Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[drumstick diva]

agree with aart

 

[Kris5902]

You might think about going back and inserting links to your other threads...like the tractor build and especially the scaly leg saga.

Thanks! That’s a wonderful idea... and done!

I’ll spare anyone who hasn’t already seen the coccidiosis, poop questions galore, and ascites threads for now, as there are better ones out there that are more informative and to the point. At least until I know how things go with Puffy and the Waterbelly, because she has improved greatly, but I’m still working on her treatments.

To anyone checking out those links for the first time: Please remember my reasons for this summary... my threads tend to get a little off topic and rambling/ranting sometimes, you have been warned!

 

[Kris5902]

So of my 25 chickens (those that are mine and mine alone) I have 15 cockerels... I know, I know... I think I’ve said 16 a few times places by mistake but I’m mathematically disinclined. 6 were hatched on October 20, Chickie Hawk, Mr Marans, my Wheatbar, and 3 Barnvelders. They are now about 19 weeks old. My 7 Sapphire boys (CCLxLH) and two more Barnvelders are 16 weeks or so now. I have a total of 10 hens. 2 Blue Copper Marans, 3 Isbars, 1 Barnvelder at 19 weeks from my hatch; and 3 Sapphire and 1 Barnvelder in the 16 week group.

This is NOT a good ratio for these ages, not at all. Especially with just two 6x12 chicken tractors for housing them. I had originally intended to have a lot more chickens, and hence girls to keep several of the Roos for breeding. They were split by age group and things weren’t going too poorly at first.

Mr Marans was clearly my main man in his tractor, and he’s very gentle and good to the girls already, even when he attempts to mate them. Then Chickie Hawks hormones kicked in and, although I must have missed seeing it, I’m fairly certain he was challenging Mr Marans. He was coming out on the losing side and I thought he was getting harassed, (boy, did I have the roles mixed up in that one!) so I plucked him up and relocated him in with my rehab girls. Thought that would solve that issue for a bit and buy me some more time for chicken tractor building and hen borrowing.

Then my Sapphire boys got frisky and were terrorizing the 4 pullets in their tractor. So I rescued the girls from the little jerks that clearly missed the “consent/squatting” part of their Sex Ed instincts kicking in, and put them in with my good older gentleman’s group. After dark, they integrated very well and things got better... for a few days at least! Here they are about 10 days before their sex drive started to engage, 20 days before the girls moved out and 24 before they “turned”

Last night the little guys got violent on me, biting and attempting to flog me when I went to close them up. They have also decided they no longer like the brown two chickens, and when not confronting each other will gang up and bully and chase the two Barnvelder boys. The change wasn’t even gradual... it was like a switch flipped and they went all Mr Hyde in a couple of days.

The mixed pen is faring better, even with the 5 cockerel to 10 hen ratio, but my Wheatbar has taken a liking to the smaller and younger hens, and is not as gentlemanly in his actions as Mr Marans. He may also end up in freezer camp very soon, which is somewhat sad as he is lighter and still less aggressive than my Sapphire boys, and I was hoping to put him in with my lighter hens.

My older Barnvelders look like they will make nice meals... but everyone else is too skinny, even though I’m not prepared to deal with all their attitude and hormonal issues. So butchering day is coming soon, my first time with chickens. And the tractor building is coming along well too.

I’m still not wholly convinced that I have too many cockerels (it’s nice to have a selection to compare and choose from for selecting future breeders!). I think my real problem is that I just don’t have enough pullets/hens!

Edit: I should add, that was my emergency cold weather water provisions in my video... not how they normally are fed/watered. We Aren’t supposed to get snow and freezing weather in February, if at all even most winters, and the chickens were about as pleased with the weather as I was!

 

[aart]

The change wasn’t even gradual... it was like a switch flipped and they went all Mr Hyde in a couple of days.

Yep, that's often how it goes.

I’m still not wholly convinced that I have too many cockerels (it’s nice to have a selection to compare and choose from for selecting future breeders!). I think my real problem is that I just don’t have enough pullets/hens!

Ehhh, ratio won't fix 'bad' boys.,,and they can all be bad when there too many of them. If you want to keep multiple males make some bachelor pens.

Edit: I should add, that was my emergency cold weather water provisions in my video... not how they normally are fed/watered.

I wondered... a bowl of snow can make a good back up water source. When there's snow on the ground mine drink much less out of the waterer...it's crazy, but true.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good for you Kris. I have read many of your posts and I must say I admire your strength and determination. I think you should write a book about your journey to build your off the grid "homestead." Keep writing, I'm looking forward to your next post.

 

[Kris5902]

Yes @aart I’m thinking a bachelor pen will hopefully work out for my boy “keepers” once I thin out the flock and remove the most aggressive guys. It will also alleviate the current crowding. 6 boys max as opposed to 9.

Separating them did help a bit at first, but it seems with 7 white chickens and 2 “other” brown ones, the feather color difference is making them targets, even though the Barnvelders are significantly larger at the same age. I’ve been moving the bachelor pen three times as far as the mixed pen everyday, so there’s now quite a bit of distance between them, at least 50 feet.

