Hi from New Hampshire!

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FortCluck said:
He's actually really nice and his brother is even nicer, it's just some things set him off. His brother sounded the warning alarm when I pet him even though he knows who I am because I've raised them since they were a week old.

He's double the size of a 9 month old pullet and he's only 4 months. I've had many roosters in the past that I rehomed because of their temperament, but usually roosters are great if you handle them daily.

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He's beautiful :love. Maybe his brother was just in a mood :D Are his eyes really black all through? My hens all have lighter colored eyes that I have noticed, more of a gold.
 
NH Chicken Mama said:
He's beautiful :love. Maybe his brother was just in a mood :D Are his eyes really black all through? My hens all have lighter colored eyes that I have noticed, more of a gold.
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Yes they are both black-eyed beauties. They're feathers shine teal in the sunlight, they're stunning. I was supposed to get 2 pullets, but somehow the farm gave us 2 roosters that were most likely someone else's order and I don't want to get rid of either one of them because they are so stunning. I'm planning on hatching eggs in the spring to see what I get. We are using the ones that we don't give away or keep for laying as meat chickens so we can move away from meat at the grocery stores.
 
NH Chicken Mama said:
I DO NOW!! bahahahahaaaa I've left the blockade up for now until I sort out their permanent home (or until my hubby gets annoyed and puts it all back to where it belongs).

Maybe in the near future I'll gain enough of their trust to be able to get them to go for the treats! I think my free-ranging will basically be at night time and I won't be trying to "coop them up" until their instincts tell them it's time for bed. That's the plan, anyways. My "dream" is that they'll just do their own thing and take as much care of themselves as possible... I'm sure Murphy's Law will come in and rain on my parade but at least my kids will gather good memories of mom chicken-chasing :wee
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Make sure you do rounds before dusk, some maybe tempted to roost in other places lol. Get a bag of freeze dry fly large and shake the bag till they come to investigate. Give them time and all you have to do is touch the bag and they will (hopefully) come running.
 
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Hello and
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It's nice to see such enthusiasm and I really enjoyed reading your posts. You have quite an adventure ahead of you!

Chickens are creatures of habit and it really would be a good idea to lock them inside the coop/run area for several days to a week so they're certain they know where home is. I know they seem to wander in, but it wouldn't take much at all for one to decide to roost up in a tree, then others follow and you'll never get them back if they disappear during the night. Even if one happens to stay out a little past dusk and you physically have to go get her, it won't take long for predators to discover an easy meal... some start hunting early while it's still light out.

Keeping them locked in will be a perfect opportunity to teach them to come to a special call... "Here chickie chickies!" or a whistle or kissing sound... I click my tongue (like you guide a horse) to get my girls to come for treats. Use that call whenever you give them anything good, even plain feed. Sunflower seeds, mealworms, tomatoes and scratch are what my girls consider high value rewards, so I use them sparingly to keep them guessing. Then later on, the call usually works if I need to have them come back in early for some reason. But in emergencies, I've found that pool noodles (one in each hand) also work well in herding chickens back to the coop.

Here's a couple links to help you with safe free ranging --or not!!
Key Points to Successful Free Ranging
Keeping Chickens Without Free Ranging

and my must-read holy trinity:
How Much Room Do Chickens Need
Chicken Coop Ventilation - Go Out There And Cut More Holes In Your Coop!
Predator Proofing

Best wishes with your new flock!
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