Peeps in Europe!

[LaFleche]

I am trying! I have adds on ebay kleinanzeigen and deine Tierwelt... I posted on Instagram and facebook on my own page. Not one response this year! I was able to sell 2 the other day to a person who had asked about hens and a rooster a few months ago... and he dicided to take 2. There are so many roosters for sale out there at the moment... nobody wants them.

Unfortunately very true!

It seems that a lot of people gave up chicken keeping, as they do not have the facilities for prolonged "flockdows" which again are to be expected within a few months.

 

[abpatchy]

Unfortunately very true!

It seems that a lot of people gave up chicken keeping, as they do not have the facilities for prolonged "flockdows" which again are to be expected within a few months.

exactly! And it seems to be a rooster year. I know so many breeders that complain that they got a lot of roosters this year. So many people hatched chicks because they are sooooo cute... but once that cute little chick turns into an annoying young rooster and they don't want to butcher... the market is flooded.
I was very lucky that mine didn't have to be locked up this spring. But I expect as well that there will be more lockdowns in fall. I am happy I have my rooster pens. They give me extra space just in case.

 

[BDutch]

And I am supposed to send greetings from PapaJohn... he is still dealing with recovery.
Not fun! Hope he's doing better soon.

Hope so too. He must have made an awful fall. It takes does take ages to heal. I really feel sorry for him. Send him my virtual love and regards.

 

[BDutch]

We are still in ‘flockdown’ in the Netherlands because there was another contaminated farm (I believe with ducks or geese) .
In the mean time a lot of BYC keepers just don’t follow the rules anymore. (Me too)

IMho it’s quit unhealthy to keep all the chickens locked up in cages or small runs. And I don’t want my girls to get sick of an unhealthy environment.

I had a beautiful soil in the run last autumn, but bc I had to lock them in it got spoiled. And I believe its not a good soil anymore. I am working on it to improve it again (adding compost) and let my girls free range a few hours every day again.

 

[LaFleche]

IMho it’s quit unhealthy to keep all the chickens locked up in cages or small runs. And I don’t want my girls to get sick of an unhealthy environment.

Yes.

If keeping birds locked up would prevent avian flu, why does it always start in these closely confined industrial coops?

 

[abpatchy]

Yes.

If keeping birds locked up would prevent avian flu, why does it always start in these closed confined industrial coops?

That is so true! Yes there are some wild birds that died of it. I don't know the numbers but there sure have been more animals culled due to an outbreak in one of those large industrial farms.

 

[BDutch]

In the North of the Netherlands they found a lot of dead waterfowl near the lakes. The bird flu comes with the wild fowl and spreads over the country. They suspect that even rats can bring the bird flu in to the accomodation of the birds.
When a large farm is infected the veterinary ‘service’ kills all the livestock. Of course domesticated fowl are kept in much larger numbers.

edit: flu (not flew)

 

[LoreWalker]

We got a new Brahma rooster yesterday. He's 1 year old and his name is Duts. (The previous owner drove THREE HOURS from Belgium because he really wanted Duts to go to a good home) He is a very handsome fellow, and immediately took to our hens... Very protective, too, we'll have to teach him to not attack us, though all he does so far is jump up against our legs once, and walk off if that proves unsuccesful at scaring us off. I'm sure he'll settle once he learns that we're just as fond and protective of his hens as we are. Worked with the previous rooster we adopted, anyway!

As for locking up the birds for bird flu... We stopped doing that too. They're a lot happier and laying better now that they get to go outside at least every other day. (We keep em inside when we're not home, as we live in the middle of a forest with plenty of predators). I'd rather have happy chickens, and it's been going on way too long now. I wish there was an easy and affordable way to get them vaccinated!

 

[BDutch]

We got a new Brahma rooster yesterday. He's 1 year old and his name is Duts. (The previous owner drove THREE HOURS from Belgium because he really wanted Duts to go to a good home) He is a very handsome fellow, and immediately took to our hens... Very protective, too, we'll have to teach him to not attack us, though all he does so far is jump off once and walk off if that proves unsuccesful at scaring us off. I'm sure he'll settle once he learns that we're just as fond and protective of his hens as we are. Worked with the previous toosyer we adopted, anyway!View attachment 2703033

As for locking up the birds for bird flu... We stopped doing that too. They're a lot happier and laying better now that they get to go outside at least every other day. (We keep em inside when we're not home, as we live in the middle of a forest with plenty of predators)

Pretty boy! I do hope you can tame him. Some roosters are too protective and therefore quit impossible to handle and even can be a threat for children.
But I have been reading that Brahma’s are quit docile compared to many other breeds. I can’t give you any good advice on this.

I did learn a few years ago that it works to catch the rooster and press him on the floor in a hold for about 30 seconds. You have to do that for a few days in a row. This worked for me with my first cockerel. But only temporary and he had to go anyway because he was too loud early in the morning. Later I read that this is not a good method to build his character. There is an article about rooster behaviour within the articles on BYC.

 

[abpatchy]

We got a new Brahma rooster yesterday. He's 1 year old and his name is Duts. (The previous owner drove THREE HOURS from Belgium because he really wanted Duts to go to a good home) He is a very handsome fellow, and immediately took to our hens... Very protective, too, we'll have to teach him to not attack us, though all he does so far is jump up against our legs once, and walk off if that proves unsuccesful at scaring us off. I'm sure he'll settle once he learns that we're just as fond and protective of his hens as we are. Worked with the previous rooster we adopted, anyway!View attachment 2703033

As for locking up the birds for bird flu... We stopped doing that too. They're a lot happier and laying better now that they get to go outside at least every other day. (We keep em inside when we're not home, as we live in the middle of a forest with plenty of predators). I'd rather have happy chickens, and it's been going on way too long now. I wish there was an easy and affordable way to get them vaccinated!

He is very pretty!! I do hope you can teach him. Did he show this behavior with his previous owner as well?
I think Brahma are absolutely stunning.