Michigan

[SillyChicken]

1muttsfan, The chicks are so sweet! What treats were you feeding them? I don't want to lose what you started with them, never had such sweeties! Very nice to meet you and I hope you had a good trip!

 

[1muttsfan]

Thanks Sillychicken! So far I have spent way too much time shopping, as my boyfriend works a night shift so I hate to bother him in the morning. the only thing I have given the chicks is their regular medicated chick starter, which they seem to consider a treat when you offer it out of your hand. I also put a little chunk of sod in with them a few times, it has been too cold at my house to let them go outside yet

Found just exactly the small slate tile I have been looking for to use as a backsplash above my kitchen counters. Unfortunately I don't remember what my kitchen dimensions are, however I think I bought plenty. I also found some little paper lantern lights to put up in my screened in porch. and I bought some plants - tomato and pepper - to repot and put in the greenhouse until the temperature warms up. Just did not get around this year to starting seeds.

BF sleeps until noon or 1 o'clock, so plenty of time for more shopping! Then this afternoon I go to my sisters house to deliver the chicks. With the promise to trade any out if they happen to start crowing

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Quote:Originally Posted by taprock They sent in a company to "secure" our home for us. They managed to "secure" some things for themselves and stole several items

A family member also had this happen, fortunately they were already out of the house, but the people cleaning it took sinks, toilets, and whatnot! So sorry.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

I wonder if that's what the issue with my mom's dog is? She is also very fearful of people, i have to crouch and approach backwards and basically submit if i want to pet him. Can't look him in the eyes or he bolts. Her dog is a shepherd, i think australian.

We have been working with my roo still. DH held him for an hour yesterday, and petted him, he calmed down quite a lot. Even sang to DH in his little squealy song.
I always pick him up, especially when i first go out to feed. i have also snatched him out of rooster fights. He respects me just fine, and comes to sit with me when he gets tired of pecking around for bugs. I think when all that stuff happened last summer it broke his trust of "strangers". It doesn't help that i was pretty much the only person who handled him prior to that experience, or even went into the yard around him. (not that i wanted it that way, no one else cared to be around chickens.) I HAVE to figure out how to make him comfortable with "strangers". Seems like everytime i tell someone to be careful it gets interpreted as "go get the rooster." Either that, or i need to broom some hardheads, it is MY yard after all.

Not a lot of info out there on more than making a stew, which i don't think is fair since he is not the one that started this. i would really appreciate any advice or new techniques that have worked for some of you, feel free to PM me.

 

[Olive Hill]

I always pick him up, especially when i first go out to feed. i have also snatched him out of rooster fights. He respects me just fine, and comes to sit with me when he gets tired of pecking around for bugs. I think when all that stuff happened last summer it broke his trust of "strangers". It doesn't help that i was pretty much the only person who handled him prior to that experience, or even went into the yard around him. (not that i wanted it that way, no one else cared to be around chickens.) I HAVE to figure out how to make him comfortable with "strangers". Seems like everytime i tell someone to be careful it gets interpreted as "go get the rooster." Either that, or i need to broom some hardheads, it is MY yard after all.

Not a lot of info out there on more than making a stew, which i don't think is fair since he is not the one that started this. i would really appreciate any advice or new techniques that have worked for some of you, feel free to PM me.

1) Stop holding him everyday. There's a reason the standing advice is to NOT handle intact male stock like you would pets. A wary roo is a good roo. If you want a pet, get a female or a capon.

2) Don't snatch him out of tussles with other chickens. Don't inject yourself into every little modicum of interaction he has. It's like people who prevent puppies from being corrected by older dogs. The puppy never learns how to be a good citizen. Let him figure out his place in the flock on his own. You don't need to control every aspect of his existence.

3) Stop mollycoddling him. He's not a rare gem. If he challenges people let them kick his behind, in fact, give them instructions on how to really get their point across. He needs it.

I'm sorry but it sounds like he's got small dog syndrome -- he's a pampered, over-protected snot. The kid may have taught him to fight, but he only keeps it up because you're preventing him from learning the lesson not to with anyone but yourself -- including other chickens. What he needs is his butt kicked.

