Texas

[RoosterCogburn7]

I'm working off an IPhone and this site does not allow you to zoom so I cannot see the red in the feathers. So I stand humbly corrected.

David

I understand. Some webpages don't blow up well on the IPhone. I prefer to use message board on the PC, because it is easier to type.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Hopefully you broke the behavior before it became a habit. For me the culprit was not an egg eater but an egg layer in what was supposed to be an all male pen. Have been having dominance issues going on in the pen for the past couple of weeks. Lost one Cubalaya cockerel to it while we were out of town. Up until that point there had been nothing serious and I failed to advised my friends that were taking care of them what to do if one had been beaten up. Less than a week later caught them in the act of beating up on another Cubalaya, rescued him. He's still in sickbay, waiting for the worst of the scabs to disappear. His eyes were swollen shut for the rest of that day and part of the next. The next one to fall victim was one of the barred Hollands. Did not have space for him in sickbay, so he got the blue dye first aid goo put on him and tossed in with the pullets. Working on another coop that will get a divider down the center to separate out the ones that are low in the pecking order.

So far so good. The ultimate test will be tomorrow. If I come back and find they haven't torn up the eggs, then I will move in the extra layers and the extra rooster. I don't think Lucky will have a problem dominating him, as he is docile, and been dominated by the PBR EE mix. So, he is used to being a subordinate rooster. There will definitely be some peck order disorder for a bit. The last three I moved in their cold went from dominated, pecked, and abused to being the rooster favorite birds, so they moved up quickly. They are always on the roost with him at night. They are not unfamiliar with each other as Lucky and his girls free range frequently and go up to the run hardware cloth. Lucky is always trying to chat up the hens and then get in a crowing war with his condemned son. I did notice that my BCM males are getting as big as my large EE hens. There was a fracas at that run for a bit through the wire as the dominate hen from Lucky's pen wanted a skirmish with a young rooster and both neck feathers went up. Chickens can be mean. We had a black EE that went broody for awhile, and when she tried to free range with the rest of the hens, one really went after her hard in a vicious fight, until Lucky separated the girls and growled at them both.

He is a gentle rooster, though he does come close to letting you know when you clip his girls wings and they holler like they are being slaughtered. Other than that, he doesn't care what you do. My daughter used to pull him by the tail feathers to catch him and carry him around like a baby doll. Other than mentioning the indignity of it all, he let it happen.

 

[Welsummer Rancher]

I have heard that. Once I get a game bird license to own ducks (here in Texas you need one for water fowl, quail), I want to get some Cayuga Ducks. The concept of black/grey eggs is fascinating. Part of the reason I am fascinated by Black Copper Marans because of their chocolate dark eggs.

I too am drawn toward the BCM due to the very dark egg color.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

I too am drawn toward the BCM due to the very dark egg color.

I agree. Welsummers lay some pretty dark eggs too.

 

[Eliza1313]

I did straight runs this go around. Wanted to see if I liked the breeds and to give me a choice for a sire. So I have a pretty even split of males to females. That's why I have a separate pen for the boys. Seems like the dominance issues have settled down since I pulled the female guinea yesterday.

I really like the personalities of the Cubalayas, both males and females. Although they are not much bigger than bantams, so they are mainly ornamental. The most personable boys have been the Barred Hollands, they are also the largest breed. They seem to enjoy getting attention and being picked up more than the others. Those two started getting their spurs in about a month ago, and they have kinda been testing the waters with me. I don't let them intimidate me, and if they peck at me in an aggressive manner I grab their comb and pull their head down to the ground until they start to relax, usually keeps them in line for a couple of days. I plan on trimming their spurs later. The Cubalayas aren't supposed to grow spurs, but I have one that looks like he is. Need to check the Cochins to see if they are growing them beneath all those feathers. The Cochins don't like being caught but they settle down once you have them. I don't look forward to trimming the Fayoumis though, they are wild.

I will be investing in better breeding stock later. Definitely going to get more Barred Hollands. A dark egg layer, don't know whether I want to continue with the Marans or get Welsummers or Penedesencas. Also considering Crevecours, Arucanas, Langshans, and Orpingtons.

 

[hensfortherapy]

Wild Game Birds: (as defined in §§64.001 and 64.021, Parks and Wildlife Code). License required to take, possess, propagate or sell the animal. Some species may not be possessed live.
[TR] [TH]Nonmigratory Game Birds[/TH] [TH]Migratory Game Birds[/TH] [/TR]
[TR] [TD]Wild Turkeys[/TD] [TD]White-fronted Doves[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Lesser Prairie Chickens[/TD] [TD]White-winged Doves[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Pheasants (all varieties)[/TD] [TD]Mourning Doves[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Gambel's Quail[/TD] [TD]Rails (Sora, Virginia, King, Clapper)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Bobwhite Quail[/TD] [TD]Sandhill Cranes[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Scaled Quail[/TD] [TD]Woodcock[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Chachalacas[/TD] [TD]Ducks (all varieties)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] [/TD] [TD]Snipe (all varieties)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] [/TD] [TD]Gallinules (all varieties)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] [/TD] [TD]Coots[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] [/TD] [TD]Geese (all varieties)[/TD] [/TR]

Snipe?

 

[bnjrob]

Snipe?

Yes, there are actually birds called snipes - not related to the hoax perpetrated on gullible people.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Yes, there are actually birds called snipes - not related to the hoax perpetrated on gullible people.

I wondered that myself several lifetimes ago in Cub Scouts and Webelos when they would have you go hunt snipes as a kid.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Snipe?

It is taken directly from their website. And the bird exists in a google search:

A snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. Wikipedia

 

[jtn42248]

Snipes are really cute and a lot of fun to watch. They are sort of water-bound Road Runners. The one that gets me, and has nothing to do with birds, is that Texas sells hunting licenses for hunting Alligators statewide. I live in Coleman County and they actually offer a discount on Alligator permits...I guess because they are pretty hunted out here in West Texas.