The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[LindaB220]

Thanks for all the input.

I'm seriously thinking it is this particular group of birds. Seems to me that this got really worse this winter when the mamma "ditched" the 13 week olds and it was "every young bird for herself". I don't remember them squabbling like that before the long winter and the new youngers entered the competition. Seems like too long a winter.

However the br's were always a bit bossy, but the kind of behavior I'm seeing is ... peck the other guy until you get them to jump off the roost... kind of behavior.

Roosts are all at the same level so no problem there.


ANOTHER TOPIC:

Ideas for a LIGHTWEIGHT predator proof sleeping room for a rooster. Photos please of all your ideas. I'm thinking of making "mister" spend the night out in the not-secure run so I need something to lock him into for the night.

I'm very interested in this also. I will keep 2 roosters and HAVE to keep them quiet. Not in town, just the way it is.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: When I was separating out some of the birds earlier this spring I had a couple of wood pieces that I put through the slats like that. Worked really well for a roost.


You can see it in this photo - though not the crate...but they fit in the crate slats the same way.

 

[aoxa]

@aoxa

At what age for the pullets do you find it appropriate for the roosters to mate?

When they start squatting. I wouldn't hold it against him if they were closing in on point of lay and were not yet squatting. And any juvenile roosters get a pass for randiness. However, once they reach a certain age, I don't tolerate it. The Houdan that is trying to mate the young ones (who are 8 weeks - 12 weeks!) is nearing a year. That is not acceptable to me.

Fortunately he seems to have cut it out, and only starts it up if I add new young ones. I don't need him anyway. He was my spare's spare. I have new boys growing out, and he wasn't a good example of the breed anyway. No big deal.

However, to have a non-human-cocky Houdan is something. They are known to be quite jumpy, but I really lucked out with my three keepers.

 

[delisha]

Quote: I feel like butchering the whole flock some days too..it is quite normal.

I am no help about fighting..my birds don't fight that often. If they are fighting for roosting space I never hear them. I have all kinds of roosting space for them in all kinds of different spaces. From natural trees to 2x6's to 4 feet of plywood. I even have individual roosts that only one bird can perch on set directly into the walls.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: My hatchery RIR roosters were very mean to us and I think that is common to production RIR. My heritage RIR are sweet to us and that is common to heritage RIR.
I have had an EE mixed but all heritage stock that was mean to people and any chicken he was larger than. My young hatchery EE roosters are my first group of hatchery EE roosters and every one of them has been mean to all of the other chickens. I just put the blu kote on one of them as his tail was completely pulled out this morning while waiting on me to open the rooster pen at 7 am. All of the EE roosters I have will be gone by this weekend if I have my way.

Quote: Yes. The baby came in March so a bit before Easter. Right in line with the time frame my midwife and I were using but before the dates from the U/S. Turns out those things can be way off in dating. Good thing the midwife was ready. And I have to say it the doula really really was great. Without her, I'm sure the birth would have been completely different with a much longer recovery.
Baby Sally is doing great. Gaining and no sickness. And all things Chickens stayed pretty much on schedule. I had taken a break from setting eggs close to the end but I had chicks that hatched a couple days after the baby came. Then a nice 3 week break to get caught up.

 

[aoxa]

My hatchery RIR roosters were very mean to us and I think that is common to production RIR. My heritage RIR are sweet to us and that is common to heritage RIR.
I have had an EE mixed but all heritage stock that was mean to people and any chicken he was larger than. My young hatchery EE roosters are my first group of hatchery EE roosters and every one of them has been mean to all of the other chickens. I just put the blu kote on one of them as his tail was completely pulled out this morning while waiting on me to open the rooster pen at 7 am. All of the EE roosters I have will be gone by this weekend if I have my way.
Yes. The baby came in March so a bit before Easter. Right in line with the time frame my midwife and I were using but before the dates from the U/S. Turns out those things can be way off in dating. Good thing the midwife was ready. And I have to say it the doula really really was great. Without her, I'm sure the birth would have been completely different with a much longer recovery.
Baby Sally is doing great. Gaining and no sickness. And all things Chickens stayed pretty much on schedule. I had taken a break from setting eggs close to the end but I had chicks that hatched a couple days after the baby came. Then a nice 3 week break to get caught up.

