- Aug 18, 2012
- 11
- 0
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Hi My name is Shaun, me and my wife live in rural Arkansas, I have 5 mixed Bantams one Guinea hen, and my Cockerel Viola (Thought he was a girl) when we named them.
They are free range for the most part, and are laying well.
I got the chicks early last spring from the local farm store, they were all meant to be hens, from day one Viola or big Vi as we called her was different, she/he just wanted to eat, and eat, but was getting larger than the others, so I did not worry to much.
When the hens finally went out side. I noticed that, he was never leaving the feeder, I did a little research on line and found out that he was possibly and Cornish x, and all the problems that went with it.
Soon he was just laying by the feeder hardly able to stand eating all the time, a neighbor came to look at him and told me that the only thing to do was to kill him for dinner, This was very sad because we had grown to like him a lot, so we decide to put him on a strict diet, they all went to twice day hand feeding, and he was given as much greens as we could, and a little corn, after a while he started to walk about, I would have to lift him on to a perch at night, because he was unable and the others would mess on him.
I used his constant hunger to my advantage, I would make him walk(waddle) from one end of the property and back again to get small treats, after time he could run a little, and just got better and better, he started to perch for him self.
In the recent hot weather he struggled a bit, so I set him up with a fan, which he likes to sit next to.
Now this is the strange thing he recently became fully mature, crowing etc etc, and the obsession with food has switched off, they are back on 24 hr food and he is not interested, if I am feeding them all treats he will let the other hens to take it from him, He now sees me as competition, and is doing all he can to keep me away from his lady's, but I love him to bits, he is having a normal Chicken Life, and as far as I can tell he is happy and healthily Cockerel (with a girls name).
I dont know how long he has but his legs are strong, and he is out and about all day. and very protective of his girls.
They are free range for the most part, and are laying well.
I got the chicks early last spring from the local farm store, they were all meant to be hens, from day one Viola or big Vi as we called her was different, she/he just wanted to eat, and eat, but was getting larger than the others, so I did not worry to much.
When the hens finally went out side. I noticed that, he was never leaving the feeder, I did a little research on line and found out that he was possibly and Cornish x, and all the problems that went with it.
Soon he was just laying by the feeder hardly able to stand eating all the time, a neighbor came to look at him and told me that the only thing to do was to kill him for dinner, This was very sad because we had grown to like him a lot, so we decide to put him on a strict diet, they all went to twice day hand feeding, and he was given as much greens as we could, and a little corn, after a while he started to walk about, I would have to lift him on to a perch at night, because he was unable and the others would mess on him.
I used his constant hunger to my advantage, I would make him walk(waddle) from one end of the property and back again to get small treats, after time he could run a little, and just got better and better, he started to perch for him self.
In the recent hot weather he struggled a bit, so I set him up with a fan, which he likes to sit next to.
Now this is the strange thing he recently became fully mature, crowing etc etc, and the obsession with food has switched off, they are back on 24 hr food and he is not interested, if I am feeding them all treats he will let the other hens to take it from him, He now sees me as competition, and is doing all he can to keep me away from his lady's, but I love him to bits, he is having a normal Chicken Life, and as far as I can tell he is happy and healthily Cockerel (with a girls name).
I dont know how long he has but his legs are strong, and he is out and about all day. and very protective of his girls.
from Ohio. So glad to have you aboard. What a great story. I agree with redsoxs, I wouldn't think a meat bird would ever give up the food. Great work on your part. 
