Rhode Island Red Thread!

[ashley3283]

You can find a ton of information on this website.One thing I did with my chicks was I put an alarm clock radio in their brooder so that they would constantly here human voices.I also spend a lot of time with my chicks and chickens.Hold them, pet them. I dont know if you live in town or not, but I like having a rooster around too.works as a good flock protector, but I do not tolerate mean ones.If you get soft shells you could give them crushed oyster shells.Also if you want to make sure your chickens like you give them treats yougurt, mealworms, earthworms, watermelon, cantelope, lettuce, cucumbers etc.If you have a garden you can give them some fresh veggies and fruits and they will just love it. I could go on about other stuff but just read lots of stuff on BYC and you will learn a lot.

I will definitely try the radio! That's a good idea, that I didn't even think about! We have spent a lot of time with them the past two days! My two year old is in chicken heaven

We sit and watch them alllllllll day long haha!
We live in the country and planning to free range as much as possible. How do you keep your roosters from being over aggressive, since I have babies I do not want them to be mean. I have seen on BYC that people was giving their chickens oyster shells, but wasn't exactly sure if it was just for treats or purpose. We have a garden so we will give them lots of fresh veggies and fruits!
Thank you for your tips!!!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I will definitely try the radio! That's a good idea, that I didn't even think about! We have spent a lot of time with them the past two days! My two year old is in chicken heaven

We sit and watch them alllllllll day long haha!
We live in the country and planning to free range as much as possible. How do you keep your roosters from being over aggressive, since I have babies I do not want them to be mean. I have seen on BYC that people was giving their chickens oyster shells, but wasn't exactly sure if it was just for treats or purpose. We have a garden so we will give them lots of fresh veggies and fruits!
Thank you for your tips!!!

Your welcome.And chickens are very entertaining.I also live in the country.My chickens have a huge outside run that has a covered top and everything so that nothing can get to them.That is how they free range I dont let them out in the open because I have had a lot of pest problems-dogs,coyotes,hawks,racoons,and weasels.There is nothing wrong with free ranging but I dont because I know that if I do I will have many dead chickens.

Right now I actually have 1 roo that is agressive towards me but only when I try to pick the hens up, but he is excellent at protecting the hens and he is very pretty, I also have him entered in a show that hasnt happened yet so cant really get rid of him.But I did not raise him I got him when he was1 1/2 and the people were mean to him.All the roos I have raised are nice and are okay with being handled

.Now you will see a lot of arguing over the subject on how to raise roosters.Some people say handleing them makes them mean most of the time because hens will groom the rooster and when you pet and cuddle him it puts you in the position of a hen and makes him above you.And then there are the people who think that if you handle them as chicks they will end up being friendly most of the time.I think you should handle them when they are younger, pet them become friends with them, but I also think that if they show attitude you should show them that you are boss.You just have to establish a ground of what is and isnt tolerated.

Now on to oyster shells.Chickens like oyster shells so to them I am sure it seems like a treat, but a it is usually feed if the hens are getting soft shells and such.My chickens have never had oyster shells before, but I know I place where I can get if I need it.

 

[Twinklin]

Hi there. Making my rounds through the breed threads. I have 4 chickens around 2 1/2 months and so I am posting their pics in the proper breed threads. I have 1 RIR. Her name is Phillie as I'm originally from Philadelphia and am a huge Phillies fan and when I think red I think Phillies. She's one of the 2 smallest chickens I have. She is also the most shy. She gets left behind a lot. When the girls are out free ranging they'll all run back to the coop and she'll be left in the bushes by herself. She also doesn't like when I go into the run to take pictures. She's in the fewest pictures because she's always off hiding in the corner. She doesn't get picked on though. All of my girls seem to treat each other nicely. No pecking or bullying.

Phillie at a couple weeks.


At about a month with her sisters she's front and center. They didn't like when the airplane flew over so they crouched down and froze.


Phillie with Onyxia (BSL) about 2 months



and taken today around 10 weeks being looked over by the bigger girls Ony (BSL) and Eleanor (EE)

 

[Alaskan]

Super pretty girls

 

[cgoodloe]

Hi there. Making my rounds through the breed threads. I have 4 chickens around 2 1/2 months and so I am posting their pics in the proper breed threads. I have 1 RIR. Her name is Phillie as I'm originally from Philadelphia and am a huge Phillies fan and when I think red I think Phillies.


Phillie with Onyxia (BSL) about 2 months



and taken today around 10 weeks being looked over by the bigger girls Ony (BSL) and Eleanor (EE)

 

[Twinklin]

That's what our Onyxia is named after too. We used to play WoW. We've moved onto other games over the years but are still big fantasy MMOers.

 

[SunnySkyFarm]

These are my RIR girls. Have 5 of them, and they are the only chicken breed I have at the moment. Love them.

 

[Alaskan]

That looks like a lovely coop! Cute chickens too.

 

[SunnySkyFarm]

Thanks!

Since I uploaded the pics wrong to this thread I'm just gonna do it again because I want to learn it the right way....

 

[Twinklin]

My red, Phillie, is worrying me. She hasn't grown or changed much over the last month where my other 3 birds of other breeds are getting that grown up chicken look and their combs are getting bigger and more red. I'm afraid she's stunted. Her tail feathers are also very wonky. I'm getting more scared that she's a boy. Here's a few new pics from today. I think the girls were around a week old when we got them as their wings were decently feathered so I'm going to say shes just under 3 months now. This is my first batch of chickens so I'm extra paranoid about everything.



Phillie poking up behing the bigger girls, you can see she's much smaller than the others.