NY chicken lover!!!!

[why do birds]

You won't have dead bodies in the morning...roosters live with their hens for a reason....to protect them. (No, yours wasn't protecting the trapped hen, but he is teenager...it's all ME ME ME at that age....he WILL protect them when they are outside.

And don't listen to things typed that offend you. I understood what you were talking about....seems others didn't read all the words and jumped to conclusions based on facts not in evidence.

Thanks Cass. Scared my 13 y/o so much. There was no way he was going to let his little beak a poo die like that. By far it's the most gentle adorable pet, and he's not allergic to it. The roo gets a little wild, that wasn't the problem. The poor things head was stuck and was wobbling back and forth in a really bad way. I really wasn't sure it was ok after we retrieved it. It's been in a private area now but we let the other 2 come out to meet and greet and do whatever they want to do in the open space of the kitchen because there's nothing for it to get stuck in. It's much more relaxed now. What we heard wasn't a mating scream it was a help me I'm about to lose my head scream. The experiment was good. We now know that we can separate them at night and reintroduce them in the morning without any major problems. Roo gets a little antsy but as long as he hears them he's ok with it. Thanks for the support!

 

[Pyxis]

Was this directed toward me?  Are you nuts?  I have a 13 year old who walks behind a chicken.  We do this because they aren't potty trained.  They aren't stressed out.  A good way to kill a chicken is to have it processed for dinner.  We keep ours free from disease and other animals, including wild birds.  They sit in our laps at night and watch TV with us, including the rooster.  I'm not sure what images you have conjured up in your mind but a 13 year old is responsible, not a little kid running around.  The chickens walk around slow, thus the comment about the silly birds.  If they are loose we have to walk behind them so that they don't make a messy outside of their area.  This is simple common sense.  We live in a house with them.  We clean up after them, Immediately!  I'm hoping you aren't directing this toward me.  I don't advertise and it's wrong for people here to say that we "torture" our animals.  We did an experiment to see a reaction.  We plan to separate the rooster so that it doesn't accidentally kill the other birds.  If it wasn't for my 13 y/o helping me get the silkies head out of the crate yesterday it's neck would've broke the way the rooster was abusing it.  It's head was clearly stuck and it was screaming.  If you all consider separating birds because they're being attacked then I guess we're wrong and we should just house them all together and pick up the dead bodies in the morning.

Why do, I'm not sure if that was directed at you or not, but you did say you were letting your son chase a bird to make it get excersize, which doesn't sound like he was following it to clean up after it. It sounds like he was terrorizing a bird by chasing it and make it run. Maybe that's not what you meant.

Also, separating the rooster is going to make him miserable. They are flock animals and they need company. Just a thought, your silkie wouldn't have gotten her head caught in a dog cage if she was living outside in a coop they way they were meant to. I don't have to separate my roosters from my hens because them mating them shouldn't cause a life or death situation and it doesn't, because they are housed properly. Just a thought. I still maintain they would be happier outside.

I had a friend who tried to keep a buff orpington hen as a housepet after he found out it was illegal to have chickens where he lived. He housed her much like you house yours, in a cage in the house, letting her out when he could. She was nine months old when I rescued her, and she had never laid an egg. I used 'rescued' on purpose, because living inside made her miserable. She was mean, she bit, she was lonely, and she was not laying even though she was nine months old and she should have started by six months. Within a week of me taking her and allowing her to live outside as a chicken should, she started being a chicken, mating with the rooster, feeling the sunshine on her feathers, taking a dust bath in the dirt. And, surprise, she laid her first egg. Then she went on to be a mother and hatch beautiful chicks and raise them and she lives the life she should.

Perhaps if you have a biting, aggressive rooster, a hen that is terrified to be with her hatchmates and has to be separated or else she cowers in the corner or hides in a tiny box, a frizzle that is being chased around by your son, a rooster you have to separate to prevent him from killing his hens while he tries to do what is natural, and you are unwilling to allow them to live the outside life they were bred for and would be happier living, you need to take a minute and think about things and ask yourself if maybe it would be better for your birds if you found them a new home and stopped keeping them "for your entertainment" as you stated earlier. Not trying to attack you, I'm just saying maybe you aren't cut out for this and maybe your birds would be happier elsewhere.

 

[SAHchickenmom]

Why do, I'm not sure if that was directed at you or not, but you did say you were letting your son chase a bird to make it get excersize, which doesn't sound like he was following it to clean up after it. It sounds like he was terrorizing a bird by chasing it and make it run. Maybe that's not what you meant.

