Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[dheltzel]

I'm having a problem with my neighbor (not my new, chicken-loving neighbor across the street... my immediate next door neighbor). Apparently, they've been talking to other people about how there are coyotes in our neighborhood and that they think our flock is drawing them in. I just heard through the grapevine that they are thinking of going to the courthouse about it. Keep in mind that I am not the only person in our rural development who has animals and that we are positioned directly between the Gamelands and another swath of forest. There are no ordinances that say we can't have chickens and there are other people in our neighborhood and municipality who have chickens, ducks, goats, and even a pig (although that is strictly a pet, it is not super mini). And we don't free-range, our chickens are always in their run/coop (I mean, a coyote could easily jump the fence, but the birds are always in the secure coop at night).

Before I heard about his concerns and plans to go to the courthouse, he and my chicken friend across the street were chatting in my yard this afternoon. He thought one of our pheasants got out and was trying to catch it, but it turned out to be a wild pheasant. He mentioned how they release them during hunting season by the hundreds in the gamelands but they get eaten up by the coyotes. Then he started talking about how a pack of coyotes had a standoff with his dog (a Doberman) and they didn't back down. My chicken friend from across the street said about how they gang up on domestic dogs and attack them and how she's had them run past her going from the gamelands behind her house to the swath of woods behind our house. She also suggested that maybe they were drawn in by the smell of next-door neighbor's dog because she's in heat. He was very friendly and non-confrontational and spoke positively about all of our animals, but I could tell he was concerned about the coyotes (as we all are in the neighborhood... there are tons of kids and dogs here).

I'm just hoping that my chicken friend's comment about being attracted to the smell of his dog in heat and the comments about how lots of wildlife moves from the gamelands to the woods behind our houses and we just happen to be on that path changes his perspective a little. But what if it doesn't? Can he do anything if I'm not breaking any rules by having our animals? If other people in the neighborhood have them too?

I've never dealt with either (coyotes or bad neighbors), but I have heard they are smart (the coyotes, can't say what the neighbors are like) and it stands to reason that they would not keep coming back to a food source that is not yielding any food. Even coons are bright enough to stop wasting their time watching an unattainable meal. l've also heard that coyotes roam over vast areas, they aren't drawn by food as much as they just run by everything and stop to smell anything that seems promising. Likely the neighbor's garbage is luring them to slow down for a sniff at least as much as a chicken coop.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I would say they were hatched sometime in August, so at least 8 weeks, maybe 12+. It's interesting that you found them extra friendly. With all the discussions about friendly breeds, I would say that in general, nurture wins over nature in this area. I've had reports of my "flightiest" breed being the most bold about flying up to perch on an arm or shoulder. I tell all my customers that ask for a friendly breed that the real difference is how they are handled when young.

But, I did not handle those silver Welbars at all. There is no reason they should be acting so friendly, unless you are -- THE BIRD WHISPERER !!

That's hilarious that you would say that...my entire family has called me an animal whisperer all my life lol.

Seriously though, maybe it's just from me bringing them food every day and rescuing them on their first day out. We'll see if they continue to be this friendly. My gold welbars are also very friendly though. Even the cockerel will come close enough for me to grab him when he's begging for food.

 

[Werforpsu]

Morning All!
Hope you all had a good election Tuesday! I chose not to go to bed last night...lucky for me, I'm a stay at home mom who puts her kids on the bus at 7....I'll sleep then.

One of our cockerels started crowing at 3:45...I have no idea why other then maybe the rain woke them or he heard something and wanted to make his presence known. They had no light and after a half dozen crows he must have gone back to sleep.

I will be contending with the three of them crowing when I fall asleep in a few hours.

Does anyone know: if you handle your rooster a lot and end up with a docile one in regards to people (something I do NOT have), will that translate into a rooster that is too docile for predator protection / keeping order of the hens etc.

Our roosters chase the kids, fly at us/flap at us when we walk by or touch a hen etc. I would love in the future to have a rooster that wasn't so standoffish but living in the country = predators and I don't want to reduce their ability to protect.

 

[stake]

Morning All!
Hope you all had a good election Tuesday! I chose not to go to bed last night...lucky for me, I'm a stay at home mom who puts her kids on the bus at 7....I'll sleep then.

One of our cockerels started crowing at 3:45...I have no idea why other then maybe the rain woke them or he heard something and wanted to make his presence known. They had no light and after a half dozen crows he must have gone back to sleep.

I will be contending with the three of them crowing when I fall asleep in a few hours.

Does anyone know: if you handle your rooster a lot and end up with a docile one in regards to people (something I do NOT have), will that translate into a rooster that is too docile for predator protection / keeping order of the hens etc.

