LynnTXchickenmom
Chirping
- Aug 22, 2022
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I’m sure we did not do this correctly. We have a flock of RIR all hatched out on Aug 3: 18 hens and a rooster. Our kids’ school hatched out chicks on Oct. 11 and is keeping the hens for egg production; they had 12 roosters that needed culling. A local boy slaughtered 10 of them for his family’s consumption, leaving 2. I agreed to take the 2, as I have just the ratio our city requires: No more than 1 rooster for every 6 hens; no more than 26 chickens total. My son plans to slaughter them when he’s home for Easter and then we’ll make soup and coq a vin. So … we put them in our run today. Nothing happened at first, then some scuffles with our rooster that were short lived. Now the RIR flock is staying on one side of the run and the two new roosters are hanging together on the other side. (This is a large run.). Lots of egg call sounds from my hens and even the same from my rooster, making me think he’s calling about the intruders. Will things just stay this way? Will they go into the coop when it gets dark? Will my hens be upset and reduce their laying? I’m interested in hearing others’ experiences. (We don’t want to keep them—this is temporary until my son gets home to do the slaughtering. He’s experienced; I am not.)