North Carolina

[michaelinnc84]

Good morning everyone. I hope you all have a blessed day and have fun with your chickens!

 

[sjmarshall87]

I have what I guess would be a pretty simple question for those of you who are pros at raising the chicks and the roosters.. What is the best way to figure out if my Hen is really a rooster? Someone has told me in the past something about how quickly their combs grow is a good indicator. Is this true or is there something else to look for other than the obvious "area"

I have a few (what I thought were) Hens that seem to act alot like roosters with the tall posture and "dominance". Some like to sit up higher and just watch

and seem to behave like the protector of the flock. Is this normal Hen behavior or is it too soon to tell? These are a few of my RIR's. My actual Roosters are that of another breed.

 

[sjmarshall87]

Quote:
lol... assuming you were asking me about my roosters.. we have only had a brief issue with one being picked on to the point he was bleeding behing a wing... We removed him for a couple days.. He didnt seem to be getting as big as the other two but was eatting eatting eatting... I noticed a little "stuff" on his behind.. I believe he had been pasting up... I cleaned him and almost immediately he let a few good ones loose...

We put him back in with the others and all seem to be fine currently.. I dont know how it will work when they get older. I had read somewhere that for each 10 -12 hens you should have one roooster.... Thats how THAT happened.. lol..

 

[Miss Lydia]

you don't have to have 1 roo for every 10 hens it just makes life better for the hens.

how old are your pullets and roo's? when we had too many from hatch we just let them get about 16-18 weeks and process, no one wants a roo around here unless it's for cock fighting or training and I'd rather humanely process them than put them through that. We accidently came across some people training a fighting rooster with a young roo, it wasn't a pretty site. I sure wish they would really do something about that in our country besides lip service. did you buy pullets or straight run? I have 2 chicks that will be 1 month on the 6th of May and already I can see 1 has a redder comb and more of it than the other one. but usually it's around 10 weeks before I know for sure whos who.

 

[BHep]

Ok I did it. I counted my chickens.
62 Adults
22 Juvies in the grow out pen....some of these will be sold.
89 chicks in the house....some of these will be sold, well more then some.
23 ducks... plus some hatching now (1 out already)... some will be sold.
2 goslings

And too many eggs in the incubator

 

[AEFarm]

Wilmington, NC

 

[Miss Lydia]

AEFarm, glad to have ya join us, way over in the western part of the state in Burnsville.

wow Beth thats alot of chickens, ducks and not too many geese [yet]

good thing you have help feeding all of em.
Have a question for you Beth, my hen that was sitting on duds had 2 Bantam eggs under her til today when my little bantam went in an deposited one of hers in the nest, now I don't know who's is whos. will it be okay for her to have 2 eggs from yesterday and one from today? I have now marked these 3.

 

[BHep]

That should be fine, they are only a day apart. I also mark the eggs, IF I get a broody. But you will need to check every day or two BEFORE the new eggs start developing.

AEFarm

 

[Miss Lydia]

I know I will have to check. I think I'll just open her door a couple times a day for her to come and and potty she has food and water in there, that way maybe noone will notice the door open. she's determined. forgot to ask when can I candle the first time? is it 10 days or longer?

 

[sjmarshall87]

Quote:
UUmm.. they should all be 3 weeks on Monday.. I believe my feed store said they were 3 days when I picked them up. They had also told me which 3 were roos and the rest were pullets but I know that sometimes it can get messed up.. Its just really funny.. My husband ordered so many because he hadnt expected all to live. Thought we would lose a few to trial and error. He was wrong... so far. Who knows what will happen when the coop is finally ready for them to move into..

I dont believe I have ever had rooster meat... hhmm.. Does it taste any different? tougher maybe? But that could be a real simple solution..