Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Shadrach]

I reckon a lot of the time I "defuse" situations before they even get to the point where that's really needed, just by being seeming calm and confident and chatting a lot of nonsense about whatever I'm doing.

I try, or have in the past, when I've had more time with the chickens and consequently have a better idea of what's going on in each group to deal with the situation before it gets to the critical stage.

 

[kattabelly]

This morning I took some old rolls to the coops, as a "treat". As I crumbled and scattered crumbs I noticed Jacob (6 mo old cockerel) calling hens to the crumbs he found. Zack was doing the same, but no conflict came of it. I'm pleased that Jacob is displaying manners.

My RIR boys are just beginning to learn some manners too. Today was the first time they wing "danced" instead of just jumping on a pullet who wanted nothing to do with them. Rognvald was hanging around just outside one of the coops while the Sussex girls were laying too, although he didn't have the bottle to answer their calls himself when the older cockerel already was, and he lost interest and wandered off before the second one was finished laying.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

My RIR boys are just beginning to learn some manners too. Today was the last time they wing "danced" instead of just jumping on a pullet who wanted nothing to do with them. Rognvald was hanging around just outside one of the coops while the Sussex girls were laying too, although he didn't have the bottle to answer their calls himself when the older cockerel already was, and he lost interest and wandered off before the second one was finished laying.

“Last” time or first for the wing dancing?

 

[Shadrach]

I think they're all a bit afraid of her iron beak still

I've often been surprised by keepers who cull their senior and often non layers. In my experience these senior hens are a huge asset, be they the parent of the juniors or not.
I have also found that the next most senior is the groups enforcer.

 

[kattabelly]

I try, or have in the past, when I've had more time with the chickens and consequently have a better idea of what's going on in each group to deal with the situation before it gets to the critical stage.

That too, but I mostly meant between me the chickens and especially the boys. Things like handling them or moving around them in confined spaces, or handling another bird who isn't all too happy about it, or other things that might set them off if I wasn't working to not seem like a threat or I reacted badly to their initial concerned noises and body language.

 

[kattabelly]

“Last” time or first for the wing dancing?

First! Edited, thanks.

There was a brief moment today when one of them was "dancing" around a pullet, and the Light Sussex boy walked past and then cut in to herd the brother of the dancer - made me think of a (rather sedate) ceilidh or those old dances people would do at court and fancy balls and suchlike.

 

[Shadrach]

Bub bub’s favourite is Minnie who is bottom of the pecking order, then Millie, queen of the flock whilst Hennie, the wild child is not so interested but squats for him unless not interested when she shows a very fast turn of speed.
Not sure if it’s relevant that he and Minnie have been together the longest.
If both Millie & Minnie go broody at the same time Bub bub gets very grumpy!

Grumpy roosters because their favorite hens are broody, or off sick, is pretty funny sometimes. Sulky roosters, more drama than broody hens.
I know some breeders still use the tried and tested three hens per rooster arrangement. The reasoning, according to my uncle, is, if one hens is broody and another sick or has recently died, then the rooster is still left with one hen. I was told, and learnt for myself that a rooster with just on hen following him, is much less likely to look for more hens. One really needs tribes to see this. Roosters and juvenile males with no hens officially theirs can be a complete PITA mainly because they hang around a tribe with possibly interested hens and get caught by that tribes rooster trying to entice his hens away from him.

 

[kattabelly]

I'm really enjoying the comedy of the younger boys starting to try to act like good roosters but seeming like they aren't entirely sure how to go about doing something, or don't quite know what to do next when it unexpectedly doesn't go wrong

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I'm really enjoying the comedy of the younger boys starting to try to act like good roosters but seeming like they aren't entirely sure how to go about doing something, or don't quite know what to do next when it unexpectedly doesn't go wrong

Amazing to see that a species so different shares so many of the features of adolescence!

 

[Skyeknight]

I am probably a bit behind on tax, so enjoy these photo's of my Christmas dinner and 2 Silkies that are broody right now.

Edit: rooster is an Ayam Cemani Silkie crossbred