The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[ki4got]

Quote:
even with babies who've been together, there's still a level of pecking order... found one cockerel squashed into the corner (dead - hate to say it, but no great loss there - there's way more where he came from) apparently where everyone decided he made a nice heat mat and one girl who was slightly hypothermic and not very responsive last night... she got tucked into my jacket and is now toasty with the younger chicks in the (crowded) brooder. headed out to go survey the flocks and feed. doubt anyone (of the free rangers) will want to step on the 3-4" of light fluffy powder snow we got last night tho. LOL so i'll be feeding them in their coop. they can venture outside for water tho. I won't deliver that. the penned birds all have covered pens so they can avoid the icky white stuff.

 

[flagirl]

know i am late with this gator story, but have not been on in 2 days. couple yrs ago, we got a small (less than 4') baby gator got thru horse fencing and was in our small pond. He got an armadillo and kept it for several days, softening it up. Next time I went near pond the stench was horrific. Pushed up on the edge was the rotted armadillo with 1 ft missing--guess baby gator realized nothing wants to eat armadillo!

 

[chicalot]

I found my new junior rooster pecked to death this morning.
Separated the other new chickens; I could just see walking in to each of them dead the mornings in a row & there's no need of that.
I'm so ******!
I guess I have two separate flocks now. Wish I weren't. so nice and hast let them basically kill/starve for innocent chickens before I figured out that they're just....like this.
I'm just so ******!!!!!
Sorry.

Sorry to hear that. Your feelings are undersrandable. Ki4 is right .. more free range room can change a lot of that.

My roo looks pretty good this morning. Comb is only slightly off. The hens were unhappy to see the roos getting special treatment while they were still locked up. I didnt see any more green poo. When the roos are finished eating, I'll let the hens out and lusten for sneezing. My dad's silly cat is eating as much of the yogurt/egg mix as the roos . I bet she leaves the big girls food alone!

 

[Ms Jellybean]

sorry, I don't do girls. they tend to be stubborn and demanding. the boys are the snuggle bugs and way easier to house train IMO. the only place he's ever marked is at mominlaw's, because a few fosters also marked the same spot and now everyone does periodically... once the smell is there it's hard to get rid of. so I just didn't allow it to start. summer's easier for a pup too, because the screen door stays open and they can come and go at will so learn easily where they are supposed to go, and just do.

I find females easier to train. The one male dog I had (will never have another) was horrible to train. He peed in his kennel until he was 9 months old.


I highly recommend the book The Art Of Raising A Puppy by the Monks of New Skete. Very good book.

 

[CourtsCacklers]

That is what I am hoping; that the hawks/vultures would get tangled if they tried to get in. I would love living near you! Unfortunately, when I move it will most likely be south where it warmer. LOL Speaking of curtains... As for curtains for the nesting boxes, I sewed some and the hens pulled them down. I don't know whether they didn't like them or just thought it would be fun to peck at them. If I try it again, I'll need a better way to attach them and that part is DH's job (tractor repair/renovations in Spring). I will be the one cleaning and painting it.
I just sewed a set for my kitchen windows and even my husband liked them! He rarely cares about how the house looks, so I was amazed. I tried to take a picture tonight but they turned out dark. I am also sewing matching chair cushions. That picture turned out great. I've got other fabric that I've made a table cloth out of and will make toaster cover and mixer cover, etc. I'll show you a piece of that fabric too. I am also just thrilled with the Rooster jar(?) that I bought to hold food scraps to take to the compost pile. My DH was just putting them in an open bowl and it looked disgusting. I am really loving this chicken stuff too much. I've started sprouting for them too. Not sure how this is going to turn out. I've also been fermenting their feed so they are making me pretty busy. LOL

You are amazing at sewing!!!!! Those look awesome! I doubt I will ever sew anything that impressive.... I totally understand about being chicken obsessive. At our family reunions we have auctions where people donate items of all kinds and the family bids on them/buys them, proceeds going to charity. Anyhow-- someone had donated my great grandfathers egg carrier (included with a ceramic egg he put in his nesting boxes and a letter from a local hatchery to him). I purchased it for $250..... this was this past summer, right after I began my flock. I have purchased other goodies too-- but that was the most expensive of the purchases....but it is an antique and a family heirloom.... my husband just couldn't believe it.... (but he got over it!)

