Naked Neck/Turken Thread

[Fire Ant Farm]

Nice pic!

That is a part of chicken math..... different birds having their pro and cons.. aggh!

How is Snape being bad with the girls? I do not tolerate aggressive roos, particularly human aggressive ones.. they really are not necessary and this is a hobby for me.

He's chasing them a lot, and they are starting to earnestly try to get away from him a lot at evening time (they don't always remember to go for the chair I gave them to perch on to get away from him). And he occasionally will lose the chase but later sneak up and get them anyway. They're not looking like they enjoy it very much. But they don't mind him the rest of the time, he tidbits for them and watches out for them. They do have worn backs (I have plans to make aprons), and the littlest one, Switch, got some scrapes early on - he's twice her size - and there is the occasional scrape on other hens. This is my first spring with chickens/roosters, so I am wondering if the change in behavior is a spring thing. He's a good boy most of the time, with brief periods of testosterone poisoning.

He's started to watch me more warily when I go into the coop to feed them. I get the sense he's thinking about pecking at me, but it's more in the "warning/territory" sense, similar to Dumbledore. And a big squirt of water in the face from a water bottle works EXTREMELY well to discourage that.

Apoc, on the other hand, was trying to engage/land blows on my boot and didn't stop/back down, which is what worried me. (I do wonder if there's something about my boots...) I feel bad because I wonder how much is my fault for keeping him locked up - but I really haven't had a choice, he escapes all paddocks and fights through the fences. I wish I had some girls old enough that he could get to know to see if that would calm him down...

- Ant Farm

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
Lovely!!!!!

 

[Kev]

@Kev or anyone else:

I found out that along with the Blue Copper Marans (with a few Black CMs of different parentage and a splash CM as well), German New Hampshires, and Olive eggers (blue egg gene from wheaten ameraucana), Luane is throwing in one Lavender Ameraucana as she was short one olive egger (as well as an extra BCM). They arrive Thursday.

Can you remind me about the whole feathering thing when putting pea combs into NNs? Just wondering...

(I SOOOOO hope it turns out to be a pullet!!!)

- Ant Farm

so excited for you!!

Basically, pea comb has side effect of reducing number of feathers on a bird- not very observable on non NN. The effects are visible if crossed with NN though, as a pea crossed with NN will throw Nn chicks that appear to have small bowties(as in, can fool you into thinking they are NN not Nn), a different naked pattern around their faces, combs and particularly the area between comb and beak.

Pea on NN birds can have totally bare necks but need to remember it more likely is a side effect of pea comb rather than hitting on 'true clean necks'- you can discover those only on single combed birds.

I just posted a picture that is a good example of a Nn bird(the silver duckwing roo) with a small bowtie.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
Thanks for the info - and I'm so excited as well!!!! Think of the possibilities!!!!!!

- Ant Farm

 

[Kev]

He's chasing them a lot, and they are starting to earnestly try to get away from him a lot at evening time (they don't always remember to go for the chair I gave them to perch on to get away from him). And he occasionally will lose the chase but later sneak up and get them anyway. They're not looking like they enjoy it very much. But they don't mind him the rest of the time, he tidbits for them and watches out for them. They do have worn backs (I have plans to make aprons), and the littlest one, Switch, got some scrapes early on - he's twice her size - and there is the occasional scrape on other hens. This is my first spring with chickens/roosters, so I am wondering if the change in behavior is a spring thing. He's a good boy most of the time, with brief periods of testosterone poisoning.

He's started to watch me more warily when I go into the coop to feed them. I get the sense he's thinking about pecking at me, but it's more in the "warning/territory" sense, similar to Dumbledore. And a big squirt of water in the face from a water bottle works EXTREMELY well to discourage that.

Apoc, on the other hand, was trying to engage/land blows on my boot and didn't stop/back down, which is what worried me. (I do wonder if there's something about my boots...) I feel bad because I wonder how much is my fault for keeping him locked up - but I really haven't had a choice, he escapes all paddocks and fights through the fences. I wish I had some girls old enough that he could get to know to see if that would calm him down...

- Ant Farm

Ahh.. Snape is right in the grey area, he might mellow out on the chasing once he's fully mature (past one year) or maybe not.

If Snape cools down on the chasing, he probably will still breed the hens a lot to the point of ruining their feathers- this is unfortunately a very very common thing, and many don't quite like to talk about it or show pictures of hens showing this kind of damage so don't think it's an unusual situation. The good news- the skins on NN get a lot thicker and tougher once they become hens.. they are so thin and easy to tear/scratch on pullets.

