Naked Neck/Turken Thread

[chickengr]

Alas, I don't really have the housing for that, but he accepts them, they just aren't interested enough in HIM yet. They got along fine all day today, but at night, when they came up to roost, he sort of starts to crowd them - didn't peck, but like he was hoping to mount (though it would have been impossible). I honestly couldn't tell if it was that or if he was just looking for cuddling (sounds silly, but he and his previous girls all roosted very snuggly together, two on either side of him).

So I held him in my lap at bed time again tonight. Spent some time observing, and I think the additional issue is, of course, the girls are trying to adjust to the new coop, as well as there being so many fewer (they were in a group of 13 before). While holding him, I observed some pecking order type stuff going on between the three of them. Once they worked their sleeping arrangements out (one was on the sand not the roost - I think she normally slept like that in the other coop as well), and it was dark enough for Tank to have calmed down, I put him on the roost. He still didn't seem to know what to do with himself or where to sit, but just wanted to be near someone. In the end he snuggled up to the one on the sand.




I'm sure they'll work the bedtime stuff out (and they are fine the rest of the day) - but it looks like Tank will be getting bedtime stories and cuddles for a little while.

- Ant Farm

how cute!

last night I removed the nest where my araucana youngsters were sleeping and let them roost with the others. I had to sit in the middle as the others kept pecking them. while I was sitting 1 of my Nn came to my lap, lol.

 

[DesertChic]

Alas, I don't really have the housing for that, but he accepts them, they just aren't interested enough in HIM yet. They got along fine all day today, but at night, when they came up to roost, he sort of starts to crowd them - didn't peck, but like he was hoping to mount (though it would have been impossible). I honestly couldn't tell if it was that or if he was just looking for cuddling (sounds silly, but he and his previous girls all roosted very snuggly together, two on either side of him).

So I held him in my lap at bed time again tonight. Spent some time observing, and I think the additional issue is, of course, the girls are trying to adjust to the new coop, as well as there being so many fewer (they were in a group of 13 before). While holding him, I observed some pecking order type stuff going on between the three of them. Once they worked their sleeping arrangements out (one was on the sand not the roost - I think she normally slept like that in the other coop as well), and it was dark enough for Tank to have calmed down, I put him on the roost. He still didn't seem to know what to do with himself or where to sit, but just wanted to be near someone. In the end he snuggled up to the one on the sand.




I'm sure they'll work the bedtime stuff out (and they are fine the rest of the day) - but it looks like Tank will be getting bedtime stories and cuddles for a little while.

- Ant Farm

Aaaahhh.....Tank's new favorite. Let the romance begin!

 

[draye]

Funny story today.





I went out early this morning to do my feeding. I have the mid shift so too dark after I get home. Anyway, I have seven different runs divided up. I have this one run that had my Spangled Aloha rooster in with three selected hens. Looked around when I got to it and there were only two hens and the rooster. I looked the run over carefully to make sure she wasn't in a dark corner. Not there, so I checked out the top to the run to see if maybe something got her. no feathers no body.

Called my son who I had to gathered the eggs yesterday,, and asked if she had died and he hauled the body off. "No, she was there when I went in there last night." So I went around to the back to see if something (critter) had actually gotten her and managed to get out without all the feathery and bloody mess that usually happens. Nothing. So back into the run I go and rechecked everything. No hen. I decided that someone came during the night and deliberately picked that hen out and took her.

Well, I have these rubber pans that I water in in the runs, and there are a few extra around that I use to feed them table scraps in. I went to push it out of the way, it had been flipped over and it turned back over the right way, and out walks my hen.

She had somehow turned it over on herself and got trapped underneath.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Tank is still pecking at bedtime. I'm considering moving him to the chicken infirmary for a few days (which I'm sure he'll hate), then reintroduce this weekend.

No one is really getting injured, but his behavior drives the girls back out, and they would sleep outside if I didn't block the automatic door until it closed.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Length of time?

- Ant Farm

 

[draye]

Personally I'd block the for to where they can't get out. Then leave them alone. They'll work it out. A couple of days no free range they'll have it fixed in no time.

 

[DesertChic]

Tank is still pecking at bedtime. I'm considering moving him to the chicken infirmary for a few days (which I'm sure he'll hate), then reintroduce this weekend.

