What started out to be just three roos this season has turned into a nightmare.
I ordered 15 Australorp chicks from MPC, 3 to be boys, the rest girls. That's been true so far.
Then, my son's teacher at the end of the year last year had ordered black Jersey Giant chicks and brought 12 to school for a project. She was supposed to have gotten 2 boys and the rest girls - one student took 6 home, and my son brought home the other 6 as we had room. 4 of those chicks have turned out to be boys. Very BIG boys.
I saved 4 EE and 2 B'Orps from the local hardware/farm store that were near-death, and sold to me as pullet chicks. One B'Orp was a boy, and 2 - maybe 3 - EE are boys. I'm having a hard time with differentiating the EEs, due to the similarities in combs, muffs, and beards.
I saved a silkie hen from my father-in-law after a bad coyote/raccoon attack on his coop.
I saved an Egyptian Fayoumi rooster chick from a friend's father who is only allowed to have hens in his subdivision. That makes a possible 12.
I have a breeding project starting next summer that are still in my basement for the time being, in the large brooder with no light - they're 8 week old Lav/Split Ameraucana that we hatched for my son. 2 of those are definitely boys. I haven't tried to introduce them to the bigger flock yet due to all the bullying/fighting we're witnessing at the present time. That will make a possible 14.
Out of 34 birds, almost half are boys. This has made for some nasty fighting now that they're attempting to mate and assert dominance. Yes, I've ordered my chicken processing equipment - it's now thankfully on its way to my house.
We had already planned to slaughter all the boys this month with the exception of my Lav & Split boys, and the Fayoumi boy - as he's never going to amount to even Chicken McNugget size. That will bring us down to a total of 3 boys to rule over a total of 24 girls. That seems to be a better ratio, given that the males like to have a "harem" of girls to themselves.
I'm seeing some nasty, nasty behaviors out of these Aussie and Giant roos towards the other birds. The hens are run completely ragged to the point that even if they wanted to start laying, they can't. They get chased out of the nesting boxes to be gang-raped and kicked, clawed, pecked to pieces. I've already had to dress a talon injury to one's eye from a nasty mating last week. She's doing much better, but she could have lost an eye. My Fayoumi boy, much smaller than the rest of the boys in the yard, is taking a beating. He holds his own and is quite the flyer - but his comb is nearly black and crusty from all the pecking and fighting he's enduring. I'm cleaning it every night, making sure it doesn't get infected, and keeping a bit of neosporin on it to ward off infections. The one little silkie hen we rescued is really taking the worst of the mating beatings, as she's slower. 5 or 6 of the Aussies/Giants will bite and scratch at her until they get her down, and take turns having their way with her. She just lays there and cries afterwards until one of us goes to get her. We check her and treat any wounds she suffers, but her normally-friendly and sweet demeanor is changing to a very depressed and isolative one.
We have all these birds in a large coop with plenty of room, kept clean, they're routinely fed and watered and given treats. They get to roam on almost 2 acres of fenced-in backyard, with plenty of forage and shade and things to peck at and play with. I never thought I'd have this many males from what I was told in the beginning - but now I'm seeing that people will gladly take advantage of those of us that can't sex chicks very well - telling us they have girls, when most are actually boys. I didn't know they'd act like this with this much room to sleep, roam, and all the bells and whistles they get here at our home. Now, the boys have started attacking ME when I go out to water and feed - and I'm 16 weeks pregnant. Just a few minutes ago, I had to treat some really nasty scratches on my face, arms, and legs from these guys ganging up on me while I was trying to give them their feed and water.
The kill cone can't get here fast enough. I've bought an expensive knife for the kill/processing, I have a propane turkey fryer for scalding, and I have a tub for cooling as well as a small stainless table for the eviscerating already. Just 4-5 weeks ago, I couldn't imagine killing my own birds, as I had gotten attached to them. Now? I'm ready to dispatch of these nasty boys and get this flock under control again. Seeing my hens not want to leave the coop for fear of being attacked, hearing my silkie hen cry from being ganged-up on, and I myself being attacked by these boys on a regular basis has GOT to stop.
