Once your pullets are laying age and size I wouldn't worry much about the integration during molt or not. The hens will get the pecking order down pretty soon no matter what size and age. But after 5 months they will be big enough to not get hurt. Just make sure your new pen is big enough for that number of GROWN chickens. A small coop will increase boredom, fighting, and all around aggression.
***OKIES in the BYC III ***
- Thread starter Buckguy20
- Start date
Yes, think 2 out of 3 would be a problem; the top hen would be the least problem I think as she doesn't bully anyone but just goes about her business. Guess we will integrate at egg laying age when they will be about the same size as the others. We will wait until we see how big everyone gets before making escape/hideouts and spend our time finishing it all.
That does not sound like fun. Good luck with that, and I will let you know how ours goes. They each really have their own personality, don't they.
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kwharton
In the Brooder
I have a couple SS roosters I'm trying to find homes for in northwest Oklahoma. Both are very tame don't mind being held or anything I only have 6 hens and really only want one rooster. They are 5 months old. Very beautiful. if anybody knows anyone looking for a rooster let me know I'm giving them away. My husband wants to eat them but I just can't do that to my boys.
this in noodle he doesn't have a tail as of yet. But he's really tame doesn't mind being held. He's breeding the hens already. He's a little rough sometimes. but he just started breeding them in the last 2 weeks.
this is meatball he's friendly doesn't like to held like noodle. He hasn't bred any of the hens that I know of. He's really pretty these pictures were taken a month ago so they are both bigger. His tail feathers have grown a lot since these pictures
I know we're all bracing ourselves for the next few days of extreme heat. I'm just glad it's not going to be over 105. One of my 9 week BR's was missing from the small run inside the big run last night at roosting time. I found her butt sticking out from under a BO's wing and she slept there all night between the big girls. I said, "Good for you, girl!" Maybe the integration is beginning to take hold.
- May 3, 2015
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The saving grace right now is that it's still cooling at night. The wind is still pushing a breeze too. I've been keeping the tractor pulled under the trees and dumping buckets of water on one end for them to sit in. We've been eating a lot of fresh vegetables so the ends and leftovers go into the fridge for cool snacks.
That would be so cute ... I have never had a hen go broody (is she broody to do that?). I also never seem to have my phone camera ready when they do the cutest things. Our hen that was so possessive of the rooster has 2 gashes (one one each side under her wings) that we just noticed. We cleaned them as best we could and sprayed her with vetricin, then blue kote and put her back in with the other 2 hens. The hens are leaving her alone and she is just so much happier to be with them. The rooster is now isolated in the short run and we are going to have to research cutting his spurs before he will be able to go back in with them. Of course the hen is going to have to heal first too.
Congrats on your integration going so well ... seems like it won't be a long process for you.
Several ways to shorten those spurs!
1) use the band saw or dremel cutter about 3/4 of an inch from the leg. Then file the cut edge to dull the cut. This makes a nice rounded stump..
2) use wire cutters to crimp the spur about 3/4 inch out from the leg. Then twist off the end of the spur with pliers. The spur should come off in one piece leaving the "nail" intact. Trim the end with a pair of nippers and file if necessary. This can sometimes draw a little blood. Stop bleed does a good job. or you can use talc or flour.
3) cut the tip off with your nipper then file.. This will leave a longer spur that will need attention more often.
Put an apron on your hen if you don't cut the spurs.
I need to research a technique for despurring roosters similar to debudding a goat's horns....that is done by burning off the horn bud. I wonder if something like that would work on our roosters. We used to dehorn our calves until we started using a polled bull. Of course...that might be too stressful for those young cockerels.
1) use the band saw or dremel cutter about 3/4 of an inch from the leg. Then file the cut edge to dull the cut. This makes a nice rounded stump..
2) use wire cutters to crimp the spur about 3/4 inch out from the leg. Then twist off the end of the spur with pliers. The spur should come off in one piece leaving the "nail" intact. Trim the end with a pair of nippers and file if necessary. This can sometimes draw a little blood. Stop bleed does a good job. or you can use talc or flour.
3) cut the tip off with your nipper then file.. This will leave a longer spur that will need attention more often.
Put an apron on your hen if you don't cut the spurs.
I need to research a technique for despurring roosters similar to debudding a goat's horns....that is done by burning off the horn bud. I wonder if something like that would work on our roosters. We used to dehorn our calves until we started using a polled bull. Of course...that might be too stressful for those young cockerels.
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@Kassaundra. Have you been curing your rabbit skins when you butcher?
I'm working on a deer hide...fur on...for my SIL. I found a great book on Amazon that has instructions for rabbit fur skins. Let me know if you are interested and I'll send you a copy of the instructions.
In the hobbies section, I posted pictures of the progress on the deer hide. Here is one photo of the hide after fleshing, salting, relaxing and degreasing. It is now in the pickle stage.
We are back to watering in the garden since the soil is dust dry from lack of rain.....my rain dance didn't work for us....
The blackberries have so far produced 5 gallons of juice and another 15 gallons of frozen berries. We may get one more picking from the looks of the vines. Without rain, they will begin to go dormant until fall.
No I haven't, I tried doing them but it is to hard on my hands / wrists and the quality wasn't worth it.
@limited25 No, no broody hens. They haven't yet laid an egg. The big girls are 18 weeks now, give or take. I think the little BR waited until they were to sleepy to fight. She didn't get to do it again last night because they pecked her off the roost. I'm sorry to hear you have an injured hen, poor girl. Hopefully the despurring will help, as will the isolation. I worry about injuries all the time. One of the reasons I haven't committed to getting a roo yet.
I just posted a query in the chicken emergency section...for lack of a better option....about despurring a rooster permanently.....will see if we get good responses or I get covered in mud.
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