No one is really getting injured, but his behavior drives the girls back out, and they would sleep outside if I didn't block the automatic door until it closed.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Length of time?

- Ant Farm

Personally I'd block the for to where they can't get out. Then leave them alone. They'll work it out. A couple of days no free range they'll have it fixed in no time.

Do you have a pen you can put him in that would be adjacent to the ones the girls are in and allow them to become more familiar with one another through the wire walls? I've noticed that many of my boys begin their courtship behavior this way.

 

[Kev]

Tank is still pecking at bedtime. I'm considering moving him to the chicken infirmary for a few days (which I'm sure he'll hate), then reintroduce this weekend.

No one is really getting injured, but his behavior drives the girls back out, and they would sleep outside if I didn't block the automatic door until it closed.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Length of time?

- Ant Farm

this behavior is why I have roosts spaced far apart(as in 4-6 feet or more) and at very different levels(I don't do the ladder style roosts but they could work). I noticed your roosts in the recent pic look like same height and real close, wonder if that is not helping with night time pecking? I quite understand space issues, this is mainly for perhaps giving ideas either for alternations or doing roosts differently in future pens.

It is very normal chicken behavior when the dynamics have been changed.. shutting them in and letting them work it out/get used to it is a working answer/solution if space is an issue. I would not move the rooster out.. it probably would just start all over again.

Over a week, probably 2 weeks. transition usually is much smoother/shorter if the hens are actively laying and squatting to be bred by him. could be the timing is not helping- going into the winter, when the hormones are not so perked up for courtship behavior.

 

[chickengr]

this behavior is why I have roosts spaced far apart(as in 4-6 feet or more) and at very different levels(I don't do the ladder style roosts but they could work). I noticed your roosts in the recent pic look like same height and real close, wonder if that is not helping with night time pecking? I quite understand space issues, this is mainly for perhaps giving ideas either for alternations or doing roosts differently in future pens.

It is very normal chicken behavior when the dynamics have been changed.. shutting them in and letting them work it out/get used to it is a working answer/solution if space is an issue. I would not move the rooster out.. it probably would just start all over again.

Over a week, probably 2 weeks. transition usually is much smoother/shorter if the hens are actively laying and squatting to be bred by him. could be the timing is not helping- going into the winter, when the hormones are not so perked up for courtship behavior.

I had roosts at different level but that didn't help. at he end they all wanted to roost high so I rearranged the roosts and put them all at the same level. they peck for fun before going to sleep. there is enough room but they are chickens, lol.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Personally I'd block the for to where they can't get out. Then leave them alone. They'll work it out. A couple of days no free range they'll have it fixed in no time.

Quote:

this behavior is why I have roosts spaced far apart(as in 4-6 feet or more) and at very different levels(I don't do the ladder style roosts but they could work). I noticed your roosts in the recent pic look like same height and real close, wonder if that is not helping with night time pecking? I quite understand space issues, this is mainly for perhaps giving ideas either for alternations or doing roosts differently in future pens.

It is very normal chicken behavior when the dynamics have been changed.. shutting them in and letting them work it out/get used to it is a working answer/solution if space is an issue. I would not move the rooster out.. it probably would just start all over again.

Over a week, probably 2 weeks. transition usually is much smoother/shorter if the hens are actively laying and squatting to be bred by him. could be the timing is not helping- going into the winter, when the hormones are not so perked up for courtship behavior.

Thanks for this input everyone - it helps! Ideally I would have done the adjacent pen thing, but that wasn't in the cards, space-wise, this time around, because of the weird timing getting the other pullets to by friend. I think I WILL try to plan ahead more next time and do that in the future, though - the roosters/cockerels who have been through that sort of introduction have behaved the best and those flocks are calm.

At least one of the GNH girls is laying daily, and squatting actively (was bred by the Ameraucana cockerel in the other pen even) - the others are getting close. Tank is actually breeding them (at least some of them). It's just this night time ritual that is problematic. I'll lock them in tonight and unplug the automatic door. It's a pretty small space (tractor is 6x10, and there's also the roost level where they can hang out), but should be ok for a period of time for four.

@Kev , so you think I should leave them locked in for a full 1-2 weeks?

You guys are awesome - thanks for all the ideas and input.

- Ant Farm

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Oh, did I show you guys my new mug?



- Ant Farm