Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[CharterChick]

M

Here's a fun update, turns out I actually have 2 cockerels instead of 1! 90% odds? I just lost the hen lottery pretty badly!

My June hatch I had 2 hens out of 15... But the cockerels are doing great in freezer camp!

 

[Duck Drover]

I am not sure where I downloaded this picture from but I send it to people who want to know the difference between fertile and infertile eggs when it comes to eating them. Most people don't look closely enough to tell when they crack open their eggs unless they are looking for a bullseye to check fertility rate on their rooster. The blood spot can happen whether an egg is fertile or infertile.

 

[AliciaM]

I want to know what that little seed is in my eggs. Its NOT a blood spot.. Ive pulled them out with my finger and they are hard. Not all of mine have it, but enough do that it makes me wonder..

 

[elizmartin]

My cockerel badgered the KR@P out of the hens... I had 7 hens.... that was not enough to satisfy him.... He would attack them all day... He wouldn't hurt them... They still had all their feathers... They just hid and ran at every opportunity to keep away.... One even died from the harassment....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/930788/hatching-box-quarantine-box-multi-purpose-cage

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/930962/1-dead-hen-this-am

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/927641/young-rooster-behavior

I think it depends on the rooster….I have allot of Roosters and only 2 or 3 are aggressive breeders…..the rest peaceful….If they are in with them now, just keep an eye on them...

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Kingston, so pretty close to you. He is a 25 week old light brahma. I would prefer to rehome him but I just need to get him out of my coop if at all possible.

Well, we're up to our ears in roosters, and we're switching our flock to all Jersey Giants, so your rooster would not find a "forever home" at our house ... unless "In MAH BELLY!!!" counts as a forever home?

That said, if you're eventually going to process your birds ... now might a good time to learn.

Or, keep him for a while. See if he turns out to be a problem . He might turn out to be a sweetheart protecting your flock. As long as you don't incubate the eggs you won't have to worry about chicks.
There really are some very good reasons to keep a rooster in your flock. If your boy is headed for the stewpot, you may want to think about trying to keep him first?

 

[Birdnovice24]

Well, we're up to our ears in roosters, and we're switching our flock to all Jersey Giants, so your rooster would not find a "forever home" at our house ... unless "In MAH BELLY!!!" counts as a forever home?

That said, if you're eventually going to process your birds ... now might a good time to learn.

Or, keep him for a while. See if he turns out to be a problem . He might turn out to be a sweetheart protecting your flock. As long as you don't incubate the eggs you won't have to worry about chicks.
There really are some very good reasons to keep a rooster in your flock. If your boy is headed for the stewpot, you may want to think about trying to keep him first?

So, it turns out BOTH of my brahma's are boys! I got them from a feed store as 3 day old chicks with a 90% chance of being female. I have no idea how those odds can be correct. Anyway, yesterday my husband fashioned a home for them away from the girls. We are hoping they will live happily with each other there. So far, they have not been fighting with each other. I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing though because one of my girls in particular seemed very upset with me for taking her men away. I just really don't want either of them to rough up the girls since there's only three in my flock and one of them is a bantam. Any thoughts?

 

[MargaretYakoda]

So, it turns out BOTH of my brahma's are boys! I got them from a feed store as 3 day old chicks with a 90% chance of being female. I have no idea how those odds can be correct. Anyway, yesterday my husband fashioned a home for them away from the girls. We are hoping they will live happily with each other there. So far, they have not been fighting with each other. I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing though because one of my girls in particular seemed very upset with me for taking her men away. I just really don't want either of them to rough up the girls since there's only three in my flock and one of them is a bantam. Any thoughts?

90% pullets means one in ten is a cockerel. If you're a gamer, that's a D10 rolling two critical hits in a row. Not fun, but well within the range of normal dice rolls.

Right now I'd go with what you're already doing. Wait and see. Depending on personality your boys could get along just fine with everyone. If the hens develop issues with feather loss from the rooster's spurs, then its an easy fix to put an apron on them.

 

[Espresso]

90% pullets means one in ten is a cockerel. If you're a gamer, that's a D10 rolling two critical hits in a row. Not fun, but well within the range of normal dice rolls.

Right now I'd go with what you're already doing. Wait and see. Depending on personality your boys could get along just fine with everyone. If the hens develop issues with feather loss from the rooster's spurs, then its an easy fix to put an apron on them.

I've rolled two 1s in a row before. It's never a good thing.... lol.

 

[ochochicas]

I have 3 roosters and they do not fight or rough up the hens. I keep them all together during the day. Even the new rooster does not fight with the two that were already here. I had two cockerels that I recently rehomed. Each one was very bonded to a pullet from the same hatch. The pullets seemed depressed after their "brothers" were gone. One stopped eating and we had to bring her in the house for a few days. I'd say keep them all together until a problem starts.

I'm sorry you didn't end up with what you paid for at the store. The same thing happened to me. We bought 3 chicks and ended up with two cockerels and one was even the wrong breed. Sometimes I think the feed stores (some of them) are ordering straight run or they just don't care what they sell. Other times I think the hatcheries are throwing random chicks into the boxes when they have a shipment of hundreds of birds. In any event, you have to make the best of it since they are already yours. Once the cockerels do something to make you angry at them it will be easier to make the decision to "get rid" of them. We did have one mean, nasty cockerel that didn't last long here. All the others were great though.

 

[Hinotori]

90% pullets means one in ten is a cockerel. If you're a gamer, that's a D10 rolling two critical hits in a row. Not fun, but well within the range of normal dice rolls.

Right now I'd go with what you're already doing. Wait and see. Depending on personality your boys could get along just fine with everyone. If the hens develop issues with feather loss from the rooster's spurs, then its an easy fix to put an apron on them.

I've rolled two 1s in a row before. It's never a good thing.... lol.

I rolled 5 ones in a row on d20s. Needless to say that character died.