The babies are so grown up! Hope you have been well. I haven't be online all summer I've been working 40 hours a week and it's been busy 
Pipd's Peeps!
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No worries, Shadow rabbit, it sounds like you have been busy! 
I hope you've had a good summer otherwise, though! 
Those babies sure did grow up fast, didn't they? I haven't yet boxed up my incubators and they have really been calling to me lately, especially since I never did get my sexlinked Dorking babies... 
I hope you've had a good summer otherwise, though! Those babies sure did grow up fast, didn't they? I haven't yet boxed up my incubators and they have really been calling to me lately, especially since I never did get my sexlinked Dorking babies... - Thread starter
- #1,433
Adventures in keeping roosters--I decided to try and reduce my pens down, or at least combine some of the boys that I know will be taking the trip to Martin's this fall so that I can just throw feed at them and move on. Welp, that failed.
Last year, I put Roscoe in with the large fowl roosters and even though he's tiny by comparison to them, they gave him a wide berth. So I was thinking, well, I can do the same thing with Lucky and put him in with the Marans boys so that Roscoe has the pen to himself. Lucky's feet barely touched the ground before all three Marans boys were on top of him. So, after rescuing him from the pile of flogging roosters, I thought I would put Theodore over there. Theo's a big guy and it took him no time to have those boys on the run. I was satisfied by this.
Last night, I looked everywhere and couldn't find Theo, until I noticed that he was under the tarp by the coop. I figured he just nestled down to bed because I was late coming out to let them into the coop. By this morning, though, those three Marans boys had ganged up on him and had him cowering in the corner of their section of the coop. So apparently, Theo was hiding under the tarp yesterday.
My pen count remains unchanged.
I'm really fed up with those boys now. I can't free-range them like I did last year's boys because they're so aggressive toward people that I can't trust them out. Apparently, they're overly aggressive toward the other roosters, so I can't combine them with other boys to make things easier for me. If I wasn't waiting on the Mottled Cochin boys to grow out, they'd be taking the trip to Martin's early. I'm actually pretty tempted to just do it anyway, as they are about the age recommended for Marans. I'm just ready to have a lot fewer roosters right now.
Last year, I put Roscoe in with the large fowl roosters and even though he's tiny by comparison to them, they gave him a wide berth. So I was thinking, well, I can do the same thing with Lucky and put him in with the Marans boys so that Roscoe has the pen to himself. Lucky's feet barely touched the ground before all three Marans boys were on top of him. So, after rescuing him from the pile of flogging roosters, I thought I would put Theodore over there. Theo's a big guy and it took him no time to have those boys on the run. I was satisfied by this.
Last night, I looked everywhere and couldn't find Theo, until I noticed that he was under the tarp by the coop. I figured he just nestled down to bed because I was late coming out to let them into the coop. By this morning, though, those three Marans boys had ganged up on him and had him cowering in the corner of their section of the coop. So apparently, Theo was hiding under the tarp yesterday.
My pen count remains unchanged.I'm really fed up with those boys now. I can't free-range them like I did last year's boys because they're so aggressive toward people that I can't trust them out. Apparently, they're overly aggressive toward the other roosters, so I can't combine them with other boys to make things easier for me. If I wasn't waiting on the Mottled Cochin boys to grow out, they'd be taking the trip to Martin's early. I'm actually pretty tempted to just do it anyway, as they are about the age recommended for Marans. I'm just ready to have a lot fewer roosters right now.
No worries, Shadow rabbit, it sounds like you have been busy!
Thanks! My summer has mostly been okay. I started working at a hotel full time for the summer so I've been busy with that. I did have to get my wisdom teeth taken out the other day which wasn't fun though. My mouth is still in pain.
What babies are you thinking about getting next (you know since you're clearly thinking about it)? Also what are you gonna do with all you roosters? If it were me I'd maybe consider making some chicken soup. - Thread starter
- #1,435
Yikes, sorry about your mouth pain! I never ended up removing my wisdom teeth because they never really bothered me, though we'll see how that goes. My sister ended up getting her's removed later because they were fine and then they weren't. Not looking forward to that!
