Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Smokerbill]

We are having conflict between the rooster and the cockerel now. Cooper had the guy cornered and terrified, so I moved him, the cockerel, to the bachelor pad.

When I picked him up I was shocked at how light he was. I think Cooper was keeping him from the food sources. First thing he did was eat. I put some vitamins in his water, as well as oregano oil. We'll see how he looks tomorrow. I'd like to pick him up and check him over. He looks healthy, but buff orpingtons are like that. They have so many feathers.

I would have checked him over while I had him today but I was in my nice clothes leaving for Costco and Haggen when I noticed Cooper chasing him all the way across one run, into the next and then into a corner. I'm so glad I was driving by to see it.

It will be good for his health to be in this coop on his own for a while. He's a big boy and will soon be much bigger than Cooper. Not sure how this is all going to work out. I do want to have my buff orpington hens to produce buff orpington chicks, so I will need to solve it.

Maybe when he is bigger Cooper won't mess with him???

I need a new name for Blaine. That name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, and he doesn't look like a Blaine to me. It's time to cook dinner, but hopefully I'll have some time to sit out there with him. I'll bring him some scrambled eggs. He could use the protein.

Cooper's brother did the same thing to him when I had them both. They were in a small space (120 square feet or so, with corners to get trapped in) so Cooper didn't really have the ability to run away. After I broke up the fight Cooper was laying still on the run floor with his head buried in the woodchips. It took a while for him to get over the shock.

 

[Hinotori]

Heck when Leven's sons grew up, 6 of the 7 tried to take him out. They were bigger than him at the time.

They were harassing the hens too much and Leven would punish them. The hens were never more than a couple feet from Leven because of that. Came home to 6 bloody cockerels and an angry Leven who was missing his huge spurs. Ended up processing them that evening.

Ive had fairly good luck with silkie roosters cohabiting in the same pens. I usually overwinter with 1-2 per pen. Some even become best friends with the rooster in the next pen

 

[Smokerbill]

A deer got past my garden fence a couple days ago and nibbled on a few plants, but not enough to upset me.

I made some improvements to the fence by adding taller corner posts and stringing lots of rope around them. Instead of the barrier being 6 feet tall as it was before it's now 9 feet tall, 10 feet in places. I think it will keep them out.

If they jump between the ropes to get into the garden I have two new 50' x 4' rolls of chicken wire I'll run around the top where the rope is now. I hope it doesn't come to that...



I picked a big box of kale and collards so there would be less foliage to spray with BT tonight. I've been seeing a white cabbage moth flying around lately looking for places to lay eggs, so they need to be sprayed. I noticed little holes in a lot of the leaves I picked.

I have a big chore tonight cleaning, blanching and freezing greens. The girls got the stems I chopped off.

Edited to Add: I have 4 quart bags of blanched greens in the freezer, kitchen is clean and dishes are drying. I'm too tire to mix up and spray BT so I'll (probably) do it tomorrow evening.

 

[ValerieJ]

Cooper's brother did the same thing to him when I had them both. They were in a small space (120 square feet or so, with corners to get trapped in) so Cooper didn't really have the ability to run away. After I broke up the fight Cooper was laying still on the run floor with his head buried in the woodchips. It took a while for him to get over the shock.

Well, it's similar but not. They have 4,000 SF at least divided into 3 runs that they generally all have access to, with many obstacles. This design is intentional and has served me well. I've not had a rooster be this mean to another before. It worries me.

For now, the little, well, sort of little, cockerel is safe, although he is not happy. He wants to be in the big coop with everyone else tonight. That's not happening. Like it or not, I will try to save him.

After that, who knows? Cooper is a very good rooster. You don't just give that up. Yet, I want to produce Buff Orpingtons, which is what the cockerel is.

I'm just hoping that when the cockerel gets big enough, Cooper will leave him alone.

I have had this work between two Orpingtons before, a Buff and a Lavender. They didn't love each other, but they tolerated each other. We would have kept them both except the Lavender thought he should attack US when we were out there. Nope. That's not happening.

Roosters are difficult, but good ones are worth their weight in gold.

 

[pennyJo1960]

They sure are I love Fred's temperament he is good to his girls.

 

[ValerieJ]

DH just went out and checked on the cockerel. He was still in his new coop, up on the roosting bar, and quite content. I think we have found a temporary solution. Cooper was up and feeling his oats, but no one to chase down. Even the hens were all still in bed.

The coops must be comfy. They all go in by 7:30 and were still in after 7am.

I do have an active broody. Please, please, please, no more cockerels!!

 

[pennyJo1960]

I was up at 8 watched the local news after dogs and birds set for the day.
Say west side of the state will get to 87, not sure where we will be down here.
Nice today looked in the garden need to some weeding.

 

[ValerieJ]

It's 86 already here. I spent an hour sitting with the cockerel, who I've now named Ralphie. He was not comfortable with my company at all, as I don't ever go out and sit with chickens anymore. But after about an hour, he relaxed a bit, albeit on the other side of his coop from me. I brought him some scrambled egg and a few fresh blueberries. He gobbled up the berries but isn't too sure about approaching the egg. I don't ever give my chickens eggs, so he doesn't recognize it as food yet. I'll check it later and see if he ate any. Ah, rooster adventures. Always fun and always challenging.

 

[Smokerbill]

It's 88 here. I drove down to the bank in town and the STP cyclists were rolling through on their way to Portland. The 5 gallon waterer started leaking where one of the cups attaches. I kind of fixed it but put a second waterer in the run just in case.

Oh, and no deer got into the garden last night. My tall fence is working so far.

 

[Hinotori]

It's 88 here. I drove down to the bank in town and the STP cyclists were rolling through on their way to Portland. The 5 gallon waterer started leaking where one of the cups attaches. I kind of fixed it but put a second waterer in the run just in case.

Oh, and no deer got into the garden last night. My tall fence is working so far.

Usually I keep track of the date so we can avoid them