The Quack Shack

[rjohns39]

Morning everyone. Bella seems broken still. Lucky hasn't left yet.. soon he is though. Poor duck is scared of everyone.. except my dad, for some unknown reason. She hid in the woods yesterday, I couldn't find her and it was dark, thank goodness she's white.

My silkie has made crowing at 6 in the morning his routine, I thought it was a coyote or something honestly, his crow is so stretched out and he doesn't do that "Err Er errr" He goes "Er errrrrrrr".

Have a great day Kendra

Chris, you have a great day too. I missed you earlier, caffeine low level light was on.

 

[Trimurtisan]

My silkie has made crowing at 6 in the morning his routine, I thought it was a coyote or something honestly, his crow is so stretched out and he doesn't do that "Err Er errr" He goes "Er errrrrrrr".

Good mornin!
Is he just staring to crow?

 

[Trimurtisan]

Chris, you have a great day too. I missed you earlier, caffeine low level light was on.

Lol, me too. I was drearily dragging my dungarees this morning.

 

[Duck_life]

Good mornin!
Is he just staring to crow?

No, he started last month.

 

[Trimurtisan]

So I'm sitting here looking at the Eng Orp cockerel. It's starting to settle in. He's going to be big (said in my best southern draw).

Now that their pin in with the rest of the flock, I get more visual contact with them. I already knew I liked Eng Orp hens, but this boy is growing on me fast!. He's got a different shape than Sully, and might end up being bigger. The while trio has put on a decent amount of size while in quarantine. They also had to spend extra time in quarantine since my flock got sick. (good news, everyone is doing great)

Their water is in a large mixing bowl next to the fence. The ducks, turkeys, and guinnea can easily get their neck in there and drink, which they have been. (side note, they drink from most any water source besides their own) So far there's been no conflict. All three Eng Orps have drank from the bowl at the same time as other birds. The cockerel is cautious, but has not shown any aggression. He'll stand next to a hen ans let her drink first while watching over her, then get himself a drink.

There's been a couple times before moving their pin I did think he could be aggressive, but I'm reconsidering now. Where the pin was, they could see me coming from the house, but not from behind the Shack. I'd just appear a few feet from the pin, and he'd come rushing to the fence like an Eng Bulldog. All squat and puffed up. Everytime he did it though he'd position himself between me and the girls. Now that I can observe him more, I think I was just spooking him, and he was being reactive/protective. He's never shown aggression when getting in there with food/water. When I moved the pin he was also relativity easy to handle too. He didn't like it, but he didn't fight when I picked him up. When the rest of the boys give a danger call he joins in too and he can't even see directly up (pin top is solid). I think he's going to make a good rooster so far.

I want to find a good fire/flame reference for his name. He's got some wonderful coppers and oranges. In the sun he just glows.

 

[Duck_life]

So I'm sitting here looking at the Eng Orp cockerel. It's starting to settle in. He's going to be big (said in my best southern draw).

Now that their pin in with the rest of the flock, I get more visual contact with them. I already knew I liked Eng Orp hens, but this boy is growing on me fast!. He's got a different shape than Sully, and might end up being bigger. The while trio has put on a decent amount of size while in quarantine. They also had to spend extra time in quarantine since my flock got sick. (good news, everyone is doing great)

Their water is in a large mixing bowl next to the fence. The ducks, turkeys, and guinnea can easily get their neck in there and drink, which they have been. (side note, they drink from most any water source besides their own) So far there's been no conflict. All three Eng Orps have drank from the bowl at the same time as other birds. The cockerel is cautious, but has not shown any aggression. He'll stand next to a hen ans let her drink first while watching over her, then get himself a drink.

There's been a couple times before moving their pin I did think he could be aggressive, but I'm reconsidering now. Where the pin was, they could see me coming from the house, but not from behind the Shack. I'd just appear a few feet from the pin, and he'd come rushing to the fence like an Eng Bulldog. All squat and puffed up. Everytime he did it though he'd position himself between me and the girls. Now that I can observe him more, I think I was just spooking him, and he was being reactive/protective. He's never shown aggression when getting in there with food/water. When I moved the pin he was also relativity easy to handle too. He didn't like it, but he didn't fight when I picked him up. When the rest of the boys give a danger call he joins in too and he can't even see directly up (pin top is solid). I think he's going to make a good rooster so far.

I want to find a good fire/flame reference for his name. He's got some wonderful coppers and oranges. In the sun he just glows.
View attachment 2030240View attachment 2030241

I wonder. How do all of you keep your roosters from being agressive? I don't get all cuddly with them young, I want to bond with them though, so I normally just hand out treats so they know I'm not going to hurt them, lol.

 

[Trimurtisan]

No, he started last month.

The Brahma cockerel here had been practicing his crow. It's cute but he can't get the whole thing out

I wonder. How do all of you keep your roosters from being agressive? I don't get all cuddly with them young, I want to bond with them though, so I normally just hand out treats so they know I'm not going to hurt them, lol.

I think a lot of it has to do with rooster husbandry. To be honest I don't really try to bond with my roosters the same as I do the hens. I try to build a trust and respect but not a friendship. I also am not their alpha, just their none threating feed bag basically. I do however show dominance when needed. If say I fell like a cock is giving me the "fake ground pecking" to get closer, I'll walk right through his path forcing him to move out of my way. I also don't let them behind me when I'm squat down. If one comes behind me I stand up and get a broad shoulder posture and walk through him again. I don't move in a snappy motion as it might draw a defensive response. I move more like a large unstoppable mass. I hope that makes sense. I do hand feed scratch though so there is a form of "intimate" contact. I want him to know i trust him to do his job, whomever "him" is at the time.

So in regards to the boys interacting with one another. In a nut shell, rude boys get eaten. After I got Sully, the flock dynamic really changed. He's a great example of a good rooster. He's not aggressive, but here is very assertive. It also calmed Umbra (cemani) way down, and he's now becoming a great second in command. So those two are who I consider the main flock roosters.

There's not really anything I do in particular, besides thin out the rude ones. On the property there are lots of hiding places, 2 very large trees, 2 pools, ~8 water sources. They also have access to roughly the first 6-10 feet of woods before the water stars, the Shack is always open too. At no time are they really forced to be around one another besides at night. Luckily I've not woken up to a battered bird.

I also spend a lot of time with them. Anywhere from 3-6 hours collectivity through the day. I observer the boys any given chance too.

In the end, maybe I've just been lucky.

 

[Trimurtisan]

@Duck_life I've also acquired more females too. At one time I was close to 1:1, now it's a bit better than 1:4. Don't forget I also have 2 flocks, so not all the boys are together.

 

[Trimurtisan]

Oh yeah, I've also been very good recently on not taking in every rooster I see. (no seriusly, stop laughing at me)

 

[Miss Lydia]

Can't help it!