 

[Bianca67]

taprock, that is just awful. How people can live with themselves is just beyond me.

 

[ladyfeather]

I don't get it. Half of my chicks are around 5 weeks old and I try to handle, touch, visit, and hold feed in my hand for them everyday. I go there and everyone freaks out, running away or flapping but once I am gone I hear them chirping over and over loud enough I can hear them upstairs. Not sure if they like me, tolerate me or just try to appease me.

 

[Farmerboy16]

Another day for the books.  The bank decided we had abandoned our home, not sure how when I talk to them every three days, we are in foreclosure but even if it sold it would still be ours for 6 months.  They sent in a company to "secure" our home for us.  They managed to "secure" some things for themselves and stole several items including, with value, silver notes etc. and priceless, my husbands rolls royce derby car.  Of course they deny it and say the house was open.  I'm glad they talked to my DH on the phone because had it been in person I think he would have come unglued on them. He made a police report but what can they do. 

So sorry about that! The nerve of those people! Will pray for you.

She needs to obey everyone in the house, but it's important that everyone not try to train her all at once -- as in right at the very same moment -- and that everyone use the same commands and tone with her.  A list of commands hung on the fridge would be a good idea to keep everyone on the same page.  And if someone can't be consistent, then they should just not partake. 

If you're afraid she'll bite the vet/techs you can get an inexpensive muzzle.  You can put it on her before she goes into the car at home and then take it back off once she gets back home, no risk of her biting anyone.  The mesh type are loose fitting enough that she can open her mouth slightly, pant, even drink with it on, but will not be able to bite anyone. 

A dog doesn't need to be fearful or aggressive to protect your home from strangers.  A good guard dog takes her cues from her owners.  She alerts you to anything amiss, but follows your lead.  If you welcome someone, she needs to welcome them.  A well-adjusted dog can tell the difference between threatening people/a situation where her owners are in trouble or uncomfortable and just friendly people her owners are happy to see and should act accordingly.  

ETA: I totally agree with taking dogs out for socialization, but having met this dog my opinion is that it's not an option or the time for it.  Yes, she needs it and yes, there will be a time, but she's very, very fearful of people.  1) A fearful dog is a dangerous dog, and I would definitely recommend a muzzle if she does have to go out anytime soon, but also 2) I think with how fearful she is you'd be setting her up for failure.  When you go out you can't control every interaction she has, with as sensitive as she is I think it'd do more harm than good at this point.  I'd start building her confidence at home first.  

She would do best with only one person training her.  It gets too confusing for the dog, especially if each person is using a different word or phrase for the command you want them to learn. 

Socializing is important.  Doing so doesn't make the dog accept every stranger.  My dog will still growl or bark at someone she doesn't know.  She only accepts them if she is with one of us and we don't act like something is wrong and are being friendly with the person.  I understand wanting a guard dog, but an improperly socialized dog can become a hazard.  I come into contact with dogs all the time in my job and can tell when one is not friendly so I don't do anything that would be considered provoking it, but there are still times when a dog will come racing out of nowhere that is intent on harming.  I had one of those incidents and when the owner ran out to help they couldn't even control the dog and if it hadn't been for the parcel I used to block the attack, my leg would have been severely mauled.  I no longer deliver parcels there because an untrained, unsocialized dog is a dangerous dog.  There will be times when you cannot avoid having someone on your property whether it's the mailman, meter man, byc friend.  You do not want a dog that will automatically harm anyone no matter who they are and if you do I hope you are willing to accept the consequences if she should harm someone.


eta-  Olive, you posted while I was making mine and it looks like we are mostly on the same page in our thoughts.  I have not had first hand experience with her as you have so I trust your judgement with it.

She is not that totally unsocialized. Two times a week my mom babysits two young kids. The dad drops them off in the morning and Jade barks and growls at him every time he comes. (Last week, one of my sister had clamped her mouth shut before he came to drop the kids off, and told her not to bark at him. When he came, she wanted to bark at him so bad, but did not dare to open her mouth, but whimpered at him instead. )The mother picks them up in the evening and Jade likes her. Plus my siblings' neighbor friends would come over to play here, and Jade plays with them. We have guest here sometimes, and we found that if we put Jade outside, and she sees us eating/talking with them through the slider glass door, then in a half hour or so we let her in the house, and she would sniff at everyone, but would not bark.

