The IMPORTED ENGLISH Orpington Thread

[Mrs MIA]

No eggs yet.....

HenThymes, that's about the age that they hit "puberty"... you will want to separate them for sure...

I'm sorry..

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
I have 2 of them (same age as yours) penned with 6 girls. So far I haven't had a problem. Do you think I should take one out, or make 2 pens?

 

[HenThymes]

Quote:
I have 2 of them (same age as yours) penned with 6 girls. So far I haven't had a problem. Do you think I should take one out, or make 2 pens?

For me this came out of no where as this group does everything together!! I was really shocked as even my lavender rooster was tolerable of both of them, we just recently (about 4 weeks ago) put the blacks into their own pen that is still connects up to the lavs as I knew the girls were getting close to laying age. My lavender rooster could care less that they are there. I tell ya, it' was difficult to come out and find today, your best boys all bloodied up. To top it off they went right back at it even with me in the pen!

Just keep your eye on them and at the slightest little tift I would separate them. Finding one of my boys deceased would be a devastating loss.

This is why I like bachelor pens, DH needs to get building.

 

[lildinkem]

The nite TuT beat up everyone, they all looked horrible. Two days later most all the dried blood and disappeared. You may be surprised how much better they'll look in a day or two. Unfortuanately when you have boys and there are girls there will be fighting. Once they figure out who is the top cock all is back to normal. Another fight I had with this winter blast was my bottom level quality wise Buff pen. And the big cockerel in that pen not liking to share his space with 3 six month ole cockerels. He is 10 months old and must have fought every cockerel I put in with him. He too looked like a bloody mess. That was 4 days ago. Today you can barely tell they had fought. Same with his bro. The day before the Central Indiana Show, he had his wattles ripped up. Now again you would not notice. I bet you will be a bit relieved in two to three days. Now if the comb is actually torn, not much can change that. Lets hope for you that is not the case and they both heal up looking good again.

 

[justuschickens59]

I don't know why the boys can't just get along !! I have a pen now with 2 of my young W&C Cockerels that I am hoping not to have to separate until Spring. I've been told that if you keep them together where they don't have any hens, or can't see any hens, they'll be okay and not fight, but I've not tried this. Anybody else tried this? Did it work?

I am still waiting to see how Winston reacts when these young boys hit puberty. Julie sent me a gorgeous rooster last year and I put him in then pen beside of Winston. Winston paced that fence for 48 hours straight carrying on and trying to get to that rooster through the fence. His feet got all bloody and nasty. I had to bring him in and clean up his feet and I had to keep him in the house for a few days until they healed up. When I took him back to the pen, he started the same nonsense. I ended up having to let a friend of mine keep that rooster (Henry) because Winston despised him. I am hoping that since these guys have been here since chicks, he 'll be more tolerant of them. I can't not have anymore roosters because Winston doesn't like it. *sigh* Chickens !! Who'd a thunk

 

[lildinkem]

I had 3 Blue Ameraucanas living together most of the last half of this year with no girls just them in one of my 8' x 8' pens and they did not kill each other. Now I did raise these birds together from chickhood together. That certainly does have alot to do with them not taring each other up. I even was able to show one cock at the Ohio Nationals and he was in good enough condition to win BV and there was 4 other Blues he had to go up against. So, it can be done. I think alot has to do with them knowing each other. And now I have introduced a pullet and a hen. Still no fighting.
I also have several pens where I run more then one male in. Usually they're all under a year old. I think once the figure out that fighting doesn't gain anything and the same guy you just fought will be there tomorrow, they settle into a grove and tolerate each other.
In an ideal world I would loved to have one cock/cockerel per pen but I just don't have that many pens. And I have dozens of cockerels still growing out. My biggest threat to them has been and prolly still is predators. As long as there is plenty of food and water we're cool here.

 

[Renie'sPeeps]

I have too many roos in the BBS side. but they all came from Bama and I refuse to kill them. It is soo freaking cold today... that I am sure their body heat has been appreciated by the entire coop.

 

[Katy]

Some pictures of some of my original English blood orps from Julie. They're about 18 months now.

 

[poularde]

I love your black cockerel...

 

[BamaChicken]

My chickens have wanted to get on the porch everytime i turn them out lately