psycho roo-i been away for while recovering but had to come and post !

[the4heathernsmom]

I had 2 chicks raised from last year that turned out to be juvenile roos (game). Kept them with the main flock raised by their mom. I had an accident in Feb when the big snow came and broke my leg and my ankle in three places, had to have ortho surgery and still not fully recovered but hobbling along. In the meantime the family has helped out with the chickens. We have 30 plus hens and did have 3 roos plus the 2 juvenile roos. I have been using their care as therapy for myself cleaning up and feeding, watering , etc now. The roos were going to have to go as they were a little too aggresive for my taste and starting their business with my hens. I went out to the pen mid morning as usual a few days ago and the really aggressive juvenile roo KILLED my brown leghorn beautiful roo and my huge barred rock roo on the same day!!!! This sucker doesn't even have spurs!!!! little knobs is all he has.....Can you believe that? They were so tame my big guys were never bothered the kids or me but just got real interested when we would catch a hen but even then they just observed. ugghhh!!! Needless to say he is gone now and I am left with my aby brown leghorn roo and a black astralorp juvenile roo.....so much for my purebreeds for awhile. Now everyone has stopped laying not one egg since it happened. Makes me want to just give up because it is such a struggle to just get out to the pen and take care of them so what was my motivation is now my disappointment. Who knows how long it will take to get my older girls laying again...they have been with those roos for 2 years. My pullets which should have already started laying are not even laying. Ugghhhhhhh.........any suggestions? I need to get proper boxes in there and I feel like I have too many hens but their pen is HUGE!!!! I have a storage building as a coop with a run the size of about 1/4 - 1/2 acre.....the run is so big they cannot keep the grass and vegetation down right now. I am so discouraged I guess I will not be getting any babies this year either.......so disappointing.

 

[Chick CJ]

Ahh, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. It is hard to lose something we love. And I am especially sorry to hear you have been down with an injury since Feb. I know from personal experience that the hardest time after something like that is when you are getting better but aren't back to normal. I think because we are recovered in our minds but our body just won't do what we think it should and this part of recovery seems like the longest and can take it's toll on us emotionally. The chickens should be part of the healing process not causing more strain on you and I hope now that you have gotten rid of the problem they will be. I don't know much about roosters except what I've read on here as I only have hens but it seems like some roosters are good and some are not. Sounds like you had/have a couple who were not. Did you get rid of both or just the one? I think I read that the best ratio is one rooster for thirteen hens so it seems you had a good ratio to begin with and maybe didn't need to add to it. I am sure that the rest of the flock will settle back into laying again but it may take them a week or two. Don't give up. It will be alright, you'll see. I pray today for God to give you peace in your mind and joy in your heart.
CJ

 

[txmel]

i'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your roos. i personally would send the mean roo to freezer camp, but thats just me. i hope your hens start to lay again for you soon i'm still waiting on my first egg. my older hens are 22 weeks and still nothing.

 

[the4heathernsmom]

Yes the game juvenile is gone....I sold four of my hens and tossed him in the mix ......I did inform the guy of what he had done so he was aware. The other one is still here I seperated the australorp roo and put him in with my barred rock hens and my one rir hen so they are together now. I would get rid of my games, I only have that one juvenile roo, and two mommas left of the game breeds but my game hens are excellent setters and they raise the chicks wonderfully, uhhhmmmm thus making this momma not have to raise them lol lol !!!! I don't know my husband says to get rid of what I have and start over with pure breeds or just get out of it alltogether but I really like the chickens, really a lot lol! But the whole deal is they have to kind of earn their keep and they aren't and things keep happening uggghhhh. My whole idea was to have a barnyard flock this and that cool chickens for the kids ...... have eggs to sell which we did pretty well last year with egg production, and raise new laying hens to sell to local folks who really don't want to raise their own. Thus the proceeds from excess eggs and new layers to sell each year would cover feed costs and giving us eggs (family of 6) they would be earning their keep well nope it ain't happening.......hubby ain't happy when I say "I need feed hon". I am going to worm them again this weekend and hope for the best maybe that will help with production and any critters that might be causing a problem can be eradicated. These pullets are mostly ameracaunas and the only one that started laying I just sold so I am kinda leaning toward selling a few more.....sorry I am rambling ........ bored mom with thoughts going amuck hee hee hee

 

