Integrating a cockerel into a flock of mature hens

[islandgirl82]

She's being a bad girl. Thinks it's fun to see chickens run. So, I have to be on alert about chicken moods (if she's on E-collar, and I exit house with something in my hands, or the chickens THINK they are hungry, and they swarm me, there is likely to be an incident of "bad dog". But, otherwise, I can let her out on E-collar, and the chickens have figured out that they need to stay in back yard, and are almost always out of her range. I'm seriously considering getting a behavior modification collar to deal with this issue as well as her bull headed refusal to "come" unless it's her idea, or unless there is a treat involved. She challenges the range of the E-collar to collect acorns, or to sneak around the front corner of the shop where for some reason the signal doesn't always respond correctly.

She is also very in tune to the school bus schedule, and knows when hubby is due to come home. Paces the floor, and wants to go out for those exciting times.

The Australian Shepards next door were successfully trained to leave my flock alone by using those behavior e-collars. The dogs' owners and their trainer worked on obedience and getting the timing just right before bringing them around my flock after several incidents of the dogs catching but not killing my girls (though I'm sure they would have if we hadn't been there to stop them). They only needed to use the audio warning once or twice and the dogs haven't gone for the chickens since. I've been very impressed with the change and even more so to have benefitted from those dogs warding off predators to protect my flock.

You have a very stubborn girl and I think that may be a great option for you.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Lucky to have good neighbors that are willing to do that.

We have VERY good neighbors who have a VERY well trained yellow lab. That dog I don't think will poop in the weeds unless the owner tells it to. LOL. And then there is a retiree who lives about a mile down the dirt road who will drive his 4 wheeler through our loop and his dog will just trot right along the 4 wheeler and not bother my chickens on the driveway. Another excellently trained hunting dog, I'm assuming or just focused on her exercise and keeping up with her owner.

I worry though that I am the bad neighbor. Our birds have wandered over to the nearest neighbors and have eaten out of the deer feeder full of corn. I'm sure their game cam is full of pictures of Sylvia, Roger (when he was alive) and the rest and not the Brofey Buck they were looking for. I also heard from them this spring that they ate all of their grass seed off of their newly installed septic mound. I went over with an expensive bag of grass seed, a dozen eggs and set up a fence all around their mound. I then took it down 2 months later when it was all grown up and seeded out and ready for it's first mow. Since Rogers passing though this spring all the girls stay home and Junior does not know about the goodies that are over at the neighbors'. So hopefully with this new generation of birds and Juniors new leadership we'll keep them over on this side of the road. The neighbors are weekenders as well. But I do not under estimate that I and my birds may have been topic of not so neighborly talk amongst themselves. And I realize that's my own fault. Totally embarrassed and trying to keep up good relations by keeping my feathered friends over on my side of the road. The Grandpa has told me previously he enjoys them and the crow of the rooster.

 

[Sylvester017]

I have read previous thread just this morning and am on page 9 of this newer great thread. Love the observations and photos of your chicken paradise. We too integrated a 10 week old cockerel to our older (4 year olds and 2 year olds) and 5 pullets this year after losing our beloved New Hampshire, Roger, this spring.

The new guy, Junior, is Welsummer. He has just recently brought together my whole flock. He is up on the high roost for the last 3 weeks or so with the old biddies and next to Sylvia, our high hen, who has still not relinquished her reign as top hen as I just witnessed on my walk back to the house from the coop earlier this week. She went toe to toe with him. Hackles up and he backed away. I have this old picnic table pulled into the woods next to the coop that the birds will use for cover or stand on and preen. Sylvia jumped up on the table top and danced with a strutting wing down for my 2 year old BLRW hen. Goof ball. Perhaps she has an ovary going wonkie and not pumping out a good amount of girl hormones or she has taken on the chores that Roger left way too seriously and feels Junior is far from ready.

Junior is now 6 months old and very much a boy with adolescent behaviors, learning the ropes, trying to hang on. Not giving the predator call quite as much as I'd like him too when aerials fly over. I'll give the "twirl" call when something flies over...all the young girls respond pretty fast and he then puts an eye on the sky. But not quite like Rog did. I hope that comes along. Sylvia is probably doing the job for him...? Still?

Anyways love the thread. Will get on reading more to get caught up.

My Cast of Characters:


Junior

Pullets in the Front. Sylvia there in the middle by Junior. Old girls in the back.


Junior showing Patsy Cline the salad bowl he's discovered!


Old Sylvia

Beautiful flock and property! Old Sylvia looks like a Wyans? MyPetChicken says Wyans have a tendency for domination so not surprised she's taking Roger's place while waiting for Junior to fully mature

.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

She was sold to me as a slw. She is hatchery stock. I have since learned after people have told me she is not that slw cushion comb is very hard to keep going in the breed and often they will cross in another breed to help bring it back in. Anyways I'm sure Sylvia is mutt stock from the hatchery as they do crosses to strengthen the look of their breed or whatever it is that they do. So sometimes you will see wyandottes with single combs.

Thank you for your nice compliments on the yard. I try to keep up. Getting old and busy with teenagers making it harder lately to keep up with.

 

[speckledhen]

She was sold to me as a slw. She is hatchery stock. I have since learned after people have told me she is not that slw cushion comb is very hard to keep going in the breed and often they will cross in another breed to help bring it back in. Anyways I'm sure Sylvia is mutt stock from the hatchery as they do crosses to strengthen the look of their breed or whatever it is that they do. So sometimes you will see wyandottes with single combs.

Thank you for your nice compliments on the yard. I try to keep up. Getting old and busy with teenagers making it harder lately to keep up with.

