Texas

[galanie]

if I lived closer I would take him to go with my splash orp girls

He's been on Craigslist longer than on BYC. I've gotten a few inquiries but nothing once I answered. If I had the money and rushed to quickly do a NPIP test I could sell him by shipping him to California or West Virginia. Not going to do that for one rooster. Can't, I'm retired and on a very, very limited income. I'll turn the lights out before my birds will starve but NPIP testing is not enough of a priority just now.

I just posted him on my Facebook page for you.

Oops, I should have come back and said something, He found a new home yesterday. Thanks all

 

[galanie]

Npip testing is very easy to get. also it is free we just got tested.

Evidently for someone in my area it is next to impossible to find who to contact to do the test. I had a number from the Bluebonnet Classic web page to call but when I went back there to find it, it had been taken down. I've sent emails to people supposedly being the ones to contact and never got replies from any of them. As I recall, the one to contact in my area is in Brenham, which is quite a drive from here. Since the page is down though I now don't have the number or name.

Edit: Oops, its not down. I had javascript disabled. LOL.

 

[abkline]

I should start with thank you, because I have been lurking on Backyard Chickens for the better part of a year, soaking up all the information I can get. I am in Houston, Texas (very near downtown) and have six chickens that were born in April. They came to live with me in June. I meant to have six hens, but ended up with five hens (two Americaunas and three Rhode Island Reds) and one lovely white Americauna rooster. He is the reason I am posting here today. I am very fond of Arthur (even though I called him Barbara for six months), but he is making my life difficult. He is possessive of the hens and it has gotten to the point that I don't handle them because the moment I let them down, he has to establish his ownership, and the girls aren't always in the mood right then. They usually are fond of him and snuggle up to him on the roost. But they are always missing feathers on their backs, and I have been told that this is likely due to Arthur's attentions. I can't bear letting Arthur go somewhere I can't be certain he will be loved because I love him, but he is making my chicken life rather difficult.

If there is someone who would like a white Americauna rooster in their lives and can promise me that he will have a very good home, I would give him away. Of course, having mentioned all of his disadvantages, perhaps no one would want him. I should mention that he is sweet as the day is long, very handsome and eats out of my hand. He has red eyes, which I think are dashing.

I don't have one of those photos where the Rooster looks like he belongs on the cover of a magazine, but I am posting two that include him (and also some of the girls).

If no one wants to take him, I am also very open to suggestions for how to make living with him and the girls a little simpler. I just love having chickens!

Alisa (in Houston)

 

[jennifer6jc]

Could your hens be going thru a molt? I know it sound weird but I thought the same of my beautiful rooster ....after almost 4 months my girls grew their feathers back and started laying eggs again. I actually thought I was going to have to learn to knit so I could make sweaters for them...And if you lived closer I would love to take him in but I live near Lubbock.
Jennifer

 

[abkline]

I wondered about molt, too. But they aren't even a year old yet and the only feather loss is on their backs. Could it really be molt? I, too have considered the knitting solution.

 

[jennifer6jc]

I read somewhere that chickens who lose a lot of feathers at once during a molt are better egg layers.. Here is some information I found on a website.

" Different varieties and ages of chickens will molt at different times, though, so you may see one chicken molting in your flock while the others are happily going about their daily business."


Although chickens will naturally end their molt and ramp up egg production again on their own schedule, you can help them out a bit by boosting their protein rations when you start to see feathers lining the coop floor. Some chicken keepers add cat food, meat, eggs, or yogurt to their feed during the molt while others simply switch their flock over to the higher protein chick starter feed (with the addition of oyster shells to provide the calcium missing from this alternative diet.)

hope this helps

 

[abkline]

Again, thanks. I really don't think this is a molt. The pattern on the three that have baldness is just on the back. Everywhere else, they have tons of feathers. I am afraid it is Arthur. Not sure why the other two are fine because he does favor them with his attentions as well.

 

[Josie360]

Any one looking for a nice roo? I have too many. I have an OE roo(1st gen OE --Blue Wheaten Ameraucana x FBCM), and two pretty decent feather legged Blue Copper Marans roos...or how about a nice silkie roo--I have both a BQ/SQ splash and a BQ black(some hackle leakage--good for a partridge project, I hear), I also have a PQ non-bearded partridge roo? I have pictures of all upon request and am near Bryan TX. Right now I have too many extra pens set up to keep roos and I need to cut back.

 

[AmyLM]

Hi everyone I'm both new to the Texas area AND new to Chickens. My hubby and I bought a house in the Wylie area and we hope to meet new people around here. I'm getting my first batch of new chicks the week of feb 12th. Would love to meet other locals who are into chickens and gardening

Just saying hi!

 

[jennifer6jc]

What do you tell people when they call your chickens Mutts? I find it very irritating ...but them being elderly I have to bite my tounge.....