Overwhelmed with worry and the "advice" of a poultry-raising friend, need HELP !

[Phoenixwmn]

Hi again ! I am so tickled to be having this conversation !! I am getting the white Bresse, their color knocked me out, and although the French are very proud of their color being that of the French flag, it is also the colors of OUR flag !! I think that's what did it for me~
Plus, I saw photos of the white ones more than any other color, so I got a crush on the white ones. I am an artist and even painted them.
I just heard from the breeder my babies are hatched and doing quite well, so I'm jazzed !! As for training them to dance or jump, LOL I may well just have to do that, some people assume chickens are fairly useless aside from their utility, so I'd love to illustrate that's just not true.

 

[Odelia]

Hi again ! I am so tickled to be having this conversation !! I am getting the white Bresse, their color knocked me out, and although the French are very proud of their color being that of the French flag, it is also the colors of OUR flag !! I think that's what did it for me~
Plus, I saw photos of the white ones more than any other color, so I got a crush on the white ones. I am an artist and even painted them.
I just heard from the breeder my babies are hatched and doing quite well, so I'm jazzed !! As for training them to dance or jump, LOL I may well just have to do that, some people assume chickens are fairly useless aside from their utility, so I'd love to illustrate that's just not true.

I love your painting. Where do you sell your work?

 

[amenfarm]

"The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs", I disagree slightly with this statement. Roosters are also good for protecting their flock -often to their demise, altering the flock to take cover, and finding food for his girls. At the moment I choose not to have a rooster, I have a very loud donkey and I'm trying not to disturb my neighbors too much, I will change that as my flock will be free ranging when we re-fence where the barb wire is now. There is a very good thread about socializing chicks on site, read abit about chick boredom will be helpful also. Good luck and post some pic when you get your chicks. I love, adore your painting!!

 

[Odelia]

Hi again ! I am so tickled to be having this conversation !! I am getting the white Bresse, their color knocked me out, and although the French are very proud of their color being that of the French flag, it is also the colors of OUR flag !! I think that's what did it for me~
Plus, I saw photos of the white ones more than any other color, so I got a crush on the white ones. I am an artist and even painted them.
I just heard from the breeder my babies are hatched and doing quite well, so I'm jazzed !! As for training them to dance or jump, LOL I may well just have to do that, some people assume chickens are fairly useless aside from their utility, so I'd love to illustrate that's just not true.

The Blues are a newer import so there aren't many photo's out there yet. I believe that this is the first year they were released for sale. I really like the Blue Isbars, but want a dual purpose bird so the blue Bresse seemed like the obvious choice. So yours have hatched how many are you starting with? When do they come home? Congratulations on your new birds.

 

[AStitchofKate]

Aww!! First!

Sounds like your friend has little experience with this.

lol I grew up with chickens and we had a Rooster named Rusty, and he was the sweetest roo ever! He loved being carried around and was very gentle with the chickens. I think its all about how much you put into them. And I have read a lot that there is a lot of time to bond with the chicks, so that first week or so its best to not handle them other than for bum washing or food and watering cause it can cause them undo stress and such. But you can go in and sit with them, just rest your hand in the brooder let them check it out, stand in it, ect. Then add treats and just let them become familiar with you and get comfortable with your presence. I also wanted to say, lets say you got a fluke roo that is temperamental, there is ways to teach and work with a rooster like this. Actually, I remember growing up my mother tried so many different things to work with this mean chicken we had. She came at me one day and scratched up my face, my mother told an old neighbor lady and she said "Honey, you get a broom and you beat that bird, I promise you, she will never come at your baby again." So, my mother went out and sure enough that chicken came at her and she swatted her twice. And she never messed with us like that ever again. LOL Im not encouraging beating a chicken, I'm just saying, chickens and roosters CAN be taught differently. But like I said, its all about the time we put into them from the start! So! No worrying! You are reading up and such, so you will be more than prepared to help your birds all you can!

 

[Spangled]

I don't bring my grown girls indoors.

Heh, heh. Neither do we after that first batch that first spring. Lucky for us ... chickens prefer the out of doors.

That dancing chicken was interesting.

The dance, of course, is just the scratch instinct/behavior that chickens do ... where they scratch the grass and then look down and peck the earth. That dancing chicken, though, would only scratch, then look down and never pecked the ground. How do you get a chicken to do that? It's a natural behavior, but so unnatural to not perform the pecking of the ground portion.

 

[Phoenixwmn]

LOVE the video !!!!

I really, REALLY appreciate everyone's input here !! My friend, who as I mentioned before has no rooster, just keeps digging at me about how sorry I'm going to be, I'm at the point of telling her to shut up, which really isn't my way but I'm fed up with the doom-and-gloom-Rooster-horror-stories. RidgeRunner, your post is very informative and I am grateful for the time you invested in educating me, thank you so much~

I am sure this won't be my last question, the books and articles only go so far, so I am happy to be part of a community where members take sharing information seriously.
Thank you all ( bowing in a deep curtsy~)

 

[Phoenixwmn]

THNAK YOU soooooo much, AmenFarm !!!

 

[Phoenixwmn]

Hi again Odelia~

I am getting that pair of white Bresse, and then plan to get one French Black Copper Marans pullet and a Buff Orpington pullet. I would prefer a Silver Sussex, but can't find anyone who has them right now that will sell small numbers. My babies should arrive last of March, early April. I am starting small and want to carefully control the Bresse's breeding…..I want to get a handle for their feeding techniques ( when you grow them for meat) etc, which are very different from other chickens. They metabolize their feed differently from other chickens from all I've read, which lends to the unique flavor of their meat. My breeding pair will not be for meat, but somewhere down the line as I get more adept & experienced, I will breed for chicks & for meat. The other two hens will be just for eggs.

 

[Odelia]

Here is a good article about socializing your new chicks. How old are they going to be when you receive them? Why did you decide on a pair and not a breeding trio? I always see them being sold as breeding trio's. I haven't breed chickens yet though I am also getting birds for breeding this spring.



https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-socialize-baby-chickens