Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[LittleMissPurdy]

Sooo..... My new chickens were allowed to be integrated with my other four girls yesterday. Right away they were asserting themselves and chasing my original girls away. A few times thy have gotten fierce enough that they pulled feathers out. The two girls seems to be spending a lot of time by themselves. I know chickens tend to go in pairs, but will they eventually chill out? Again they are free ranging so they have opportunities to get away from each other. Why can't we all just get along?

hahaha..why?..hahaha, sorry, I lost my crazy 8-ball a longgg time ago!

....
Same thing happened here when I introduced the newest 3 , (2-BLR & 1 BlackLR) , to the existing 3...the newbies were the ones to go offensive first, but things quieted down after a couple days..they didn't go as crazy on each other as we have read some do..thank goodness.
They should be just fine after a bit...they just need time to work out the new pecking order. Things shouldn't be too bad, if it does seem to be getting out of order, then intervention maybe in order..but it doesn't sound like you are having that issue right now.Good luck with your integrated flock!!

 

[sharron]

I got a pip under my broody!!!

 

[sharron]

thanks danielle, going to try the salad, altho will have to use store bought tomato's and cheese, my tomato's are still green yet but are coming along, that is if the groundhog doesn't eat them before i get a chance to get rid of them, yes, there two out there this year, two young ones, so bill is going hunting, too bad i don't know how to cook them lol

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

thanks danielle, going to try the salad, altho will have to use store bought tomato's and cheese, my tomato's are still green yet but are coming along, that is if the groundhog doesn't eat them before i get a chance to get rid of them, yes, there two out there this year, two young ones, so bill is going hunting, too bad i don't know how to cook them lol

Use a slow cooker for pretty much 24 hours and lots of tomato sauce/vinegar... (I found this out when I held DH to the "if you're going to shoot it then we are going to eat it" motto...) and needless to say I haven't cooked one since!!

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Use a slow cooker for pretty much 24 hours and lots of tomato sauce/vinegar... (I found this out when I held DH to the "if you're going to shoot it then we are going to eat it" motto...) and needless to say I haven't cooked one since!!

...have heard that a couple times !!! hahaha, I think "earthpig" is definitely an acquired taste...hahaha, Have never tried it myself, doesn't sound like I missed too much...

thanks danielle, going to try the salad, altho will have to use store bought tomato's and cheese, my tomato's are still green yet but are coming along, that is if the groundhog doesn't eat them before i get a chance to get rid of them, yes, there two out there this year, two young ones, so bill is going hunting, too bad i don't know how to cook them lol

our tomatoes are still green too. Taking forever!! hahaha....we are having enough issues with the birds around here getting into the berries..don't need a ground hog too!! Have finally gotten all the berries covered with netting, that otta-fix'em! We tried our first two homegrown blueberries!! wowsers!! Can't wait for more..hahaha, and the blackberries are starting to ripen now.

Have heard a lot of different ways to "cook" ground hog, but no-one ever says how to eat it

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[stake]

Sooo..... My new chickens were allowed to be integrated with my other four girls yesterday. Right away they were asserting themselves and chasing my original girls away. A few times thy have gotten fierce enough that they pulled feathers out. The two girls seems to be spending a lot of time by themselves. I know chickens tend to go in pairs, but will they eventually chill out? Again they are free ranging so they have opportunities to get away from each other. Why can't we all just get along?

Ann:

Hope they chill or at least have enough room to co-habitate.....I have been letting my crew of young'ins out with the flock....the little ones stay together and always move away from the big girls...they do get within a few feet of each other and nobodies gotten aggressive....on a side note, one of the baby roos has taken to grabbing the other little ones on the neck....(a dominance thing I think)....and I am amazed at how the big roos tolerate my solo baby..(3-4 weeks old)....they will chase the big girls off the food but the little tyke can walk right up and chow down nose to nose.....who knows what motivates chooks....

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Question... do any of you that raise meat birds worm them before processing? I realise you don't do it right-before, i have read some people will do this like week-two before butchering. Some don't do it at all, kind of all over the place with what people do & don't do....

 

[Kinmera]

I've never wormed my meaties. Never had problems either. We'll except for worrying about the Amish slaughtering them in time before they break their stocky little legs.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

hahaha..why?..hahaha, sorry, I lost my crazy 8-ball a longgg time ago! ....
 Same thing happened here when I introduced the newest 3 , (2-BLR & 1 BlackLR) , to the existing 3...the newbies were the ones to go offensive first, but things quieted down after a couple days..they didn't go as crazy on each other as we have read some do..thank goodness.
They should be just fine after a bit...they just need time to work out the new pecking order. Things shouldn't be too bad, if it does seem to be getting out of order, then  intervention maybe in order..but it doesn't sound like you are having that issue right now.Good luck with your integrated flock!! 

Ann:

Hope they chill or at least have enough room to co-habitate.....I have been letting my crew of young'ins out with the flock....the little ones stay together and always move away from the big girls...they do get within a few feet of each other and nobodies gotten aggressive....on a side note, one of the baby roos has taken to grabbing the other little ones on the neck....(a dominance thing I think)....and I am amazed at how the big roos tolerate my solo baby..(3-4 weeks old)....they will chase the big girls off the food but the little tyke can walk right up and chow down nose to nose.....who knows what motivates chooks....

Thanks guys, we will see what the next week brings... They all went to bed in the coop with no protest by themselves.

 

[fisherlady]

Question... do any of you that raise meat birds worm them before processing? I realise you don't do it right-before, i have read some people will do this like week-two before butchering. Some don't do it at all, kind of all over the place with what people do & don't do....

We don't worm ours either... never had a problem and honestly haven't noticed any during the gutting process either. So either they are really hard to see or we don't have a heavy load in our soil and the vinegar in the water keeps their gut acidic enough that they don't build up a load of them in the 8-10 weeks it takes before they are ready to butcher.