Refugee Chickens

[Pelzergirl]

I'll set the lovey dovey down for just a moment..

I would not want future visitors to this thread to think I support or encourage irresponsible animal care. That is certainly not my intent. While I do believe my situation is unique to me, I don't recommend anyone ever hesitate to act when addressing wild/stray animals. Find a professional or experienced person to remove them.

I'm the daughter of a lawyer turned judge, I'll make the case for my issue.

Roosters can not be kept together, when roosters are kept together the inevitable outcome is fights, leading to serious injury and death.

I know this to be true, because there are no roosters kept together, it isn't done. Not sometimes, not some situations, not at all. I've tapped all my available resources and confirmed this is the case.

Stray animals should not be tolerated because they can lead to damage to property, hygiene and safety issues and draw additional animals to the area.

Feral animals, those domesticated yet homeless, are ill prepared to survive in an environment that is not designed to support them. They will create the same issues as strays, with more aggressive behavior. If these animals breed, the problems will increase.

In all cases swift action to remedy is the best option.

Allowing the animal to suffer, surviving in an inhospitable and dangerous place, is more cruel that having them killed immediately.

I hope that is sufficient clarification to assure those pragmatic folks I do understand your well meaning advice.. Thank you..

And to any future visitor.. Don't make my mistake and wait.. don't look at them.. don't learn their personalities.. don't admire their beauty.. Act quickly and save yourself. Adopt or cull.

Now.. back to my regularly scheduled self.. I'm gonna go sit on the porch.. maybe I'll see a chicken.. IDK

 

[aart]

Roosters can not be kept together, when roosters are kept together the inevitable outcome is fights, leading to serious injury and death.

I know this to be true, because there are no roosters kept together, it isn't done. Not sometimes, not some situations, not at all. I've tapped all my available resources and confirmed this is the case.

Objection!
Neither of these is absolutely true. Probable, but not absolute.
You must not have done much searching here because many keep bachelor pads full of males.

 

[centrarchid]

You are getting there, but check this out. A group of adult male chickens kept together and even confined together. They are representative of most roosters on this site kept in a backyard setting. Adult males of those can be kept together just fine when properly managed.

Next image is the same group free-ranging and being run off by the darker chicken, a rooster very similar to what you have in your yard. While younger, the darker chicken's behavior was very similar the grayish roosters and what your stray / feral birds have been doing to date. Once his first adult set of feathers came in completely, he went through a behavior change where he becomes much more territorial and unwilling to back down from a fight from another rooster. That is typical of his breed and sometimes the change can occur at a much younger age. Weather and changes in social structure can precipitate major outbreaks of violence that can sometimes best be described as a battle royal. With the chickens like you have, mortalities are highly probable and the neighbors will likely have an issue with such events going on in your yard. You will probably get upset as well.

This how I pen my roosters of the breed you have when they are about age of what you are watching. Each male is in his own pen and when they are close enough to reach each other I obstruct view using a partition they cannot see through.

The point that must taken into account that the birds involved represent a breed that exhibits a range of behaviors that do not work well with group keeping of males, whether confined or not. As males approach maturity, they need to be made so they cannot get to each other.

If you were to take time to see my interest in chickens, especially game chickens like you are dealing with, you would see I am very much interested in chicken behaviors. The game chickens are the primary focus. I also promote interest by others in the same chickens in their own settings. See links below for evidence.

The following you could do by removing all but one of the males and all but one or two of the females.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...en-family-unit-for-porch.451333/#post-5677666

This evidence of promoting knowledge about the same breed you have.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ambassadors-for-the-farm.407880/#post-4947275

You just need to consider the particulars of the breed involved and act responsibly as you have now been informed. Those that are not being grumpy do not have experience with the kind of chickens you are dealing with.

I am the grandson of a lawyer / judge and it means nothing. I rest my case.

 

[Pelzergirl]

Objection!

Hmmmmm. No, not here.. Out there.. The mere suggestion causes folks to recoil in horror.. It simply isn't done they say.. cruel, and naive they say...

_sigh_ They did come by this morning. I got some cute video of the 2 males side by side crowing together in harmony..

