Tolbunt Polish

[welasharon]

So, my tolbunts are maturing. Elvis is crowing...correction..he is trying to crow. It is heinous. He sounds like a goose trying to copy a rooster. I hope he gets better at it. It is so bad the silkies won't even crow back..they just growl and look away. Dahlia squatted when I went to pet her three days ago. I guess there will be an egg soon? Elvis started pecking her on the back today. He knows he needs to do something but isn't quite sure what it is. THe other day when he first crowed I was talking to him and he got so excited that he grabbed one of the GL hens by the crest but she scared him when she squatted so he ran off. I hope I don't have to change his name.

 

[Illia]

lol - Elvis the frizzled and Spike the frizzled. My frizzled boy, Spike, also had just the funniest first crow too.


He still has never been able to fetch a girl himself, and I'll admit, I have to "help" that scenario. His secondaries are just quills. And they HURT when they scratch you.

 

[welasharon]

I will check his feathers! He mostly feels soft and fluffy but I will check them out. I hope he manages on his own...I don't know that I know how to help! LOL

 

[Illia]

If he's just now crowing, he's probably still show-worthy. But in another month, maybe two or three, his feathers will go dowhill in quality. My boy can jump to a low perch, and he can try and fly up a fence (to get to the hen on the other side, lol) but forget about getting up high perches, staying on a hen's back, etc. The wing quality went down because of all his beating when trying to keep balance, even before the feathers got stripped.

My version of "help" is to have my fingers over the hen's shoulders to act as balancing boards for the rooster; that way he won't scratch her up while falling off or trying to keep a hold. I don't hold them there though, I still do let the shaking happen, or you won't get good eggs.

Without help the best he can do is really damage a hen's back or neck. I'm a strong believer in natural things and strong, healthy birds, but - His frizzling isn't something to think about culling for, and he's got a lot of qualities that my smooth Tolbunt does not have.

 

[welasharon]

Thankfully he can't see past that pompadour too well so he doesn't try to get to the roost. They sleep on the top of a two foot high nest cube that is in my open pen. I am going to be isolating the two of them soon so I will keep everything low. Do you think one of those saddle things would help any?
So your fingers make a perch for his feet then?
sharon

 

[Illia]

Yep.


As for the saddle, I really don't know. My frizzled boy is so incredibly "active" and "motivated," if he has the chance to snatch a hen, he'll go for what he can, and that's usually the rear where a saddle will be. No hen likes him, so no hen stops for him. I'd imagine it weird if they had saddles for him to grab a hold of and stop them with.

But, I'm hoping your Elvis will be different.

If you pen him separately like I do my Tolbunt boys, he'll become like mine. Very very motivated.

Although honestly my smooth boy is a smooth talker. He often stops, and tries luring them in, which always works especially when there's treats or food involved.

 

[welasharon]

I'll keep you updated! On a side note...at what temp do you start supplying heat for your shamo?

 

[Illia]

I heated their coop for the first 2 months, possibly 3 that I had them. That was in the winter when the night temps were anywhere from 28-44 degrees. I haven't offered them heating since then, but this winter may possibly change again. There's a lot of people who don't heat their Gamefowls' sleeping area at all and get freezing winters, but, I like to be safe than sorry. They at least got hot summers. . . I don't.

 

[welasharon]

Okay thanks. I have hot humid summers but do get occasional freezes. I will err on the safe side and provide some heat.
sharon

 

[burtonjon]

Not the best picture since my Tolbunts have been free ranging for a few weeks and its rained about 6" in a week. But can you tell this tolbunt hen is frizzled?LOL!