Thank you all again for your help. You guys are great!

Farmerboy, has she gone to the veth for her shots? At 10 weeks of age she would have been due for 2 more distemper shots and a rabies shot. We are coming into the parvo season and those shots are very important for a young dog especially. Vet clinics often have to deal with dogs that are fearful or temperamental, so you should not let that stop you. And she should definitely have a rabies shot, both because she is a farm dog and because she sounds like a dog that may be more likely to bite.

She had two shots here from the vet on the day I had the vet to draw blood from my birds to be tested for MG.

This is her when we first got her at 10 weeks-

Now-

Playing with one of my sisters

That is me with Jade

 

[1muttsfan]

Ladyfeather, they are just being silly hysterical teenage chickens. They'll get over it.

 

[yorkchick]

We have been working with my roo still. DH held him for an hour yesterday, and petted him, he calmed down quite a lot. Even sang to DH in his little squealy song.
I always pick him up, especially when i first go out to feed. i have also snatched him out of rooster fights. He respects me just fine, and comes to sit with me when he gets tired of pecking around for bugs. I think when all that stuff happened last summer it broke his trust of "strangers".     It doesn't help that i was pretty much the only person who handled him prior to that experience,  or even went into the yard around him.  (not that i wanted it that way, no one else cared to be around chickens.)   I HAVE to figure out how to make him comfortable with "strangers". Seems like everytime i tell someone to be careful it gets interpreted as "go get the rooster."  Either that, or i need to broom some hardheads, it is MY yard after all.

Not a lot of info out there on more than making a stew,  which i don't think is fair since he is not the one that started this.  i would really appreciate any advice or new techniques that have worked for some of you, feel free to PM me. 

I have no more than theoretical knowledge on the roo question, so I know a lot less than you do about it. I've done some reading in anticipation of having roosters. Of the five chicks I added last year, one was a roo--but something ate him when he was only about 10 weeks old, so never got to try out any of the theories. My biggest hope was that a broody-hen raised roo may be less people-aggressive than a people-raised roo. I know that Olive said that was her experience with geese.

Here's something I found on a BYC member's blog that references several methods of rooster behavior management. (Maybe you've already seen this). The author uses one method, but links to some others:
http://chickenlytle.blogspot.com/2011/01/handling-rooster-aggression.html
The ones that go against the common thread of kicking the roo/making stew are the Mother Earth News article the author links to. and the link to a BYC post by Beekissed that references an article on animal imprinting that argues there is more aggression from human-raised male animals of several species (not specifically birds though) than from males raised by their own species.

The Mother Earth News article discusses not engaging with the rooster as if you are another rooster. It's one of the few non-force based training methods I've seen. Now, those of you who have faced down aggressive roosters may find this method totally unrealistic. I can't argue, not having been in the situation. But I also know that there seems to be a fairly high failure rate on the "show the rooster who's boss" technique.

Both of those sources (the Mother Earth News and the animal imprinting article), to me, emphasize that we have less problems if we have it clear in our minds the separation of the species. As much as we want our animals to accept us as one of them (and I do want them to accept me and love me! I totally admit it!) if we try to blur that line why would a rooster see it? Hard as it is for me to admit it, if you read many of the discussions of rooster aggression on BYC, almost every one starts out with "this rooster was a pet, we used to be able to carry him around everywhere, then he started attacking!"

Again, just passing this on. It's all very nice to have theories when you don't have to apply them. But what I have seen with dog training is that there are a zillion methods out there, all of which seem to work for some people with some dogs. Whether it's dog training or child rearing or interacting with your neighbors or dealing with a rooster, I think everyone has to think it thorugh, take advice, read, study... and then pick and choose what intellectually and emotionally seems to fit your own personality and the dog/child/neighbor/rooster/whatever in question. And then reassess as you go because you won't always do well with your choices. As long as you keep learning there's hope, right?