Also, separating the rooster is going to make him miserable. They are flock animals and they need company. Just a thought, your silkie wouldn't have gotten her head caught in a dog cage if she was living outside in a coop they way they were meant to. I don't have to separate my roosters from my hens because them mating them shouldn't cause a life or death situation and it doesn't, because they are housed properly. Just a thought. I still maintain they would be happier outside.

I had a friend who tried to keep a buff orpington hen as a housepet after he found out it was illegal to have chickens where he lived. He housed her much like you house yours, in a cage in the house, letting her out when he could. She was nine months old when I rescued her, and she had never laid an egg. I used 'rescued' on purpose, because living inside made her miserable. She was mean, she bit, she was lonely, and she was not laying even though she was nine months old and she should have started by six months. Within a week of me taking her and allowing her to live outside as a chicken should, she started being a chicken, mating with the rooster, feeling the sunshine on her feathers, taking a dust bath in the dirt. And, surprise, she laid her first egg. Then she went on to be a mother and hatch beautiful chicks and raise them and she lives the life she should.

Perhaps if you have a biting, aggressive rooster, a hen that is terrified to be with her hatchmates and has to be separated or else she cowers in the corner or hides in a tiny box, a frizzle that is being chased around by your son, a rooster you have to separate to prevent him from killing his hens while he tries to do what is natural, and you are unwilling to allow them to live the outside life they were bred for and would be happier living, you need to take a minute and think about things and ask yourself if maybe it would be better for your birds if you found them a new home and stopped keeping them "for your entertainment" as you stated earlier. Not trying to attack you, I'm just saying maybe you aren't cut out for this and maybe your birds would be happier elsewhere.

 

[SunnysideupstateNY]

anthropomorphize

 

[why do birds]

Pyxis, thank you for your input. We aren't rehoming our birds. We like them. They are pets. They entertain us. They don't need to be rescued from us. We want more.

 

[Sweetpea3829]

Pyxis, thank you for your input. We aren't rehoming our birds. We like them. They are pets. They entertain us. They don't need to be rescued from us. We want more.

GREAT GLAUX! In the house???

Chickens are entertaining...I get a hoot out of mine. But I find them hilarious outside. Where they can poop to their little hearts' content, peck at grass, worms, dust bathe, etc.

Mine, when free-ranging, come up to our back door and "knock" on it. Makes me laugh. But in the house? No. I'm still curious as to why you keep them in the house and not outside?

 

[Pyxis]

Pyxis, thank you for your input.  We aren't rehoming our birds.  We like them.  They are pets.  They entertain us.  They don't need to be rescued from us.  We want more.

Like I said, I know you like them and that they entertain you. But you keep posting for advice here because your birds are having all kinds of problems. The silkie hides in a tiny box. The rooster bites people. The rooster almost kills a hen while trying to do what he is supposed to do. It just doesn't seem to me that they are happy. That's my input. Maybe don't rehome them, but allow them to live outside like they should. I've tried to be really nice to you and I even invited you up to see my farm, which you did not do. I guess my problem is you keep asking for advice with all these problems your birds are having when the real problem is the way you are keeping them and you don't seem willing to listen to what people are telling you unless it's what you want to hear. Look, I'm really a nice person. I don't want to attack you. I just love animals and your posts are genuinely starting to upset me. I guess I'll just have to disengage and stop speaking up, for my own sake.

Anyway, I'll stop now. I don't want you to feel unwelcome here. I just wouldn't be okay with myself if I hadn't said something.

 

[Stuffedcritter]

Check out our little town of Canajoharie great schools, low crime rate, traffic is six cars on main street. Only forty min. drive to Troy ( my son goes to ITT ) wonderful library, great little shops. Very active community this past weekend cup cake wars, music on main street, parks and canal area are breath taking.