I ordered 15 Australorp chicks from MPC, 3 to be boys, the rest girls. That's been true so far.
Then, my son's teacher at the end of the year last year had ordered black Jersey Giant chicks and brought 12 to school for a project. She was supposed to have gotten 2 boys and the rest girls - one student took 6 home, and my son brought home the other 6 as we had room. 4 of those chicks have turned out to be boys. Very BIG boys.
I saved 4 EE and 2 B'Orps from the local hardware/farm store that were near-death, and sold to me as pullet chicks. One B'Orp was a boy, and 2 - maybe 3 - EE are boys. I'm having a hard time with differentiating the EEs, due to the similarities in combs, muffs, and beards.
I saved a silkie hen from my father-in-law after a bad coyote/raccoon attack on his coop.
I saved an Egyptian Fayoumi rooster chick from a friend's father who is only allowed to have hens in his subdivision. That makes a possible 12.
I have a breeding project starting next summer that are still in my basement for the time being, in the large brooder with no light - they're 8 week old Lav/Split Ameraucana that we hatched for my son. 2 of those are definitely boys. I haven't tried to introduce them to the bigger flock yet due to all the bullying/fighting we're witnessing at the present time. That will make a possible 14.
Out of 34 birds, almost half are boys. This has made for some nasty fighting now that they're attempting to mate and assert dominance. Yes, I've ordered my chicken processing equipment - it's now thankfully on its way to my house.
We had already planned to slaughter all the boys this month with the exception of my Lav & Split boys, and the Fayoumi boy - as he's never going to amount to even Chicken McNugget size. That will bring us down to a total of 3 boys to rule over a total of 24 girls. That seems to be a better ratio, given that the males like to have a "harem" of girls to themselves.
I'm seeing some nasty, nasty behaviors out of these Aussie and Giant roos towards the other birds. The hens are run completely ragged to the point that even if they wanted to start laying, they can't. They get chased out of the nesting boxes to be gang-raped and kicked, clawed, pecked to pieces. I've already had to dress a talon injury to one's eye from a nasty mating last week. She's doing much better, but she could have lost an eye. My Fayoumi boy, much smaller than the rest of the boys in the yard, is taking a beating. He holds his own and is quite the flyer - but his comb is nearly black and crusty from all the pecking and fighting he's enduring. I'm cleaning it every night, making sure it doesn't get infected, and keeping a bit of neosporin on it to ward off infections. The one little silkie hen we rescued is really taking the worst of the mating beatings, as she's slower. 5 or 6 of the Aussies/Giants will bite and scratch at her until they get her down, and take turns having their way with her. She just lays there and cries afterwards until one of us goes to get her. We check her and treat any wounds she suffers, but her normally-friendly and sweet demeanor is changing to a very depressed and isolative one.
We have all these birds in a large coop with plenty of room, kept clean, they're routinely fed and watered and given treats. They get to roam on almost 2 acres of fenced-in backyard, with plenty of forage and shade and things to peck at and play with. I never thought I'd have this many males from what I was told in the beginning - but now I'm seeing that people will gladly take advantage of those of us that can't sex chicks very well - telling us they have girls, when most are actually boys. I didn't know they'd act like this with this much room to sleep, roam, and all the bells and whistles they get here at our home. Now, the boys have started attacking ME when I go out to water and feed - and I'm 16 weeks pregnant. Just a few minutes ago, I had to treat some really nasty scratches on my face, arms, and legs from these guys ganging up on me while I was trying to give them their feed and water.
The kill cone can't get here fast enough. I've bought an expensive knife for the kill/processing, I have a propane turkey fryer for scalding, and I have a tub for cooling as well as a small stainless table for the eviscerating already. Just 4-5 weeks ago, I couldn't imagine killing my own birds, as I had gotten attached to them. Now? I'm ready to dispatch of these nasty boys and get this flock under control again. Seeing my hens not want to leave the coop for fear of being attacked, hearing my silkie hen cry from being ganged-up on, and I myself being attacked by these boys on a regular basis has GOT to stop.
