Surviving Minnesota!

[holm25]

Are you trying to cause a divorce here?

Nope

I thought u could run Ralphies Emu Ranch

 

[duluthralphie]

Nope

I thought u could run Ralphies Emu Ranch

You should get rid of all your waterfowl, and get Emu's instead!

Imagine the omelets you could make.. or Emu bacon!

 

[holm25]

You should get rid of all your waterfowl, and get Emu's instead!

Imagine the omelets you could make.. or Emu bacon!

I wish! I would just turn them out with the cows! Could u imagine how high the dang feed bill would be! And the size of feeders one would need! I have met emus and they are not giant like ostriches but they are still big!





Just had an idea! Turn the hay field into a race track and have emu races!

 

[holm25]

I hope the the people getting these likes all the different colors! I am still in love with the light blue one!

 

[lvie]

Good day fellow chickie friends who are out there in Minnesota (and others) land. Got back from errands this morning about noon. Jumped out of the car - I was moving and shaking and getting er done - Went into the coop to get the feeder to refill it and all the hens left the coop and I thought Tom Hanks had followed them out when I felt a poke in my leg. I turned and there was that Rooster ready to kick again! I kicked him. We had a kick boxing round. They do not back down do they? NOW I am learning a different phase of chicken raising. You have told me. I did listen. I just did not know. HE will chase after me and still try to kick me. I did not run (is that good?) I faced him and kicked back. But Ralphie - you mentioned hold yours for about ten minutes. What is the purpose of doing that? Will it train a rooster? Educate me some more.

Now when I dangle the chicks (gotta practice don't you know?) I have two roos and one hen. That is good too. Are SS roosters typically nice mannered or is it an individual thing? I will keep them separated from the rest of the flock and they can set up their household and have little chickies.

Okay - theres what I have to say. Have a nice afternoon.

 

[Dandelioness]

Nope

I thought u could run Ralphies Emu Ranch

There is an emu ranch close by. We went there for a field trip once, and I bought an egg from them and a couple pounds of ground emu, just to try. I blew the egg out so I still have the pretty green egg intact. That was the largest, gooiest egg. I'm not gonna lie, it jiggled too much even after I cooked it. Happy, happy dogs that day! The meat was just like ground beef.

They did need larger housing and runs than chickens, of course. He said if he ever needed to get a hold of one, he had to quickly jump on their back and hold tight, it would run with him on its back until he could calm it down.

I got something new today...

My Olive Egger finally started laying!!!

Two more litters of kits arrived this past week. The first litter is now the fuzzy tiny rabbit size you see on holiday cards this time of year.

That's all I've got, have fun with all the chickening and home and coop improvement projects.

 

[holm25]

Thats a beautiful egg!! I have an olive egger who I am going to hatch from and hopefully get a roo from. I am replacing all my roos.



So if anyone needs a pure standard Cochin and an australorp welsummer cross roo this summer let me know!

 

[holm25]

@holm25
  any more calves around your place??  I am still waiting on the last 2 highlands here.  Supposed to calf in March sometime.

Sorry Rhetts I just saw this for aome reason! Nope no more calves. But quite a few are bagging up!

 

[duluthralphie]

There is an emu ranch close by. We went there for a field trip once, and I bought an egg from them and a couple pounds of ground emu, just to try. I blew the egg out so I still have the pretty green egg intact. That was the largest, gooiest egg. I'm not gonna lie, it jiggled too much even after I cooked it. Happy, happy dogs that day! The meat was just like ground beef.

They did need larger housing and runs than chickens, of course. He said if he ever needed to get a hold of one, he had to quickly jump on their back and hold tight, it would run with him on its back until he could calm it down.

I got something new today...

My Olive Egger finally started laying!!!

Two more litters of kits arrived this past week. The first litter is now the fuzzy tiny rabbit size you see on holiday cards this time of year.

That's all I've got, have fun with all the chickening and home and coop improvement projects.

Grats on the kits. Where are the pictures???


Did you try the Emu Egg?

It is tempting to try and hatch one out. but then what..

