***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Ksane]

Ok dumb question time: Is it normal for typically docile roosters to attack you? Our Buff Orphington rooster has been the model of laid back. He and his gal are in our "big kid" pen (where we keep older chicks until they start laying or crowing). He is so good with the babies you would think he hatched them himself. Never given me a lick of trouble ever. He even lets me pet him. But this morning I went out to feed chicks before church and he pecked at my shoe then tried to fly up in my face three times. I finally hit him with the pan I had in my hand because he was getting to close to my face for comfort. Now is this typical? I am going to put him and his girlfriend in a coop by themselves and see if this helps. But I will not be letting the kids feed or water in that coop until I figure out if this is just his true nature coming out or if he is just feeling frisky because it is spring.
Cathie

From what I've read it's real typical when they reach sexual maturity. I expect it any day now with some of mine. From what I keep reading the majority will settle down once their hormones calm down a bit. I would think putting him in with his own girl would be the thing to do. To protect the chicks.

Now my Cochins are my special babies lol! I have my 7 mo old dark gray boy but I don't have a black. I had a black pullet I got from Carl and lost her. I looove the blacks! With the green and purple shine on their feathers? Dang, they're pretty! If I didn't know better I'd say you were enabling......

 

[nocityboy]

Ok dumb question time: Is it normal for typically docile roosters to attack you? Our Buff Orphington rooster has been the model of laid back. He and his gal are in our "big kid" pen (where we keep older chicks until they start laying or crowing). He is so good with the babies you would think he hatched them himself. Never given me a lick of trouble ever. He even lets me pet him. But this morning I went out to feed chicks before church and he pecked at my shoe then tried to fly up in my face three times. I finally hit him with the pan I had in my hand because he was getting to close to my face for comfort. Now is this typical? I am going to put him and his girlfriend in a coop by themselves and see if this helps. But I will not be letting the kids feed or water in that coop until I figure out if this is just his true nature coming out or if he is just feeling frisky because it is spring.

Cathie

Hopefully as long as you have established dominance over him it will not happen again. You are part of the pecking order and he needs to know you are the boss. With mine, I don't walk around them when i'm in the pen, I walk towards them and they move out of my way. small things like that lets them know who's boss

 

[Ksane]

Alright. I counted on my husband to put his foot down and tell me 'no more eggs' and he failed to do his job. All I got out of him is "well, those are pretty'.
So unless someone stops me I'm going to try for the Dark Brahma and the Lavender Ameraucana eggs. I'll just have to force myself to put the Lavender boys on Craigslist, because I really really want the girls.

 

[nocityboy]

Ksane, That is a beautiful Blue cockerel

, and me enable, i wouldn't think of doing that.

I passed on getting the Lt Brahma's in the add I posted about last night. Advertised as SQ but their mother has been shown but not the trio.

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

We really are neighbors then, I live halfway between Lex and Waynette just north of 39.

Ok dumb question time: Is it normal for typically docile roosters to attack you? Our Buff Orphington rooster has been the model of laid back. He and his gal are in our "big kid" pen (where we keep older chicks until they start laying or crowing). He is so good with the babies you would think he hatched them himself. Never given me a lick of trouble ever. He even lets me pet him. But this morning I went out to feed chicks before church and he pecked at my shoe then tried to fly up in my face three times. I finally hit him with the pan I had in my hand because he was getting to close to my face for comfort. Now is this typical? I am going to put him and his girlfriend in a coop by themselves and see if this helps. But I will not be letting the kids feed or water in that coop until I figure out if this is just his true nature coming out or if he is just feeling frisky because it is spring.

Cathie

My big BO roo is really gentle but sometimes when I pick up one of his girls and she wasn't happy about it he comes to protect her, he hasn't ever tried to flog me but you can tell if he felt he needed to to protect the hens he probably would, I've only had one roo that flogged me like that and I took him back to the sale where I got him and did tell the buyer that he shouldn't turn his back on it LOL

 

[okracefan]

Ksane, That is a beautiful Blue cockerel

, and me enable, i wouldn't think of doing that.

I passed on getting the Lt Brahma's in the add I posted about last night. Advertised as SQ but their mother has been shown but not the trio.

Pickey, pickey, pickey........where was this add? you know me, cannot pass up a good deal on feathered legged birds.

 

[Kassaundra]

For those that are making their own laudry soap I have a cool helpful hint to pass on. I started making the liquid, but last time switched to powdered and love it will never make the liquid again. However the most tedious obnoxious part is shredding the bar of fels naptha so I saw this hint online and tried it today it worked very well and was cool to watch.


bar of fels naptha on a microwave safe surface (pan lid in this case)


same bar after 90 seconds in the microwave. It is very crumbly and can easily be crumbled w/ your bare fingers. Next time I think I'll cut the bar into a couple of pieces and shorten the cooking time to 60 ish seconds


taken directly off the lid and whizzed for less then 30 seconds.

It works perfectly, makes the house smell good, and is "volcanic" to watch young children will get a kick out of it (or even grown men since there's not a lot of difference) yes that comment was aimed at you, you KNOW who you are!!!!!!

 

[bfrancis]

Well, we have survived our initial NPIP testing..all birds are healthy!

Chickens weren't too bad, only had one bantam hen get away and after several minutes she was reunited, our single tom turkey was interesting...catching and putting him on his back on the ground to do the test, he was way too big to hold, lol. Peafowl survived all the handling, not one of the train feathers got broke and only one hen lost a couple flight feathers...note to self: Self, next time holding the cocks wear gloves! Those dudes have got some super sharp spurs!...The quail were the most unique, the coturnix didn't mind the handling so much...but the new world quail are NOT a touchy-feely bird...but glad it's all done...until next year, or additions.


Thanks again to Maribeth! We do appreciate your mentorship through this process...and yes, I did sign up for the class in April

For fun, here are pictures of the peafowl from last week to get an idea of what we had to deal with:

 

[upcdayz]

Well, we have survived our initial NPIP testing..all birds are healthy!

Chickens weren't too bad, only had one bantam hen get away and after several minutes she was reunited, our single tom turkey was interesting...catching and putting him on his back on the ground to do the test, he was way too big to hold, lol. Peafowl survived all the handling, not one of the train feathers got broke and only one hen lost a couple flight feathers...note to self: Self, next time holding the cocks wear gloves! Those dudes have got some super sharp spurs!...The quail were the most unique, the coturnix didn't mind the handling so much...but the new world quail are NOT a touchy-feely bird...but glad it's all done...until next year, or additions.


Thanks again to Maribeth! We do appreciate your mentorship through this process...and yes, I did sign up for the class in April

For fun, here are pictures of the peafowl from last week to get an idea of what we had to deal with:

Congratulations on your certification! That is really neat! Glad your birds didn't put up too much of a fight for their testing. The peacocks are beautiful.

 

[jcatblum]

Love the pretty peacock photos. I never get tired of watching my boy fan his tail.

Kass I always grate soap in my food processor. Speedy fast with no issue. I haven't made soap in FOREVER. I am still using my stash from couponing that I purchased over 2 yrs ago. When I run out of ALL that I of 50c a bottle for I will consider making soap again.

Last night I mapped out my garden again. Ground work has been started so I am trying to make sure I have a good crop rotation plan before starting my first large garden here.

DH is talking about fencing off 2 acres for the goats to have to free range. I let them out of their pens during the days & they have now fallen in love with dancing on the car. The paint job on the car is worth more to us than the goats having free roam on the farm.

Looks like we have a chance of rain & some beautiful weather coming this wk! I plan on making the most of the nice weather & Putting potatoes & onions in the ground & maybe a few other things.