Houdans

[farmer boy]

isolate him in a crate with no hens for a couple days to a week to knock out the behavior do not let him free range and be around hens if he is mean

but if I do that and then let him out the other roosters will beat him badly

 

[exop]

I suspect feather picking.

PS. I wouldn't say feather picking ( cannibalism ) ... my guess is that the feather loss is from fighting, mating and establishing dominance.

 

[zach N houdan]

This is my Mottled Houdan hen from Dave West I really like her but i wish she had a larger beard and crest and a crest with more even coloring in it! She has won Champion JR Continental 3 times at 3 different shows! I'm sorry she didnt stand still!! hope you like her!

 

[NYREDS]

hello everyone ... I have a houdan rooster and he is very kicky and im trying to make him stop is there any good ways of doing so because if not he is going in the cooking pot ... his mate disappeared in the woods so his new mate for now is a polish (pure bred) and Houdini is a pure bred to ...
this is Houdini the kicker

this is his first daughter she is bigger and older now with a beautiful crest

this is his second daughter she is older now and just getting her crest

and there is Houdini and his mate corrella she is a white crest black polish

Not familiar with the term "kicky". What does it mean?

 

[Chambertin]

I think the best method for a rooster who charges and kicks is to tell him that you are not a chicken, and if you were you would be the boss.
Some say to pin them down, or hold them in your arms for an extended period like a football. Different methods for different chickens.

My boys all get the flip, and it works like a charm.
I catch them and carry them around for a while by their feet just as if I were taking them to market. Clean up around the coop, watch some TV, all the while hang that rooster upside down by the feet. It doesnt hurt them and its not bad for them that I have ever noticed. When its been an amount of time equal to the severity of the attack put them back down. If they struggle as you place them on the ground then flip them back and start over.

My boys dont peck, kick, or anything. They are calm and watchful around me and are just as happy to sit on my shoulder and sleep as they were before training.
The only difference is that they respect I am top of the chain and will be nice to them if they are nice to me.
I can pick them up, or any of their girls without anything but a short chase to catch one of the flighty hens.

The most important thing is consistency, no matter what method you use you must instruct (punish) the bird at the slightest sign of undesired behavior. If you get the bad behavior when they start they will learn fast and within a couple weeks you wont have to worry about the occasional memory lapse. Within a couple months you will have a bird that is calm around you.
One problem is that if the other members of the family dont participate at least a few times, they wont have many of the benefits.
My mother in law thought it was cruel and didnt want to have any part of it. She gets pecked a lot unfortunately. They boys know not to kick people when I'm near, but she cant pick up the girls without the roos becoming upset.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Hi everyone here are some more pictures of my two adolescent Houdans, still unsure of gender! Still absolutely no attempts to crow and no male behaviour, but they still look so boyish to me!

Houdan 1 on left, 2 on right:



The following pics of Houdan 1:

I'm going to guess both boys....just based on the "curly" feathers...I see saddle feathers coming in.

Is that Creve in the background???



Note curly tail feather:



1 on the left, 2 on the right:



All the following pics are of Houdan 2:










They both have very small combs and almost no wattles whatsoever. Incidentally I also posted in the "What breed or gender is this" forum and the thread is here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/796557/mottled-houdans-gender

Anyhow I'm interested to hear what you guys think of them now. Oh and they are about 5-6 months old now.

 

[Tricoglossus]

Hi Tricoglossus, I'm going to say a definite "girl" on Houdan 1. The round ends on the crest feathers are a giveaway. Houdan 2 is more of a conundrum. However, it might be a girl too. Your birds are older than mine, and my lot (April 9) are already starting to show very pointed dagger feathers in the crests of the boys, as well as distinct reddening of the face / comb area. Allowing for some difference for our different strains of Houdan... still, I would expect to see more pointed feathers and redness in a boy. I have a few crowing too (wishing I could attach audio file of asthmatic baby crowings).

Best - exop

Thanks for your reply. The general feedback I have received over the last couple of months is that Houdan 1 is a girl, Houdan 2 is a boy. I have to say they are the hardest breed to sex that I have ever had any experience with. Silkies were much easier in comparison ha ha! Why are your birds asthmatic?

 

[Tricoglossus]

Rare Feathers Farm - in the background there is an Araucana. She's very pretty but she is a bit of a nut case.

 

[exop]

Thanks for your reply. The general feedback I have received over the last couple of months is that Houdan 1 is a girl, Houdan 2 is a boy. I have to say they are the hardest breed to sex that I have ever had any experience with. Silkies were much easier in comparison ha ha! Why are your birds asthmatic?

They haven't quite figured out the crowing thing yet... there is a wheezy quality and abrupt finish. They sound like a squeaky dog toy equipped with an imitation rooster crow.

 

[exop]

Another duplicate post! How strange. Am blaming this antique web browser