rural mouse
Enabler
- Jun 3, 2021
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Raven's story
9 months old, already a big boy (same size as Rusty). Was provided a pet carrier for him...the top opened
. Wrapped a towel around him to put him in carrier. He had his feet under him and stuck up above, slid towel over his head....he sat down, tucked head...closed top and removed towel simultaneously....oops, tail is facing end door. Well, he's only going to be in there for half hour or so. 20 mile drive, kept covered so he stayed quite. I hadn't met the family before (worked with grandma and auntie). Found the place. Pack carrier into run (hen (Reba, RIR) still locked in coop). Set down, stayed in run, family outside, closed run door. Opened top of carrier: Raven stood up. Families' eyes went big as saucers. He hopped himself out, explored run. We let him wander around for a bit (hadn't found BYC yet), then I stepped out with carrier, closed door and they opened coop door. Reba came out and promptly attacked the intruder. They settled with a bit of comb bleeding and by the time the babies were big enough, were a pair. Babies: brown leghorn, new Hampshire, 2 types of Polish. Then a few chicks hatched in class of one of the kids.
Fast forward: lost the class chicks (not really relevant to story) and a polish. Plan had been made for any roos in the babies to move to grandma's house. No coop yet, but 1 ordered when farm store didn't have any (FWY, backordered, finally arrived and while it said it could house 6 birds, they don't think 3 will fit in it). 3 of 5 remaining polish are roos, 1 getting picked on by Raven. Feathers missing, moved that one into garage, but not doing well. I had found BYC and was working my way through this thread by then. Told them to put a friend in with him. They put in 1 of the other polishr roos. The 3rd roo had been getting along just fine with Raven, so he stayed with the rest of the flock. A week later: Ghost (the featherless roo) is eating, growing back his feathers, the both are doing great. Show me a pick of 1 of the New Hampshires: is this a roo? (Only experience was Raven (jersey giant and polish)....um yeah. has the rooster hackle/saddle feathers. Them: there's no spurs. Me: they start growing in after the feathers. They have a friend wanting to breed NH, so he's going to them. Their hound got loose, killed a chicken (dunno which one). Ok, 1 time, keep watch on dog. This past week: dog got loose again, killed ghost. They hear the ruckus and come out to find Raven is on top of the dog, going for the eyes with (not sure if the NH or the other polish) the young roo dodging in for strike, rushing back out and circling around for another strike. Dog went to pound. Raven's comb is bloodied up, but otherwise he's fine. Young cockerels are fine. Such good boys!
Ghost's companion roo will be moving with both polish hens (Raven is awfully big for the little things) to grandma's as soon as they can figure out what to do about the coop. Large dog kennel is bigger than the coop, so maybe put something together in one, in garage, with hatch through wall to outside and kennel door inside access to nest sites. No one has time to build, but the miniscule coop (no access to nest area either) is getting returned for a refund. The kennel would be pretty easy to put together. (Tossed ideas around over lunch at work while I w as getting the story of Raven: Defender of the Flock)
9 months old, already a big boy (same size as Rusty). Was provided a pet carrier for him...the top opened
. Wrapped a towel around him to put him in carrier. He had his feet under him and stuck up above, slid towel over his head....he sat down, tucked head...closed top and removed towel simultaneously....oops, tail is facing end door. Well, he's only going to be in there for half hour or so. 20 mile drive, kept covered so he stayed quite. I hadn't met the family before (worked with grandma and auntie). Found the place. Pack carrier into run (hen (Reba, RIR) still locked in coop). Set down, stayed in run, family outside, closed run door. Opened top of carrier: Raven stood up. Families' eyes went big as saucers. He hopped himself out, explored run. We let him wander around for a bit (hadn't found BYC yet), then I stepped out with carrier, closed door and they opened coop door. Reba came out and promptly attacked the intruder. They settled with a bit of comb bleeding and by the time the babies were big enough, were a pair. Babies: brown leghorn, new Hampshire, 2 types of Polish. Then a few chicks hatched in class of one of the kids.Fast forward: lost the class chicks (not really relevant to story) and a polish. Plan had been made for any roos in the babies to move to grandma's house. No coop yet, but 1 ordered when farm store didn't have any (FWY, backordered, finally arrived and while it said it could house 6 birds, they don't think 3 will fit in it). 3 of 5 remaining polish are roos, 1 getting picked on by Raven. Feathers missing, moved that one into garage, but not doing well. I had found BYC and was working my way through this thread by then. Told them to put a friend in with him. They put in 1 of the other polishr roos. The 3rd roo had been getting along just fine with Raven, so he stayed with the rest of the flock. A week later: Ghost (the featherless roo) is eating, growing back his feathers, the both are doing great. Show me a pick of 1 of the New Hampshires: is this a roo? (Only experience was Raven (jersey giant and polish)....um yeah. has the rooster hackle/saddle feathers. Them: there's no spurs. Me: they start growing in after the feathers. They have a friend wanting to breed NH, so he's going to them. Their hound got loose, killed a chicken (dunno which one). Ok, 1 time, keep watch on dog. This past week: dog got loose again, killed ghost. They hear the ruckus and come out to find Raven is on top of the dog, going for the eyes with (not sure if the NH or the other polish) the young roo dodging in for strike, rushing back out and circling around for another strike. Dog went to pound. Raven's comb is bloodied up, but otherwise he's fine. Young cockerels are fine. Such good boys!
Ghost's companion roo will be moving with both polish hens (Raven is awfully big for the little things) to grandma's as soon as they can figure out what to do about the coop. Large dog kennel is bigger than the coop, so maybe put something together in one, in garage, with hatch through wall to outside and kennel door inside access to nest sites. No one has time to build, but the miniscule coop (no access to nest area either) is getting returned for a refund. The kennel would be pretty easy to put together. (Tossed ideas around over lunch at work while I w as getting the story of Raven: Defender of the Flock)
