Smoky Mtn East TN

[termites1938]

Thanks for all the info. I am rethinking adding a rooster to the flock. It sounds like they do help in their own way. We live in a rural area but do have neighbors....how far do your chickens range from the coop?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Mine do sound an alarm when they see a predator (or a leaf falling, or the cat, or the dog ). But, most of them run for the coop along with the hens, usually in the very front. I did have one incident where a hawk got in my run and 2 of my roos ganged up on it. All I lost that day was a pair of socks and the boys lost some feathers, but that's the only time I've ever seen my roosters show some bravery. Now my turkeys, on the other hand, don't like anything they perceive as a pred. They even kill small birds in their run and beat up on my barn cats if they wander too close.

As for ranging, mine go all over. I've heard a lot of folks say that their birds don't go more than 200ft from their coop. Mine go everywhere. I've had to retrieve my turkeys and a few of my chickens from my neighbors house, and they're about a 1/4 mile away I lost a turk to one of their dogs in their yard (definitely my fault), so they haven't gone over there in a while (thank goodness).

 

[laughingdog]

hello n welcome newbies to the area and group/site.

I am by woman of house, ordered to cook or sell guinea flock of eight. Trying to get $150 for flock. may take less.. especially in trade of coops, or help building caging at least four feet square out of materials i think will work. May trade on pigeon breeds. Maybe silkie breeds (i have one lonely rescued pullet)..
these pretty tame and quiet as were hand raised inside in winter, but now begining to try to nest etc. mine raised by broody banty, and all hang on property all day, and coop roost at night with chickens n scovys. only probs i have are woman of house wanting to cook them, n pet free range rabbits teasing.

Im also parting with what told by judge friend, "good quality" D" Uccles (barbu breed). Two pairs, one pair milli fleur, one hen porcilin (terrble spelling half asleep n spell check broke), other cock forget what color called but pretty as any. $50 same trdes and negotiations. PM if interested as this site not mobil friendly n im on a bad android phone.
I'm out in newport/morristown area, and have been scaling back my hobby farm to move, n also to focus on less with my disabilities in play as factors to working on projects etc.

I more over now keep breeds of performance pigeons (though love fantasy breed, mindian breed etc, giant show etc types), and want to otherwise only focus on scovy ducks, n my Americana chickens, with silkie.

 

[laughingdog]

If worried about preds on small scale place, keep a low watt bulb on at night, n get three or more depending on want, of more orginally gamey, or just extreamly barnyard mixed from free ranger breeds of bantam, that can fly prefferably. they will help better than standard or showier roos. one to few roos stay close to girls, n they keep rest up n off as sentinals and pawns.
dont keep or get a cockerel or roo especially that doesnt call at all after ladies to come for tossed down goodies. Dont keep a roo that doesnt dance after and preen his ladies n dotes n feed calls ('ticking' after his or any chicks. if the roo just jumps the ladies n pushes in to eat first.. dont get or keep him. if he isnt almost always watching sky with one eye (not "stargazing" etc) or other, he probably doesnt have great instincts.

 

[termites1938]

Thanks for the info....I didn't realize roosters had different instinctive traits. If you are raising a rooster from a chick how long does it take before you know if it is a protective one?

 

[WCHomestead]

Hello everyone! So glad I found this thread! I live in Sevierville and have had my chickens since last August! I have dual purpose Dominiques and Brahmas (Buff and B&W).
A little introduction for me: We live on a 22 acre homestead with dogs, chickens, soon to have bees (next month!) and eventually will have goats. We have all hens right now as we culled our 4 roosters about 3 weeks ago. Not planning to breed to show or sell.
I love those darn chickens! We didn't need the roos and they were just too much for me to handle in the way they were with the hens and they just ate so much...so, it was time to eat them! Two of the roos were not supposed to be roos...we ordered all girls and they turned out to definitely not be girls! The other two were possibles when we bought them at about 2 months old, so we crossed our fingers that they turned into pullets, but no such luck!

I am looking forward to reading all about your experiences with your chickens here in awesome and amazing East Tennessee!

 

[termites1938]

That's interesting about your roosters...we have been debating back and forth about getting a rooster and have still not decided. I can see the positives and negatives. But they can be ornery....I remember as a kid we had a leghorn rooster that would chase me into the dog house....my mom and her broom had to rescue me.

 

[WCHomestead]

the older two roosters (out of 4) were the dominant ones that would assault my hens daily, multiple times a day. Two of my Buffs had bare spots on their backs it was so bad. They are finally growing feathers back. They were not aggressive with me, just with the girls. We weren't supposed to have roos anyway, so all they were doing was costing money. So in my tummy they went!

On another note, I am running out of 18 count egg cartons...anyone know where I can find some?

 

[SkylineFarms]

the older two roosters (out of 4) were the dominant ones that would assault my hens daily, multiple times a day. Two of my Buffs had bare spots on their backs it was so bad. They are finally growing feathers back. They were not aggressive with me, just with the girls. We weren't supposed to have roos anyway, so all they were doing was costing money. So in my tummy they went!

On another note, I am running out of 18 count egg cartons...anyone know where I can find some?

This is the cheapest place I have found to order 12-count egg cartons from. Not sure about their price on the 18-count cartons though. They have free shipping too.
http://www.zellwin.com/default.asp

 

[MARANMAN2011]

Putting 100 Black and Blue Copper Marans eggs (Cottage Hill Line) in the bator Sunday or Monday if anyone is interested.