Possible breeding program

[LaurenRitz]

I wanted to introduce my JG crosses to some friends. I opened the gate and they stopped at the boundary. I turned around and said "It’s ok. You can come out."

They swarmed my friends. No fear at all. They even held still to be picked up. Since I haven't held them or handled them, that's remarkable.

Another week before I let the babies out to mingle with their new flock. They're doing great in the outdoor brooder.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I figured that two weeks was enough "see no touch," so I left the brooder door open this morning.

The teenagers immediately took over the brooder, keeping the babies in a back corner and gobbling down the food until I shooed them out.

I closed the door. I'll try again in a few days.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I put the boy in the bachelor pad. Now three of the girls are staying right where they can see him.

Not surprisingly, the one that got all the feathers ripped off her head is not one of them.

 

[LaurenRitz]

The boy is in the bachelor pad. He gets really upset when he can't get to his girls. So I give him some treats, wait until he starts tit-bitting, then give the girls some. If he can "give" them treats, he's calmer.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I gave away the four teenage pullets this morning from my JG x RIR back-cross. So three cockerels left.

1 is a black, no negative behavior that I have seen. 2 are brown, one with more black in his feathers. The darker one was always the boldest, leaving the brooder first, leading the way, getting between the others and perceived danger.

Also the first to directly challenge me, try to herd me, fight my feet, and seems to hate the chicks. When everyone else is out foraging he is in the brooder, keeping the chicks under their heater where he can't get to them. One pokes a beak out, he pounces.

He may just be trying to keep them safe, but I suspect he's headed for the bachelor pad.

The other paler brown was the one that was protecting the pullet chick when they were two days old.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I have a concern. I got Rudd Rangers for the group, partially for their size but also because the description says they are good foragers.

These birds are massive. They spend all their time either eating or sleeping, and at 4 weeks they're so heavy that they look deformed. Unexpectedly, the girls are larger than the cockerels.

I don't think these are foraging birds, or at least not foragers the way I use the word.

I haven't been able to free range this group yet. I'll put the pullets in their adult flock at 6 weeks. I need to decide whether to keep any of them by 8 weeks.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I put the rangers and the Buckeyes in the run. They were getting much too big for the brooder.

The Buckeyes immediately started scratching, which is great. The Rangers, on the other hand...

They immediately went back to filling their bellies as quickly as possible. Anyway, I think one decision has been made for me. I have at least 3 Ranger boys, possibly 5/5. In that case I will be foregoing the Ranger genes, as I am not keeping Ranger roos. If there is one girl I'll keep her, but it doesn't look likely.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Not at all sure what this new behavior means. The three JGRIR boys seem to be conspiring to keep the chicks in the coop. Not under their heater for the most part, and not away from the food and water, but in the coop.

This morning one of the babies got past them, and they all combined to get her back in the coop. They were foraging at the entrance. I had wondered why the chicks weren't out foraging and now I have the answer.

Not sure what to do about it, though, or if anything needs to be done.

 

[LaurenRitz]

It's interesting how their behavior is different when they don't know I'm there. I'm thinking of giving the other babies their first outdoor adventure today. Not sure how that will go with the adult hens.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I put a block across the door so the chicks can get out but the big girls can't get in. So far they appear to be ignoring each other.