Post pics of your chicks thread!!!

[Shellz]

R

Ya I got lucky with him. I have never had a rooster before. My friends parents have owned some and you had to go into the coop/run with a baseball bat. They were super mean. I traded some ducks and geese and the rooster got thrown in. I guess he was suppose to go to the slaughter house but got sick and nursed back to health. So the lady couldnt kill him after that she grew a soft spot for him. He was on the bottom of the pecking order and didnt have any tail feathers when I took him home. I have to say I was waiting for him to mess up didnt trust him at all especially with my 2 and 4 year old kids. But he is the best thing that ever happened to my flock. He watches his ladies very closely and when he lets out a warning everyone runs for cover even my turkeys haha. He is very gentle my hens only miss some feathers here and there on the top of their heads. My friends hens are all bald on their back from their rooster uuggg I dont think I could handle that lol I have noticed when I give him treats he wont eat them he calls the females over and they eat it. Its nice but also frustrating cause it seems like he never gets anything good lol.

Reminds me of my old RIR rooster. He was the same way. I sometimes regret culling him in favor of some genetic diversity. You definitely have a winner there, MyGirls! And don't worry about him. He does get enough to eat, you just don't see him getting it. I thought the same thing, but he was a big boy!

 

[PrairieChickens]

Ya I got lucky with him. I have never had a rooster before. My friends parents have owned some and you had to go into the coop/run with a baseball bat. They were super mean. I traded some ducks and geese and the rooster got thrown in. I guess he was suppose to go to the slaughter house but got sick and nursed back to health. So the lady couldnt kill him after that she grew a soft spot for him. He was on the bottom of the pecking order and didnt have any tail feathers when I took him home. I have to say I was waiting for him to mess up didnt trust him at all especially with my 2 and 4 year old kids. But he is the best thing that ever happened to my flock. He watches his ladies very closely and when he lets out a warning everyone runs for cover even my turkeys haha. He is very gentle my hens only miss some feathers here and there on the top of their heads. My friends hens are all bald on their back from their rooster uuggg I dont think I could handle that lol I have noticed when I give him treats he wont eat them he calls the females over and they eat it. Its nice but also frustrating cause it seems like he never gets anything good lol.

Yeah, I was attacked by a rooster when I was little, and then when we got chickens a few years ago, ended up with a vicious rooster. Our second generation ended up with two roosters--one mean and one gentle. We got rid of the mean roosters and kept the nice one, but even though I know Mars would never hurt us, I can't help being nervous if I notice he's following me. XD

He's very good with the flock--gives the girls his treats and watches over them, but some of our girls are about bald from his attentions. It's not that he's especially rough with them--I think some hens just get plucked easier than others, since other hens that get the same amount of attention aren't missing any feathers on their backs at all. I got hen saddles for them, but the poor girls keep losing them.

 

[scriptkiddieJR]

Ya I got lucky with him. I have never had a rooster before. My friends parents have owned some and you had to go into the coop/run with a baseball bat. They were super mean. I traded some ducks and geese and the rooster got thrown in. I guess he was suppose to go to the slaughter house but got sick and nursed back to health. So the lady couldnt kill him after that she grew a soft spot for him. He was on the bottom of the pecking order and didnt have any tail feathers when I took him home. I have to say I was waiting for him to mess up didnt trust him at all especially with my 2 and 4 year old kids. But he is the best thing that ever happened to my flock. He watches his ladies very closely and when he lets out a warning everyone runs for cover even my turkeys haha. He is very gentle my hens only miss some feathers here and there on the top of their heads. My friends hens are all bald on their back from their rooster uuggg I dont think I could handle that lol I have noticed when I give him treats he wont eat them he calls the females over and they eat it. Its nice but also frustrating cause it seems like he never gets anything good lol.

they do eat they eat ALOT most of the time it is when the hens backs are turned they pig outoccasionally nibble some treats and he eats what the girls leave.... i guess they are natural gentlemen

 

[Ariekannairb]

A few of our new girls!

 

[Mygirls20]

Yeah, I was attacked by a rooster when I was little, and then when we got chickens a few years ago, ended up with a vicious rooster. Our second generation ended up with two roosters--one mean and one gentle. We got rid of the mean roosters and kept the nice one, but even though I know Mars would never hurt us, I can't help being nervous if I notice he's following me. XD

He's very good with the flock--gives the girls his treats and watches over them, but some of our girls are about bald from his attentions. It's not that he's especially rough with them--I think some hens just get plucked easier than others, since other hens that get the same amount of attention aren't missing any feathers on their backs at all. I got hen saddles for them, but the poor girls keep losing them.

I have noticed that our rooster has some "favs" They are missing more feathers then the other hens are but its still not to bad. I try to keep hi nails clipped short.

 

[Shellz]

Maybe his spurs are the problem? I would periodically check the fave hens. I've had some with open wounds/gashes from young roos. I decided to cull those guys. They were nasty! Don't sweat the superficial stuff! If it gets pretty bad, get more hens (yay for chicken math!) or get those aprons, or some folks cull the fave(s), or replace the rooster. Good luck!

 

[PrairieChickens]

I went with hen saddles and it helped until the girls lost them. Now they're having to wait until I can afford to replace them. I have been going out of my way to make sure the girls who are suffering the worst plucking get more time out of the run to range without the rooster being out with them, and that seems to help--Chipmunk certainly hasn't gotten any WORSE at least. What I think is strange though is that some of his favorite girls--like Chipmunk--are plucked bald, while others--like Aretha--barely show any feather loss at all, and Aretha for one is much smaller than Chipmunk. I would have expected her bald by now, not the other way around.

 

[Cooptopia]

Tipped over all three water bottles today. Needless to say some very thirsty chicks (10 weeks old now)

 

[redneck farmer]

Tipped over all three water bottles today. Needless to say some very thirsty chicks (10 weeks old now)

My chickens do that- try to zip tie it down

 

[Cooptopia]

My chickens do that- try to zip tie it down

I ordered some poultry nipple waterers that I hope to get put in this weekend. Thinking of three in the bottom of a 5 gal bucket in the run and maybe a smaller one in the coop.