Well here's a late congrats!!

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
I tend to think it's an individual thing for the EE's. but it would also depend which breeds are in their makeup. I have 2 ee's left (sold the olive eggers last weekend), weeble is 3/4 bbs ameraucana and 1/4 silkie, very respectful to the girls and to people but doesn't want anything to do with people if he can help it. Broke-leg has some Russian orloff and who knows what else. she's super friendly, and will jump up on my arm to eat out of the bucket I'm carrying to whatever pen will get it.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Okay...I'm about ready to process the whole flock and just start over.

Someone out there talk me out of it.... @Kassaundra @aoxa @RedRidge @delisha @armorfirelady @lalaland @ whoever has something to say to keep me from taking a knife out there right now (okay...a little dramatic but you get the idea...)

I'm extremely frustrated with all the fighting at roosting time. THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOST SPACE... space for probably 6-8 more birds on roost than I have. But they fight. They attack each other and knock each other off. I HATE IT. I was out there tonight and ready to just .. well... do something I'd regret.


IS THERE REALLY ANY HOPE TO CHANGE THIS? Or do I just need to start a new flock with breeds that have a better personality? Or is it always going to be this way not matter what...the nature of the beast?




I guess if I'm not out there at roost time what I don't see won't make me crazy. But I can't stand what I'm seeing when I'm out there.

Okay, so I'm speaking from my extreme inexperience with chickens, correlated with my extensive experience with dogs and cats and all manner of other critters. I'm sure you've already considered all of this, but I'm just thinking out loud.

You said there's enough room for 6 or 8 more chickens - if they're having conflict, maybe it's still not enough in their eyes?

Do they always fight over the same spot? Mine were fussing each other to get at the end of the roost, and I realized that there's a very slight draft in one spot of the coop. I moved the roost two feet and they stopped fighting.

Do you have different levels of roosts? I've heard people say that the dominant birds will like to be on top, but I don't know if that's universal. I have one EE who made herself a perch out of a shelf I thought was too high for chickens. She goes from the floor 9 feet straight up to sit on it. She is far from the top bird, but her spot is pretty far from everyone else, and I don't think any of the others could reach it.

How long have they all been together? Are they fighting for dominance at any other time? Do they pick on each other during the day?

How much free space do they have during the day? Do they stay in close contact, or stay spread out in small groups? You could have a shift in their social structure from open range to confinement, and they might not have any other time to sort out their hierarchy if they can just avoid each other during day time. I've seen this with dogs who are outdoors in a big yard all day but have to stay near each other in a small room at night.

I think that's all I've got. I'll be very interested to see how this all goes.

But if you eat them all, I'd understand that too. Post a butchering video for the rest of us to learn from. ;-)

 

[Leahs Mom]

Haha, HC.... I do have a butchering post where we went to learn how to butcher..I'll send you a link if you like

(And I also have a great video that I recommend of butchering too...)

My birds get to range over about an acre of wooded and not wooded area. I'll be opening up more later but that's what they have for now. They also have a 20x20 kennel pen attached to the house in case I have to keep them confined for some reason. It has a hawk net on the top.

6 of the birds have been here for just over 2 years; 1 Roo and Hen hatched here by a broody from the original 6 birds... they're 1 yo; Two 8 mo old pullets that were also raised by the broody.


I think where things got bad was during winter when everyone was in the house more. They could go out but often didn't.


I have some ideas on what I can do to mix things up a bit out there. But I DON'T want the new little ones learning this behavior. So...maybe it's time to go study my post and videos again

 

[Leahs Mom]

PS: I got a memo from all the older birds. It said they all wanted their own personal roost to themselves...at least 8 ft long each.

That's not ONE for the 6 older girls. That's 6 roosts...each one 8 ft. long. They started picketing and the next step is to go on strike from laying eggs.