Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

When I read posts asking for advice after their rooster has spurred a child I just want to respond "idiot".

 

[BDutch]

why don't you run one?

Another question you really need to ask is whether the roo(s) was/ were raised at the property by a broody within the flock, or whether they've been imported as cockerels/roos, or raised in such a way as they might just as well have been strangers, rather than members of the existing flock.

Good addition!

But I think it’s better if you ask the questions/make the poll for 2 reasons. :

1. I have very little experience with cockerels and none with roos.
2. For you/native English speakers, its a lot easier to formulate the questions and options correctly.

 

[Shadrach]

He's a baby!

He's a teenager. Like most teenage males he's mostly interested in food. He's a bloody hoover and my feed bill has just gone up a lot!

 

[Shadrach]

This. When I see people asking for advice after their aggressive rooster has spurred their toddler I just want to respond "soup".

That would be both parents of the child in the pot then...

 

[Shadrach]

I've only had 4 years experience of mainly contained chicken keeping so I can't really make a comparison.
I've had a few free ranging man fighters, none of which went in a pot.
I tried to count the number of males I've known last night and I got to 60 and got into recount mode because I missed a few.
The worst was one my uncle kept who was fantastic with the hens but he just didn't like any males, chicken or human.
I'm sure there would have been more horrors if predation at pre teen and teen age hadn't killed them. I can think of a few likely candidates.

 

[Vulpes vulpes]

While I've seen enough evidence to believe that aggression has a genetic component, I think that the actions of the keeper are a greater factor. Communication is a two way street, even with animals, and I believe that reaching an understanding should be prioritized over imposing one's will on another creature. I certainly don't want a rooster to be killed because of my own mistakes, because not making an effort to understand him would be a mistake on my part.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

This romantic scene has been playing out for a few days here: my feral hen (I call her Little Brown Hen) and the Nature Boy having a Lady and the Tramp moment over the feed bowl. She has been coming down from the woods more often and I’m hoping she is taking a shine to the rooster cause it would be great if they raised the next generation

 

[Shadrach]

Three hours today. A shower an hour at the field.
Glais appreciates the shelter the coop extension gives and heads there as soon as he feels the rain coming. He doesn't seem to mind the coop run as much as I thought he might. They all spent some time in the run today despite both the run and field gate being open. He's venturing a little further afield with Mow and Sylph. Mow as she does wandered off quite a way down the field foraging and Glais wasn't confident enough to go to her and he and Sylph stayed halfway between the run and Mow. Mow wasn't down there long.
I'll try digging the compost heap a bit tomorrow and see what happens.
Glais got Mow to crouch for him; it was a bit sneaky without much finesse but Mow didn't fight him off or try to get away. He tried chest bumping Sylph this afternoon and she screamed at him. Glais just wandered off.

 

[Perris]

Good to read that Mow has warmed up to him a bit. I expect he's missing the other roos a bit too. The photos give the impression he's still in a junior mindset, looking for forage and relying on others to give warning of potential trouble; it may take him a while to realize that it's his job now to be the look out.

 

[Perris]

In other news, two more birds here went to a new home today, and hopefully two more will follow tomorrow. That will bring the flock size back down to 30.