NY chicken lover!!!!

[featherz]

Wah, my only good rooster was killed today. My other two are pretty useless, but Gomez (NN) took one for the team. Not sure if it was a hawk or not - I got out there and saw several hawks circling, plus his body was outside the electric fence.. but his head was missing (more like another critter). Fence was not disturbed so I can't tell if a critter got him and somehow got him through the fence (again this is 15,000 volt netting and would have looked off if a large rooster was dragged out) or if a hawk tried to carry him and his head popped off.

So now I am stuck with an old cranky EE rooster that didn't even SEE the hawks (my chickens were all milling around because my good rooster was dead) and a younger gimpy EE rooster that hides most of the time. Wah. =( Gomez had a permanent place here because he fought off a hawk several years back and saved his women..

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Awww featherz, so sorry for your loss. A good rooster to defend like that. Good roosters in general are hard to find.

Eowyn and leg Olas had the babies out a good deal today. They both keep them close to the coop, just in case. Girls are still sitting. The terrorists are out now doing their thing. The Duke went over to the monsters run and gave his sons the stinkeye. They got the message and ran under the coop. For as many roosters as I have here, it's been a very quiet day. Only the terrorist ladies were noisy. I swear some of them just go on and on about the egg they laid and I'm over hreread like shut up already! No wonder Duke needs some space sometimes.

My silkies in the brooder cage downstairs are enjoying the bigger space. I gave up on the sand as it didnot do much and got all over. They are back on shavings. No lights. Feathers are coming in quicker now. I'm hoping to move them out in a couple of weeks. I think it's 3 boys and 2 girls again. I have a talent for hatching out boys.

Finished the hat and one bootie. One more to go!

 

[featherz]

I have one tiny baby in with my little buff bantam cochin - they are in a cat carrier in the coop and they still don't want to come out yet (day 3). I like to supervise to make sure they do ok, but they'll have to stay in one more day since I am working tomorrow. Plus the hawk (or whatever) will be back and I'll have no roo. /grumble.. Still a few eggs in the bator. I got tired of non broodies breaking broody eggs so I am taking any started eggs and throwing them in the incubator willy nilly as a last resort.

Guess what? Even with different aged eggs, haphazard manual turning, no 'lockdown' humidity - they are still hatching.. Had one about a week ago, one about three days ago and another has just pipped..

 

[Metella]

featherz - so sorry about the roo - as was said - a good roo is really gold !

I still miss mine - and like you - the roo I have left is not good at duties ... he rarely alerts, doesn't really break up hen fights, kinda runs toward possible danger and then stops ... ONE breeding year (he is my blue egg layer roo) and he is served for dinner. He is just no good and too bad I have to use him even once for a breeder because of that behavior.

 

[featherz]

featherz - so sorry about the roo - as was said - a good roo is really gold !

I still miss mine - and like you - the roo I have left is not good at duties ... he rarely alerts, doesn't really break up hen fights, kinda runs toward possible danger and then stops ... ONE breeding year (he is my blue egg layer roo) and he is served for dinner. He is just no good and too bad I have to use him even once for a breeder because of that behavior.

I do have a few of his babies - I'm hoping one of the NN is a boy AND makes it to adulthood.

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

Wah, my only good rooster was killed today. My other two are pretty useless, but Gomez (NN) took one for the team. Not sure if it was a hawk or not - I got out there and saw several hawks circling, plus his body was outside the electric fence.. but his head was missing (more like another critter). Fence was not disturbed so I can't tell if a critter got him and somehow got him through the fence (again this is 15,000 volt netting and would have looked off if a large rooster was dragged out) or if a hawk tried to carry him and his head popped off.

So now I am stuck with an old cranky EE rooster that didn't even SEE the hawks (my chickens were all milling around because my good rooster was dead) and a younger gimpy EE rooster that hides most of the time. Wah. =( Gomez had a permanent place here because he fought off a hawk several years back and saved his women..

I'm so sorry about your roo

... Too bad we aren't closer I have a bunch of extra ones if you need one

I can't say they are all good as most of them are young...but I have a bunch if you need one that I would happily give you

 

[lisa523]

Sadly my only two silkies are turning out to be roos. I'm always lm always leary of buying off of craigslist...and I don't want to buy a,lot from a hatchery... I was really hoping I would get one girl and one boy silkie.

 

[Lapeerian]

Woohoo, just sold the 4 partridge rock boys from my Valentines hatch, pending pickup. Now just have a buff Orp and 4 mutts to go. If they don't sell by the end of their current bag of grain, freezer camp for them.

 

[myfivegirls]

Woohoo, just sold the 4 partridge rock boys from my Valentines hatch, pending pickup. Now just have a buff Orp and 4 mutts to go. If they don't sell by the end of their current bag of grain, freezer camp for them.

I hear you - over run with boys here and trying to figure out where to put them, so they can hurry up & get ready for freezer camp. Mine are younger than yours, so they still have a ways to go, but with my current set-up, the hens & ducks would steal their food. I tried making a separate area where they could "squeeze through" and get their "special" food. But, when I tested the opening with one of the ducks, they fit through, and if I made the opening any smaller, the roosters wouldn't fit !

So, my next project is to make them a little coop and put them in the other sections of grass paddocks that the other chickens can't keep up with.

Used up all the mulch hay, and with all this hay I've been going through it fast. So, hopefully, we'll have a chance to get another load on Saturday.
Always something, but tomorrow is another day!

Good night.

 

[PhoredaBurds]

Wah, my only good rooster was killed today. My other two are pretty useless, but Gomez (NN) took one for the team. Not sure if it was a hawk or not - I got out there and saw several hawks circling, plus his body was outside the electric fence.. but his head was missing (more like another critter). Fence was not disturbed so I can't tell if a critter got him and somehow got him through the fence (again this is 15,000 volt netting and would have looked off if a large rooster was dragged out) or if a hawk tried to carry him and his head popped off. 

So now I am stuck with an old cranky EE rooster that didn't even SEE the hawks (my chickens were all milling around because my good rooster was dead) and a younger gimpy EE rooster that hides most of the time. Wah. =(   Gomez had a permanent place here because he fought off a hawk several years back and saved his women.. 

Sorry to hear about ur rooster. Maybe ur EE will step up to the plate or maybe one of the recent hatchlings will fill Gomez' big shoes. There are lots of good roo's out there if u can find them. Many of us on here (myself included) have extra cockrels in need of good homes, should you need a replacement. Both my roosters sound an alarm when they see things awry, but really the geese are the most effective at that job. They don't care that turkey vultures r harmless, my geese still let everyone in the yard know when there's a big bird in the sky. Hope ur flock finds what it needs.