The Old Folks Home

[CapricornFarm]

Just had supper, went outside, put 2 more latches on the brooder and it started raining againi wanted to plant that bush but am not standing out in the rain to do it.

 

[pennyJo1960]

hey bought paint to paint my new coop it is a colored stain good enough

 

[microchick]

I just finished running down the six juveniles that I affectionately call 'the six pack' and relocated them to the main coop. I figured it was time as they have escaped the grow out pen three times today and I've had to chase them down and put them back where they belong.
They were screaming at me, daddy bird, my Welly roo was scolding me, mainly because he was sleeping with them. I left them crying their little hearts out and making me feel like a first class jerk. Growing up is tough. I tried this a few days ago and the little idiots found their way back to the grow out pen and got in it. I still don't know how they managed to escape 'in' instead of out.

Yesterday, my bantam roosters staged a coup of major proportions. They were beating up on one of the Welly/Buff O roosters so I separated them only to have Tres, the W/BO rooster #1 get in a major fight with his brother, Primo. Separated them again only to have the bantams in the bachelor pen beat the tar out of Tres. It just wasn't his day. His left eye looks horrible. DH and I have been shoving antibiotics and aspirin down him. DH has been doctoring the eye for me. Today we got a look at it finally as the swelling is going down. He has a tear in his eyelid and a huge hemangioma in one of the secondary lids. He's in the infirmary pen in the main pen and acting for all the world normal except for this ghastly eye. It's anyone's guess how well the lid will heal. Thankfully, the eye underneath looks normal.

In the mean time I apologized to the hens and tossed all the bantam revolutionaries back in the main pen leaving my Buff O rooster and Primo in the pen alone. Primo is also beat up, molting and moping to the point that if he knew how to tie a knot I'd be afraid he'd hang himself. So I chose 6 molty pathetic hens that looked like they could use a break from the bantam boys and put them in with the two lone roosters. Instant tonic. The boys started crowing and dancing, the hens sighed and resigned themselves. I warned the girls to keep moving.

One at a time, my bantam boys are sweet and friendly. I swear these 9 cockerels joined forces and beat the snot out of two roosters. Funny that they left the Buff O rooster alone. Probably didn't see him as a threat as he is just a goofy friendly guy.

Anyone with OEGB roosters. Is this a common behavior with them?

I went out late this afternoon and added a new roost bar to the main coop. My hands and arms are slowly healing from Sundays dog fight intervention. I'm so sore and bruised though that I have gotten very little done this week except moping around myself and trying to get some pre-fall house cleaning done. Lucy is healing nicely and the two attackers are still acting contrite. I think keeping them that way is going to be the goal.

In the mean time I get the BYC news letter 10 reasons to spend 10 minutes with your chickens. The article says how relaxing they are....really? Ya think? Oh well, it was good for a laugh!

 

[CapricornFarm]

I did get that bush in the ground but then it started raining yet again. So the bulbs and Irises will have to wait for another day. Tomorrow is supposed to be a sunny day so hopefully i will get a lot of work done.

 

[Beer can]

My BIL's instant garage was a great deal. He put electric in it easily and the wood floor.... no he doesn't like it but it's held up great, think it's 12" on center and has held up like new for yrs now and he's a mechanic and is always working on something. He wanted to eventually cut it out and pour concrete which would work but I mentioned he'd be better off keeping it the way it is and being it's on a bank on one side, add a addition of 12,14,16' x24 to match off it with a poured slab if he wants. The instant garage, where it's bolted together up top, ridge? I think it's multiple 2x10s heavy duty. And I'm sure the smaller sheds are also well made and will last a life time. Stick built sheds and garages might be cheaper, I only have maybe 5grand into my 24x28 garage built with a loft storage and saved $$ on the concrete pad that was already there, but it took soo long, many many hrs. Don't think I saved anything if you add up man hrs, if they're worth anything, I think lost time is worth something.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Yes, for sure it would likely be winter before we could build two sheds that big. And his back is bad so we would have to have help anyways. Better to have it made and get on with other projects. We have plenty of them.​

 

[Beer can]

I just finished running down the six juveniles that I affectionately call 'the six pack' and relocated them to the main coop. I figured it was time as they have escaped the grow out pen three times today and I've had to chase them down and put them back where they belong.
They were screaming at me, daddy bird, my Welly roo was scolding me, mainly because he was sleeping with them. I left them crying their little hearts out and making me feel like a first class jerk. Growing up is tough. I tried this a few days ago and the little idiots found their way back to the grow out pen and got in it. I still don't know how they managed to escape 'in' instead of out.

