The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[SandBsmom]

Mumsy, Johnny is beautiful!!!! WE had a stunning RIR rooster that we hatched last spring that looked quite a bit like your Johnny. Peepers was his name because he was the first one we ever hatched and he was so loud peeping at us from inside the egg and then cheering all his hatch mates to get out of their eggs. He was very much the alpha roo and started chasing my young daughters around the yard so he had to find a new home. Now he has his own harem on 10 acres with an old farmer man who won't take any of his c**p. I do miss watching him strut around the yard though.

 

[chickencowranch]

I'm going to second MB's advice with the rooster. The stick method works wonders. I've only had one rooster who I had to use it with. I often just do it even without him threatening. Just so he knows that I am still king of the yard. He's compliant now.

Never, ever back away. That is the worst thing you can do. They get major ego boosts when that happens.

For the most part I would just eat aggressive roosters, but this rooster I worked with is a very rare and endangered breed. I tried other methods first... and it worked.

Shows how much courage they have when they only flog you when your back is turned.. little cowards.

Some people will tell you to pick him up and embarrass him in front of his ladies. I don't have time to carry him around.
Instead I just put his hair up and make him look a fool. That'll teach him. On top of all that embarrassment, his name is GiGi.


Putting his hair up to embarrass him is a joke
I put his hair up because he was paranoid other birds were following him, and acted a fool. I did it so he could see better, without having to give him a haircut - as I show him.

I had an issue with my rooster at first. I screamed at him when he ran into my legs for the second time. I carried a stick with me and hasn't came after me since. Now my one daughter and my husband he doesn't like and on occasion go after her. he likes to guard the house when he and the rest of the flock are near by. When the rooster crows then the dog barks when a stranger is here.

 

[atmaclean]

Hi Angela,
I'm a horse trainer too and the rooster thing is similar to horses but I feel the roosters need to be a little more dominated that the horses. I make mine move and then chase him down, scoop him up and carry him around like a baby complete with smooching and petting and baby talk. He acts very indignant for a few minutes then settles right in and usually goes to sleep! The adjustment usually lasts a few weeks or until he wakes up with his panties in a bunch.
I try to hold him as often as I can. Now if he even looks at me sideways I ask him in a sickenly sweet baby voice if he wants to snuggle. He usually runs away once he hears that!

Cool! It seems like there are a lot of us on here with horses - that is weird! Wonder why..... I'd love to know what kinds of horses you have.

Thanks for the info. You are right, *most* horses learn quickly that the human is the alpha but, occasionally, there will be one that tests you. And then there are those that come to us from very "doting" parents with no manners at all. They have basically run their owners around and come to us to be "fixed" after some incident. LOL! I guess you find that, along we "horse training/development", we also do a lot of "human training/educating"

Can't wait to try this technique with my roosters this afternoon!!!

Angela
www.naturallyequine.org

 

[Melabella]

chickencowranch-Welcome Wagon I probably didn't do this right. What are we voting for?

chickencowranch...

Welcome!A few of us pullets got a bit silly, wandered off the garden path, and had a pajama party with emoticons last night. We thought it would be fun to have an "Official Natural Chicken Keeping emoticon Welcome sign". I started keeping votes, and then one of the resident cockrels reminded us what we are all here for. SO,,, a good ol natural welcome to you,


Glad to have you!
MB

 

[atmaclean]

I'm going to second MB's advice with the rooster. The stick method works wonders. I've only had one rooster who I had to use it with. I often just do it even without him threatening. Just so he knows that I am still king of the yard. He's compliant now.

Never, ever back away. That is the worst thing you can do. They get major ego boosts when that happens.

For the most part I would just eat aggressive roosters, but this rooster I worked with is a very rare and endangered breed. I tried other methods first... and it worked.

Shows how much courage they have when they only flog you when your back is turned.. little cowards.

Some people will tell you to pick him up and embarrass him in front of his ladies. I don't have time to carry him around.
Instead I just put his hair up and make him look a fool. That'll teach him. On top of all that embarrassment, his name is GiGi.


Putting his hair up to embarrass him is a joke
I put his hair up because he was paranoid other birds were following him, and acted a fool. I did it so he could see better, without having to give him a haircut - as I show him.