Our roosters chase the kids, fly at us/flap at us when we walk by or touch a hen etc. I would love in the future to have a rooster that wasn't so standoffish but living in the country = predators and I don't want to reduce their ability to protect.

wertorpsu:

I don't think roos being friendly with humans has anything to do with the way they handle other birds or predators....flapping as you walk by is a normal thing....some think its aggression, I think they just letting you know they are alert....my two cents....

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Morning All!
Hope you all had a good election Tuesday! I chose not to go to bed last night...lucky for me, I'm a stay at home mom who puts her kids on the bus at 7....I'll sleep then.

One of our cockerels started crowing at 3:45...I have no idea why other then maybe the rain woke them or he heard something and wanted to make his presence known. They had no light and after a half dozen crows he must have gone back to sleep.

I will be contending with the three of them crowing when I fall asleep in a few hours.

Does anyone know: if you handle your rooster a lot and end up with a docile one in regards to people (something I do NOT have), will that translate into a rooster that is too docile for predator protection / keeping order of the hens etc.

Our roosters chase the kids, fly at us/flap at us when we walk by or touch a hen etc. I would love in the future to have a rooster that wasn't so standoffish but living in the country = predators and I don't want to reduce their ability to protect.

I tried to stay up all night. About 1 am I crashed. My kids get on the bus at 7 also. I WILL be going back to bed lol.

On the rooster thing, most of our roos aren't huggable (one or two are) but none of them are mean. We try to socialize them as they're growing up and keep them friendly. If they get mean, they get a one way trip to the freezer. Most of our roos are still very good flock protectors (with the exception of, say, our silkie) and never fail to sound the alarm when there's danger.

 

[Werforpsu]

wertorpsu:

I don't think roos being friendly with humans has anything to do with the way they handle other birds or predators....flapping as you walk by is a normal thing....some think its aggression, I think they just letting you know they are alert....my two cents....

Ours tend to charge us, try to get into staring contests with us etc. At this point, hubby wouldn't mind killing them but we feel the flock protection is important.

I tried to stay up all night. About 1 am I crashed. My kids get on the bus at 7 also. I WILL be going back to bed lol.

On the rooster thing, most of our roos aren't huggable (one or two are) but none of them are mean. We try to socialize them as they're growing up and keep them friendly. If they get mean, they get a one way trip to the freezer. Most of our roos are still very good flock protectors (with the exception of, say, our silkie) and never fail to sound the alarm when there's danger.

That's good to know. I mostly want to be able to touch them if need be (like if they are hurt) and I need them to let me pick up a hen or walk across the yard!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Ours tend to charge us, try to get into staring contests with us etc. At this point, hubby wouldn't mind killing them but we feel the flock protection is important.
That's good to know. I mostly want to be able to touch them if need be (like if they are hurt) and I need them to let me pick up a hen or walk across the yard!

 

[dheltzel]

On the rooster thing, most of our roos aren't huggable (one or two are) but none of them are mean. We try to socialize them as they're growing up and keep them friendly. If they get mean, they get a one way trip to the freezer. Most of our roos are still very good flock protectors (with the exception of, say, our silkie) and never fail to sound the alarm when there's danger.

I said earlier that I believe a chicken's "friendliness" is mostly a factor of how they are raised. I also think a rooster's "fiestiness" is partially that but has at least some genetic component. My largest roos (New Hampshires, Bielefelders, Rhodebars) have always been the most docile.It's as if they know they have nothing to prove. I remember treating Rhodebars for lice a while back. It involved catching each one, putting a few drops of Ivermectin on the skin behind their head, them stuffing them into a dog carrier to separate the ones I had already treated. One by one, I grabbed all the hens that were being protected by my 2 roos and they were obviously in distress about it, but never did anything to stop me. Once it was all done and the hens released, they quickly went back to normal. OTOH, simply getting eggs out of the pen with my original Rees Legbar roo often resulted in some serious drama. Eventually I had enough and he was replaced and put out to free range. He carried a grudge about that and would stalk me around the pens, sometimes nipping the back of my pants and look up defiantly. One day he got sold to a person with carnivorous intentions. The moral being "don't bite the hand that feeds you" (or otherwise controls your fate).

I would never expect at Bielefelder or Welbar to attack me, I ignore them and freely turn my back to them, even though they could do serious damage compared to the little Legbars. But I'm always keeping an eye on the Legbar roos, even the young ones that have never shown aggression, I just expect some to go bad someday. I raised a lot of Legbar cockerels, so my policy will be "1 strike and you're out of the breeding pen". I only kept 1 Biel cockerel because I know he'll be nice to deal with.

 

[dheltzel]

Wow, that is a massive comb on the Rhodebar!
Is that small cockerel a Welsummer? He's got yellow legs, but I thought you didn't have Welsummers.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Wow, that is a massive comb on the Rhodebar!
Is that small cockerel a Welsummer? He's got yellow legs, but I thought you didn't have Welsummers.

These are all roos from the past. The little one was an OEGB named Chip. The rhodebar with the big comb was Rosco