DH talks about getting me a sewing machine..... I should just get one.... eventually I want to make quilts for my boys out of some of their frequently used and special occasion baby clothes.... as a bonus I could work on stuff like curtains in the coop.... Love your compost rooster too!!!! Sometimes I use a beanpot.... other times just an open bowl.... it is usually better to have something closed in the summer-- we get fruit flies bad in the warm weather and the smallest amount of compost draws them in!

 

[CourtsCacklers]

Sorry to hear that. Your feelings are undersrandable. Ki4 is right .. more free range room can change a lot of that.

My roo looks pretty good this morning. Comb is only slightly off. The hens were unhappy to see the roos getting special treatment while they were still locked up. I didnt see any more green poo. When the roos are finished eating, I'll let the hens out and lusten for sneezing. My dad's silly cat is eating as much of the yogurt/egg mix as the roos

. I bet she leaves the big girls food alone!

wooohhoooo!!!!! So glad he is looking better! I would keep up the herbs for a while.....

 

[CourtsCacklers]

I found my new junior rooster pecked to death this morning.
Separated the other new chickens; I could just see walking in to each of them dead the mornings in a row & there's no need of that.
I'm so ******!
I guess I have two separate flocks now. Wish I weren't. so nice and hast let them basically kill/starve for innocent chickens before I figured out that they're just....like this.
I'm just so ******!!!!!
Sorry.

awe.... TeaChick.... I am so sorry to hear this! These chickens can be so frustrating!!!! I would be so cranked off too!!!! My girls are still being nasty to each other (it might have improved a little since I have enclosed the run more so that they will use it!) My one RIR is just so aggressive towards the other.... My girls will be a year in March in and with having so much freedom their entire lives they have never been aggressive about their "pecking order". Now that they have been cooped up in the extreme weather I have seen a big change in their relationship with one another. The most dominant/aggressive one will fluff her feathers and flap her wings (like a rooster?) when I come out and open the pop door and she comes out into the run. The one she has been nibbling on the most-- is my very large structured RIR who has always been my most friendly and the one that prefers to visit over eating breakfast. Well, I did a lot of reading on dominant hen aggression last night and decided to try to take another approach to it besides letting them know that her behavior is getting to me. So I decided to recognize the dominant hen first and pick her up and give her some lov'ins-- she wasn't the most thrilled that I picked her up (but she does need to know that I am the alpha) I held her until she calmed and quit resisting and then let her down-- then she puffed her feathers!) but my big one (the friendly greeter) got very vocal after this. She was up on the roost just cackling--- very loudly. I have never seen any aggression out of her (big one) towards the other girls. So I gave her a little attention too! The 3 silver laced wyandottes are merely untouched as far is being feather-picked-- maybe just one or two feathers here or there and two of the RIR are untouched at all (not a feather out of place) the smallest one always will submit to any of the other girls (she is untouched) so this seems like more of an issue between the largest RIR and the medium one (medium sized one is the aggressor and is untouched as well). There is no bare spots--no blood. I have increased the protein.... but I really think it is just a disagreement between just these two... the one that is getting "munched" on doesn't get aggressive back but I don't think it has even affected her as far as pain-- is it going to have to come down to her getting cranked off? I mean she was vocal to me about her dissatisfaction of me holding the aggressor but I have never seen her act out on any of them! I never know what I am going to go out to these days when I head out there. I opened the run door to the yard yesterday and the aggressor came out right away but then decided it was too cold and went back into the covered/wind blocked area and then nobody came out.... Nothing above freezing in our 7 day forcast and the ground is snow covered and crisp.....

