Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[BullChick]

I can't sleep without telling you guys! I got a message from LittleMissPurdy about two hours ago!!

She is doing okay, and should be back on here as soon as possible.

It's funny that Stake comes back, and now she's back! A few others have been MIA, and have returned. I would say it's because it's spring, but I know that a lot of people have just had busy lives this past year and it's just now clearing up.

Well, MCC, I was just having an issue with the company that host BYC web site....they thought I was a threat and was blocking my MAC address...(its IT stuff)....I replaced the cable modem and everthing is okie dokie

That's funny. Glad it's all worked out now!

 

[chxmama]

Yep, the fox got the RD that I hatched, one of your girls that flew out of the pen, and my Olive egger girl...and the fox has learned to stay out of the range of my dog....(about 50yds)...coops/pens will be rebuilt and I've learned the hard way not to free range them even if I am home

Awww, crazy predators! We had a close one today with the red-tail hawks. Girls are penned all the time now since a hawk casualty in the late fall. Decided to do some work on the coop and in the garden, so figured the girls would be fine to range since we were all outside and close by. Screams from the kids and diving hawks - not a good situation. Called the girls all into the coop quickly while the kids kept the hawks away. It's good they respond to my chicken call and treats! Guess it's not safe to free-range even when we're out now.

Definitely thinking seriously about some kind of movable hoop tractor for day ranging.

@stake - we have a fox (foxes?) on the back property close to the coop often, but the girls have been safe in the coop/run so far. Have you had casualties inside your coop/run area? We're close to you in West Chester.

 

[chxmama]

Has anyone ever had problems with an "attack chicken?"
Chicken in question is a rhodebar who is very friendly with me, though she pecks around at my shoes, legs, rings, etc and is always looking for a treat when I come into the run area. Before egg laying, she pecked the kids in their faces so they learned to steer clear. I thought she was just being curious, but now I wonder if she wasn't on the attack at that time too. I wasn't present for the previous incidents. So we gave warning to be cautious of Goldilocks and mindful of faces in her space. She started laying now and I thought she seemed to mellow out, but I saw the attack chicken the kids were talking about, no doubt about it. Puffed chest and feathers, wings spread as she flew into my 5 yr. olds face, beak open trying to bite her. Little Miss ran and Goldilocks chased, still in attack chicken mode.

She is pretty low on the pecking order with the flock since she is one of the youngest and is not aggressive to her flockmates. Can you untrain bad chicken behavior?!

 

[BullChick]

Try booting her. Mean as it sounds, kick her across the county. Or, as a first option you can carry her around. You. The older kids. Even the 5-yr-old if she can keep a hold of the chicken.

 

[dheltzel]

Has anyone ever had problems with an "attack chicken?"
Chicken in question is a rhodebar who is very friendly with me, though she pecks around at my shoes, legs, rings, etc and is always looking for a treat when I come into the run area. Before egg laying, she pecked the kids in their faces so they learned to steer clear. I thought she was just being curious, but now I wonder if she wasn't on the attack at that time too. I wasn't present for the previous incidents. So we gave warning to be cautious of Goldilocks and mindful of faces in her space. She started laying now and I thought she seemed to mellow out, but I saw the attack chicken the kids were talking about, no doubt about it. Puffed chest and feathers, wings spread as she flew into my 5 yr. olds face, beak open trying to bite her. Little Miss ran and Goldilocks chased, still in attack chicken mode.

She is pretty low on the pecking order with the flock since she is one of the youngest and is not aggressive to her flockmates. Can you untrain bad chicken behavior?!

I find Rhodebars have no fear of people and they seem to develop an attitude about trying to keep us in our place. They are the only breed that I have had bite and hold my skin when I pick them up. They don't seem aggressive in doing it, just completely unafraid of me. When I was moving them to a new coop, the Welsummers and Ameraucanas would run away fast after I released them, the Rhodebars would sqawk and look up at me as if they were warning me not to do that again, then ruffle their feathers and saunter off like they owned the joint.

 

[speney]

Can you post a picture of the bantams and their chicks? It would make my FIL's day to see his chickens happy and reproducing!

Can you post a picture of the bantams and their chicks? It would make my FIL's day to see his chickens happy and reproducing!

I keep trying but for some reason I can't download the pictures I've tried everything. I'm sorry. Theyes are four very healthy baby's they are mostly black with dark brown through them and one has some white on his chest I'm pretty sure there ended up being two roosters maybe three and and for sure one pullets. I'm going to keep trying to upload the pictures

 

[speney]

ok these are the Banty baby's the are so cute

and the very proud mommy and daddy

 

[stake]

Awww, crazy predators! We had a close one today with the red-tail hawks. Girls are penned all the time now since a hawk casualty in the late fall. Decided to do some work on the coop and in the garden, so figured the girls would be fine to range since we were all outside and close by. Screams from the kids and diving hawks - not a good situation. Called the girls all into the coop quickly while the kids kept the hawks away. It's good they respond to my chicken call and treats! Guess it's not safe to free-range even when we're out now.

