Illinois...

[ducks4you]

just fyi
http://www.idnrteachkids.com/interactive/pdf/mastersoftheair.pdf

 

[NotAFarm]

Hello all... Weird hen/rooster routine here, or so I think!

I installed a CoopCam over the weekend. It's been fun verifying the layers of eggs, but today I'm able to devote the entire day to recording who does what when. It's been a slow day in the coop except for one bit of oddness.

Dove, a young white colored Ameraucana/EE has either been laying HUGE mauve colored eggs (74 grams) or hasn't begun to lay yet. I was hoping for blue or green eggs.

Since about noon, Dove has been checking out each of the three nests. She will step in one then the next, kinda playing Goldilocks. Then all of a sudden, the Rooster comes in... Goes into the hardly ever used box like he's gonna lay an egg and she follows him in, eventually pushing him out where he seems to stand guard until she comes out. He's done this 4 times now and she still can't pick a nest.

Three other girls who haven't laid yet today have made appearances but not entered a nest. Two others each left a beautiful egg.

What's the Roo doing???

I'm fascinated... He just gently shooed Raven out of the coop and let Dove in. She went to the middle box, he went in the north box and she followed hin again. These are not big boxes... 12X12X14 tall.

Now Dove and Roo are just talking in the hen house!

I think the males are showing the females that a nest is "safe" when they climb in a sit and then call the hen into the nest. It is the same reason hens will lay in a box with a fake egg or in a box that another hen has already laid an egg in. An egg means someone sat there and was safe and the egg didn't come to harm in that nest so it must be safe. You are so fortunate to have a way to watch them without interfering with their behavior. I'd never get anything done.....

 

[SixChickFlock]

You are so fortunate to have a way to watch them without interfering with their behavior. I'd never get anything done.....

I spent from sunrise to sundown today "bird watching"... And reading about bees and farming. Quite a nice way to spend a blustery day!

I've been leaving the CoopCam on at night (old iPhone) hooked up to a charger/speaker. Random rooster alarm! He went off at 3:29 today. I didn't need to hit snooze as he crowed hourly until they all came outside.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

I spent from sunrise to sundown today "bird watching"... And reading about bees and farming. Quite a nice way to spend a blustery day!

I've been leaving the CoopCam on at night (old iPhone) hooked up to a charger/speaker. Random rooster alarm! He went off at 3:29 today. I didn't need to hit snooze as he crowed hourly until they all came outside.

I would love a coop cam! I could do without my rooster alarm, love him, but don't want to be woken up at 3:29. Sounds like you had a great day. My day started with my grandson throwing my cell phone in the dogs water bowl.

 

[ducks4you]

I'm spending this winter without any roosters. My neighbors haven't said much.

 

[Faraday40]

Our coop either has great sound-proofing or our rooster sleeps in. I only hear him crow for a few min at 6:45 when I let the dogs out. (He knows we're awake when he sees the dogs. It's his way of asking for the morning treats.) After the kids are off to school, I go out around 8am to do the chickens. He usually gives me a crow then too. The rest of the day he's quiet. (This is our current boy, Tank. Our former roo - from the nest box photo - crowed all day! )

 

[ChicagoClucker]

What does everyone's neighbors say about your roosters? This will be my first attempt at keeping a rooster and wondering what is the best way to handle the neighbors. I have been waiting to let them out of the coop until 8 am because he likes to crow for 30 minutes at a time, then off and on til about 5pm.

 

[SixChickFlock]

I'm new at it. He crows inside the hen house until after dawn. It deadens much of the sound.

Having it on the CoopCam in my bedroom IS pretty cool. Only been three days but I'm not minding hearing him in the early hours of morning. Kindof enjoying it... That may wear off!

Faraday, you are fortunate to have a quiet one in Tank!

