Pipd's Peeps!

[Leahs Mom]

That's a great rooster! What age are the boys?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

He's a stinker, but he does have his moments. Actually, truth be told, Roscoe's always been a pretty solid guy. Just his sons so far have been total jerks (excluding the two little ones as they haven't been bad so far).

The boys are almost 14 weeks old, will be 14 weeks on Sunday if I remember correctly.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Well....
If I have more than one roo in the future, I hope they act like him with the youngsters!

Update on "Little Nipper"....the biting boy...
I contacted the gal I got them from to see if she might want a photo of him to decide if she might want to grow him out as a possible for her breeding program. This gal hatches a huge number every season as she shows her birds. Grows them out to about 5 months old before deciding the cut.

She does want him so he gets to go tomorrow and that will leave me with the other 2 that haven't been biters. Yet.

So I'll keep the 2 and see how they turn out to pick one.

She wanted to trade me 2 pullets of same age for the extra boys since I only wanted 1 (you can somewhat successfully sec at hatch by markings on Dominiques) but I don't want to try to quarantine for a month then integrate when winter is coming in so.... She also wanted to give me my $$ back for Little Nipper which wasn't my purpose...but it was very nice that she offered! I would have done the same. Nice to meet folks like that

 

[Leahs Mom]

I may have asked you this before so please forgive...

Do you always keep your roosters housed separately and then rotate them in for free-range?

OR... Do you keep the roosters & cockerels with their group of girls?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Wow, that's a pretty good deal! I agree, though, I wouldn't want to risk a quarantine running into wintertime. Those are no fun! Here's hoping one of the remaining two turns out to be a good rooster for you!



My main flock consists of Reuben and Winter, plus all of the hens. I don't rotate roosters as Reuby has proven himself a good flock guardian and not too rough on the hens, and he tolerates Winty so I leave him, too. Roscoe is hot and cold with Reuby, and ended up separate after some battles that turned bloody, but was good with the girls so it's only for fighting with Reuby that he's not in the main flock. The rest of the boys are big and a risk to my bantam hens, so they are in the rooster flock, or separated on their own if they don't get along with the other boys.

My setup for them right now is that I have three 4x8 foot rooster pens, one of which is divided into two 4x4 pens. Once I send the freezer camp boys to process, I intend to move Roscoe and his boys to a larger pen so that I can rotate them and the other rooster flock in the rooster yard for more space. I'm pretty sure, since Roscoe and crew are bantams and the rest are large fowl, that I won't be able to group them all together safely, so I think this is the setup that will work the best. Then the remaining two 4x4 rooster pens will be used to house Ben, who doesn't get along with anyone but stays as the potential replacement if anything happens to Reuby (Ben is Reuby's son), and potentially Tygo because he doesn't get along with the boys but I haven't decided if I want to send him to the stewpot with the rest of them.

I feel like I'm rambling--I hope that answers your questions!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Yes! Got it.

So...all the boys that are staying, are you keeping them as possible replacements? Do they ever get to go with the girls?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

The boys I keep are usually for breeding purposes. Truth be told, most of them I probably should let go of because they've either served that purpose or I've decided against hatching the breed or variety, but I struggle with being overly attached to certain birds, and others I just feel like the finality of the decision to process is too much. Tygo falls into the latter category because he's such a unique-looking bird and I doubt I'll ever end up with another one like him. His personality has been hit-or-miss on aggression towards me and he only ever got along with the other boys when he was younger. Plus I'm pretty sure I'm not going to hatch any Dark Gray Dorkings because they're pretty far removed from 'real' Dorks in shape and personality, and I've not been very happy with them, both male and female. So it's obvious I shouldn't keep him, but... He's so pretty.

Roscoe stays because he's a solid guy (editing to add, for breeding as well), but also because Silkied Cochins are so incredibly rare that I likely will never find more of them, especially not within driving distance like he and Donna were. I also want at least one of his sons around as a replacement for him if something happens. Ben and Winter are replacements for Reub, though there's no guarantee that either will inherit his talent as flock guardian.

The boys for breeding do get to be with specific girls when I want to hatch, but the replacement boys have to wait their turn. They do see the hens through fence, though.

 

[Aliamelody]

Sweet duckling!
And beautiful chickens!and a little grumpy
I think chickens are always grumpy!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Great picture! Yeah, they sure can be grumpy at times, especially when they want their breakfast!

That sweet duckling is now a big, snooty duck, though.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Aw look at Crashie! Seems like yesterday she was a baby.