JeremiahLee
Songster
I have around 30 quasi free range chickens that begin by default. My next door neighbor raised about six RIR hens. He had a rooster and dumb me did not put two and two together to realize what that rooster was being raised for. I now know and realize why that rooster left one night and never was returned in his cage. I cannot abide the thought of chicken fights. It sickens me.
Anyway, he quit feeding his hens. Everyday they would walk up to me and when I was sitting on my porch I would throw out some seeds for them. They got so friendly they actually would eat out of my hands, lol. I started feeding them every single day because he wouldn't. Well, that was well and good but even though he had abandoned them, they continued laying their eggs for HIM. I'm generous but not stupid. I told him I was going to keep them and when I say "keep" I meant keep. I put a large six or seen foot mesh fencing around a huge area in my side yard, "installed" two prebuilt chicken coops with nesting boxes, and have expanded it. I added six Leghorns, raised in my dadgum guest bathtub (I've done this one other time and I promise it won't happen again). The Leghorns are the funniest ones because they are so social with me. They "talk" to me when I go in the pen every morning. The RIR's are just nosy, and mean when they're broody.
I'm the guy that wrote about the vicious attack from the Red Tailed Hawk and my "fetching the Daisy BB gun" to ward off the massive raptor. I've written other post and all of you have been so helpful. I appreciate this place and the people and thank you whole-heartedly for your support. I use some of the nine eggs I get a day (or was getting) and give the rest to the homeless soup kitchen. I know I go in the hole money-wise with my buying the feed and all, but I've enjoyed this newfound hobby. I have MS and Crohn's disease and am disabled, but I love doing this. My neighbor helps so much and I'm grateful. He doesn't talk to them like I do, but that's OK. I don't think they have much to say to him either. I'm in South Carolina upstate and am 63 years old. My two grown children think I'm crazy for doing this, but that's their problem. lol. I won't allow my neighbor to just let the excess roosters out just because I know they'll get run over by a car or eaten by God knows what. At the same time, I'm not gonna pluck a chicken. He thinks he knows how and perhaps he can, but you cannot eat a chicken you've named! Actually, I can't imagine doing it, although I've had to "take care" of an aggressive rooster, if you know what I mean. I learned that you never assume your neighbor has sharpened an ax blade so that one whack will do what is necessary. He didn't, it didn't and I resorted to emergency measure with my own knife and medical school anatomy knowledge to quickly end the saga. I promised there would NOT be a next time. I do wonder, however, with so many new roosters that were hatched, what to do with them because everyone is giving them away, or "trying" to. The market is flooded with free roosters. These adolescents are about to challenge my Pete and that won't be a pretty sight.
Well that's who I am "chicken-wise." Now I can check that box and say "I've done that now." Take care, all.
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Glad you joined.
