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OMG, I just had to laugh this morning. I had let K.E. (the bantam) out with his two gals, then went to the back yard and let out Bandit and his ladies. While I was cleaning the nesting boxes and coop, I saw Bandit come running and hop up on the separating fence. He thought he was gonna go grab some ladies. he he he, K.E. was up to the challenge and before I got out of the hoop coop and through the gate it was settled. Bandit didn't want any part of that. So I was trying to move him back around to the gate, but he would go so far and turn tail. K.E. was standing there between us and the gate and Bandit just refused to go close to him. After telling K.E. to mind his business and take a hike, it was easy moving Bandit around to the gate and through. I wonder how many times it will take before Bandit realizes it's not worth going over there. Hahahahaha
 
Trust me, @CSolis, if he is a bantam, he will NEVER get the message. Big bird attitude in little package.

Morning all. Took a few days to deal with a few crisis around the farm, mainly to do with my chickens. I wanted to rotate some roosters around giving some of the younger boys a chance to be well...roosters. Things went well for three days. the younger boys seemed to understand their place in the big flock. I'd been checking on them to make sure no major battles broke out between them and Tut (my Fayoumis rooster) and Trubel, one of his sons) None had and just went I was starting to breathe a sigh of relief, disaster.

I went out to water and feed and found one of my 'littles' hens dead with two of the young roosters pecking at her as if they were trying to mate her and a third larger bird nervously standing by observing their behavior. By her condition it was obvious that she had died by mating aggression.

I went postal on them. The bigger bird got a stay of execution after spending the night outside but the two smaller birds are now in the freezer. I've never had this happen before and don't know where this behavior originated from because none of the roosters have exhibited mating aggression towards the females before.

I hate butchering but did this without an ounce of regret. Like I told my husband. I never should have given them a chance to be with the flock. I should have left them in the bachelor pen.

I guess live and learn but it was a real bummer to say the least as the hen was a sweetie one of two who would fly up to sit on my shoulder and bum treats while I worked.

Anyway, hello to all the newcomers and welcome to the home. Glad you found an empty rocking chair and joined us.

All of you on the east coast. Stay safe! That's an order given with true concern in mind. I don't want to hear of anyone getting hurt.

Now I'm off to pitch some more bachelors out into the yard for the day to free range. I know I have more that I need to cull but frankly I just don't have the hand strength or the back strength to do more processing. Need to contact the neighbor to see if the girls would want to butcher for me.
 
Thanks Bruce. I love my roosters in the main coop. The boys are good with the hens and respectful, even friendly with me.

I leave the bantams in with the flock because the larger hens make them respect them. It's funny to see one of the bantam boys try to mate the larger hens and she just puts her head down and the boy rolls forward and does a perfect summersault over her head.

So the girls keep them in line. I always think ahead with my roosters though and with my track record of roosters dying off I want to keep replacements in the wings should something happen to my two flock masters.

Right now I have two that I would trust with the hens should something happen to Tut and Trubel. But I learned who I couldn't trust out of my 6 'reserve' roosters in the bachelor coop the hard way and at the cost of a nice little hen.
 
What was a 4x8 skid yesterday is now 21 boards and a bunch of nails in the wastebasket. I used some of the boards today to make a small table to go in the run, next to the plastic chair. I have lots of other building projects in mind for the rest of the boards. Loving the free lumber!
 
silverhair67 said:
Now I know why I'm getting a mini cultivator, 20 minutes kneeling and pulling weeds, trying to get back up ohhhh crud!!! need grease fittings in my joints
Click to expand...
Got one Silver. It's like trying to cultivate with one of those old vibrating machines that people used to stand on, wrap the belt around their butts and turn it on. Or a bad massage bed. At least it is for me when I use it. DH uses mine to till my garden for me. He says the more dirt you try to move, the worse it is.

This year he plowed the garden with our tractor and single blade plow and then he used the little Ace Hardware tiller on it. I did a little tilling with it and I didn't think it bucked as bad as it usually does so that may be the ticket for it.
 

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