In the totally hypothetical situation where I do end up with more chicks this year, not that that's going to happen, I'd probably (hypothetically) try again crossing Darwin, my Red Dorking rooster, to my Silver Gray Dorking girls for sexlinked Dorkings. When I tried that earlier this year, the girls had turned their beaks up at Darwin and every single egg was infertile.
But it's probably not a good idea with all the stuff that went down with school and now needing to take these last few credits to actually graduate this fall. It's just really tempting...
Then again, if I don't hatch and end up going to Central Indiana or the Ohio Nationals this fall, where it is likely to find OEGBs for sale....
Anyway, yes, the boys will be going to freezer camp this fall. There's a processor pretty close by that I took my extra boys to last year, so that's what I mean when I say taking them to Martin's. I'm just debating whether I want to wait and do them all in one group, or take these jerky Marans boys now and the rest of them later. Editing to add, I should say, not ALL the boys are going, just the jerky ones. 
In the totally hypothetical situation where I do end up with more chicks this year, not that that's going to happen, I'd probably (hypothetically) try again crossing Darwin, my Red Dorking rooster, to my Silver Gray Dorking girls for sexlinked Dorkings. When I tried that earlier this year, the girls had turned their beaks up at Darwin and every single egg was infertile.
But it's probably not a good idea with all the stuff that went down with school and now needing to take these last few credits to actually graduate this fall. It's just really tempting...Then again, if I don't hatch and end up going to Central Indiana or the Ohio Nationals this fall, where it is likely to find OEGBs for sale....
Anyway, yes, the boys will be going to freezer camp this fall. There's a processor pretty close by that I took my extra boys to last year, so that's what I mean when I say taking them to Martin's. I'm just debating whether I want to wait and do them all in one group, or take these jerky Marans boys now and the rest of them later.
Editing to add, I should say, not ALL the boys are going, just the jerky ones.
Ah I see. At least you'll have some good eats for a while. And yeah my wisdom teeth weren't bothering me yet, but they were impacted and they could cause my teeth to go crooked, so I got them out now before they caused an issue. Plus I go to school far away so if something happened it wouldn't be easy to get home. And do let us know if you get more chicks.
On the cockerels....
Very sorry to hear that they're giving you such trouble.
My kiddos are 9 weeks old this weekend. Of course, that's WAY TOO SMALL to be rid of any of them.
So far, even the one that bites doesn't seek me out, just bites my hand is down there to touch one of the other birds. I started walking toward him every time I entered the pen to make him move away. Since that time, he has come into the group that comes to see me, but just runs away when I make any move toward him. That is actually a good sign.
That big boy has tried to grab one of his sisters by the head feathers a couple of times that I've seen - probably many more that I haven't seen. So it seems that he's maturing early all the way around.
Of course, not truly mating, but trying to grab them none-the-less.
Very sorry to hear that they're giving you such trouble.
My kiddos are 9 weeks old this weekend. Of course, that's WAY TOO SMALL to be rid of any of them.
So far, even the one that bites doesn't seek me out, just bites my hand is down there to touch one of the other birds. I started walking toward him every time I entered the pen to make him move away. Since that time, he has come into the group that comes to see me, but just runs away when I make any move toward him. That is actually a good sign.
That big boy has tried to grab one of his sisters by the head feathers a couple of times that I've seen - probably many more that I haven't seen. So it seems that he's maturing early all the way around.
Of course, not truly mating, but trying to grab them none-the-less.
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Will do, Shadow Rabbit!
Leahs mom, your boy is sounding more and more like those Mottled Cochin boys of mine, except they haven't been deterred from their buttheadedness by any of my usual tricks for it, including the walking routine. One of the main reasons I pulled them from the baby pen was because they were grabbing my Dorking babies as you describe. Little jerks! They're 12 weeks old, so still a ways to go on them as well. Those Marans boys are either 22 or 23 weeks old (can't remember if they hatched the first full week of March or the week before, but that's easy to look up if need be). They're rotten, the lot of them. Good examples of BAD roosters! Sounds like your little guy has some hope, though! 
