The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[islandgirl82]

I don't blame you for considering culling the aggressive pullet. I have two RSLs and at least one of them (I can't tell them apart) would bite me every time I went out to feed them. She/they didn't do that before I lost my second from the top hen a couple of months ago and have since stopped with the new additions but had there not been such a drastic change in that behavior after the new hens arrived, they would have been gone.

As for the question on the true personality of the cockerels vs. obnoxious teenagers, the cockerel I had a few years ago never outgrew being a jerk who was over a year before I got rid of him and my current one doesn't seem to have a mean or obnoxious bone in his body (so far) at 5 months.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@islandgirl82

Yes.... I just don't want to have all the drama during the winter especially.


On the pullet, I'm not sure if there was some event or point in time at which she started acting that way. They were all very nice little chicks but even when she was younger she'd bite when the others would just do the normal curious pecking. It didn't really strike me at the time because she was so small. But it has not stopped, and now she's added the standing up tall and making whiny/menacing sounds when we're face to face. That, combined with going out of her way to bite in general, makes things quite troublesome.

It is quite unfortunate to remove a pullet for soup. But I don't want to risk her going to another flock and behaving the same way. Imagine if this little lady would seek out one of your children just to bite them...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The ones that I've had straighten out and turn out well were never aggressive, just rambunctious and obnoxious. I personally wouldn't keep any human aggressive birds no matter who they are as they take some of the joy of keeping chickens away. Sometimes I pull birds and think it through for a bit to see if I would regret my decision before making my final decision. Sometimes seeing the flock without the troublemakers helps make my decision.

 

[islandgirl82]

@Leahs Mom , I completely understand not wanting to keep a cockerel through the winter in hopes of him outgrowing his awful behavior. The only reason I did was because he had hatched from an egg from one of our favorite hens (the one we lost a couple of months ago) in my son's kindergarten class. My son was really upset about the idea of getting rid of him but once he saw how he had mutilated the comb of one of our hens and how he wouldn't let those who wouldn't submit to him into the coop to lay their eggs or even to roost at night, he accepted that it was time for him to go. We did give him away to someone who intended on eating him but ended up keeping him for his own, much larger flock and he lives quite happily there still and isn't such a jerk to those girls (or that keeper just doesn't care).

Had my two RSLs not straightened out so quickly with the new arrivals, they'd be gone as a couple of the new girls were intended to replace them. Neither one of them has bitten me even one time since and they've never gone for either of my children. One bite to either of them and the decision would be non-negotiable though. I have to agree with @oldhenlikesdogs on the matter of your pullet. It's scary that she's been this way since she was so young and if her behavior hasn't changed or has gotten even worse, I think her chances of outgrowing her aggressive behavior are slim to none.

 

[islandgirl82]

The ones that I've had straighten out and turn out well were never aggressive, just rambunctious and obnoxious. I personally wouldn't keep any human aggressive birds no matter who they are as they take some of the joy of keeping chickens away. Sometimes I pull birds and think it through for a bit to see if I would regret my decision before making my final decision. Sometimes seeing the flock without the troublemakers helps make my decision.

Your experience makes me feel even better about my new cockerel.

 

[CluckTwice4Yes]

Just started a batch of this natural white vinegar based coop cleaner. Anyone else use vinegar rather than bleach?

PS I did get the idea from the book in the background.

 

[islandgirl82]

Just started a batch of this natural white vinegar based coop cleaner. Anyone else use vinegar rather than bleach?

PS I did get the idea from the book in the background.

Yes! I use a vinegar/water solution with just a few drops of neem oil and either lemon, rosemary or lavender essential oil.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have also made the vinegar orange peel cleaner for home and coop roosts/crevices. And vinegar with various EO mixes. Haven't done the mint yet.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@islandgirl82

I sometimes wonder if it might be better to bring in a cockerel that is just short of breeding age into an established flock with no resident rooster.

However, I also think that some of it can be chalked up to the personality of the particular bird or line. I know someone that quit keeping a particular breed because the hens and roos were not nice. Even their offspring were not nice. They later got some of that same breed by re-homing them to help another person. This new group was gentle and the roo was friendly. The whole group was a totally different demeanor.

 

[islandgirl82]

@Leahs Mom , I'm not regretting doing exactly that. He's not mature enough for me to be too intimidated by him to handle him every chance I get but he's already been put in his place by his previous flock which is making it less stressful on my own girls. I also feel that spending the quality time with him before introducing him to my flock gave me an advantage along with his docile temperament. I have to say I just had a good feeling about him the moment I met him and still had the option to decline. I also think I may have spoken too soon in my thread about him and whether he's mating yet. I'm quite sure I cracked open a fertile egg this afternoon but I broke the yolk before I got to look more closely. If so, he's not being obnoxious about it...to the point that I'm not even witnessing it or hearing any protesting from the girls. Will let you know what tomorrow's egg(s) have to say about it.

I agree with you on the lines playing a huge part in temperament.