Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[lindz8504]

I liked the first picture you put on there! I will go back in a little bit and like the others too....

 

[Wishing4Wings]

thanks so much Sally! repost the other one if you don't mind, I can't figure out which one W4W was talking about, sitting on sister - the group shot with the Silkie in the middle? I know the other one... with it's eyes closed... I think that one is a little blurry, but I could be wrong... it just was so cute with the caption...

Yeah I think they picked the BOSS out. I may add cat food later this week.

Sorry to be confusing, but I am.

So the pic above is the one I was referring to. I just assumed that the chick the Silkie is sitting on was an older kid (sister) from a previous Peach hatch. (Now seeing their pic you posted, I realize those chicks are much older. My brain can only hold so much!) It never occurred to me that the Silkie is sitting one of your new bantam Marans because I think most normal broodies would not have have let an older new chick near. Peach is evidently not a normal broody.

 

[cheeka]

gotcha! and I posted that photo for the contest... Peach is incredible. she gave them all several good pecks, gentle, but all over... like tasting them almost... then she laid down the law. the older chicks can be active, outside of the kennel. inside the kennel, they have to be quiet and sit still. soooooo, while it was still daylight, they were running around the pen. the older older sisters were out free ranging, and annoyed that I locked them out for a little while. then when I let them back in... there was only curiosity which scared the little ones a bit, but really... it was fine. Peach doesn't tolerate nonsense... she clucked a few times. and they quit it. all of them. the biggest went to eat, the new littles and the tiny wee went to bed under Mama. end of day one's story. it's been quiet since, I went out every 15 minutes til dark to check and the only change was the biggest kids got up on the roost. Peach is addicted to being a Mother. it doesn't matter, she wants them all. she's good at it.

 

[SullyD]

I have lots of newbie questions, I am hoping some of you have had experiences you can share! My chickens are NH Reds at 19 weeks, Ameraucana's at 18 weeks, and Cream Legbars at 17. Then I have some younger chicks that are 10 and 9 weeks old. (Mostly BR's!)

Questions: The CL roosters (4) are going after ALL of the females, even the 10 and 9 week old ones. Is that normal??

The CL roosters are grabbing the girls by anything they can grab onto, wings, head, legs, etc, then they climb aboard.
Most of the time, they are bucked off and the girls run off. Is that normal?

The Ameraucana rooster seems so sweet. He has not gone after any girl that I have seen, but I have seen him feeding his hatch mate, a female. He is actually older than the CL's but started crowing about a month later than them. First I thought the first one to crow might be dominant, but all the roos crow now and only the CL's seem aggressive. Is that normal? Will they calm down soon and be more like gentlemen? I know I have too many roos, I will be culling hopefully this weekend. Might that be the issue with them? Not enough ladies to go around with all that testosterone!

My coop is not attached to my run. It is about 50 feet away. Everyone goes out around 9-10 am for the day and they return at about 8:30 is (west coast of FL-still light out). I am figuring they may start laying in the run since they don't have access to the next boxes during the day?? Do any of you have nest boxes in your runs?

Sorry for so many questions, but thanks for having so many fun answers to questions I never thought I would be asking!

 

[SullyD]

Cheeka, love the pictures of Peach! It almost seems like she is smiling in some of the pictures! I picked up some Black Copper Marans chicks at an auction a couple of weeks ago. Recently hatched, but had to buy all 20! Chicken math strikes again. On my way out, I met a guy selling some olive eggers that were close to egg laying age, but have never laid any yet. But, I had to buy all three of them, can you say chicken math again? By the time I had gotten home, one of the OE's had pushed the divider aside and was sitting on all 20 chicks! She still has 10 of them and I have switched them around too, based on sex, and she takes them all. I may never get eggs from her, but I may always have her as a broody!

 

[Sallysec]

Sully I just was reading something about young cream legbars on another thread being really aggressive too. No ideas or advice as I don't have any cockerels. I think cheeka will have some advise though with her guys .

 

[SullyD]

Thank you Sallysec. I think I may just keep my Ameraucana roo. He was the first chick I ever hatched and so far, he is pretty mild mannered. I will look on the other thread too and see if I can gain some insight on these critters!

 

[Reina Rana]

1 more confirmed new layer, yay! That is 4 at the moment, if not totally consistent. 3 eggs today.

Love love love Peachy! She is just awesome. <3

 

[showbarnmom]

Molting you say? Can't keep your feathers in you say? Look like road kill you say?

She looks bad :/

 

[cheeka]

Sully, this pic is for you... she looks like she is smiling in this pic... to me anyway... this is from March, 13... not so very long ago, but that little chick is Pebble, her first hatch, who is grown up all handsome and living at my friends house... she's just finished her 3rd hatch, and she's only 13 months old. She is Super Broody Extraordinaire!


As for cockerels, and roosters... I do not have Cream Legbars, but I have had dominant roosters. Barney in particular. he was killed by a fox when he was only 15 weeks 2 days. BUT, he crowed when he was 6 weeks, was chasing the girls and pulling feathers by 10 weeks and was successful just before 11 weeks. I loved him, but I think the fox did me a favor. He would have been a lot to handle. he attacked all but me as far as humans go, he wasn't fond of the cats or dog... and by 12 weeks, he was a serial rapist. he needed to be separated all the time. I felt bad, cuz he loved me, he would bring me pine cones and other gifts and he would come when I called. but he pulled feathers, and stressed out everyone. the next rooster in line is Royce. He's still around. he is not very dominant, but he took to the new position well, and leads without needing too much force over the now 7 other roosters beneath him. the order here is well established. no one challenges Royce. Carl may someday if he can get the size.

when Spring came, all good golly broke loose in the dome ~ all four boys had been living peaceably with the girls for the entire winter. only Royce was really allowed to mate. the others either didn't try, or got blocked. Spring changed it. Like snapping your fingers. all of a sudden they were triple teaming the hens, ripping feathers, doing real damage. they had to go. or get a pen. so I got a big ole pen. they can live happily in 2 pairs. Archie and Si in one, Royce and Carl in the other. they don't fight if I keep them like this, but I can split each half into quarters if I have to separate down to singles. they do not spar during free range, and it's very rare that I let the girls out with the boys, if I do, it's only ONE boy. the rest have to go home.

it sounds to me like you have some dominant boys. up to you how you want to handle your flock... but stress isn't good for the pullets or hens. my suggestion would be to separate them. when you want to breed, place a couple of hens with them for a few days. then take them out and that's that. you can collect fertile eggs and go from there... if there is anything I didn't mention... ask away. just know that I don't keep mean roosters, I don't have any... but I hear they taste really good!