I have figured out a name for one of the remaining two Mottled Cochin girls! Still not 100% on the other, though. Never had so much trouble naming babies before, except possibly the Silkied Cochin boys from last year (I don't remember how old they were when I named them, actually--I just remember struggling with it!). I'll be keeping one of the Silkied Cochin boys from this year, possibly both if they get along with their father, and I haven't even started looking for names for them. Oops! We'll see what happens.
Anyway, this is her picture from 10 weeks of age, but little White Band baby will be named Sylvie. I haven't decided if that's short for anything or just Sylvie, but it was one of those instances where as soon as I saw it, I knew that's what I'd be calling her.
So, that just leaves little Blue Band Mottled baby.
Leahs mom, your boy is sounding more and more like those Mottled Cochin boys of mine, except they haven't been deterred from their buttheadedness by any of my usual tricks for it, including the walking routine.
One of the main reasons I pulled them from the baby pen was because they were grabbing my Dorking babies as you describe. Little jerks! They're 12 weeks old, so still a ways to go on them as well. Those Marans boys are either 22 or 23 weeks old (can't remember if they hatched the first full week of March or the week before, but that's easy to look up if need be). They're rotten, the lot of them. Good examples of BAD roosters! Sounds like your little guy has some hope, though! I have figured out a name for one of the remaining two Mottled Cochin girls! Still not 100% on the other, though. Never had so much trouble naming babies before, except possibly the Silkied Cochin boys from last year (I don't remember how old they were when I named them, actually--I just remember struggling with it!). I'll be keeping one of the Silkied Cochin boys from this year, possibly both if they get along with their father, and I haven't even started looking for names for them. Oops! We'll see what happens.
Anyway, this is her picture from 10 weeks of age, but little White Band baby will be named Sylvie. I haven't decided if that's short for anything or just Sylvie, but it was one of those instances where as soon as I saw it, I knew that's what I'd be calling her.
So, that just leaves little Blue Band Mottled baby.
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- #1,439
I grabbed this pic with my cell phone and just had to share. Vivienne says good morning!
(Okay, I actually took it last night while they were free-ranging, but only just now looked at it on my computer to see that it turned out pretty good after all. )
(Okay, I actually took it last night while they were free-ranging, but only just now looked at it on my computer to see that it turned out pretty good after all.
)
- Jan 8, 2017
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Poor Theo. It sounds like these roosters will be tasty.Adventures in keeping roosters--I decided to try and reduce my pens down, or at least combine some of the boys that I know will be taking the trip to Martin's this fall so that I can just throw feed at them and move on. Welp, that failed.
Last year, I put Roscoe in with the large fowl roosters and even though he's tiny by comparison to them, they gave him a wide berth. So I was thinking, well, I can do the same thing with Lucky and put him in with the Marans boys so that Roscoe has the pen to himself. Lucky's feet barely touched the ground before all three Marans boys were on top of him. So, after rescuing him from the pile of flogging roosters, I thought I would put Theodore over there. Theo's a big guy and it took him no time to have those boys on the run. I was satisfied by this.
Last night, I looked everywhere and couldn't find Theo, until I noticed that he was under the tarp by the coop. I figured he just nestled down to bed because I was late coming out to let them into the coop. By this morning, though, those three Marans boys had ganged up on him and had him cowering in the corner of their section of the coop. So apparently, Theo was hiding under the tarp yesterday.
I'm really fed up with those boys now. I can't free-range them like I did last year's boys because they're so aggressive toward people that I can't trust them out. Apparently, they're overly aggressive toward the other roosters, so I can't combine them with other boys to make things easier for me. If I wasn't waiting on the Mottled Cochin boys to grow out, they'd be taking the trip to Martin's early. I'm actually pretty tempted to just do it anyway, as they are about the age recommended for Marans. I'm just ready to have a lot fewer roosters right now.
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