Washingtonians

[FirewifeJess]

And John getting chased around the backyard 2 nights ago when we roasted marshmallows

 

[TerrorBird]

I had heard that Rhode Island reds are not a very nice bird which is why I didn't get any. My cuckoo Marans Hen has pecked at me and she is mean and bossy to all the little ones (silkie) out in the coop. I hope its just her and not the breed.

I think that I'm the only person in the history of the world who has ever had a very friendly RIR.

She would run up to me when I'd sit down on the porch steps and leap into my lap for hugs and petting. Poor thing kept getting her comb torn up by the meanest Ameraucana I've ever encountered in my life (we had to dispatch her). Maybe I just got very lucky with Choco.

 

[Rainwolf]

I had heard that Rhode Island reds are not a very nice bird which is why I didn't get any.  My cuckoo Marans Hen has pecked at me and she is mean and bossy to all the little ones (silkie) out in the coop.  I hope its just her and not the breed. 

I think that I'm the only person in the history of the world who has ever had a very friendly RIR. 
She would run up to me when I'd sit down on the porch steps and leap into my lap for hugs and petting.  Poor thing kept getting her comb torn up by the meanest Ameraucana I've ever encountered in my life (we had to dispatch her).  Maybe I just got very lucky with Choco.

I've had friendly RIR's..... it helps to not get production version but a good breeder version.....
Honestly I think it is just bird to bird... I've had sweet lugs of chickens and mean boogers of almost any breed...



Oh and roasting marshmallows.... of course the person holding the bag would become chicken food!

 

[mikeyb]

I kill all spiders that invade my house or my space when I am out and about. I really don't give a **** about whether or not they are "helpful" or "beneficial" to mankind. I suffered for over a year with spider bites near my left elbow and will not take a chance again.
My girls have reduced the spider population in my yard it seems!

 

[mikeyb]

I have friendly RIR. The original flock of 7 breaks down to "the gang of 5" and the 2 terrors. All raised together but broke into these 2 groups within a few weeks.
The 2 are alpha for sure, they rule the flock and as long as they don't get too mean they will live a long and happy life, otherwise they will supply my dinner once or twice or thrice.

 

[itsren]

Can you take a picture of the injury? I would pick up some infant vitamins (Poly Vi Sol drops) without iron and start giving each bird a drop a day. Sounds like, for some odd reason, you have some sort of vitamin deficiency in your flock. That's really odd because we feed our birds the same feed, but something is going on that's not right if your birds' beaks are breaking. See if you can snap a pic of the injury though.

I'll try and take a picture of Caunnie. I don't get why they're breaking their beaks either. They've been on Medicated Purina Starter food for 18 weeks. Now they're on the Purina layer version. They free-range and eat the plants in my garden. The floor of the coop has had oyster shell sprinkled on it for 3-4 weeks. They eat bugs and get meal worms for treats.

I do wonder if Rhodie is trying to take over the top of the flock position. She's been the bottom for quite a long time. Now she's laying, she's going through a mean streak, she sounds alarm calls frequently. Yesterday she flew to the top of the coop (where she can see over the fence) and stood on the roof calling out an alarm call. DH called me outside, pointed to her, and said we've got a problem. This morning she bit me (literally bit - not pecked. She grabbed the skin on the back of my hand an pulled it).

Today I'm keeping them in the run. Rhodie didn't lay yesterday, and we were wondering if she managed to sneak off and lay in the yard. Still no egg yet today.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
Yeah it's a bit weird but just remember that nobody has a perfect flock. Could just be a new pecking order starting. Maybe she's old enough to lay and her hormones are causing her to be more aggressive? What were you doing when she bit you? I've had a lot of that peck peck peck on my legs lately and I've got a few bruises on my legs from them really hurting me. I think they're challenging me in the pecking order as well, unless I come bearing treats of course

But I'm also not going to bring them treats every time I go outside, so they are going to have to stop hurting me one way or another. With Ricky, when he did that I turned him upside down and put him in his place. I'm a bit worried to do that to the girls though because the ones who do it to me are often favorites and just want to be held. I don't want them to be afraid of me...

 

[FirewifeJess]

PS - Renee it's been 4 months since you blogged. Hurry.up. I enjoyed your blog until you quit!

 

[itsren]

Here's Caunnie's injury that I found this morning. Top arrow - ugly scab on the comb. Bottom arrow - cracked beak - the crack goes all the way across the beak.

Could Rhodie have done this?

 

[itsren]

Yeah it's a bit weird but just remember that nobody has a perfect flock. Could just be a new pecking order starting. Maybe she's old enough to lay and her hormones are causing her to be more aggressive? What were you doing when she bit you? I've had a lot of that peck peck peck on my legs lately and I've got a few bruises on my legs from them really hurting me. I think they're challenging me in the pecking order as well, unless I come bearing treats of course

But I'm also not going to bring them treats every time I go outside, so they are going to have to stop hurting me one way or another. With Ricky, when he did that I turned him upside down and put him in his place. I'm a bit worried to do that to the girls though because the ones who do it to me are often favorites and just want to be held. I don't want them to be afraid of me...

Cleaning the poop out of the coop with a cat litter scoop - a task I've done every single morning since they were baby chicks (except when we were on vacation).

I have turned Rhodie upside down once - and it worked great. I don't know if I should do that now that she's laying.