unpopular chicken opinions??

[JCaseyHammond]

Okay, here's an unpopular opinion, but it's true in my flocks.

A one-rooster-one-hen-one-pen ratio works out just fine in most cases. The same for ducks.

I will be honest here, I don't understand why I can take a rooster out of a pen of five females that he is beating up with aggressive breeding, and put him into a pen with just one of those hens and presto, overnight they become a couple, no more overbreeding or broken feathers. I have to think there's maybe some instinct that tells him he's got only one, so better take care of her if he wants offspring.

Full disclosure, I am talking about adult roosters, not cockerels.

Agreed. Your observation is similar to what I notice.

Each of my roosters has his apartment with usually 1 but up to 3 hens. I’ve noticed that with more hens, it’s the *hens* that squabble and the rooster has his work to keep them happy. Also, if the hen doesn’t want to cuddle with her rooster, I switch her out so she’s happier.

Below is Pierre, my first rooster. He was hatched from a green egg in 2015, when one of my very first chickens wouldn’t stop being broody. Pierre inherited one copy of the blue egg gene and has passed that and his crele feather color to about half of his offspring. His current chicken friend is a rescue EE. I have one chick from them. I could have lots but I’m really picky about which fertile eggs I put under my broody hens so it’s less than it could be.

Below is a 2018 EE x Austalorp rooster with his rescue EE chicken friend. I have one offspring from them, a pullet who just laid her first green egg.

Below are two rescues. The EE hen didn’t like her first rooster so I switched her in with this Australorp fellow. He’s gentle with everyone.

Below is a black breasted red 2018 cockerel who probably has 1 copy of the blue egg gene. His father is EE x Australorp and mother is Partridge Penedesenca. His chicken friend is an elderly White Faced Black Spanish who laid 6 eggs this week. Even though they are not the same breed, they are matched because they get along together.

Below are brothers who grew up together (2020 EE x Nana). When they get their time to free range, they’ll jump out the door and breed whichever hen is in the yard at the time.

I wash and fill their water buckets while they range. But as the sun sets, they’ll put themselves back in their apartments, eat some dinner, I put in their water bucketand shut the doors behind them. Their muddy feet and roosts are from before the leak in the roof got fixed.

 

[black_cat]

Agreed. Your observation is similar to what I notice.

Each of my roosters has his apartment with usually 1 but up to 3 hens. I’ve noticed that with more hens, it’s the *hens* that squabble and the rooster has his work to keep them happy. Also, if the hen doesn’t want to cuddle with her rooster, I switch her out so she’s happier.

Below is Pierre, my first rooster. He was hatched from a green egg in 2015, when one of my very first chickens wouldn’t stop being broody. Pierre inherited one copy of the blue egg gene and has passed that and his crele feather color to about half of his offspring. His current chicken friend is a rescue EE. I have one chick from them. I could have lots but I’m really picky about which fertile eggs I put under my broody hens so it’s less than it could be.
View attachment 2539161
Below is a 2018 EE x Austalorp rooster with his rescue EE chicken friend. I have one offspring from them, a pullet who just laid her first green egg.
View attachment 2539170
Below are two rescues. The EE hen didn’t like her first rooster so I switched her in with this Australorp fellow. He’s gentle with everyone.
View attachment 2539171
Below is a black breasted red 2018 cockerel who probably has 1 copy of the blue egg gene. His father is EE x Australorp and mother is Partridge Penedesenca. His chicken friend is an elderly White Faced Black Spanish who laid 6 eggs this week. Even though they are not the same breed, they are matched because they get along together.
View attachment 2539179
Below are brothers who grew up together (2020 EE x Nana). When they get their time to free range, they’ll jump out the door and breed whichever hen is in the yard at the time.

I wash and fill their water buckets while they range. But as the sun sets, they’ll put themselves back in their apartments, eat some dinner, I put in their water bucketand shut the doors behind them. Their muddy feet and roosts are from before the leak in the roof got fixed.
View attachment 2539181

Oh goodness. What's going on with the australorp boy's feet?
Beautiful birds!

 

[JCaseyHammond]

ugh you go through all that work to make a match and they just won't honor it

And why would they, really? I just let them lead happy lives and accept what offspring I get. I’m happy with my mixes. The Nana crosses are especially proving to be more vigorous and healthy. Less nursing of birds that can’t stand up, won’t eat and get parasites.

 

[JCaseyHammond]

Oh goodness. What's going on with the australorp boy's feet?
Beautiful birds!

Thank you! If you see problems I didn’t point out, I’d appreciate being told. His feet had clumps of mud. I hired someone to put a new roof on the coops. He’s a rescue so they are all getting Vaseline on the legs in case of mites. I see he has a messy bottom too

 

[Chickenslol]

Thank you! If you see problems I didn’t point out, I’d appreciate being told. His feet had clumps of mud. I hired someone to put a new roof on the coops. He’s a rescue so they are all getting Vaseline on the legs in case of mites. I see he has a messy bottom too

australorp roosters are the prettiest imo

 

[black_cat]

australorp roosters are the prettiest imo

They are gorgeous!

 

[JCaseyHammond]

I just ignore reactions that aren't angries. Then I read angrier and them comments

I’m afraid to use the frowny button
Anger management and all that.
Surprised no one has invented the term “pandemic rage” although I’ve seen it irl in public.

 

[feather13]

The first is okay, like I said I don’t mind plain white, I just find it pretty boring.

x2 plain white birds. We don't have any and will never get any.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Unpopular opinion, you can't make a hen broody. It's just a coincidence. You can try and improve how often the coincidence is, but you can't guarantee making a bird broody

 

[black_cat]

Unpopular opinion, you can't make a hen broody. It's just a coincidence. You can try and improve how often the coincidence is, but you can't guarantee making a bird broody

That's only an unpopular opinion among new chicken keepers- pretty sure that like 70% of BYC agrees with you on that.