Well I've learned a lot about flock management the past two weeks. I have about 4 years of solid experience, broken up into periods of when I could have chickens. Not counting my childhood though. This is the first time in my adult life that I've had chickens for eggs only, not selective breeding, not bantams, but full size laying hens. They're so weird! Laying while they sleep, no egg song... finally saw one actually making a nest... but it was the Cochin Bantam... a breed I'm used to.
Got the coop mostly done, run is done just needs a roof. 6 eggs are still developing in the 'bator on day 14... still have the knack for that apparently. I set 7.
Buuuuuuut. The two young birds. I got scammed on them. As soon as I got them home, I knew something was wrong with the Splash Maran. The white one sprouted 2 rooster tail feathers from no where and tried the most pathetic screeching crow I have ever heard.
The splash can't walk right. I've sat with her (him...???? Bickers with the white one like it's a boy!) long enough now to pin down what I think the issue is, and it's not good. There is something really wrong with the legs and a wing. It can walk 5 steps, and not normal steps. It does nothing but roost, eat, roost, eat. I have it separated from the big girls because they're mean. The white roo, it's buddy, is starting to get rough. I have nothing else to do with it, and no one is going to take her from me... unless I do what the other person did, and have it ready to go in a tiny cage, handed off into another tiny cage, no issues apparent until it's in a much larger space. And that's just wrong.
I put an add out for the white Roo to see if someone wants him. But... the splash.... I think it's a cull. There's no way for it to ever live a normal life. The others can tell there's something wrong with it and they're mean to it. You know how when you first let them out, and they dart around and hop in the air happy to be out? This one tries it, stumbles, and just really struggles to get around. But the spirits are high, eating and drinking is normal, shows no pain when I hold it and manipulate all the limbs... there's a developmental issue in the structure. It can support itself on either leg individually.
I feel so torn! She/He/It can live. But not a normal life. Should I cull it? When/if the white roo finds a home, the splash won't have a buddy any longer. It's gotten too mean to be babied with the new hatch coming in a week.... all from learning to defend itself. But it's so stupidly trusting of me. When I have it out and about, it sits with me, wants to roost with me. If another bird comes near it, it gimps towards me for protection.
But yesterday.... it had a death grip on the white one's throat. I put them into the new run, and they started fighting. Awful! I grabbed the white one... usually so flighty I can't get near it... it was so involved I just reached down and got him. If the splash was a she, she wouldn't have done that, in my experience.
So if splash is a boy... that seals the fate right there. No sense in a gimped up rooster. Not much sense in a gimped up hen either. I can't go through the expense of xrays and what not to see what is wrong.
I'm giving myself a week to think on it. And a week on the white roo to find a home. But I'm pretty sure I'll be culling both next weekend. It's been years since I've had to do it, and never for this reason. Mean roosters I've dealt with 3 times. But on this half grown bird... it would be a mercy for it I think.
Or should I drive an hour out to where I got them and drop them off while lacing into dude for scamming me like that? I went out there for 2, came back with 6, as many as I could get because of the conditions. Won't go into more detail on that. But the 2 young ones I made off with... now I'm in the cull boat. The other 4 are doing great, feathers are growing back, they're healthy and happy and putting on weight. Eggs are starting to come in regularly.
What's your take?
Got the coop mostly done, run is done just needs a roof. 6 eggs are still developing in the 'bator on day 14... still have the knack for that apparently. I set 7.
Buuuuuuut. The two young birds. I got scammed on them. As soon as I got them home, I knew something was wrong with the Splash Maran. The white one sprouted 2 rooster tail feathers from no where and tried the most pathetic screeching crow I have ever heard.
The splash can't walk right. I've sat with her (him...???? Bickers with the white one like it's a boy!) long enough now to pin down what I think the issue is, and it's not good. There is something really wrong with the legs and a wing. It can walk 5 steps, and not normal steps. It does nothing but roost, eat, roost, eat. I have it separated from the big girls because they're mean. The white roo, it's buddy, is starting to get rough. I have nothing else to do with it, and no one is going to take her from me... unless I do what the other person did, and have it ready to go in a tiny cage, handed off into another tiny cage, no issues apparent until it's in a much larger space. And that's just wrong.
I put an add out for the white Roo to see if someone wants him. But... the splash.... I think it's a cull. There's no way for it to ever live a normal life. The others can tell there's something wrong with it and they're mean to it. You know how when you first let them out, and they dart around and hop in the air happy to be out? This one tries it, stumbles, and just really struggles to get around. But the spirits are high, eating and drinking is normal, shows no pain when I hold it and manipulate all the limbs... there's a developmental issue in the structure. It can support itself on either leg individually.
I feel so torn! She/He/It can live. But not a normal life. Should I cull it? When/if the white roo finds a home, the splash won't have a buddy any longer. It's gotten too mean to be babied with the new hatch coming in a week.... all from learning to defend itself. But it's so stupidly trusting of me. When I have it out and about, it sits with me, wants to roost with me. If another bird comes near it, it gimps towards me for protection.
But yesterday.... it had a death grip on the white one's throat. I put them into the new run, and they started fighting. Awful! I grabbed the white one... usually so flighty I can't get near it... it was so involved I just reached down and got him. If the splash was a she, she wouldn't have done that, in my experience.
So if splash is a boy... that seals the fate right there. No sense in a gimped up rooster. Not much sense in a gimped up hen either. I can't go through the expense of xrays and what not to see what is wrong.
I'm giving myself a week to think on it. And a week on the white roo to find a home. But I'm pretty sure I'll be culling both next weekend. It's been years since I've had to do it, and never for this reason. Mean roosters I've dealt with 3 times. But on this half grown bird... it would be a mercy for it I think.
Or should I drive an hour out to where I got them and drop them off while lacing into dude for scamming me like that? I went out there for 2, came back with 6, as many as I could get because of the conditions. Won't go into more detail on that. But the 2 young ones I made off with... now I'm in the cull boat. The other 4 are doing great, feathers are growing back, they're healthy and happy and putting on weight. Eggs are starting to come in regularly.
What's your take?
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