Ours reminds me that life is no ballet, though staying on one's toes is the recommended method of living to see another sunrise.
That I match his chops for being cantankerous probably has something to do with it. He gets a few feathers from the hen's heads now and again, but I've observed that the hens can be pretty adamant about not submitting to his advances.
For (serious) picking we use pine tar. I've read that Methyl Anthranilate (flavoring agent in grape kool-aid) might be useful for picking (bad `taste' to birds). I've got a pack of the sugar free ready to be mixed with a little water and rubbed on the roo's comb this winter to test its utility (girls like to pick at his comb when the temp drops into the teens).
That I match his chops for being cantankerous probably has something to do with it. He gets a few feathers from the hen's heads now and again, but I've observed that the hens can be pretty adamant about not submitting to his advances.
For (serious) picking we use pine tar. I've read that Methyl Anthranilate (flavoring agent in grape kool-aid) might be useful for picking (bad `taste' to birds). I've got a pack of the sugar free ready to be mixed with a little water and rubbed on the roo's comb this winter to test its utility (girls like to pick at his comb when the temp drops into the teens).
