Montana

[Danishennies]

My girls were rescue chickens and the dumb bleep had 12 girls in with 4 roosters and a 4x4 space! So when we got them their poor butts and backs were really bare. They kept getting sunburned and then the pecking order took some of their other wings and butt feathers. So I got the aprons to keep them warm, stop my rooster from hurting there backs, and keeping the other girls from pecking them. I watched them in action today! My rooster kept sliding off them so he couldn't throw down as he usually does. He yelled at me for it. Ha!

 

[Groovynatureguy]

My girls were rescue chickens and the dumb bleep had 12 girls in with 4 roosters and a 4x4 space! So when we got them their poor butts and backs were really bare. They kept getting sunburned and then the pecking order took some of their other wings and butt feathers. So I got the aprons to keep them warm, stop my rooster from hurting there backs, and keeping the other girls from pecking them. I watched them in action today! My rooster kept sliding off them so he couldn't throw down as he usually does. He yelled at me for it. Ha!

 

[Groovynatureguy]

about the rooster that is not the dumb bleep....

 

[montanachicks]

I have 7 out of 8 eggs that (I hope) will be hatching sometime this weekend. Can't wait to see what we end up with! I am going to try the "feather sexing" that I've read about & see if it's as easy as they make it sound. Getting excited!

 

[DuginMT]

Danishennie that is adorable !
Wish I could have a rooster, but then again I'm glad I don't. They make to much racket lol.
Dug, I read where chickens peck because there pen is to small, my sister in law had 50 chickens in a huge pen, but they pecked something awful. I explained they needed more room, fifty chickens in a pen is to much if they can not free range. Well she ended up eating them all. Freezer camp and canned chicken. Several of my friends had the same problem, pens to small and hens pecking. I have twelve chickens and a giant pen, but a few days ago a chickens comb was snipped off, some turd took a big bite. My RIR are real boogers so there on there way out soon. I'm tired of them picking on my other sweet girls. Heck they will peck a baby to take the food from them. Do you know what hen is doing the pecking? If you do, put that one in a cage for a few days, he will loose the pecking order. I would do this to but I have 2 RIR that are naughty, there time is coming !

Thanks Karla! Yes, I read the same thing, so currently have about 3.7 SF per chicken in the coop, and about 20 SF per chicken in the run. I thought we would lose a bird or two from the original 13 so designed the coop for 12 birds (48 SF - 4 SF/chicken) but we never lost a bird. Also, I let them free range for about 1/2 hour every evening. Our pecking problems are not too bad - there are five hens that are missing some feathers around their tail, but no bare backs. I think our pecking comes from some aggressive birds. And, surprisingly, our two RIR's were getting pecked, along with our two EE's, and one Barred Rock! The BO's and BA's plumage look marvelous, and I have seen the BOs peck, so they seem to be the peckers. They are the biggest hens, right alongside the BA's, but in our flock seem to be at the top of the pecking order! Our rooster, King, mainly only grabs the necks when he breeds, I have not seen him focus on the tail feathers (with his beak, anyway!). The good news, the aprons will help a little bit, and the red IR light I installed in the coop on a timer a couple weeks back seems to be helping already - tail feathers are growing back! The boys and I "installed" our new aprons on the five pecked birds last night. It wasn't too hard. Boy was it funny though when we released each hen with her colorful new apron - the other chickens were terrified of the aproned birds for about 5 minutes and made quite a ruckus! One question - should I plan to trim King's spurs back eventually (they are about 1/2" long now, but blunt) or do roosters not usually use their spurs to engage when they are breeding? If trimming the spurs, how far back can I safely cut them? Thanks.

 

[GinaS]

Hi all! Gina here, hailing from Helena I have an assortment of ladies in my chicken palace. 2 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Speckled Sussex, 2 Top Hats, and 2 Bantam Frizzle-Cochins. I got them as chicks in March and have enjoyed watching them grow into my amazing egg producing hens. This is my first time having chickens so I find myself referencing this site often. It is nice to see some Montana folks here. I'm sure I will need some winter care advice soon.

Thanks!

 

[montanachicks]

Welcome, GinaS!

 

[Groovynatureguy]

Indeed welcome GinaS!

 

[montanachicks]

Had 4 babies hatch out so far out of 6 eggs.



I tried the feather sexing --- if I did it correctly, and it tells true, the little dark one at the top is a roo but the other three are pullets. Time will tell.

 

[karlamaria]

Welcome Gina! Nice to meet you

Cindy, what kinds of birds do you have there ? We're they your own eggs or did you buy eggs? I can not wait to see them grow. there adorable !