Petting

[itgns]

Since you will be getting day old chicks, the best thing to do is get them on a chick starter. For the first week or two chicks are susceptible to diseases which can kill off a chick. When you immediately get the chick, immediately place them in a warm dry box with bedding and feed them the chick starter. I am not sure if you have IFA in your area, Intermountain Farm Association, but if you do they carry that. I am sure other pet stores will have it to. You want the MEDICATED chick starter because it as medicine in it to boost the hens immune systems. Now a question for you, do you want the rooster? If not keep him until he starts to crow and then you can eat him if you want (or sell him, whichever way). For the treats you will have to wait a little since the hens can get very ill if not medicated.

I'm not going to sell him or eat him. I ordered him on purpose.

So, as far as giving treats and letting them eat from my hand go, do I just not let him participate in that activity? Do I push him away if he tries to do that?

 

[KelsiNS]

Love him like the rest-my three boys are gentlemen and were coddled. Just periodicallymake him move-scoot him with your hand for no reason. My three can be in la la land and i boop thm in the bum to get them out of my way, even if i wasnt going that direction. Just to prove i am the one who controls their whole world.

They take treats from my shoulder and give them to the girls. Boot needed obe good whop once and he realizes that i am very capable of ruining his whole day. He is very polite now.

 

[whittychick]

Love him like the rest-my three boys are gentlemen and were coddled. Just periodicallymake him move-scoot him with your hand for no reason. My three can be in la la land and i boop thm in the bum to get them out of my way, even if i wasnt going that direction. Just to prove i am the one who controls their whole world.

They take treats from my shoulder and give them to the girls. Boot needed obe good whop once and he realizes that i am very capable of ruining his whole day. He is very polite now.

My rooster is about 5 months now and I've been scooting him and all that...he has tried to charge me before and my 10 yr old! We don't back down but is there something I can do extra to show him I'm the BOSS?!!!

 

[KelsiNS]

I slapped the living crap out of my red roo, Boot. Knocked him against the fence for trying to bite my forearm. Charge him back. Dont just stand there-rush HIM when he goes to move. Boot was not a coddle baby originally, Merle and Hershey were. They dont mind me, Boot did. Now, after a come to jesus meeting, he enjoys the attention. I guess he felt like he needed to be a bully to get what he wanted.

 

[whittychick]

Haha! Ok thanks!

 

[yinepu]

I slapped the living crap out of my red roo, Boot. Knocked him against the fence for trying to bite my forearm. Charge him back. Dont just stand there-rush HIM when he goes to move. Boot was not a coddle baby originally, Merle and Hershey were. They dont mind me, Boot did. Now, after a come to jesus meeting, he enjoys the attention. I guess he felt like he needed to be a bully to get what he wanted.

Lol.. you sound like my husband... we have very few roosters who don't get the "lesson".. the ones that just refuse to comply with barnyard etiquette after the first lesson or two go immediately to freezer camp.. I would say that 90% get the idea of what is acceptable behavior with the first go round!
My husband had given a few the boot (he doesn't have the patience that I do).. I tend to grab them by their necks and scare the crap out of them (not what i would recommend for the average person to try.. but this ol bird has grabbed a lot of rooster necks so I have it down pat)..

Bottom line is .. we are the providers of food and a safe place to live.. if they do not wish to follow the basic rules of good behavior towards the people who live here.. they are removed from the gene pool.. after a while you will end up with bloodlines that aren't as aggressive towards people and end up with some very nice mannered roosters. The funny thing is with our line of "mutts" we never get a mean rooster anymore (regardless of how much we coddle or hold them).. we only have those problems with birds from other sources (shipped eggs or hatchery chicks)!

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Lol.. you sound like my husband... we have very few roosters who don't get the "lesson".. the ones that just refuse to comply with barnyard etiquette after the first lesson or two go immediately to freezer camp.. I would say that 90% get the idea of what is acceptable behavior with the first go round!
My husband had given a few the boot (he doesn't have the patience that I do).. I tend to grab them by their necks and scare the crap out of them (not what i would recommend for the average person to try.. but this ol bird has grabbed a lot of rooster necks so I have it down pat)..

Bottom line is .. we are the providers of food and a safe place to live.. if they do not wish to follow the basic rules of good behavior towards the people who live here.. they are removed from the gene pool.. after a while you will end up with bloodlines that aren't as aggressive towards people and end up with some very nice mannered roosters. The funny thing is with our line of "mutts" we never get a mean rooster anymore (regardless of how much we coddle or hold them).. we only have those problems with birds from other sources (shipped eggs or hatchery chicks)!

My hen that thinks she's a rooster drew blood the other day through my long pants. She is a bad chicken. I have gotten rougher with her, I think it is helping.

 

[GimmeCake]

My favorite chicken, Lucy doesn't mind me petting her. I don't have a roo yet, but err, I bet petting isn't their thing lawl.

 

[Rubyroo1]

I have a chicken who might have wry neck and I was wondering how to treat it? Do vitamin E capsules help and is wry neck always obvious? Any ideas?

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Where do chicks like to be petted the most? I want to be able to make them relax more.