 

[aoxa]

Had to share this video of my Dane and my kids' new puppy playing together! When I first noticed them, the Dane had the puppy's whole head in his mouth, and all I saw was his nose on one side, and his body on the other! LOL...... AND NO, I don't worry about the Dane hurting the puppy! He is amazingly gentle!

Reminds me of my gentle giant Henry The heads disappear in his mouth. We had a litter of 7 mini poodles and he would play with them constantly. He had to lay down to play, that was the rule. He is too clumsy if standing, and would often step on them.

sorry, I don't do girls. they tend to be stubborn and demanding. the boys are the snuggle bugs and way easier to house train IMO. the only place he's ever marked is at mominlaw's, because a few fosters also marked the same spot and now everyone does periodically... once the smell is there it's hard to get rid of. so I just didn't allow it to start. summer's easier for a pup too, because the screen door stays open and they can come and go at will so learn easily where they are supposed to go, and just do.

True. Boys are easy. They pee outside once and when they smell that they go outside easily.. girls are so dramatic, needing to find the 'perfect' patch of grass (or snow) to do their business.

However, I breed them, so I need girls. Chloe is now retired. I will breed Rosie when she is 2 years old. I have never had a poodle so unwary of people. She loves every single person she meets. That is wonderful. Many minis are hesitant with new people. Not her! She is hesitant with big new dogs. Still working on that.

I found my new junior rooster pecked to death this morning.
Separated the other new chickens; I could just see walking in to each of them dead the mornings in a row & there's no need of that.
I'm so ******!
I guess I have two separate flocks now. Wish I weren't. so nice and hast let them basically kill/starve for innocent chickens before I figured out that they're just....like this.
I'm just so ******!!!!!
Sorry.

This has happened to me TWICE. Once this year, and once last year. This year after they killed this rooster, they started to eat him. It was after morning chores and before 2pm. I don't think they do this unless something is just not right with the one killed.. It was a meat rooster they killed. He was 16 weeks old.

They killed a cowardly rooster last year before the fire too. He lost too much blood and he died 12 hours later.

 

[Leahs Mom]

So @aoxa

Quote: Can you elaborate on this statement?
What has been your experience with integrating new members to the flock?
Is it possible that the other roosters saw this one as a threat to their "kingdom" and just took him out?
Have you ever put a new cockerel / rooster into the flock when they were in somewhat restricted quarters (like winter) and had things go well?

For our information and education...

 

[aoxa]

So @aoxa

Can you elaborate on this statement?
What has been your experience with integrating new members to the flock?
Is it possible that the other roosters saw this one as a threat to their "kingdom" and just took him out?
Have you ever put a new cockerel / rooster into the flock when they were in somewhat restricted quarters (like winter) and had things go well?

For our information and education...

Elaboration: I had a cochin rooster last year around December that had developed mites after a show. I did not realize this until he was showing signs (so important to examine at least a couple bird a week). I treated him, they were gone, but left him in a bit of a weak state. He was the lowest on the pecking order. The turkeys attacked him while I was at work. His comb was almost gone and you know how combs can bleed.. well he lost a lot of blood, and in his already poor condition stress did him over.

The second one.. I have no clue what was wrong with him. He was just very timid and with any provocation would cower and take the beatings. I figured they'd tell him who was the boss and it would be done.. I'm not sure if this is what was going on, or if something was wrong with him on a deeper level that was making him such a coward. Anyway, they tortured him. There was blood ALL over the barn. It was really, really sad. I won't breed roosters low on the pecking order because of these things.

It is possible they saw him as a threat, but enough to kill him? Was it a rooster that did it, or hens? If a rooster was killed by a bunch of hens something MUST have been wrong..

Have I ever put a new cockerel or rooster in? Yes. They do fight when introduced, but to the point of death, never. The two that were killed were long time flock members, not new roosters.

I've had them almost kill a hen that had been quite weak for a long time. It was two years ago, and they had almost pecked her eye out. We put her down, but she was off for a long time and it was getting worse and worse. Once she really showed weakness, they attempted to take her out. That is a big threat having a weak link in the flock.