fuzzi's Chicken Journal

[lightm]

Your garden looks sooo good!

 

[Shadrach]

Silas did something this afternoon that I hadn't seen him do before...

...he tidbitted!

When I have offered extras like bits of fruit or seeds Silas would gobble without regard for the hens. I threw a handful of wild strawberries in the run this afternoon, and noticed that when Silas found a strawberry he called the hens to come and get it!

He's almost 11 months, and growing up.
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He's learning. I'm not sure why but it takes some cockerels quite a while before they stop trying to force a hen to mate to understanding that if he wants his genes to continue and the hen to hatch, bribary was likely to be more successful.
The fast learners learn to do the chest bump after eighteen months or so.
The rooster (I don't recall ever seeing a cockerel do it( walks up behind the hen and bumps her tail with his chest. If she crouches they'll mate but if she doesn't crouch the rooster moves on.
Some people say they can tell what a cockerel is going to be like at say six months. I'm not really confident I've judged it right until eighteen months or more.
But, when a junior rooster starts calling the hens for something he's found is when the senior rooster is likely to kick off. The junior becomes competition if he titbits the hens.

 

[Shadrach]

I have a GF rooster that gets into the nesting boxes with the girls and does that or sometimes he's in the nesting boxes by himself covering himself with shavings and straw making that noise.

I went out there one day and he was in the box carrying on, all the girls were standing in front of the box just looking at him.

I used to see young roosters nest hunting with a favourite hen. They get in the nest site and scratch about and talk to the hen, who from what I've seen doesn't look remotely impressed, Usually the hen walks away and the roosters get up and follow, I imagine saying "what was wrong with that one?"

 

[CoopBoots]

I used to see young roosters nest hunting with a favourite hen. They get in the nest site and scratch about and talk to the hen, who from what I've seen doesn't look remotely impressed, Usually the hen walks away and the roosters get up and follow, I imagine saying "what was wrong with that one?"

I had a cockerel in a dog crate inside our run recently. We were figuring out what to do with him. He'd started a nasty fight with his former companion (another cockerel hatchmate) and so had to be kept separate. We had a tarp over it halfway or so to keep any rain off...

Dern if that cockerel didn't teach the hens to sneak under the edge of that tarp and lay eggs hidden right NEXT to him.

He had such a way with the ladies (and people) that he ended up being purchased to replace an aggressive rooster in another flock.

 

[ChaosMom]

I used to see young roosters nest hunting with a favourite hen. They get in the nest site and scratch about and talk to the hen, who from what I've seen doesn't look remotely impressed, Usually the hen walks away and the roosters get up and follow, I imagine saying "what was wrong with that one?"

Not enough closet space, I’d imagine. And the kitchen really needed updating!

(My kids watched “House Hunters” when they were in their teens - still do in their upper 30’s - and the dialogue has been drilled into my head!)

 

[fuzzi]

He's learning. I'm not sure why but it takes some cockerels quite a while before they stop trying to force a hen to mate to understanding that if he wants his genes to continue and the hen to hatch, bribary was likely to be more successful.
The fast learners learn to do the chest bump after eighteen months or so.
The rooster (I don't recall ever seeing a cockerel do it( walks up behind the hen and bumps her tail with his chest. If she crouches they'll mate but if she doesn't crouch the rooster moves on.
Some people say they can tell what a cockerel is going to be like at say six months. I'm not really confident I've judged it right until eighteen months or more.
But, when a junior rooster starts calling the hens for something he's found is when the senior rooster is likely to kick off. The junior becomes competition if he titbits the hens.

Silas started tidbitting once he was put in the second coop with his own flock. He never did it when Zacchaeus was around.

 

[fuzzi]

Zacchaeus and his gals. Things have calmed down since I split the flock.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I used to see young roosters nest hunting with a favourite hen. They get in the nest site and scratch about and talk to the hen, who from what I've seen doesn't look remotely impressed, Usually the hen walks away and the roosters get up and follow, I imagine saying "what was wrong with that one?"

Well, this one is not young, he's 4+ years old and I don't think he cares if the girls are impressed or not. He's in the nests almost daily or close by while they lay.
Every Gamefowl Rooster I've ever had was this way, but not all laying breed roosters were. The current Dominique rooster I have is a "nester", but I wonder if he may have been influenced by the Gamefowl, hard to know.

The Gamefowl girls' reaction to their rooster when they don't want to be bothered or he's trying to fluff their nest...

The last Sapphire Gem I have over their Gamefowl rooster, he reacts the same with her

 

[ChaosMom]

Well, this one is not young, he's 4+ years old and I don't think he cares if the girls are impressed or not. He's in the nests almost daily or close by while they lay.
Every Gamefowl Rooster I've ever had was this way, but not all laying breed roosters were. The current Dominique rooster I have is a "nester", but I wonder if he may have been influenced by the Gamefowl, hard to know.

The Gamefowl girls' reaction to their rooster when they don't want to be bothered or he's trying to fluff their nest...

The last Sapphire Gem I have over their Gamefowl rooster, he reacts the same with her

- additional reaction:

 

[fuzzi]

I spent a couple days away, visiting with friends and attending the Gilman Farm swap in Virginia, near Richmond.

Big place!

Lots to see...goats, sheep, geese, ducks, puppies (LGD/herding breeds), and CHICKENS!

There were some gorgeous Rhode Island Red bantam pullets, but I resisted.

People had booths with food, crafts, animal related items, and yard sale stuff, too.

Talented...

Found ceramic bantam egg holders, wow!

Had a great time, but was glad to be home.

Rahab appeared to be glad, too.

"Where have you been?!?"