The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Lacy Blues]

Just a thought I had a roo who was very eager and aggressive. I introduced him to the Queen (Brady) She taught him some manners QUICK! he never approached another Lady like that again. Sometimes the older ladies in the flock will straighten out a young roo in ways a human never could. So if you want to try to keep him separate him for now let him see but not touch the other birds when he gets big enough introduce him to your flock. See if he can learn some manners from the wiser ladies.

Oh yeah! I forgot about this. It works like a charm!

We used to have this Rhode Island Red bantam cockerel that was as sweet as can be. Once we gave him a couple pullets for company, he became extremely aggressive toward them... not mating... beating up! We took that little cockerel and put him in with his mother! She taught him some lessons in a hurry! It was the funniest thing! She chased him all over that coop and run and every time she caught him she pulled out a couple of feathers and then he got away again. This continued for a good ten minutes when my son felt sorry for him and took him back to his own coop upon which he immediately set in after the pullets again. I told him he needed to leave him with his mother for a couple of days. He felt sorry for him but didn't take him back out for a couple more days even though every time he came close to that pen, the little cockerel tried and tried to get to him so he could get out.

After a couple of days he took him back to his own coop again and he never ever attacked his pullets again! He turned out to be a good little guy after all that!

 

[tjo804]

Yep
Every Good Boy Needs Manners!

 

[hellbender]

Has anyone tried this for poison ivy? I'm thinking that it needs sun to work and since pi is usually in shady areas, not sure if it will be effective...

About the only things that will kill any of the ivys on a permanent basis are goats or a nuclear bomb. I mention the goats first because they will keep at it'til the roots give up...not sure about the other's half-life.

 

[hellbender]

Oh yeah! I forgot about this. It works like a charm!

We used to have this Rhode Island Red bantam cockerel that was as sweet as can be. Once we gave him a couple pullets for company, he became extremely aggressive toward them... not mating... beating up! We took that little cockerel and put him in with his mother! She taught him some lessons in a hurry! It was the funniest thing! She chased him all over that coop and run and every time she caught him she pulled out a couple of feathers and then he got away again. This continued for a good ten minutes when my son felt sorry for him and took him back to his own coop upon which he immediately set in after the pullets again. I told him he needed to leave him with his mother for a couple of days. He felt sorry for him but didn't take him back out for a couple more days even though every time he came close to that pen, the little cockerel tried and tried to get to him so he could get out.

After a couple of days he took him back to his own coop again and he never ever attacked his pullets again! He turned out to be a good little guy after all that!

We do something similar with cockerels that want to quarrel among themselves . We tend to keep several young cockerels until well into maturity so we can select the best birds to hold onto and after a while, they get rough-housing to the point they could actually hurt each other...put out an eye or something so we put an older cock-bird in with them and the patriarch keeps order because he will absolutely brook no quarrels.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: I was supposed to have 2 wethers this year that I was going to butcher at the end of fall. Somehow it fell through so I'm still looking. My plan was to have 2 boers ever year (not wintering over) until I got things under control.

Frustrating they fell through.

 

[COChix]

Thanks everyone on the feedback I.e, the young cockerel. All were good suggestions and great advice for me to put in my back pocket, so to speak.

Here he is....dad is a BO and with those puffy cheeks an EE hen. His legs are not willow colored, whereas most the young BO x EE pullets have colored legs.

Dad

 

[slordaz]

You got that right, our main rooster a BR is having behavioral issues with how he treats the hens, he's lost 3/4 to the EE rooster. I can't do that though he's the oldest one, but gonna keep him as the EE has got him staying away from the hens now, only reason he isn't being culled is they do free range and he is a good protector to the flock while the EE is more interested in the hens than paying attention to danger as he's used to the BR and duck sending out the warnings. So he still will earn his keep and hoping he learns some manners soon, he only has 1 hen that puts up with him and she's one that was overly motherly so marked her if we needed to foster eggs for some reason. He has learned at least not to peck at me, I peck him right back.

Pretty interesting rooster there Cochix

 

[armorfirelady]

Has anyone tried this for poison ivy? I'm thinking that it needs sun to work and since pi is usually in shady areas, not sure if it will be effective...


Quote:

Quote: I have used the solution for killing stubborn weeds around the driveway and such and it works well. Soryr to hear the goats fell thru. I would think they would be the best and easiest option. If I tried a nuclear bomb I would end up hurting myself

As for broodys......I had one this year. I put her in the old run until she laid an egg. Not impressed being solitary or the fact the dogs liked to watch her in there. I tried to let her free a couple times after a few days and she headed right to the nest box. Dunking her in cold water did not work. The only thing that worked for me was solitary confinement till she laid an egg.

 

[MistyMountain]

About the only things that will kill any of the ivys on a permanent basis are goats or a nuclear bomb.  I mention the goats first because they will  keep at it'til the roots give up...not sure about the other's half-life.  

You've got my attention...goats for any of the ivys? How about english ivy? Virginia creeper? Seriously, if you tell me they will eat it, I will go out and get one TODAY.

 

[hellbender]

You've got my attention...goats for any of the ivys? How about english ivy? Virginia creeper? Seriously, if you tell me they will eat it, I will go out and get one TODAY.

Never get only one goat...get two. They are herd animals and will sometimes fret themselves to death if forced to stay alone.

If they can get to it, (ivy) they will eat it!