Actually, SLWs have a rose comb, not a cushion comb. I had a hatchery SLW with a single comb myself in my original flock, plus several with the proper comb. It happens way more in hatchery stock than good breeder stock, of course. They were good girls, all of them, but every one died from reproductive malfunctions common to Wyandottes from hatcheries, sadly. Sure miss those girls. One was head hen for a time, a very dignified lady named Violet. Enjoy her-they're good layers, generally, as long as they can keep laying w/o issues.

Bogtown you have a beautiful flock and you are a talented photographer. I love a flock of various breeds, though I have less of that now that I don't buy from hatcheries anymore. I had SLW, RIRs, BRs, Buff Orps and later, one GLW and a Silver Phoenix (very different from all the rest). Mine were all a lot of fun, great layers, but my heart couldn't take them all going the same tragic way.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Thank you for the correction and compliments @speckledhen . All I know as a Minnesotan is that those types of combs are on the appropriate types for breed for me. I don't keep them straight as I should...just know that one or the other is what I should get. Getting the Welsummer cockerel -- a long story. I'm glad to have him for his good looks but his first winter may be tough. Will do my best by him.

I have read your writings and theories on hatchery stock and reproductive problems extensively as I tried to figure out my first/favorite RIR hen who passed form EYP 2 1/2 years ago. It is a sad condition and your writings and recommendations have me now connected with a breeder in the southern part of the state who breeds for shows and fairs. The show birds are nice but not necessary --as I don't take them to shows or fairs. Does not mean I don't enjoy the yard eye candy though. Sylvia is a flock favorite though as a hatchery 'toughie' at 4 1/2. She truly has so much character. One of my older EE hens, Lily is showing EYP symptoms now. She's getting along great. but I do see Sylvia waiting for her or showing her food. Or getting a young one out of the way for Lily to eat. I remember you writing that about high hens allowing ailing flock members to eat with them. Sylvia does this. Amazing to watch and observe these birds.

Thank you so much @Sylvester017

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you for the correction and compliments @speckledhen . All I know as a Minnesotan is that those types of combs are on the appropriate types for breed for me. I don't keep them straight as I should...just know that one or the other is what I should get. Getting the Welsummer cockerel -- a long story. I'm glad to have him for his good looks but his first winter may be tough. Will do my best by him.

I have read your writings and theories on hatchery stock and reproductive problems extensively as I tried to figure out my first/favorite RIR hen who passed form EYP 2 1/2 years ago. It is a sad condition and your writings and recommendations have me now connected with a breeder in the southern part of the state who breeds for shows and fairs. The show birds are nice but not necessary --as I don't take them to shows or fairs. Does not mean I don't enjoy the yard eye candy though. Sylvia is a flock favorite though as a hatchery 'toughie' at 4 1/2. She truly has so much character. One of my older EE hens, Lily is showing EYP symptoms now. She's getting along great. but I do see Sylvia waiting for her or showing her food. Or getting a young one out of the way for Lily to eat. I remember you writing that about high hens allowing ailing flock members to eat with them. Sylvia does this. Amazing to watch and observe these birds.

Thank you so much @Sylvester017

I hope your Sylvia is around for a long, long time. Contrary to all my other experience with hatchery stock, my longest lived ever hen who just died on Oct 28 was a hatchery hen, a Buff Brahma, Caroline. She was 9 years 10 months old. I have no other hatchery hens, though I do have one hen who is the daughter of hatchery stock and is almost 10 years old herself. Her same-age sister died one week after my Brahma did. All others came from breeders except for my hatchery bantam Cochin rooster, Xander, who we lovingly call The Munchkin Dictator. I'm just happy that Caroline never suffered reproductive malfunctions and just ran out of eggs, as far as I could tell.

I had a group of Welsummers once, kept two pullets; the cockerels were gorgeous but I didn't keep back one for myself at that time.

ETA: Sorry to hear about your Lily.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Thank you Speckled Hen. Lily is my 3rd EYP. Will probably help her along here to greener pastures before the weather gets worse for the wear. She doesn't need to keep up the fight in a harsh climate. This November has been unseasonably nice for us...and of course she has begun to have a new spring to her step with the shorter days I suppose. But it needs to be done. Just hard to do when she's looking so spry. And then seeing her and Sylvia friending around. This will leave Sylvia left out of all the 'originals'--my first brood.

Oh I hope I have Sylvia for a while too. She is usually good for a laugh or two each day. Amazing to hear about your old Brahmas living so long. People are shocked when they hear how long a chicken can live for. They are kind of like cats aren't they? LOL.

 

[Sylvester017]

Thank you Speckled Hen. Lily is my 3rd EYP. Will probably help her along here to greener pastures before the weather gets worse for the wear. She doesn't need to keep up the fight in a harsh climate. This November has been unseasonably nice for us...and of course she has begun to have a new spring to her step with the shorter days I suppose. But it needs to be done. Just hard to do when she's looking so spry. And then seeing her and Sylvia friending around. This will leave Sylvia left out of all the 'originals'--my first brood.

Oh I hope I have Sylvia for a while too. She is usually good for a laugh or two each day. Amazing to hear about your old Brahmas living so long. People are shocked when they hear how long a chicken can live for. They are kind of like cats aren't they? LOL.

So sorry, I know most of the abbreviations but once in a while come across one I'm not familiar with -- EYP ?

Chickens can live a lengthy life. The rescue farm "Black Hen Farm" in middle California says to be ready for commitment to raising chickens because some have been known to live to 25 yrs. Although I find that hard to swallow I did read a Silkie making it to a record 171/2 yrs. My oldest Silkie has a long way to catch up -- she's just 6 yrs old!

 

[aart]

@Sylvester017 ..it's Egg Yolk Peritonitis

@Bogtown Chick and @Speckled Hen was the EYP confirmed by necrospy?
Any specific thread that shows what it looks like inside after death?
Is it related to and/or caused by internal laying?