The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[TeaChick]

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.
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.

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.

I'm sorry. Mine haven't killed until now; with the other three chickens, they starved them to the point where they couldn't take any stress or illness, so some little thing killed them (well, one was killed by snake bite, but he was starved at the time too; I just didn't know.)
Now that they've killed, I won't try to introduce anymore new chickens into that flock. I free range, and they can all free range together, but my original flock will have to sleep separate from everyone else.

to them; they're lucky I want their eggs!

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.....

Thank you.

I live in Fla; I free range continually.
My hens act like a gang and they don't take too kindly to anyone hornin' in on their turf.

This means no integrations at all, ever. They're not cooped up at all and they won't stay in the hen house regardless of the weather (although, the one thing we haven't had is a hurricane). lol
These girls will be a year old in March too.

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!

Thank you.

I should say so!

 

[TeaChick]

o ok cool, well I'm most defiantly not an OT, I have had chickens for 2 years but for some reason I never had any problems till this winter, which is y I was looking for answers and found BYC, thank God... have learned so much, now I'm looking into fermented feeds and other ways to lessen my feed bill... lol chicken math went overboard... lol birds not going hungry... just looking to save a little.
A member on the Ind. thread sent me cause I am having a problem with my hens beating up on a Roo and she said you were just talking about this so I'm checking that out.
Thanks for the welcome hope I don't drive ya nuts... lol

I know what you mean "thank God" for BYC!
I don't ferment (it just gets nasty for me and I lose feed that way), but I wet the feed and that makes it so the chickens aren't knocking over their food or water (because the water/feed mixture stays in the tub).
My hens just killed my jr. roo, but he was new, so I just separated out the new chickens from my original flock. Now that they've killed I won't be trying to introduce new chickens into that flock again. Hopefully, someone can address whatever your issue is; you'll probably have to give a little more details.
We're already nuts. ;-)

 

[Kassaundra]

@TeaChick That is horrible. I have read peoples problems w/ integrations gone very bad here on BYC. I have intergrated several times and never experienced more then just a casual tift here and there. Are you wanting the bad natured hens eggs for eating or for setting?

 

[CourtsCacklers]

o ok cool, well I'm most defiantly not an OT, I have had chickens for 2 years but for some reason I never had any problems till this winter, which is y I was looking for answers and found BYC, thank God... have learned so much, now I'm looking into fermented feeds and other ways to lessen my feed bill... lol chicken math went overboard... lol birds not going hungry... just looking to save a little.
A member on the Ind. thread sent me cause I am having a problem with my hens beating up on a Roo and she said you were just talking about this so I'm checking that out.
Thanks for the welcome hope I don't drive ya nuts... lol

WELCOME!!!! Welcome to my world-- only my girls aren't beating up on a roo--- one is just beating up on another and everyone else stays out of the way. Been dealing with this since the weather became extreme and they are less than thrilled to go out in the snow. After trying lots of "boredom" reducing tactics-- adding a mirror to the coop, hanging suet, a dust-bathing station-- and increasing protein in their diet (raw meat) because of possible protein deficiency causing feather picking from just one hen(aggressor) to another (just one of my 6 total), it is still an ongoing issue. I noticed this and have been closely monitoring it for a week. Today, I made new accommodations for the aggressor for a few days before I will try to add her back in! I did this as a last resort-- Your issue is a bit different if all of your girls are taking part in beating up the rooster. I know who is doing the picking and beating up and it is only one hen. I resist ever messing with "pecking" order but I refuse to go out there and find my friendliest hen dead because one hen has a burr up her butt....

you won't drive us nuts :O) We love new faces!

 

[TeaChick]

@TeaChick That is horrible. I have read peoples problems w/ integrations gone very bad here on BYC. I have intergrated several times and never experienced more then just a casual tift here and there. Are you wanting the bad natured hens eggs for eating or for setting?

I've set some, but I won't set anymore.
Just eating from now on. =(

 

[The Farm]

I'm here !!!

 

[CourtsCacklers]

I'm here !!!

 

[lazy gardener]

Your kids are young yet, just wait and see...

Oh, wait, maybe that was just my kids!

Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love my pets, but I've gotten higher highs and lower lows from having kids. I guess with pets, the heartbreak is inevitable, whereas with children, you don't see it coming.

And even if you do see it coming, often you are completely helpless to stop it. No greater heart ache than seeing a child that you have nurtured go down the path of destruction... and no greater joy than experiencing the wonder of creation through a child's eyes. Also, an incredibly humbling experience watching the prodigal find his way back.

 

[aoxa]

And even if you do see it coming, often you are completely helpless to stop it. No greater heart ache than seeing a child that you have nurtured go down the path of destruction... and no greater joy than experiencing the wonder of creation through a child's eyes. Also, an incredibly humbling experience watching the prodigal find his way back.

They'll come back to you.

I was a very, very bad teenager. I caused a lot of heartache and feel guilty about it now. I am 26 and my mother and I are best friends now. It passes if you were there for them during that rebellious/stressful time. No matter how petty things are that upset them, it is very real to them. It does seem like the end of the world when something as small as a friend ditching you occurs.

As soon as I moved out and was on my own, I reached out to my mother and really bonded. I don't know why I gave her the trouble I did.. It's very confusing being a teenager.

People keep saying they have it easy, but you couldn't pay me to be a teenager again.

 

[lazy gardener]

Yes, a lot of kids pass through the rebellion and come through stronger for it, and for that I am thankful, but some decisions result in a life time of hurt that can't be undone... but for the grace of God, even those things can turn into a blessing in the end.

Agreed... I would not go back and do my teen years over again. And, regarding the hardships that come with parenting a difficult or rebellious child... if I had it to do all over again, would I? Even if I knew what was ahead? Yes, because if I gave up the hardship, I'd also give up the blessing.