Making the most of it.

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It has been a week!!!! My little Rocco boy got caught in the cross fire of fighting boys and got hit hard in the head... His tummy deflated and he was struggling to breathe. I calmed him down and he started to breathe normal again. Joey came in later (Rocco and my son Joey are supper close) and tried to pick him up and he started the weird breathing again. After a long day of stressing out and then having to attend late night football games, the night ended with him acting like his normal bratty self. Playing with Oly and chasing the noises of the night.

Then one morning I was doing my walk about the yard just making sure there aren't any hidden nests and I squatted down to pet the girls cause they love to follow me around on my walk abouts out of the corner of my eye I see Jerry puff up and charge towards me!!! I stood up quickly and chased him around the yard until he realized I was the alpha rooster around here... Later I hear he attacked my brother in laws leg cause he wouldn't share his chips... Got some rooster training to do... It's been a long week. Glad the kids are back in school. Hope everyone else has a great day.
 
Just watched the oddest thing... I heard a squack outside my window so I open it to make sure the girls were ok... Jerry the rooster was chasing one of the younger ones around the yard... As she ran passed Ethel and Alice... They turned around puffed up and blocked Jerry from her. Jerry backed off instantly. Watching nature in action and I am wowed by this.
 
lindalouly said:
Attimus : how long does it take a randy teenaged roo to settle down???
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Not sure, all my cockerals are kept in check either by Rosco or the dominant hens. Never had a problem with being charged by a rooster yet. Only my one demon hen and that was just while she had baby chicks to protect. Aggressive roosters will get culled quickly here. There's certainly an abundance.
And like my mom used to tell me when I was a kid "don't you mess with me or I'll take you out and make another one that looks just like you".
Attimus
 
attimus said:
Not sure, all my cockerals are kept in check either by Rosco or the dominant hens. Never had a problem with being charged by a rooster yet. Only my one demon hen and that was just while she had baby chicks to protect. Aggressive roosters will get culled quickly here. There's certainly an abundance.
And like my mom used to tell me when I was a kid "don't you mess with me or I'll take you out and make another one that looks just like you".
Attimus
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I'm stealing that line for my boys.. He has charged but not attacked me yet I like to play alpha girl and he's easily scared off.
 
lindalouly said:
Friday: how many girls do you have??? And do you keep a rooster. I want to learn more about your flock.
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I started out with my older hens and then got a bunch of youngsters this year. Ended up with a bunch of cockerels, two I culled young for crossbeak.

Had two cockerels about 5 months old. One (of course my favorite) went nuts with hormones - crowing constantly, mating constantly and harassing the younger chickens. The day he tried to spur me I backed him up, carried him around, etc. Next day he came at me from behind - it was his last day. Sad to do it, but life is too short for mean roosters.

Now I have Jack, who is fairly mellow and still gets chased off by the older hens, 2 cockerels about 4 months old who haven't started crowing yet. They seem OK to be juniors and don't cause any trouble - yet.

So I have my 3 older hens, 2 pullets about 6 months, 3 pullets around 4 months, and two little EEs that I can't tell yet.

My goal is to keep Jack Frost, the Russian Orloff and Tuck (short for Kentucky) the Wheaten Ameraucana - that is, if they continue to get along. My other RO cockerel will either replace Jack or will be rehomed or eaten.

So far it's working out pretty well, and so much more peaceful since my other Rooster was culled.
 
lindalouly said:
Did you cull him yourself.. I haven't culled a bird yet.. I watched some YouTube videos on it... I'm just not sure if o can cull a bird I named and loved.
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Yes, I've done 3 now. I cry, but I get it done. It's hard.

I guess each Roo I eat saves one from factory farming, and I know it was treated well while alive, healthy, and killed humanely.

Then I just skin, take the legs/thighs and breast/rib meat. 90 % of the meat, 10 % of the mess.
 
How many girls do you have... L. Jerry has been acting better behaved. A nice gal told me that it doesn't take to long for them to calm down and I purposely walk through him daily.

I like having the knowledge to be able to dress a bird if I need to. DH comes from a different thought process than I do. Birds are pets period. He won't even let us feed the girl chicken dinner scraps!!! Lol.

It looks like we are finally getting rain. Been focused on getting the girls set for winter.. Putting up temperary nest boxes and dust bath areas on the covered back porch just to expand their area.. Our coop is small. Good for sleeping in and laying eggs is about it. They have the entire yard with plenty of low hanging trees to roam in. But once the rain starts their favorite dirt bath areas will be mud. Wonder if there is anything else I am missing in preparing for our weather change. Oh well, they are hardy little critters. I'm sure they will be fine.
 

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