Can any of you guide me to rehoming our rooster? We aren't butchers ourselves yet, and we simply couldn't eat this guy. But he is getting increasingly hostile with my kids, including attacks, and the past couple days he is trying to intimidate me as well. We have gone between rehoming and keeping him for some time, but I think he has to go. This part is very new to me. He was sold to us as an Ameraucana chick in February and seems to display the physical attributes, if that matters.
How's the Roo? Still a pain? I'm going to try to get my scalder fixed this week, but I could still heat up some water on the stove for just one bird.
I was working on Chicken Tractor improvements yesterday evening and a hawk swooped down and grabbed a bunch of feathers from our Blue Orpington. I was only 30ft away! Luckily she was fine, no blood and just some pulled feathers. It's a shame because now I can't let them out to range for a while.
It's the first time we've seen a hawk since the leaves covered the yard in Spring. I was hoping we wouldn't see any at least until the leaves fell off the trees. It's been so nice to let the flock out every morning for all day ranging. During Winter we only let them out for an hour at dusk while I work outside.
Hawks can be such a pain in the keester. The best things I have found to do if you free range are to keep a good rooster, and provide good hiding places. My Roos are always searching the skies, and will let out a noise to send the girls running for cover. I have had no hawk injuries or death since I started having Roosters. We are in a different location too, but the Roosters always warn the girls of even turkey vultures, which pose no threat.
We got our babies this morning!!! I don't think I slept half the night.
Haha! It's always the way. A friend of mine had his first broody hatch out chicks, and he said he's been out there all day watching them.
Oooh signing up if I still can. I have been meaning to ask the PA people what the best and most economical places are for feed? We didn't have enough chickens for it to matter before buttt with 18 +the a.hole rooster now... Organic preferred.
Organic is always going to be very costly. What county are you in?
I am hoping to have a number of white egg laying breeds for sale next spring:
California Greys
Norwegian Jaerhons
Mille Fleur Leghorns
Also, if you want blue eggs or green eggs:
Blue Egg Black Sexlinks
Ameraucanas
Cream Legbars
Olive Eggers
Some of these I could hatch now, but it is getting late in the season, so I'm only hatching for specific orders. The incubator is running and lots of empty space in there . . .
This is so tempting for next year. Those Cali Greys are such excellent layers. My one has only slowed down because of her bumblefoot, and I think she is now molting also.
I have 3 OE pullets, 1 CL, 1 Sapphire and 1 CLxbrown egg rooster pullet. Maybe in the spring I'll have room for white layers. Right now I'm maxed out in my coop. And over my township limit
.
Haha, in my previous home, I was over my township limit of none. We had about 11 at one point. No one card so long as there were no Roosters.
It has been really chilly lately. Summer has gone too fast. I'm adding some nesting boxes to the coop this weekend and then going to start preparing for winter. I think I'll tarp up a run for the chickens. Last winter they were free-range but ended up hiding in places with no snow (under a tree, or porch) and wouldn't come home! What do you guys do for your chickens in the winter?
Seriously! It's been so chilly. I don't like it. We a.ready put our winter comforter back on the bed. I really have to get a roof on my run soon, I didn't have a good one last year. I was saved because it was a mild winter, but we may not be so lucky this year. I am going to try to pick up as many straw bales from people's leftover Halloween decorations to line the bottom of my run. They will make an excellent, free wind and snow break. When I lived in the suburbs, they were always by the curb on trash day.
