Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

Pretty in Pink!

 

[MaryJanet]

Pretty in Pink!
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Now Cillin, listen to your Aunty MJ. No more fighting on hot days.

 

[biophiliac]

Pretty in Pink!
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At least he still has a tail. To me, Treacle looked sooo pitiful!

 

[pspatbyc]

They do have the points files off on their spurs. I do it to all the males. Nothing drastic, just the sharp points. These two are peck fighters mainly. All the comb and wattle damage is through pecking. Occasional they get toenail damage, but their fighting style minimizes spur damage.
It's exhaustion and heart failure that I'm most concerned about. I don't mind patching them up and I don't mind taking them to the vet when I want a second opinion, or drugs. Despite watching years of rooster fighting I still find it a bit upsetting. However, it is part of keeping free range roosters. I am as you will be aware, particularly fond of these two and just wish they could get along like some of the others.

Maybe putting them into separate cages for a couple of days will make them forget about fighting ?? I'm worried that this is becoming "Habit "

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

They do have the points files off on their spurs. I do it to all the males. Nothing drastic, just the sharp points. These two are peck fighters mainly. All the comb and wattle damage is through pecking. Occasional they get toenail damage, but their fighting style minimizes spur damage.
It's exhaustion and heart failure that I'm most concerned about. I don't mind patching them up and I don't mind taking them to the vet when I want a second opinion, or drugs. Despite watching years of rooster fighting I still find it a bit upsetting. However, it is part of keeping free range roosters. I am as you will be aware, particularly fond of these two and just wish they could get along like some of the others.

Tranquilizers? Hormones? I know, I'm reaching a bit here

I hope they sort themselves out soon without any more injuries.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Now Cillin, listen to your Aunty MJ. No more fighting on hot days.

Listen to all your Aunties Cillin and Treacle! Stop fighting! We are getting traumatized over here!

 

[BY Bob]

Pretty in Pink!
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Poor fella.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I found a rather odd egg from Edwina sitting below the perch this morning

Any idea what may have caused it? Her eggs are usually dark brown all over.

 

[Shadrach]

At least he still has a tail. To me, Treacle looked sooo pitiful!

He does doesn't he. Cillin's tail feathers are not all that clever either when compared to the other roosters here.

 

[Shadrach]

Maybe putting them into separate cages for a couple of days will make them forget about fighting ?? I'm worried that this is becoming "Habit "

I've tried separating roosters by confinement in the past. It hasn't worked here and other chicken keepers here tell me it hasn't worked for them either.
As a rule, I don't cage birds. Occasionally I will confine one to the house if they are injured.
These two have to work this out for themselves. Cillin and Notch fought on and off for months. Eventually they had one serious fight which Notch, who was the instigator of the fighting lost. After that they decided that avoiding each other was the way forward.
There is virtually unlimited room to roam here. It is possible for none of the roosters to even see another rooster all day if they choose.
Able and Stitch used to fight. It went on week after week. The fights got less and less serious as time went by until they ended up having a half hearted show of bravado and walked away from each other.
These creatures are quite capable of conflict avoidance and in general I can have eight or nine roosters and cockerels wandering about and while they scrap from time to time they don't inflict any serious injuries, a few blood spots on combs and wattles, which is normal is about it.
Cillin and Treacle are sitting outside my house right now with their hens less than a metre apart. So, they can get along.