Good day fellow chickie friends who are out there in Minnesota (and others) land. Got back from errands this morning about noon. Jumped out of the car - I was moving and shaking and getting er done - Went into the coop to get the feeder to refill it and all the hens left the coop and I thought Tom Hanks had followed them out when I felt a poke in my leg. I turned and there was that Rooster ready to kick again! I kicked him. We had a kick boxing round. They do not back down do they? NOW I am learning a different phase of chicken raising. You have told me. I did listen. I just did not know. HE will chase after me and still try to kick me. I did not run (is that good?) I faced him and kicked back. But Ralphie - you mentioned hold yours for about ten minutes. What is the purpose of doing that? Will it train a rooster? Educate me some more.

Now when I dangle the chicks (gotta practice don't you know?) I have two roos and one hen. That is good too. Are SS roosters typically nice mannered or is it an individual thing? I will keep them separated from the rest of the flock and they can set up their household and have little chickies.

Okay - theres what I have to say. Have a nice afternoon.

Bummer about the rooster. Could be Tom hanks stew soon...

People have a tendency to think in human terms when dealing with animals. You have to think like they think. I do not personally think kicking him will do any good. That is what other roosters do, they kick back. Until one subdues the other.

You want to go to the subdue part right away. No messing around with the kicking part. When you grab him, you hold him tight so he cannot move, much like I suggest with a dog. Except a dog you hold by the neck to the ground. With the rooster hold him tight to your body with one arm. With the other you do things roosters do not like, Rub his cute little comb, cover his eyes and hold his neck. rub his belly. Hold him on his back making sure he has no say in what you are doing to him.

What you want to do is make him your (word meaning female dog).... Hold him longer than you want, and way longer than he wants. When you put him down, CROW at the top of your lungs, scream, holler whatever. If you do not he will crow and claim he was the winner. Take that from him. Then walk towards him. Do no chase him, do not make a move towards him, just walk towards him and make him move out of your way. You want him to know he lost, you also want any other birds watching to know you are top of the pecking order.

I know some may not like my ideas, but they work for me. You may have to repeat the lesson a few times. The last time I taught King George was last fall, so it was 4-5 months since the lesson and he must have thought he was bigger than me now. This time of the year they are really feeling the testosterone, so they learn slower.

This is the same reason I hold JJ. He is heavy and not particularly in love with being held, but it tells him I control him. He never fights being held anymore. He just submits. As a bonus, if another tom makes a move towards me, I do not even have to respond. JJ does for me. JJ is alpha tom, he does not want to go down the ladder. If another Tom beats me, JJ is in third place, He will not let that happen. Pecking orders are interesting things.

Sidekick is number 3 on the Toms order. If another Tom goes after JJ. Sidekick is right there protecting JJ. I assume it is all the same thing. preserve their spot on the order do anything you can to not go down the list.




Part of this, is human induced. our birds tend to imprint on us, especially if they are not hen raised. A rooster that is raised by a hen is leery of a human, they tend to avoid humans. If they imprint on humans they consider us part of their flock and these altercations occur. IN King Georges case, I am sure he thought I was going to either hurt the hen or mate with it, neither of which he was going to allow.

Tom Hanks should get better if you walk through hi some. if not, that is why they make pressure cookers.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Here is my deal on rooster attitude. It should not be tolerated as there are many a nice roosters out there looking for homes.

However. Even my walking in the house to the cracker cupboard trained monkey act of a rooster gets territorial this time of year. Translation: he is protecting his hens. His progeny and if you free range it's not an all bad trait. It's about 4 months of the year that he forgets that I'm the food lady and let's me know I have passed his imaginary comfort zone line. Dirty dog. There are moments where I need to get him his food at some point and I carry a fluff lifter in the form of a bamboo walking stick about 4 1/2 feet long. I'm not cruel with it. I just lift the fluff up to make it an uncomfortable fight for him. ( he realizes he will not draw blood on a stick). After his first year he decided that a stick in my hand is a nice time to take a wide berth.

Carrying him works too. When he submits to a carry he'll squat. Carry him around for 10-15 minutes. Fill the food bin. Fill the waterer. Give the hens scratch. Tuck his head down against his breast. It may work it may not.

I will tell you though they usually settle down. And a good rooster is worth a few moments of attitude.