One of our primary goals is to grow our flock a lot and keep genetic diversity for future breeding projects. So although more hens won’t fix any truly “bad” boys, I’m going to need them sooner or later! Larger and permanent structures can be accomplished once my house is built and the farm is bureaucrat free again.

 

[drumstick diva]

Your Roo is gorgeous

 

[Kris5902]

Thanks! I’m quite impressed by both Mr Marans and Chickie Hawks looks as well, my Barnvelder boys are fairly pretty too, just not camera or people friendly!

So today is off to a slow start... I’m about halfway through moving my chicken tractors for the day, and I sifted frass (poop) out of my two mature worm trays in my new little mealworm farm, which I’m currently mounting beneath our coffee table. We’re a bit tight for space in the trailer.

To explain just some of the issues with my “too many cockerels” and Chickie Hawk being a bit of a “bad boy”, I finally got into the barn without having him come straight at me. Firstly he sort of tidbits (kind of, he isn’t very good at it yet), then he drops his shoulder and sideways runs towards me, then he jumps feet first usually somewhere between mid calf and mid thigh high on me. The jumping is tapering off and he seems to be trying to tidbit for me more. It’s like he can’t decide if I’m one of his girls, or a competitor for them. That it’s about a 2 1/2 foot step up into the barn, while holding my mealworm trays... it complicates things.

So I’m in the barn and getting ready to sift, he’s settled back down and though I’m keeping an eye on him I’m not really waiting on another assault... a Sapphire boy crows... Chickie Hawk squawks back “caw-caw-caaaw” because he’s still working on that particular aspect of roostering. Then I hear a little thump and turn to see him charging towards the cockerel pen. He’s so cute when he runs! He got stopped halfway by the fencing and my trusses, so I scoop him up, put him back in the barn and grab the feeder... I might as well refill it.

So I walk all the way out to my food bucket by the cockerel pen in the field with the barn feeder for my rehab girls and I hear a squawk, and here he comes again! This time (probably from watching me) he figured out where the gate was, about 80 feet further along the fence from where he stopped the first time, and rushed the pen to show those loud little things who is really the “boss”.

Here’s the barn and the penspic from the same spot 180 degree turn in place, the gate is near the blue tarps house panel pile. Trusses are 40’ long in foreground for perspective!



Now I’m about 4 hours behind in my normal feeding routine... and yes, I do believe it’s going to take both me and my Husband to load the hay onto the Jeep... one to hold Chickie Hawk, and one of us to actually put the hay on the car!

 

[Ribh]

Thanks! I’m quite impressed by both Mr Marans and Chickie Hawks looks as well, my Barnvelder boys are fairly pretty too, just not camera or people friendly!

So today is off to a slow start... I’m about halfway through moving my chicken tractors for the day, and I sifted frass (poop) out of my two mature worm trays in my new little mealworm farm, which I’m currently mounting beneath our coffee table. We’re a bit tight for space in the trailer.

To explain just some of the issues with my “too many cockerels” and Chickie Hawk being a bit of a “bad boy”, I finally got into the barn without having him come straight at me. Firstly he sort of tidbits (kind of, he isn’t very good at it yet), then he drops his shoulder and sideways runs towards me, then he jumps feet first usually somewhere between mid calf and mid thigh high on me. The jumping is tapering off and he seems to be trying to tidbit for me more. It’s like he can’t decide if I’m one of his girls, or a competitor for them. That it’s about a 2 1/2 foot step up into the barn, while holding my mealworm trays... it complicates things.

So I’m in the barn and getting ready to sift, he’s settled back down and though I’m keeping an eye on him I’m not really waiting on another assault... a Sapphire boy crows... Chickie Hawk squawks back “caw-caw-caaaw” because he’s still working on that particular aspect of roostering. Then I hear a little thump and turn to see him charging towards the cockerel pen. He’s so cute when he runs! He got stopped halfway by the fencing and my trusses, so I scoop him up, put him back in the barn and grab the feeder... I might as well refill it.

So I walk all the way out to my food bucket by the cockerel pen in the field with the barn feeder for my rehab girls and I hear a squawk, and here he comes again! This time (probably from watching me) he figured out where the gate was, about 80 feet further along the fence from where he stopped the first time, and rushed the pen to show those loud little things who is really the “boss”.

Here’s the barn and the penspic from the same spot 180 degree turn in place, the gate is near the blue tarps house panel pile. Trusses are 40’ long in foreground for perspective!

View attachment 1698427 View attachment 1698426

Now I’m about 4 hours behind in my normal feeding routine... and yes, I do believe it’s going to take both me and my Husband to load the hay onto the Jeep... one to hold Chickie Hawk, and one of us to actually put the hay on the car!

I couldn't function under those circumstances. I'm a solo operation unless it's an emergency. I hope all goes smoothly.

 

[aart]

one to hold Chickie Hawk, and one of us to actually put the hay on the car!

Crate the bird.