Yesterday, my bantam roosters staged a coup of major proportions. They were beating up on one of the Welly/Buff O roosters so I separated them only to have Tres, the W/BO rooster #1 get in a major fight with his brother, Primo. Separated them again only to have the bantams in the bachelor pen beat the tar out of Tres. It just wasn't his day. His left eye looks horrible. DH and I have been shoving antibiotics and aspirin down him. DH has been doctoring the eye for me. Today we got a look at it finally as the swelling is going down. He has a tear in his eyelid and a huge hemangioma in one of the secondary lids. He's in the infirmary pen in the main pen and acting for all the world normal except for this ghastly eye. It's anyone's guess how well the lid will heal. Thankfully, the eye underneath looks normal.

In the mean time I apologized to the hens and tossed all the bantam revolutionaries back in the main pen leaving my Buff O rooster and Primo in the pen alone. Primo is also beat up, molting and moping to the point that if he knew how to tie a knot I'd be afraid he'd hang himself. So I chose 6 molty pathetic hens that looked like they could use a break from the bantam boys and put them in with the two lone roosters. Instant tonic. The boys started crowing and dancing, the hens sighed and resigned themselves. I warned the girls to keep moving.

One at a time, my bantam boys are sweet and friendly. I swear these 9 cockerels joined forces and beat the snot out of two roosters. Funny that they left the Buff O rooster alone. Probably didn't see him as a threat as he is just a goofy friendly guy.

Anyone with OEGB roosters. Is this a common behavior with them?

I went out late this afternoon and added a new roost bar to the main coop. My hands and arms are slowly healing from Sundays dog fight intervention. I'm so sore and bruised though that I have gotten very little done this week except moping around myself and trying to get some pre-fall house cleaning done. Lucy is healing nicely and the two attackers are still acting contrite. I think keeping them that way is going to be the goal.

In the mean time I get the BYC news letter 10 reasons to spend 10 minutes with your chickens. The article says how relaxing they are....really? Ya think? Oh well, it was good for a laugh!

I think OEGB' s are known as fighters, not from personal experience but I'd think the 'game' part of them would be? I've actually never had 'good' roosters of any breed that you could have more than one without serious problems, especially with any hatchery stock. Never before had 'good' roosters with more than one until I got Sandhills stock of Giant's and Sussex, can't say for sure if it's because they aren't typical hatchery and they cull bad behavior like a breeder would or if it's just the breeds themeselves? One of the worst hatchery roosters I've had recently was a Welsummer and they ain't supposed to be aggressive either. He was good until 2yrs and then turned into a mankiller. Those SandHill giant's and sussex, I had two rooster of each at one time and no probs, the giant rooster I still have now going on 3yrs? Still a big baby, no aggression whatsoever.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I used to keep two roosters in every coop. I think the key is to raise them together from chicks. I had about 20 coops. Different breed in each. Occasionally would get a rooster that was aggressive towards people. I would not tolerate that, they would be culled.

 

[microchick]

All of my OEGB roosters and cockerels have been raised together. I've seen some minor 'sparring' between the young males, but nothing that results in injury. They all appear to get along and don't even get in confrontations with one another over hens. Not one has ever shown human aggression and all are from cross bred bantam farm stock that are primarily OEGB. I've seen the main sire that they were originally bred from and he is a beautiful black OEGB down to his dubbed comb and wattles.

It appears that these young males (Feb hatch and younger) banded together in order to 'deal' with larger and more physically powerful birds that just one bird couldn't possibly defeat in a confrontation.

It's pretty impressive to see a big Welsummer/Buff O cross rooster trying to outrun not one but 5 OEGB cockerels who are chasing him down with the intent of doing him bodily harm.

I too have culled roosters for human aggression and yep, expect OEGBs to be scrappy little demons. I just haven't read of them forming alliances in order to take over a flock of hens.

 

[getaclue]

A coup in your coop? Now that's funny!