The Old Folks Home

[Wisher1000]

We eat squirrel, gator, and rattlesnake. Cook a squirrel exactly like a pot roast. Same exact seasonings and its done when the back leg pulls off easilly. Rattlesnake is good deep fried. I tasted one of the best meats ever while tailgating at a university of alabama versus florida gator football game...pecan wood smoked alligator. It was fine fine

I want to tailgate with you, Dude!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Towards my better half. Me he respects, but he started trying to dominate Karin today. We'll have to see how his behavior develops the next few days. We don't want to have to worry about him attacking us or the neighbors kids.

Have her keep a yardstick in her hand or a stick from a tree and teach her how to walk in there the way you do. You probably don't fool around and walk around the birds. You likely walk briskly right through them with an air of authority about you? They recognize this kind of rooster behavior and respect it. If there are any kids that might possibly be among your birds at one time or another, teach them the same thing. Whenever she comes within stick's reach of that rooster, have her get after him, tapping him on his butt as he runs away and chase him off and away from the hens and keep him away til she's finished doing what she needs to do in the pen. I've had success using this but some days I'm just absent minded and forget that I have to be rooster-like when I walk into the pen. Good luck. I hope you're able to keep the one you like and I hope he will learn to behave for her.

 

[sourland]

The roo that we'd like to keep started to show signs of aggression today though, so we might be down to 6 even by then.

Start collecting recipes for coq au vin, and if his bad behavior escalates - off with his head. You mention neighborhood kids - a bad combination with an aggressive rooster.

 

[vehve]

Quote: Oh, she'd have a laugh if I tried to teach her about how to behave around animals - she is the more experienced one when it comes to that kind of things. I just have the advantage of being bigger than her. We use a spray bottle instead of a stick, works just as well without the risk of causing harm accidentally. The biggest problem is getting the neighbors kids to behave decisively around him. They are a bit scared of him, and move very carefully around him, which to him is a clear sign of weakness that needs to be taken advantage of.

 

[JW12]

Vehve, I am very interested in those feeder units in your photo. Looks like there would be minimal waste from the silly birds beaking the feed out onto the floor. Can you show other photos and/or explain the set-up for those of us wishing to copy from you?

I have a similar set up but I used 5 gallon buckets and the elbow from the plumbing section of Home Depot. I was like you and wanting to cut down on waste and this one simple thing cut it down to almost nothing! There is a thread under "feeding and watering your flock" that I copied the idea from. However I like Vehve's set up a lot and didn't think about using a vent instead of the elbow.

 

[vehve]

Quote: His brother is waiting in the freezer already. Yeah, I'm afraid we might have to process him, but I'd prefer to wait a few days and see how this plays out. But if it's necessary, it's better to have a meal than shredded legs.

 

[vehve]

Quote: That's where I got the idea, but I always question every design and try to improve it before building something.

 

[JW12]

Vehve.... I'm wondering since we have a similar type feeder, have you thought about fermenting feed? I keep going over it in my head and my set up now means less work for the kids and myself and I kind of like it that way. To me I can't see the benefits outweighing the ease of which we take care of everyone now. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong I don't know, but when we decided to get the chickens and ducks it was supposed to be something fun not something that would turn into a chore to do.

 

[vehve]

Vehve.... I'm wondering since we have a similar type feeder, have you thought about fermenting feed? I keep going over it in my head and my set up now means less work for the kids and myself and I kind of like it that way. To me I can't see the benefits outweighing the ease of which we take care of everyone now. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong I don't know, but when we decided to get the chickens and ducks it was supposed to be something fun not something that would turn into a chore to do.

We are mainly feeding them mash at the moment, which I really like, but the dry stuff will work better through the cold season. I don't think anything wet would work in the feeder. Fermented feed would probably be good for the chickens, but I think it's too labor intensive, especially since the only sensible place to make it in our home would require walking to the opposite end of the house to get it every day. The mash I can just mix together by the coop.

 

[Alaskan]

Yep, no feeding of anything wet in the winter (except for water of course )