 

[Nuttyfrom6kids]

Morning Everyone,
Well the thing I dreaded most took place last night....
I went outside in the rain to check on my two rabbits who are due with litters and also lock up the chicken coops, heard my KC hen making all sorts of racket in the front yard. When they came around back from the front yard I counted 1, 2, 3, 4...Wasn't worried at first because my Black Runner drake has had a tendency to stay in the yard while the other 4 wander across the street into the neighbors yard. Sometimes he follows, sometimes he stays with the littles. When the 4 others came back and up the hill to the back yard I started looking for him, took one step down the hill, glanced across the yard and down across the street and saw him laying there in the road. Could Not Believe It! I ran inside to grab a towel and went and got him right away. He was still warm thru the towel so it must have JUST happened. That was the most awful thing I think I've ever witnessed with my birds. To have one die for no reason, or to an illness is one thing but to think some driver either wasn't paying attention, or just flat out didn't care to stop and just kept on going? It's just awful! Even if it was an accident! At least stop and apologize or Something! Unbelievable. All I can do now is hope that one of these ducklings hatching in 8 days is one of his and I can magically tell which one it is and hang onto it.

So now I don't know what to do. I love letting my ducks free range but now I feel I can't. I can keep them penned in but they fly out. Not all of them, but the KCs sure will. So if I go ahead and purchase another roll of that poultry netting and make them a pen around their pond how do I keep them from flying out of the pen?!? Or do I just hope they don't? I will definitely look at purchasing some that is higher than the one I have now with hopes it keeps them in. I just hate the thought of keeping them "in" all the time. I love seeing them waddle across my yard, I love when follow me around when I go out to feed everyone. I feel like I'm at a loss.

On a good note, all 5 duck eggs in the Brinsea are wiggling around already and they still have 8 days to go. Wonder if they'll pip early? I candled them this morning and it looks like there is barely any more room in those eggs. I candled the silkie eggs yesterday and 4 of the 7 she's laying on are developing, 3 are questionable. I'll look at them all again in about a week. today I'm going to candle the 3 Orp eggs she's sitting on as well.

Lynzi I am sorry about your duck

Hi Everyone! I'm in Batavia, NY- near Rochester & Buffalo, anyone near by? I recognize a few names from the chickenstock thread- looking forward to meeting everyone!
Judy

Hi Judy can't wait to meet you too

Thank you. I can't understand why anyone would let their kids terrorize they're animals. If there is a good reason for doing so please let me know what it is.

Rancher I completely agree if you have your 13 yr old chasing a silkie to exercise it you are terrorizing your animals.

DH came home from work this afternoon with news of having to move again :-( I'm not sure when, but we'd be heading back to the Albany area. I have mixed feelings on this because although I did love living in Latham and loved the schools there, I don't see us getting as lucky as we did with this property and finding something that is "in the sticks" and allows us to keep raising chickens. :-/

Lynzie that must suck how often does he get shuffled around I know it can't be helped but it must still suck.

Like I said, I know you like them and that they entertain you. But you keep posting for advice here because your birds are having all kinds of problems. The silkie hides in a tiny box. The rooster bites people. The rooster almost kills a hen while trying to do what he is supposed to do. It just doesn't seem to me that they are happy. That's my input. Maybe don't rehome them, but allow them to live outside like they should. I've tried to be really nice to you and I even invited you up to see my farm, which you did not do. I guess my problem is you keep asking for advice with all these problems your birds are having when the real problem is the way you are keeping them and you don't seem willing to listen to what people are telling you unless it's what you want to hear. Look, I'm really a nice person. I don't want to attack you. I just love animals and your posts are genuinely starting to upset me. I guess I'll just have to disengage and stop speaking up, for my own sake.

Anyway, I'll stop now. I don't want you to feel unwelcome here. I just wouldn't be okay with myself if I hadn't said something.

I agree their posts are really bothering me too they are terrorizing these birds and they see no problem with it because they are not allergic to them but get on here and ask why the birds are unhappy and people keep telling them put them outside but it is not what they want to hear so ignore it and I guess the other thing I got to open my mouth about here is the fact that they see no problem with the rooster biting the son not once but twice let me tell you if a rooster was biting my son I wouldn't just say it is ok they are the size of a flashlight I would be showing that rooster who is dominant or it would be going in the soup pot my kids are more important that any bird and just because you have never seen a face sliced open by a roosters spurs doesn't mean it doesn't happen I am a nurse and have worked city hospitals and doctors offices and have seen it.

 

[PhoredaBurds]

Pyxis, thank you for your input.  We aren't rehoming our birds.  We like them.  They are pets.  They entertain us.  They don't need to be rescued from us.  We want more.

Poodles & cocker spaniels are hypoallergenic pets. They can be quite entertaining and might do better in your situation than chickens. The way your posts read, it sounds rough and I am very sad for your birds. Hopefully the situation is different than it sounds. Hope things work out for you & your chickens.