INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Mother2Hens]

We are getting close too!

So I was just out in the coop taking a big bag of veggies to the crew for a treat when Peanut Butter attacked me again. He's the roo on my avatar and I kept him because he was so sweet. Now he's close to a year and just getting to be mean. I picked him up by his tail, turned him over on his back and cradled him for a couple of minutes talking nicely about this and that (mostly how I have raised him and nursed him and freezer camp) and for my trouble, he bit me. I think he understood the part about freezer camp. I love having a rooster but what are the odds he will settle down? If he attacks my 4 year old again I'm not sure we can keep working with him.

CRSelvey ~ I can't remember -- is he your only roo? I know you had "taken in" some, but they all didn't work out. He's so handsome, maybe you could rehome him.
I just looked outside and it looks like a snow globe. I'd better go buy a valentine for DH (I'll try to avoid shopping at CVS)
This short video is so true . . . those (typically men -- sorry) who buy their valentines "some dumb little thing from CVS"
Watch Saturday Night Live: Valentine's Day Commercial ... - Hulu

 

[minmin1258]

Aw

some EE, barred rocks, ducklings, brown leghorn, buff minorca, partridge Chant, and black minorca.  I like that Ideal listed what they included in the assortment.  Not all hatcheries will tell you.  I can tell the naked necks apart but I'm not sure about the others.  They jumped the box dividers or the PO turned the box upside down and mixed them.  In the past Ideal has kept the chicks sorted very nicely. 

What are your plans for all your new chicks?

Awe no fair!!! I want a duckling! Lol

 

[CRSelvey]

CRSelvey ~ I can't remember -- is he your only roo? I know you had "taken in" some, but they all didn't work out. He's so handsome, maybe you could rehome him.
I just looked outside and it looks like a snow globe. I'd better go buy a valentine for DH (I'll try to avoid shopping at CVS)
This short video is so true . . . those (typically men -- sorry) who buy their valentines "some dumb little thing from CVS"
Watch Saturday Night Live: Valentine's Day Commercial ... - Hulu

He's not my only roo. I have one other that is a bantam OEG named Chicken Little. I wouldn't mind rehoming Peanut Butter, but he's an EE and besides being a roo in general, he's pretty common. I'm not sure if I could find a home for him with his qualifications...Roo, EE, not friendly...Other than he's pretty and he was a sweet chick, what do I have to recommend him? I was kind of hoping we'd get some chicks around here and of the LF variety. I saw that other people had had luck taming some assertive teenagers, but I'm not sure how common that is. I have a soft spot for that dumb chicken even if he is a bit mean right now, but the spot gets smaller every time he gets someone from behind

 

[racinchickins]

I've seen several pictures of hens on here wearing their hen aprons. I currently have two hens that are getting a bit overbred, and I have nowhere to move the roos to.

Would someone be interested in making a little extra money to make me a few aprons? I could probably make some, but I'm just not interested in figuring it out when there are such talented people on this thread. If you are interested, send me a pm.

 

[minmin1258]

I was just sitting here, pretty much being bored, and wondering....if when I get my chicks grown enough t gointo the run/coop with the adults and the Silkies to the point they can go out in their pen...can I open the pens of both at th same time to go out t forage?

 

[ChickCrazed]

He's not my only roo. I have one other that is a bantam OEG named Chicken Little. I wouldn't mind rehoming Peanut Butter, but he's an EE and besides being a roo in general, he's pretty common. I'm not sure if I could find a home for him with his qualifications...Roo, EE, not friendly...Other than he's pretty and he was a sweet chick, what do I have to recommend him? I was kind of hoping we'd get some chicks around here and of the LF variety. I saw that other people had had luck taming some assertive teenagers, but I'm not sure how common that is. I have a soft spot for that dumb chicken even if he is a bit mean right now, but the spot gets smaller every time he gets someone from behind

Maybe you need to bring in another bigger Roo to kick him around and knock some sense into him

 

[CRSelvey]

Maybe you need to bring in another bigger Roo to kick him around and knock some sense into him

HA! I only have the little one, so he only gets adjusted by us

. Does anyone know of a breed that has docile roos?

 

[ChickCrazed]

HA! I only have the little one, so he only gets adjusted by us

. Does anyone know of a breed that has docile roos?

Cochins! The two I have had are like giant fluffy toys .

I have spent a lot of time researching the breed and it seems a common theme, but I know Kab has one so she can chime in also. They are 10 months old now and neither one has shown any aggression towards people (Chick Rookie took one of them about a month ago). One of them did peck my ankle when I had my pants rolled up at one point, but it was curiosity over what the heck my pasty flesh was peeping out between black shoes and black pants and he looked totally shocked when I screamed and kicked.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

CRSelvey, how was he raised? Did you handle him a lot as a chick? This tends to lead to aggressive adult roosters, which is why I ask. There are no guarantees as to how any rooster of any breed will turn out, as half of it is in how they are raised and half in their genetics. That's why I personally would never let an aggressive rooster father any chicks.

There are several breeds whose roosters are known for being more docile. In particular, I hear about Cochins and Orpingtons being very good roosters. You have to raise them right as well, though, and treat them like a more dominant rooster would treat a cockerel. They don't cuddle them, they don't handle them, they don't pay them any attention except to put them in line when they step out of line. Yes, there are exceptions that allow themselves to be cuddle buddies without getting aggressive, but most cockerels that are handled as chicks tend to get mean as adults from mine and others' experiences.

My favorite rooster through my time raising chickens has been my little guy, Po, who is a bantam Cochin. He and an EE bantam cockerel were raised the exact same way over last summer, not being handled except on rare occasions once it was clear they were boys. The EE cockerel still became aggressive, mostly toward my girls which is a big no-no, so he was out. Po, meanwhile, went through an overzealous spell with the girls, but has never attacked me and only twice bit me (both times, I had him cornered to move him from one pen to another, so I don't blame him for that). He has been the perfect guy since then, gentle with the girls and respectful of me. And he's so handsome.

LF Cochins are supposed to be even more docile than the bantams, so that's what I'd recommend if you want LF chicks.


Actually, what's funny is that Mr. Po mounts the LF hens, but none of their eggs are fertile, so I get the feeling he's too small to reach the proper area to get the job done. He's actually smaller than Margie, my Silkie hen, so he's like a little fluffball. I think the only ones in my flock he's bigger than are the Sebright bantams. But he is a sweetie and that seems to be common in Cochin boys.



ETA: Just noticed ChickCrazed's post as well. Count this as a x2 for Cochin boys!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: We had gotten our driveway 2/3 of the way clear with the other third drivable on frozen snow. Now the whole thing is covered again. I'm hoping it melts on Sunday.
As for the rooster my Heritage RIR are sweet. My sumatra has not attacked us but he is on the smaller side. I have a Black sex link rooster chick that eventually would be large fowl. Not sure if they are mean or not. His sire is a nice roo but the layer is production so more likely to have a mean streak.
For rehoming, I have not had too much trouble rehoming on CL if the asking price is $5 and breeding season is underway. In the fall, if you list for $5 most likely the roo will be freezer or fighter stock. But chicken dinner works for most of our roos so rehoming is not as important to me as it used to be. Plus my freezer is down to 7 chickens and I don't have a processing date picked out yet. I am out of brooder space right now so no meaties in the next month at least.

Aw
Quote: Awe no fair!!! I want a duckling! Lol
Ducks are messy and eat like meat chicks for the first 6-8 weeks. That said, I should have an extra khaki duckling by the time you come for Brad's order. I'm 35-45 minutes south of 70 and 465. Less than that if you are taking 74 instead of 70. What was the date for that trip again?