Peeps in Europe!

[abpatchy]

Too many roosters is often a problem. If you ever loose one, you often can get a new one for free of little through the internet. Unless he’s a champion of course.

Just an idea to save money: buy a second hand playhouse and adjust it.

The calculator looks okay, but isn’t optimized for a phone. I won't use it bc I don’t use medicines for my chickens.

That is strange, it worked on my phone just fine.
Well, I would buy a playhouse if I needed just one. But I am building 4 rooster boxes as they are called... they are basically just small coops with a small run for the rooster. So do it yourself is the best and cheapest option.
By the way... all is well again in the rooster run. Seems like they just put him in his place.
I was told if I were to remove the one rooster they are picking on, then more or likely they will just find another rooster to pick on. Makes sense. Also butchering at the moment wouldn't be a good idea for the same reasons... there will be more fighting for the pecking order. So it will stay that way.
I know I can get roosters... it's just breeding for show works a little different. You need your top animals where you know the gens that are in play... not just any good looking rooster. I have learned so much in the last year... I always just thought... just about any bird will do and you work with it . Oh boy! Was I wrong! I am planing on keeping 3-4 roosters... for different breeding groups and a back up just in case . I pretty much have them picked already... but we are still talking month until the first show. Things can happen til then.

 

[Erba]

it's just breeding for show works a little different.

So I'm back online and my telephone is working again too. It's no fun using a mobile phone keyboard all the time. Long story how that happened, that I won't go in to here, Just a warning, if you ever want to just cancel one package with Telekom...in my case Magenta TV. You should always say JUST that one packet. So you get the gist of what happened to me.

Breeding chickens for shows is a hugely different ball game to just crossing your own and hoping for the best. There is a reason all the bred chickens have a standard and that differs from country to country. What the UK demands a Sussex to look like, a German Sussex would not make the cut. etc. Dog breeding is similar... You either want to breed to show, or you don''t. Most people are happy not to, like me. I admire abpatchy for taking up the baton and breeding her chickens to the Standard here in Germany. It is a task I don't have the time for nor the facilities, and I'm not a person who warms to Verein life, aka Chicken breeders club life with all that entails. I do enjoy a chicken show and the fruits of the breeders, even if I don't understand the judging, even for my breed..lol

 

[BDutch]

Wonderfull post Erba.
If I ever breed, it’s just for nice and healthy chickens. Mixing genes from time to time is a good thing to do for a healthy flock.

I would like it though if there was a breeder somewhere that was breeding chickens with roosters that don’t give the alarm . It would be great to have a bantam rooster that doesn’t wake me and the neighbourhood up every morning at sunrise .

 

[abpatchy]

Wonderfull post Erba.
If I ever breed, it’s just for nice and healthy chickens. Mixing genes from time to time is a good thing to do for a healthy flock.

I would like it though if there was a breeder somewhere that was breeding chickens with roosters that don’t give the alarm . It would be great to have a bantam rooster that doesn’t wake me and the neighbourhood up every morning at sunrise .

you'd be a millionaire!!!! Everybody wants roosters like that!!!

 

[Erba]

Wonderfull post Erba.
If I ever breed, it’s just for nice and healthy chickens. Mixing genes from time to time is a good thing to do for a healthy flock.

I would like it though if there was a breeder somewhere that was breeding chickens with roosters that don’t give the alarm . It would be great to have a bantam rooster that doesn’t wake me and the neighbourhood up every morning at sunrise .

Ha ha, good luck with that. There are bantam roosters that don't/can't crow so loud. I know because my neighbours have a very pretty fellow and he sounds like he needs a bit of oiling, but try as he might he can not crow as loud as my roosters, and I sense a sound of frustration when he tries to crow louder...lol So bantam roosters are definitely quieter crowers. I can't hear him unless I step outside. So Bantam is definitely the way to go if you cherish you morning sleep. I have actually become immune to my roosters crowing in the morning, so I sleep like a log until the real wake up alarm goes off. But I have had at least one rooster here from the beginning of my chicken escapade. And before that it was my friends roosters down in the valley going off at all hours and the rest of the village roosters , and there a many roosters here.

 

[abpatchy]

Ha ha, good luck with that. There are bantam roosters that don't/can't crow so loud. I know because my neighbours have a very pretty fellow and he sounds like he needs a bit of oiling, but try as he might he can not crow as loud as my roosters, and I sense a sound of frustration when he tries to crow louder...lol So bantam roosters are definitely quieter crowers. I can't hear him unless I step outside. So Bantam is definitely the way to go if you cherish you morning sleep. I have actually become immune to my roosters crowing in the morning, so I sleep like a log until the real wake up alarm goes off. But I have had at least one rooster here from the beginning of my chicken escapade. And before that it was my friends roosters down in the valley going off at all hours and the rest of the village roosters , and there a many roosters here.

Bantams quiet? I cannot sign that. Remember when I first joined this thread and I was still sharing the coop with a guy. This guy has little bantams... I believe they are called Rosecomb? In German they are just called "Bantam".. they come in different colors. That one rooster crowed... and he crowed a lot! I mean a lot! And when he did, especially when it was inside the coop, ouch!! The sound went in both ears and met crashing in the middle of your brain. I was so happy when he was gone!!! This little guy would wake you up in the morning faster than my big Sulmtaler will... I promise you that!!!

 

[Erba]

Yes Bantams are screechy, and the pitch, like you experienced is higher, but not louder than a the average full size rooster. My Light Sussex roosters have a lower tenor like tone crow, that is more appealing to human ears, than the Sussex mix rooster I have here. He has a higher pitch crow. But alas, he is on the list of roosters that I wouldn't want again. So his time is coming to an end here. But bless his soul, he is by far the best with the ladies. Always puts them first, so maybe within my present brood, his good traits will live on.

 

[abpatchy]

Yes Bantams are screechy, and the pitch, like you experienced is higher, but not louder than a the average full size rooster. My Light Sussex roosters have a lower tenor like tone crow, that is more appealing to human ears, than the Sussex mix rooster I have here. He has a higher pitch crow. But alas, he is on the list of roosters that I wouldn't want again. So his time is coming to an end here. But bless his soul, he is by far the best with the ladies. Always puts them first, so maybe within my present brood, his good traits will live on.

Screechy it was... but for such a little guy pretty loud. I have heard enough bantams and they are just cute... so I understand what you are talking about.... but this little thing. He was evil! This little thing even attacked humans. He was everything you don't want in a rooster.

My rooster tried to attack him one time.. he was so lucky there was chicken wire between the stalls. He had this OMG look on his face...I guess he didn't expected to be attacked. But once he recooperated he was back to his old annoying self. I mean imagine this little 600g rooster... and my almost 4kg rooster.. just a little size difference.

 

[Erba]

That sounds like you came face to face with the first Bantam sent from hell! I really don't like smallish chickens on the whole, just the idea of of a "Zwerg-Sussex" makes me shudder and I wonder, why on earth would you want something like that and what is the point of breeding it.. But maybe thats just me.... Seems pointless for me to breed a chicken with tiny eggs and little meat, and then call it a Sussex.

 

[abpatchy]

I know exactly what you mean!! Bantam from hell... that sounds about right!!!

Well, I guess some people like to have small chickens because of space.
Breeders is another story. When you breed large birds you need lots of space for all the chicks. Bantams need less space... so you can breed more chicks... have more chicks to choose from... better chance of getting better birds (according to the standard of perfection)... they eat less.

Most of the breeders who have small birds don't use the meat... some don't even bother with the eggs... they really just breeding for breeding's sake.
It's a shame in my opinion...