlier this week, hubby and I took a turn each in providing an escort.

 

[Shadrach]

No, Lucy, my avatar, is from my first flock, which I started 4 years ago in February. I started with 6 and have added 3 chicks each year. Have lost a few along the way too. Lucy is the last of her flock.

Are the flock losses due to predation?

 

[Shadrach]

Awwwww he even has a proper crow! Most of my 20 week olds have a “ca-cooo” or “ca-ca-cooo” at best... if the crowing alone isn’t a neighbor issue... I can’t speak for @BY Bob and when Jabber started to get unruly, however,

I’ve noticed “bad behavior” starting at 17 to 21 weeks in my boys. What I now look for is mostly roughness or pecking order type attacks on the pullets... not mating attempts mind you (they are pretty clumsy at first, and the feathers on the hens show it!) but if a cockerel is trying to assert dominance or keep a pullet from feed for starters. I have one ‘would be a keeper’ boy, except that he has been mean to the pullets for the last month or so. He seems* to be getting better, but I don’t really need another Rooster!

With my “white devil” leghorn x boys, they actively were trying to flog me around 17 weeks old, and biting, flogging some more, and generally being awful (not just hormonal they were aggressive to me and each other). As in, I would go into the run to let them out and they would attack me as a group, some jumping at my face, jumping up and biting my arms, while others (yes, plural) flogged my legs. Every morning, for over a month. They made very nice pot pies.

My Chickie Hawk (who I cuddled too much as a babe, he was my first assisted hatch, and he really needed chicken girlfriends) showed all the classic “my rooster is awful/attacking me” post signs. A lot of this was due to errors in my handling of him and just not having enough hens for all my boys. He isn’t a tame Rooster, many would label him aggressive, most people would have culled him. We have worked out our differences, I respect him and he (mostly) respects me. It’s a little dysfunctional, but we make it work. He only has 6 girls, but he is very good with them, even though they kicked his butt when they first met.

Roosters can be very good. I credit my Sammy to saving most of his girls from an owl. They will alert to aerial predators. Sammy and Barney are both playing Daddy to a bunch of teenagers (not theirs, and 10@ 60/40, and 20@ 50/50 ~ p/c, 12 and 19 weeks old respectively) keeping them mostly in line. I wish I had the nerve to range and rear as @Shadrach does... maybe one day I can get there.

I’m 100% pro Rooster/good cockerel. I appreciate their role in the flock dynamics. If you have the space, patience, it is legal, and a decent boy... I say give it a whirl! See how it goes. I have certainly learned that there is a huge difference in the behaviors of hen only flocks and flocks with roosters, and flocks with those odd two legged roosters... mostly from reading of other hen only flock behaviors here.

I do still have special relationships with some of my hens, even those with “proper” (chicken) roosters. All of my rehab girls and Sammy are a good example, as is Precious, Princess, Tiny, and Teensie of Mr Marans flock. I have “sweetie” in with Barney (she ended up in my jacket and under my armpit the other day) and “Eagle bait” (a cockerel of the same age) and I are frequently at odds about free ranging. I’m currently at 69 chickens... and hatching; so flock size and space are also valid considerations...

Either way, August is very pretty, and looks sweet.

Shadrach manages the chickens the way he does mainly through lack of options.
If they were my chickens and on my land I would be doing it differently. This is just the best I could come up with in the circumstances.
I lose an awful lot of chickens. It's got better in many respects over the years but the other keen chicken keepers that free range here don't lose as many.
They have the right breeds for the environment and sometimes three or four generations of knowledge to draw from.
What makes an enormous difference, the guy who keeps the Fayoumies is a good example, is they have a 'bullet proof' outer perimeter fence.
A couple have lots of acres and have fenced a couple of acres to keep their dogs in and ground predators out.