Cad~ That is sooooo sad! Sorry about your birds. *inserts hug because the smiley's are working for me*
Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!
- Thread starter Wynette
- Start date
Cute chicks. Don't know the gender but they sure are cute
Had to try! Thanks..
Got a new cuckoo maran roo the other day. How do you tell how old they are?
Responding to Marcy's inquiry about her Delaware cockerel. Off topic for just a moment.
Marcy~ I looked at your link. I really see nothing wrong with him.....his comb is not terrible, missing a point and having a small heavy twist or slight thumb mark is not a huge issue......his attitude is though.
How long has he been isolated?
Also.....he is at that age where he is nothing but one large hormone and not having any pullet to say....excerise his natural talents with may irritate him a bit more, so with out, it does not surprise me that they try and get away with flogging or some sort of aggresiveness at this age. So often folks are quick to cull young cockerels at this age because they believe it to be pure aggressiveness. If it is continued behavior that does not stop and they do it at everything and everyone....then yes it is aggressiveness and should be dealt with, if it is a one time thing or perhaps a 2x thing it very well could be hormones.
This is the age that I like to work with cockerels best..when they are froggy and feel like they have to jump. Riiiib-bit........riiiiib-bit little froggy.
Taunting the chicken, not you...LOL
If I have a boy like this.......this is when they are forced to trust me. If they don't get past their 'tudes here at this stage in the game, they are dinner. If they try jumping or flogging me 1 time they get the special humiliation treatment from me for about 2 weeks. If they feel so obliged to try jumping or flogging again they signed their own execution orders.
I am happy to say that I have only ever had 2 cockerels that ever got froggy with me.......one of them did not reform....the other is still living a happy healthy Welsummer lovin' life and will be 2.5 years old now. The lady that took him has her children in an out of the coops and chicken area and he has never tried a thing with her or the kids, or anyone. I carried this rooster around in a baby snuggie for 2 weeks as a portion of his humiliation treatment. Awe, the poor wittle baby! LOL!
I house excess cockerels together away from any of my breeding pens....away from everything for that matter. When I go down to do chores I pick a different cockerel each time I go in (unless one in particular needs the most attention then I work on him) and I pick him up and carry him around with me until I am done with chores. I talk to them like they are babies and stroke their heads, necks and bodies and lightly rub their combs and wattles. I get them used to me doing everything to them including a trip to "the attitude adjustment block" where I lay them down so they get a textile experience...."just because we feel it and touch it does not mean we should buy it"....is usually what I say to them. LOL!
Please understand that I am not saying all cockerels are going though hormonal changes and that is the blame.....some of them are just plain meanies and need to be dealt with. What I am saying is just don't be to quick to judge him if all it will take to calm him down again is a pullet or some behavior training.
Marcy~ I looked at your link. I really see nothing wrong with him.....his comb is not terrible, missing a point and having a small heavy twist or slight thumb mark is not a huge issue......his attitude is though.
How long has he been isolated?
Also.....he is at that age where he is nothing but one large hormone and not having any pullet to say....excerise his natural talents with may irritate him a bit more, so with out, it does not surprise me that they try and get away with flogging or some sort of aggresiveness at this age. So often folks are quick to cull young cockerels at this age because they believe it to be pure aggressiveness. If it is continued behavior that does not stop and they do it at everything and everyone....then yes it is aggressiveness and should be dealt with, if it is a one time thing or perhaps a 2x thing it very well could be hormones.
This is the age that I like to work with cockerels best..when they are froggy and feel like they have to jump. Riiiib-bit........riiiiib-bit little froggy.
If I have a boy like this.......this is when they are forced to trust me. If they don't get past their 'tudes here at this stage in the game, they are dinner. If they try jumping or flogging me 1 time they get the special humiliation treatment from me for about 2 weeks. If they feel so obliged to try jumping or flogging again they signed their own execution orders.
I am happy to say that I have only ever had 2 cockerels that ever got froggy with me.......one of them did not reform....the other is still living a happy healthy Welsummer lovin' life and will be 2.5 years old now. The lady that took him has her children in an out of the coops and chicken area and he has never tried a thing with her or the kids, or anyone. I carried this rooster around in a baby snuggie for 2 weeks as a portion of his humiliation treatment. Awe, the poor wittle baby! LOL!
I house excess cockerels together away from any of my breeding pens....away from everything for that matter. When I go down to do chores I pick a different cockerel each time I go in (unless one in particular needs the most attention then I work on him) and I pick him up and carry him around with me until I am done with chores. I talk to them like they are babies and stroke their heads, necks and bodies and lightly rub their combs and wattles. I get them used to me doing everything to them including a trip to "the attitude adjustment block" where I lay them down so they get a textile experience...."just because we feel it and touch it does not mean we should buy it"....is usually what I say to them. LOL!
Please understand that I am not saying all cockerels are going though hormonal changes and that is the blame.....some of them are just plain meanies and need to be dealt with. What I am saying is just don't be to quick to judge him if all it will take to calm him down again is a pullet or some behavior training.
Last edited:
Congrats! Can you post a photo? If you can then we can give you an estimated guess of age.
- Jan 19, 2011
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Vicki, Pink, and Martha - thanks!- I'm really bummed about those birds....
That's the first time I've had this happen...
Why is it always your favorite bird....
On a good note, it looks like everyone else is okay today!!
That's the first time I've had this happen...
Why is it always your favorite bird....
On a good note, it looks like everyone else is okay today!!
Cadeau
Sorry to hear about your loss.. unexplained is almost as bad as a predator, you keep wondering "if I had done..."
(guaranteed to be a favorite)
Glad to here your other babies are doing fine...
We don't get that hot or humid around here, but I will be keeping an eye on my broody this week...
Patricia
Sorry to hear about your loss.. unexplained is almost as bad as a predator, you keep wondering "if I had done..."
(guaranteed to be a favorite)
Glad to here your other babies are doing fine...
We don't get that hot or humid around here, but I will be keeping an eye on my broody this week...
Patricia
I hear ya...I think there has to be a honing system that weather and predators have on the best birds. Its always that way here too. That's why on really humid days I won't move birds...which unfortunately happens a ton here haha
I'm tryin to get a couple update shots on the blue coppers...just held the cockerel and boy is he a beef cake! I also have some other cockerels I still haven't shown pics of from the second hatch that made the cut for the last round of culling. I'm liking them more everyday, even tho they escaped and I spent an hour trying to catch them yesterday hahah
- Jan 19, 2011
- 1,096
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Too true....
Vicki - glad you finally caught your boys!!
Vicki - glad you finally caught your boys!!
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