Longtails! PURE AND MIXED!!!

chickletteSarge · Sep 27, 2013

You got some.good looking Phoenix!!!! Are you planning on breeding the blue pair!

NovaAman · Sep 27, 2013

YES. They are stuck together like glue! I tried taking her away, so his tail will grow but she paced in the garage coop and complained complained complained, he on the other hand kept calling and calling her and fighting with the pen to get out! UGH! I'll never get an epic tail... LOL

chickletteSarge · Sep 27, 2013

Have you trdied putting him on a tie cord in front of her pen?
I keep my lil one on a cockrels cord. It's 6' long and he just sits there in front of the pen keeping watech. He is in there now cuz I'm too lazy to get him out after the rain storms we had last weekend! The tie cords are fairly inexpensive and are a good was to keep them confined to one area without keeping them penned! Only issue here is predators from above if there's no cover. But if you have a pen with a long enough roof lip then he should be fine....

NovaAman · Sep 27, 2013

That could be an option after convert the swing set frame for a run for the phoenix boys. See, I thought about the tie out, but all my birds are free range. Hawks are a problem here during the day too. Anyway, I have a 15 pound marans roo that I would hate to have decided the phoenix are fair game when he goes in their run to eat. The phoenix go in the marans run to eat. The only times they are confined to their runs is in the rain, or when I am having to be late letting them out. BUT anyway, I also have some rather crabby hens who do not back down and have ninja kicked the phoenix before. The phoenix do run from those crazies.

SO, I am going to be building a run for them that is 3x the size of what they have now. The boys get along very well at this point, so I am hoping I will be able to leave them together for the winter, with Goldenberry moved to the garage with the yoko hen. I am hoping by the time I have to confine for the winter too to have the RSY in with the boys, even if that means I need to partition the coop and run, so they have enough room each to roost, with their tails hanging, but be close enough together to have some warmth together. I am putting in a fixture in the coop for a 125 red light that is coming in the mail. Will turn it on on those nights when the temps are REALLY REALLY frost bite possible. That's the only thing I am worried about, them getting too cold in the MI weather, and getting frost bite..

chickletteSarge · Sep 27, 2013

We'll if any were to get frost bite the Phoenix would be my guess the only ones that suffer. But if you do put in that light it would help prevent that from happening!
I would like to build my big pens but DW says not till we move. I want to have my longtails in pens like they have in the zoo here in Houston. I am going to try to get an externship there next year after I'm done with school!

NovaAman · Sep 27, 2013

I'd love to build an aviary style pen with a tree stand in the middle... Ah.... IF only. I'd have peas then too.

Goodluck on the externship.

SillyChicken · Oct 11, 2013

Everyone's birds are coming along nicely. I'll try to get a picture this weekend. I currently have my two birds contained, in my brooder box, in the rabbit shed. they are divided by a wire wall, but can sit next to each other etc. I would prefer to allow them to run and eat bugs etc cause I know it's healthier for them. So, IDK, what food is good for feather development? I'm getting mealies this weekend for them.

My Sumatra roo, molted his tail feathers and so far, I've not seen anything growing back!!

SO... I may be in the market for a nice replacement roo.
Unfortunately my turkey flock is suffering from sinusitis. (there goes my thanksgiving sales)

.. and so I'm treating the entire outdoor flock with antibotics.... so there is no way I'm letting the little ones out unless I put them in a cage in the front yard where no one gets to go!

chickletteSarge · Oct 11, 2013

SillyChicken said:
Everyone's birds are coming along nicely. I'll try to get a picture this weekend. I currently have my two birds contained, in my brooder box, in the rabbit shed. they are divided by a wire wall, but can sit next to each other etc. I would prefer to allow them to run and eat bugs etc cause I know it's healthier for them. So, IDK, what food is good for feather development? I'm getting mealies this weekend for them.

My Sumatra roo, molted his tail feathers and so far, I've not seen anything growing back!!

SO... I may be in the market for a nice replacement roo.
Unfortunately my turkey flock is suffering from sinusitis. (there goes my thanksgiving sales)

.. and so I'm treating the entire outdoor flock with antibotics.... so there is no way I'm letting the little ones out unless I put them in a cage in the front yard where no one gets to go!

what are you feeding? my yokie has molted his tail and I don't expect to see it back until spring... im looking for a Sumatra roo as well but I have to wait till I move to get a new one...