Your rooster is beautiful! What kind is he? Is that the tolbunt polish ?? I'm not real good with my chicken breeds yet. Our rooster was also quite expensive - Deis is a Cream Legbar from GFF (his wife is Lucy). Anyway, I have been hesitant to "discipline" him because of his value but the stick will work just fine! Thanks so much!!!!!
Angela

 

[atmaclean]

Your rooster is beautiful! What kind is he? Is that the tolbunt polish ?? I'm not real good with my chicken breeds yet. Our rooster was also quite expensive - Deis is a Cream Legbar from GFF (his wife is Lucy). Anyway, I have been hesitant to "discipline" him because of his value but the stick will work just fine! Thanks so much!!!!!
Angela

Sorry, his name is Desi! LOL! Should have done a spell-check.

 

[Sally8]

I am surprised to read here that chickens are dying in this cold spell. When I first joined BYC, it was discussed a lot about whether to use heat lamps or lights in the coops. Although, I use neither, just how cold is too cold? I have lost 2 due to heat a few years ago but the temps went up over 100 F for days. I changed the coop and added a fan up near the ceiling. My granddad used a big fan for his cows so I figured it wouldn't hurt as long as they didn't get chilled. (A problem I'm finding is the dust, I'm afraid of a fire) It worked well to rotate the stuffy air.

Before next winter, I plan on having a hoop (not coop) next to my coop for the chickens to be able to get out but not directly in the weather. I know it is only a matter of time before hungry animals come knocking. We've been way too fortunate. I'm very vigilant about making sure they are locked in at night.

I also read the chart, my Marans are very friendly and I get eggs almost every day (usually). They are wonderful. I've yet to eat one but they look pretty plump. I have 4 that aren't quite a year and all 4 are setting.

Love the stories. Sue

 

[aoxa]

Your rooster is beautiful! What kind is he? Is that the tolbunt polish ?? I'm not real good with my chicken breeds yet. Our rooster was also quite expensive - Deis is a Cream Legbar from GFF (his wife is Lucy). Anyway, I have been hesitant to "discipline" him because of his value but the stick will work just fine! Thanks so much!!!!!
Angela

No he's a mottled Houdan.

They do look similar to the polish, but are much better producers of eggs and meat. They have very similar personalities to polish.

He is thinner than he should be. He was all kinds of flighty this summer, and would travel directly to our neighbours all day and come back to roost. So he ate only what he foraged. He is much bigger this winter.





I do have some other roosters that won't hesitate to take his place if he gets too cocky. None of his brothers are like that, but Gigi is still my favourite. They are all called Gigi (the boys) but the rest are just Gigi wannabes

 

[stonykill]

I am surprised to read here that chickens are dying in this cold spell. When I first joined BYC, it was discussed a lot about whether to use heat lamps or lights in the coops. Although, I use neither, just how cold is too cold?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/84141/north-to-alaska

note how little they do

 

[Mumsy]

Mumsy, Johnny is beautiful!!!! WE had a stunning RIR rooster that we hatched last spring that looked quite a bit like your Johnny. Peepers was his name because he was the first one we ever hatched and he was so loud peeping at us from inside the egg and then cheering all his hatch mates to get out of their eggs. He was very much the alpha roo and started chasing my young daughters around the yard so he had to find a new home. Now he has his own harem on 10 acres with an old farmer man who won't take any of his c**p. I do miss watching him strut around the yard though.

Thank you SandBsmom! Johnny was a rescue at a renaissance fair two years ago. He was still young, small, and very docile at the time. I trained him to do a few tricks and he became quite a famous cockerel for a couple months. Probably the most photographed Production RIR of that year.


A professional photographer took this picture of me with young rescued Johnny on a leash the first weekend of the fair when I caught him. He had been abandoned with two other roos. I didn't have a cage and I was working so he learned the leash and how to perch on my arm out of necessity to keep dogs from getting him.
I brought him home and he remained an only chicken until just a few months ago. He started getting cocky with me and flew at my legs a couple times after we got the girls. I did the walk down on him and wouldn't let him in the barn to eat with his hens for a few hours. That was all it took for him to figure out I was still alpha. As soon as I see him raise his hackles even a tiny bit I do the walk down on him again.