Hello all,
We live in the Tampa Bay area. We started our recent chicken adventure this past winter when we acquired three Rhode Island Red chicks. They were all supposed to be hens. Well, two out of three ain't bad. We returned the rooster to the lady we bought them from and we picked out a little two week old Brahma. She was supposed to be a hen too. The jury is still out on that one.
The two reds started laying on Memorial Day. They are named Princess and Page. The Rooster was named Queenie. Bad luck for him.
The Brahma is named Rani. I'm thinking that I should start spelling it Ronnie.
We had to keep Rani separate from the hens because they pick on her mercilessly. We had a little Easter egger to keep her company. But during a few moments of inattention while they were free ranging in the yard, the hens killed her. So Rani had to grow up pretty much alone. Except for the mirror that I added to her run. She loves that.
Well recently, Rani has started crowing. She stopped when I let her run free, but it really makes me wonder if she is a she. She has also become rather aggressive with me. Pecking at my feet and hands. I've read here that they can be trained not to do that so I'm trying the pinning down and thwacking her on the head thing. Gently of course. It's rather disappointing because she was really spoiled. She would jump up on my lap and loved to be petted. I thought she was my buddy. Turns out she is just a chicken.
She still lets me hold her but when I'm just walking around the yard, she gets mean.
She is now just about as big as the hens and I found that she doesn't crow if I force her to stay in the tractor with the other two. They still pick on her but she is starting to stand up to them a little more.
Anyway, happy to be aboard and I look forward to learning a lot here. I just hope I haven't screwed up too much already.
We live in the Tampa Bay area. We started our recent chicken adventure this past winter when we acquired three Rhode Island Red chicks. They were all supposed to be hens. Well, two out of three ain't bad. We returned the rooster to the lady we bought them from and we picked out a little two week old Brahma. She was supposed to be a hen too. The jury is still out on that one.
The two reds started laying on Memorial Day. They are named Princess and Page. The Rooster was named Queenie. Bad luck for him.
The Brahma is named Rani. I'm thinking that I should start spelling it Ronnie.
We had to keep Rani separate from the hens because they pick on her mercilessly. We had a little Easter egger to keep her company. But during a few moments of inattention while they were free ranging in the yard, the hens killed her. So Rani had to grow up pretty much alone. Except for the mirror that I added to her run. She loves that.
Well recently, Rani has started crowing. She stopped when I let her run free, but it really makes me wonder if she is a she. She has also become rather aggressive with me. Pecking at my feet and hands. I've read here that they can be trained not to do that so I'm trying the pinning down and thwacking her on the head thing. Gently of course. It's rather disappointing because she was really spoiled. She would jump up on my lap and loved to be petted. I thought she was my buddy. Turns out she is just a chicken.
She still lets me hold her but when I'm just walking around the yard, she gets mean.
She is now just about as big as the hens and I found that she doesn't crow if I force her to stay in the tractor with the other two. They still pick on her but she is starting to stand up to them a little more.
Anyway, happy to be aboard and I look forward to learning a lot here. I just hope I haven't screwed up too much already.