Definitely thinking seriously about some kind of movable hoop tractor for day ranging.

@stake - we have a fox (foxes?) on the back property close to the coop often, but the girls have been safe in the coop/run so far. Have you had casualties inside your coop/run area? We're close to you in West Chester.

Howdy neighbor, I have a lot of hawks too....none of my fox attacks are in the pen(yet)....if the birds let themselves out they get taken...with my olive egger, I watch all birds go into the pen in the evening and went inside....I guess she came back out and was taken...

 

[Blarneyeggs]

B:
PickeringValleyFeed has chicks in.....mostly Ideal stock...don't know if that's a no-no for NPIP.....I may have a singleton hatch in a few days....maybe, we could work something out...(assuming my hatch does?)

Saw that you posted you know that Pickering has chicks...was in there a couple of days ago and they were picked over pretty good....you might want to expedite if you want 'good' ones...my two cents

Still so glad to see you back!! My chick is really doing well, I've seen her eat and drink, she stays cuddled with the stuffed animals that my daughter put in there and is just not a very vocal chick. Buying from a non NPIP breeder would be a 'no no' for someone that had their NPIP certification. My farm is not NPIP Certified. I test my birds for AI and Pullorum as much or even more than most NPIP Certified Breeders, but have not gone through the paperwork and visit from the State Poultry Vet, ect... that is involved with being NPIP. There are some downsides to being NPIP that I'm not interested in dealing with at this time. Perhaps when the kids are grown and I keep my poultry interests to a select few breeds (Like that's ever going to happen!), I may go through the paperwork.

Has anyone ever had problems with an "attack chicken?"
Chicken in question is a rhodebar who is very friendly with me, though she pecks around at my shoes, legs, rings, etc and is always looking for a treat when I come into the run area. Before egg laying, she pecked the kids in their faces so they learned to steer clear. I thought she was just being curious, but now I wonder if she wasn't on the attack at that time too. I wasn't present for the previous incidents. So we gave warning to be cautious of Goldilocks and mindful of faces in her space. She started laying now and I thought she seemed to mellow out, but I saw the attack chicken the kids were talking about, no doubt about it. Puffed chest and feathers, wings spread as she flew into my 5 yr. olds face, beak open trying to bite her. Little Miss ran and Goldilocks chased, still in attack chicken mode.

She is pretty low on the pecking order with the flock since she is one of the youngest and is not aggressive to her flockmates. Can you untrain bad chicken behavior?!

I have never successfully retrained a mean chicken. I have tried in the past. Last week I had my Alpha BCMs cockerel give me a 'bump' ~ run up behind me when I wasn't looking and bump my calf. I need see no more negative behavior, he will be soup as soon as I have an adequate replacement.

 

[LeBlackbird]

Has anyone ever had problems with an "attack chicken?"
Chicken in question is a rhodebar who is very friendly with me, though she pecks around at my shoes, legs, rings, etc and is always looking for a treat when I come into the run area. Before egg laying, she pecked the kids in their faces so they learned to steer clear. I thought she was just being curious, but now I wonder if she wasn't on the attack at that time too. I wasn't present for the previous incidents. So we gave warning to be cautious of Goldilocks and mindful of faces in her space. She started laying now and I thought she seemed to mellow out, but I saw the attack chicken the kids were talking about, no doubt about it. Puffed chest and feathers, wings spread as she flew into my 5 yr. olds face, beak open trying to bite her. Little Miss ran and Goldilocks chased, still in attack chicken mode.

She is pretty low on the pecking order with the flock since she is one of the youngest and is not aggressive to her flockmates. Can you untrain bad chicken behavior?!

I've had more than a few roosters and one hen (Barred Rock) that were not overly fond of me. I did exactly what Motercyclechick just suggested, carry the pouty feather balls all around while you're doing your daily chores. This definitely lessened if not stopped the aggression for me. I don't particularly mind it though, I think their drastic overestimation of their ferocity is adorable. Of course, I don't have any small children to worry about being harmed, and my older brother tends to punt them (gently) all over the yard if they go after him

I find Rhodebars have no fear of people and they seem to develop an attitude about trying to keep us in our place. They are the only breed that I have had bite and hold my skin when I pick them up. They don't seem aggressive in doing it, just completely unafraid of me. When I was moving them to a new coop, the Welsummers and Ameraucanas would run away fast after I released them, the Rhodebars would sqawk and look up at me as if they were warning me not to do that again, then ruffle their feathers and saunter off like they owned the joint.

You don't say? I've always loved Rhodebars ever since they popped up in the hobby, interesting to hear they have such strong personalities. Maybe I'll work with them if I ever can find room. Closest to MMA fighting I'll ever get! My current rooster is sweet as pie though (Splash laced red wyandotte), he wouldn't hurt a fly. Well...he might eat it but you get my point



In other news, Good morning everyone!! May your coffee be hot and strong! Definitely windy over this direction this morning, the ladies were not happy