My chicken flock (hatched March 1st this year) Currently has 5 cockerels and 13 pullets. 3 of the boys just started crowing, non of the girls are laying yet.
The silkie, the blue laced red, and the silver penciled boys are just as sweet as can be. I don't see them fight or pick on anyone. The barred rock, though previously a selfish bully, has become nicer to his fellow chickens; but the Silver laced, Gengis, is a big jerk! In the hour I was out there with them just now, thrice I saw him savagely bite one of the hens (who was doing nothing wrong) and hold on to her as she squawked and flailed until she managed to -literally- rip herself away. One of my barred rocks now has one of the pointy-things on her comb missing! And last week I saw him EAT a chunk of fluff he ripped of my tiny silkie hen's neck.
Now I may not have much recent experience with chickens, but this does not seem right. I have seen chickens breeding, I understand pecking order/dominance, but this is much more intense than anything I have seen before.
We kept Gengis because he was unanimously voted most likely to battle a predator and win. The barred rock, who has begun running to the rescue of the hens unfortunate enough to get too close to our bully, was only kept because I wanted his tail feathers. We were planning to eat him later...but now I just don't know. Is it a phase? Will he grow out of it? Or do we transfer Gengis to the needs-to-be-eaten list and spare Kabob (who would then get a real name) What do you think?
We ARE going to keep some boys, though I know a number of you don't like them at all. We need a guard chicken for our flock, and I want my birds to be able to raise their own young.
The silkie, the blue laced red, and the silver penciled boys are just as sweet as can be. I don't see them fight or pick on anyone. The barred rock, though previously a selfish bully, has become nicer to his fellow chickens; but the Silver laced, Gengis, is a big jerk! In the hour I was out there with them just now, thrice I saw him savagely bite one of the hens (who was doing nothing wrong) and hold on to her as she squawked and flailed until she managed to -literally- rip herself away. One of my barred rocks now has one of the pointy-things on her comb missing! And last week I saw him EAT a chunk of fluff he ripped of my tiny silkie hen's neck.
Now I may not have much recent experience with chickens, but this does not seem right. I have seen chickens breeding, I understand pecking order/dominance, but this is much more intense than anything I have seen before.
We kept Gengis because he was unanimously voted most likely to battle a predator and win. The barred rock, who has begun running to the rescue of the hens unfortunate enough to get too close to our bully, was only kept because I wanted his tail feathers. We were planning to eat him later...but now I just don't know. Is it a phase? Will he grow out of it? Or do we transfer Gengis to the needs-to-be-eaten list and spare Kabob (who would then get a real name) What do you think?
We ARE going to keep some boys, though I know a number of you don't like them at all. We need a guard chicken for our flock, and I want my birds to be able to raise their own young.