 

[Faraday40]

I always hatched Leghorn chicks in my classroom & donated them around 3-4 weeks old. It wasn't until someone gave me an assortment of rainbow eggs that I actually bonded with the chicks. 4 weeks went to 6 & I just wanted to keep them. Then I read through the village ordinances and learned I could!!! My biggest rookie mistake was allowing my kids to name them. My son's fav was "Firefighter." I thought it was a male. Who cares about a name b/s he'd be leaving! Turns out Firefighter is our best layer! My daughter's sweet "Brownie" turned out to be a male. I went around to the neighbors & asked if they minded a rooster. DD came along with her Brownie riding on the handlebars of her bike. The neighbors all gave their blessing & promised they'd let me know if he became bothersome. His temperament was amazing, but his crowing was all day. We kept him for DD's 4H project & made arrangements for his permanent home when he was a little over a year old. When he left, I actually got calls asking if he was OK. (Our neighbors feared he was eaten.) I mentioned then that we had a new baby roo who we were considering keeping, & again, no one minded. I use him to provide fertile hatching eggs to 4 local schools as well as for DDs 4H projects.

For us the problem is the village ordinances. Roosters are not permitted, but it's only enforced if someone complains. My neighbors are not an issue, but who knows what a random dog walker / jogger will do. About 15 years ago, someone in town had a pot belly pig. All the kids & locals visited, & she could be seen regularly walking her pig. After living there for over 5 years, the village ordered her to get rid of her pet or pay fines up to $750 / day. She moved instead.

I tried making a no-crow collar. It did not work for Brownie - if anything made his crow higher pitched, longer, & more annoying. It had some success with Tank, but I'm too worried to have him wear it. At best, it muffled the crow; at worst injury or death. Now that it's winter, there's no need for a collar. He's inside an insulated coop / covered run, the sunrise comes later, & no one is sleeping with their windows open. I've heard of a few people who put their roos in a darkened box overnight to prevent early morning crowing; others bring their roosters into their basements at night.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

I always hatched Leghorn chicks in my classroom & donated them around 3-4 weeks old. It wasn't until someone gave me an assortment of rainbow eggs that I actually bonded with the chicks. 4 weeks went to 6 & I just wanted to keep them. Then I read through the village ordinances and learned I could!!! My biggest rookie mistake was allowing my kids to name them. My son's fav was "Firefighter." I thought it was a male. Who cares about a name b/s he'd be leaving! Turns out Firefighter is our best layer! My daughter's sweet "Brownie" turned out to be a male. I went around to the neighbors & asked if they minded a rooster. DD came along with her Brownie riding on the handlebars of her bike. The neighbors all gave their blessing & promised they'd let me know if he became bothersome. His temperament was amazing, but his crowing was all day. We kept him for DD's 4H project & made arrangements for his permanent home when he was a little over a year old. When he left, I actually got calls asking if he was OK. (Our neighbors feared he was eaten.) I mentioned then that we had a new baby roo who we were considering keeping, & again, no one minded. I use him to provide fertile hatching eggs to 4 local schools as well as for DDs 4H projects.

For us the problem is the village ordinances. Roosters are not permitted, but it's only enforced if someone complains. My neighbors are not an issue, but who knows what a random dog walker / jogger will do. About 15 years ago, someone in town had a pot belly pig. All the kids & locals visited, & she could be seen regularly walking her pig. After living there for over 5 years, the village ordered her to get rid of her pet or pay fines up to $750 / day. She moved instead.

I tried making a no-crow collar. It did not work for Brownie - if anything made his crow higher pitched, longer, & more annoying. It had some success with Tank, but I'm too worried to have him wear it. At best, it muffled the crow; at worst injury or death. Now that it's winter, there's no need for a collar. He's inside an insulated coop / covered run, the sunrise comes later, & no one is sleeping with their windows open. I've heard of a few people who put their roos in a darkened box overnight to prevent early morning crowing; others bring their roosters into their basements at night.

Well, I am hoping he will settle down a bit, as he gets a little older. You can't really hear him when he is in the garage coop. I might just make that their permanent coop since it is large enough. Then when it warms up and people have their windows open, I guess I will be sending eggs over to the neighbors a lot!