Redinator's First Hatch-Along w Bonus Broody: Extended Edition

[akroberts1085]

Another stupid smart phone mistake is adding I. Wtf

 

[redinator]

I didn't know if I should handle them and hang out or not but then I asked her and I was given the information I needed. I started talking and cooing to them and now WOW, what an amazing difference it made. Even at the age yours are you can still bond with them as long as they are not cockerels. I wouldn't get rid of my girls unless I they pass away or they are cockerels. I know that life takes control of us but with the chickens they become our children so we need a bond just as much as they do. I know you can do it even with your crazy life right now you can definitely build the bond with your girls and possibly the boys.

Kettle my black BYM is a good boy, not affectionate, but has never been aggressive. Taz my light colored cockerel has always been standoffish and tests me regularly. There were several times I thought about culling him, but I kept both males in case one wasn't fertile or produced unhealthy chicks; which Kettle seems to be doing.

It's also possible Pot my black BYM pullet is the problem because it was mostly her eggs that didn't hatch. They're all still young, my oldest are only 7 months, so that could also be the issue. I won't know until I hatch some eggs from my other pullets and see where the problem is.

Next spring I'll be set up better to divide up pullets with one male at a time so I know for sure which chicks are whose and go from there.

As for the reds only one will let me pet her and she's been nasty to the new chicks, so idk if I want to keep her around. I reach out my hand to pet them and they wait until I'm inches away then bolt at the last second, or they stare at my hand the whole time and peck me if I pet them too long, lol.

I'm not in a rush to get rid of anyone just yet. Still a lot of things to figure out with my layout/setup. I might keep the temperamental ones as layers, but not hatch chicks from them.

I'm just glad the weather has cooled off so I can get outside and build somethings and add fencing etc without having to come in every twenty minutes to cool off.

I talk to all the chickens all the time, some respond to their names other just stand around and wait for treats.