[mistyfeather]

i would get rid of that other juvie roo, your girls will start to lay soon , they propbly miss their roos

it was probly tramatizing for them. my friend had a similar situation with her rir's last year , her hens started to lay again she has since found anouther gentlemanly roo for them

 

[Chick CJ]

I don't know what your experience is with your barred rocks but mine is an egg laying machine. Started laying at 18 weeks and lays nearly every day! I only have the one but if I wanted more eggs, I'd get more barred rocks. My EE/Ameraucana on the other hand is hit or miss so far. Not that consistant. I love the color but if I wanted more eggs I would not get another one. I think your plan is a good one and doable but it will take some work and time to figure out and get it running just the way you need it to. You know, a little trial and error thing. Have you talked to anyone else who is doing the same thing as you want to do to get any advice/ideas on how it went for them?
CJ

 

[the4heathernsmom]

Yes I have talked with people around the area....No one really cares for purebreeds they just want laying hens of any kind. And the general demand around here is for laying hens .... no one wants to raise chicks up they just want instant layers so there is a demand but I can't sell a laying hen honestly that hasn't or isn't laying know what I mean? I sell our eggs cheap and have a list a mile long but no supply for the demand...I know I am selling too cheap we sell for 1.75 a dozen seems like going rate around here is 2.00 and up but we sell mostly to elderly people some families just like us.....again not trying to make a living at it or anything just want to break even not even a profit. Hens sell for anywhere from 9-12.00 a bird for a layer in lay. If I sell a pullet or a hen that hasn't layed in a while I am up front and tell them about the bird and they sell for 6-8.00 not that I sell a lot or anything actually the ones I just sold were my first and I have traded layers for bags of feed which worked out great. I have some pure breed birds a lot as a matter of fact but laying wise they are not doing any better. I think my barred rocks are getting too old for me to depend on but they are calm birds and their eggs are really big when they do come but none have laid this year at all. They are now 3 to 3 1/2 years old. The rir is a rescue bird we have had for 2 years and she is way old no telling but last summer she still laid a big big brown egg about every 3 days and every once in a while a double yolker and I am fine with that......crud I would be happy with one or two eggs a week from every body!!!! lol

 

[Chick CJ]

Yeah, it does sound like you have some birds that are past their prime laying age and feeding them is difficult if your not also having ones who are laying. I live in California and of course everything here sells at a much higher price (doesn't mean it's worth it, it's just the way it is:/). Eggs go for anywhere from $3.50 a doz up to $8.00 a doz. Depending on who and how your buying from, laying hens who are 5 months of age are going for $35-$40 each. Some people have other people they regularly do trades and such with but if you don't have that connection then you pay the money. I bought my last four layers for $40 each because I really wanted someone else to do the raising of them. I got them from a small farm in Petaluma that also raises goats. She does two batches a year and will have 5 month olds ready in March and then again in June. She says so far she has sold out everytime. She has her own flock for breeding and another seperate flock for eggs. The breeds are all different kinds. I bought one GLW, one Black Cochin, one Production Red, and one EE she called an Ameraucana but I figured wasn't really. She markets them as rainbow egg layers and that was what I was going for so I bought different breeds on purpose. Now, I really like having the different colors but I also just plain like having the eggs so I would probably do it differently next time! I am thinking about when I have to start culling/adding to my flock in order to keep eggs coming and I figure since most of mine just started laying it will be next year, but I want to do it in plenty of time so my egg supply doesn't go down. I sure hope you get to keep at this because it sounds like if you could get the rhythm going you could make a nice business out of it as you will have customers waiting! Good luck to you.
CJ

 

[the4heathernsmom]

Wow those prices are crazy!!!!! I am going to hang in with it for a bit and see what happens....worming this weekend and seeing if that helps a bit if not then regrouping. I might just get motivated and worm tonight lol I used to love getting on here now I remember why lol !!!! Sounds like you could make a definate break even if yours get to laying well with those prices.....Ya know there is nothing like watching a hen go broody then setting and the wait, then finally the day she comes out with all those little fluffballls...I think I would so miss that!!!

 

[Chick CJ]

You know it's funny but I thought I would never want to do that. Now I see I would like to do it. I may when the time comes, if it's possible, send one of my girls to a "stud"

rooster at a friends house. We'll have to see if I'm that brave!
CJ