The Omega Rocks: The Last & Ultimate Barred Plymouth Rock Flock

[speckledhen]

I always figured they had a good life for the time they are here. Much better than all the day old cockerels no one orders, and don't live past the first day. It is one part of chicken keeping I don't like, but I gotta think of the girls first, and the health of the flock.

Hope your friend can take them off your hands. Give the ones you can the room, and the rest , well, gotta do what we gotta do. I've tried bachelor pens, and they never worked out long term. Those boys end up fighting and mating each other. It isn't a happy life. I have kept good cockerel penned for a few months in pairs, and that does seem to work out as long as there is room, and they are compatible.

Yeah, I agree with you. I cannot keep four unwanted males indefinitely. I don't know how Jamie does it. He gets good money for them, but then again, he's well known in certain circles.

 

[1muttsfan]

I think it's likely that as with a lot of breeders they probably have to cull quite a few boys

 

[speckledhen]

You're likely correct there, Mary.
These are the sale cockerels. First the split point guy, who is the best of the four, IMO. I like the Bouncer's personality much better, though. Two of the four may end up being culled and being so young and more frame than bulk, they wouldn't make much of a stew. Then, I'd only have two to rehome.

This pic below is the one I call Brother, the larger brother to Little Man. He's big, but he has three issues 1)crooked toes 2) odd downward posture and 3) "don't touch me" personality. He also has one point too few on his comb, but it's a decent looking comb anyway. He would be fine as a free range flock rooster, but honestly, I think his and his brother's days are numbered if someone does not claim them soon.

The Bouncer, such a great flock leader if he ever gets his own.

 

[speckledhen]

Seems the larger of the two skittish guys, the one I call Brother, is finally believing I am not so scary. He looks to me when he is trying to stay away from The Bouncer, but he pecks so hard when eating out of my hand, I can't do it anymore. He's not being aggressive, but he always seems to be running for his life in that group. His brother that we call Little Man (he's not little anymore) is heading for a fate that he doesn't expect. He's not mean, but he's just crazy scared, won't eat out of my hand, always diving for cover when I get close to him. I don't get it. Those two are not like any I've ever had that I raised from the incubator, not at all. They may not be here long and you know what I mean. Not many have the patience to deal with them, but then again, I have no idea what they'd be like if they weren't the lowest on the totem pole in that group. Brother might be okay. Little Man, I have serious doubts.
On the other hand, Nathaniel is a doll. He likes to have his chest scratched, doesn't flinch when I reach for him, and he talks to me all the time, such a good boy. I even like The Bouncer (floppy comb) quite a bit. He's very gentle with me but he keeps them all in line in that group and I mean he has a Hard Beak of Doom, LOL. His comb won't stop him from being a great rooster in someone's flock, just from winning any shows.
Ethel's head is healed, but there is a little flap of skin that healed sticking up a bit. I will likely use Super Glue to glue down that flap so that it doesn't become the cause of a scalping when they are back with the boys.

 

[speckledhen]

I really need some new pictures of these gorgeous guys at now over 20 weeks old. The girls are beginning to fill out. Ethel's head is completely healed, though that little tiny flap of skin gives the others something to grab easier than if it wasn't there. I couldn't get it to successfully lay flat so we'll see.
We are about the time that the sale cockerels need to be removed again and put the girls back with their guys because I think that Ethel's scalp healing is as good as it's going to get. As I begin to do that, I will run the EE hens outside (except Juliette because she's going downhill) with the three chosen males and four pullets and and we'll see how that goes. Those hens are used to being out with the BR pullets already, though they are a long way from being a united group; they stay away from each other and the BRs are more dominant in that situation than the 4 yr old EEs. I was not expecting that, really, because they are so bossy in their current group, especially Layla. She runs from the BRs. Barreds RULE!

 

[speckledhen]

I tried, but I never seem to get a really great picture of them and I'm bushed after refilling all the waterers and digging a hole for Cora (see Brahma thread for that story) so I didn't keep trying.
At this point, I have Nathaniel, Duncan and Angus (well, I have all the males since none have found homes) I think either Duncan or Angus will likely go eventually simply because I really only need two. Certainly I don't need more than two if there are only four pullets, but now that Juliette is looking bad again, I won't even have the four EEs I was hoping to add to the young BRs. Today, the sale cockerels go back into the back pen and the pullets go back with their three stud-muffins. Short video showing some of their personalities

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Those are some big boys. Sorry about Cora.

 

[speckledhen]

Those are some big boys. Sorry about Cora.

Thank you, Lisa. I wasn't thrilled that Cora had the crop malfunction at the end, but now I see the similarity between her situation and all the others who died a natural, old-age death. It makes me feel better that I wasn't able to fix the crop though I tried. It's one of those things you learn the more years you keep chickens, what situations mean and what you can and can't control, as you yourself know. My wish for my remaining Brahmas is that Bash is not left completely alone. Brandy has a hope of getting into another group, but Bash definitely does not. A rooster with no hens after a lifetime of leading a flock is a sad sight.

 

[1muttsfan]

I don't necessarily think that what you are seeing is a crop issue, instead I think it is just a general shutting down of the digestive tract, which is part of the process that occurs when your body prepares itself to go. It happens with people as well, they get to a point where they not only don't want food but if they do eat it causes them pain and indigestion.

 

[speckledhen]

I don't necessarily think that what you are seeing is a crop issue, instead I think it is just a general shutting down of the digestive tract, which is part of the process that occurs when your body prepares itself to go. It happens with people as well, they get to a point where they not only don't want food but if they do eat it causes them pain and indigestion.

Oh, I know that, though at first, I felt I had to try to fix it. I am very glad you said that, Mary, because I do wish folks would understand that the crop is very much a barometer of what is happening in the body, not usually the main issue. That would save a lot of guilt, right? I couldn't massage it or she would upchuck and choke so the only thing I really tried was the GasX gel cap. Yes, her body was most definitely shutting down, you're absolutely right, but I didn't really know it for sure until a day or so after I first saw the issue. I thought back to the rest of her life and remembered that she had never had any digestive issues for her entire 8 years, so I decided it was just her time. She was such a feisty, opinionated hen and seeing her lethargic was heartbreaking.