Husband got me a stuffed owl _eyeroll_ _heart breaks_ sheesh... I am so glad they aren't sleeping here most nights...

 

[centrarchid]

Hmmmmm. No, not here.. Out there.. The mere suggestion causes folks to recoil in horror.. It simply isn't done they say.. cruel, and naive they say...

_sigh_ They did come by this morning. I got some cute video of the 2 males side by side crowing together in harmony..

Husband got me a stuffed owl _eyeroll_ _heart breaks_ sheesh... I am so glad they aren't sleeping here most nights...

Are you talking to cockers?

 

[1cock2hens]

to the OP, you can keep other kinds of roosters together with varying degrees of success but with this type of chicken it can never be safely done. I have kept 3 roosters in a flock but they were layers and not american games.

also you said "Allowing the animal to suffer, surviving in an inhospitable and dangerous place, is more cruel that having them killed immediately." I disagree, they could do more then just survive, they could very well thrive. Life is always worth preserving. Inhospitable to me could be paradise for them

 

[centrarchid]

Time for a humor break, but I likely have been blocked. Someone else needs to run with the ball.

 

[CCUK]

I'm no expert on this particular breed but thinking of it from a wild/feral animal perspective. There would be more males together and invariably some would fight for dominance but in this case, at the moment they aren't and we don't know how old they are or if they have been dumped or free range from a neighbours property. But in the wild, there are more eyes, more lookouts. Does this make for a better chance for survival? This is the cockbirds job. If they appear to be changing positions and taking turns to lookout then are they exhibiting a wild animal survival behavior? They seem to be doing OK so far, roosting in trees and not letting anyone get too close. If they are causing you a problem or you don't want them around then maybe you should call animal control but if you are happy to see them around, which I suspect you do, and they aren't causing you a problem than you could let them be. Predation will probably take one, some, all of them, but they do seem pretty adept to free ranging and roaming. Alternatively you could build a coop and enclosure for them but I think that this would cause problems with the males as there wouldn't be a need for three sets of eyes and caging an animal that is used to living wild..... well idk.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Well that's really disheartening.. I get enough of that at home..

I feel like I got good advice here and was just enjoying chatting about them. It was nice to be humored and not chastised about my soft heartedness..

I appreciate all the kind comments : )

Is there a different channel I could chat in? Or is my situation just not going to be tolerated?

I feel you. I'm super soft-hearted, too, and I'm sure I get on people's nerves. I have learned that it's always best to presume positive intentions, especially with electronic correspondence because it forgoes all the subtleties and nuances of face-to-face communication. And then there are trolls. I have not experienced trolls on BYC, FWIW.

I am very interested in your situation, and you write so beautifully. I hope you keep us updated and accept others' advice as just that: advice. Read it and make the decision that best fits your unique situation and appeases that huge heart of yours.

There's a saying: "It takes a village to raise a chicken." Or something like that.

 

[centrarchid]

I'm no expert on this particular breed but thinking of it from a wild/feral animal perspective. There would be more males together and invariably some would fight for dominance but in this case, at the moment they aren't and we don't know how old they are or if they have been dumped or free range from a neighbours property. But in the wild, there are more eyes, more lookouts. Does this make for a better chance for survival? This is the cockbirds job. If they appear to be changing positions and taking turns to lookout then are they exhibiting a wild animal survival behavior? They seem to be doing OK so far, roosting in trees and not letting anyone get too close. If they are causing you a problem or you don't want them around then maybe you should call animal control but if you are happy to see them around, which I suspect you do, and they aren't causing you a problem than you could let them be. Predation will probably take one, some, all of them, but they do seem pretty adept to free ranging and roaming. Alternatively you could build a coop and enclosure for them but I think that this would cause problems with the males as there wouldn't be a need for three sets of eyes and caging an animal that is used to living wild..... well idk.

This not a trolling issue. Rather, you have experienced people that know what is up with this type of situation. I keep a good number of the type of bird involved and have a lot of experience that very much parallels what OP is observing.

It is apparent no one even scrutenized what I took time to present. That means someone is being close-minded.

Maybe a moderator should put me in my place for trying to do the right thing.