Some chickens do react to certain colors and patterns, so it could be something about the boots if they;'re colorful or richly patterned.

It has *nothing* to do with being alone.. aggression is genetic but there is some environment factored in- mainly whether the cockerel was raised super tame or teased. Loose, caged, combination of keeping doesn't have much to do with it.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
Boots are red with chickens on them, and are new. Now that I think about it, Dumbledore was startled when I was wearing them and Snape only did the threatening thing when I was wearing these. I think I need to try different boots.

(Too bad - I like them.)

That is helpful about Apoc. He has not been mistreated by me, of course, but he was really harassed and bullied by Tank for a couple weeks before I managed to arrange housing to separate them - and best I can tell, it wasn't so much Tank just being a jerk - Apoc really sort of threw himself into the subordinate role - he was a good bit bigger than Tank but wouldn't fight back. He also later got the unfortunate idea that Dumbledore's girls were maybe destined to be his when Dumbledore was inside healing from the dog attack - he likes to beeline to their paddock and fight with Dumbledore through the fence. I spent an awful lot of time trying to round him up as he escaped a lot as well. Hence being locked up.

I suppose the upside is that he has essentially been inadvertently in a "finishing" regimen, eating lots of feed, not a lot of running around. I will be culling the Cream Legbar boys at some point in early summer, I may cull him at that time if not before. He's big (at least among my birds). The NNs are all just about 7 months old.

- Ant Farm

Edit to add: I was just remembering that Apoc DID go after my leg from behind when I was wearing shorts about a week or so ago - not wearing those boots. Superficial scratch, but it was an attempt at spurring. Not severe, but still healing.

 

[DesertChic]

That is one seriously cool looking chick!!! What did you name it?

 

[DesertChic]

Boots are red with chickens on them, and are new. Now that I think about it, Dumbledore was startled when I was wearing them and Snape only did the threatening thing when I was wearing these. I think I need to try different boots.

(Too bad - I like them.)

That is helpful about Apoc. He has not been mistreated by me, of course, but he was really harassed and bullied by Tank for a couple weeks before I managed to arrange housing to separate them - and best I can tell, it wasn't so much Tank just being a jerk - Apoc really sort of threw himself into the subordinate role - he was a good bit bigger than Tank but wouldn't fight back. He also later got the unfortunate idea that Dumbledore's girls were maybe destined to be his when Dumbledore was inside healing from the dog attack - he likes to beeline to their paddock and fight with Dumbledore through the fence. I spent an awful lot of time trying to round him up as he escaped a lot as well. Hence being locked up.

I suppose the upside is that he has essentially been inadvertently in a "finishing" regimen, eating lots of feed, not a lot of running around. I will be culling the Cream Legbar boys at some point in early summer, I may cull him at that time if not before. He's big (at least among my birds). The NNs are all just about 7 months old.

- Ant Farm

Edit to add: I was just remembering that Apoc DID go after my leg from behind when I was wearing shorts about a week or so ago - not wearing those boots. Superficial scratch, but it was an attempt at spurring. Not severe, but still healing.

Red is the color of blood, and you know as I do that chickens love blood. I suspect that Apoc is a more hostile bird by nature and further stimulated by the color. The last Biel/Aussie cockerel I butchered had the same tendencies. He'd grown increasingly aggressive and when I wore my Sloggers, which happen to have some red designs on them, he went crazy and would attack my feet relentlessly, even after I kicked him across the pen. If you truly do plan to hold onto him for evaluation for a while I would suggest changing your footwear to something more neutral and monitoring his reaction to you. If the spurring attempts continue then I've got some great roast chicken recipes.

By the way, I'm really jealous of all the green in that photo you posted....and I know my chickens would be too if they could see it.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
Thanks! (Yup, these are Sloggers - got them at TSC. I should have known better). And yes, everything is rather violently "SPRING GREEN!!!!" here this year - even the Bluebonnets are early and staying longer than usual. This is the first year I've had the fence up to exclude the deer, so I actually will have to mow soon - but yes, the chicken are loving the green. Once I truly get all the paddocks organized, they will do most of the "mowing" for me.

Alas, all the weeds in my neglected garden are as tall as I am, so I have a lot of work to do before planting this weekend...

Apoc was already beginning to buck for a place at the dinner table just because I wasn't sure where he fit into my plans except as a (very loud crowing) back up rooster. That was before the aggressive behavior. I just know to think about it a little longer first before doing something that is rather irreversible...

- Ant Farm

 

[Mini Meat]

Quote: Hey all,

I've been lurking here as NN's are a top contender to add to my flock.

Kev does this bird have some Asil or some such in him? Interesting stance.