What breeds do you have, that you want to get rid of?

[redfeather]

Well... lets see....

For the most part, I can't really tell my chickens apart..... But Big Red (my rooster) has been making me mad as he has been pecking SUPER HARD and mean lately and getting mad when I touch him or mess with the hens (I used to go in the coop at night and stroke him, and he seemed to like it, now he stands up clucking and starts pecking).

Then there is Mrs. Broody -she's been broody for AGES. Always broody. I finally let her hatch eggs, and that just made her worse, now she pecks super-super hard (even though she did not keep the chicks, she hatched them and then I took them. But she's mean, grouchy, velociraptor bird.

Then... there's Ragamuffin... she has a bald patch down her neck, bald spots on either side of her vent, poo debrie on her butt.... but she's really friendly. She follows me around and stands next to me pecking at spots on my clothes, and if I reach down to stroke her, she doesn't really care.

Ehh, and then there are a few that I am sure aren't laying. Of course, nobody is right now because they are molting. Probably would like to get rid of any of the hens that are kind of pasty looking in the comb area... Oh, and you know what's weird? All the hens are at least 2, if not 4-5 years old, and one of them is.... well... if I didn't know any better I'd say she was a young 'roo with the brilliant red comb and wattle that just seems to keep getting bigger.....


Oh, and pretty sure at least 4, maybe 5 of the 9 chicks I hatched from my birds are 'roos. I don't want them.

This spring I want to get maybe some EE's, Welsummers, Delawares and Marans.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

I really want to trade my buff orp for a blue orp. I just love those grey girls

 

[Illia]

I'm still not so sure I want to continue and improve my Jersey Giant flock. . . They're just not "different" enough for me. I'd rather do Brahmas if I wanted a BIG bird.

Otherwise, there's no breed I'd change my mind about that I have, but I'm certain to never again get hatchery stock, especially hatchery quality Wyandottes. SOO UGLY!!!

No offense to my birds, seriously, their temperaments are okay in a few specific birds, but otherwise they're just so ugly and different from true to type Wyandottes. Color, weight, body shape, comb type, I could go on. . . .

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I would never get rid of any of my girls but I will not have BO again.. I read, studied and asked a million questions and BO was 'billed' as great, friendly, sweet, nice, happy BUT the ones I have are not friendly, they are mean/bossy to the other girls and the ROO was the devil in disguise! Won't spend my $$ or coop space on Opringtons again... I wasn't crazy about the RIR but they have turned into really great hens..Nice, calm and lay almost every day... And I love the Barred Rock, the Ameraucanas, EE and the Marans...

 

[PepsNick]

LOL Kathy I brought back 2 of your old threads in one day!

 

[PineappleMama]

Dream... those Some Day Plans... include Marans, Leghorns, Ameraucanas and maybe some Jerseys... just the look on my Mom's face when I hand her a blue... or heck even a green egg (with dyed green ham of course) would be priceless... not to mention she always did have a thing about those chocolate cadbury eggs... mwahahah... plant a maran egg under a rabbit... oh yes... the plans for pranks are endless... oh man, 10 to 1 my sister would fall for that one.

 

[dldolan]

My RIR is the best lead hen and lays all but one day a week!, but one RIR is enough probably. (I hear they can be mean, although mine is not...) I love my inquisitive golden EE...and her pretty mint-green eggs! Brahma--sturdy, stable, no-nonsense hen and good layer. 2 x Blue Cochins, Nice, mellow girls with hysterical, giant, fluffy butts. All five forage well in the orchard, too! Then there are the 2 x Welsummers that are 6 1/2 months old and not laying yet--ARGH! Flighty, lacking in common sense, idiot birds. And to think i wanted them for pretty eggs...they are just a pain. I say, "treats girls" and they all come running...except the idiot birds. They run the other way. I call out, "All in" and the hens come back into the run yard & coop for the night...except, yes, you guessed it. Two dumbells.

All birds will let me handle them to check for mites, etc....except these two, who squawk like I might kill them and run, jump, fly to get away. I have literally had one watch me pick up and check two other hens, give each a treat, then when it was "her" turn, become a raving lunatic and screech around the run for 15 minutes until I gave up.

They are both excellent foragers, to say one nice thing...

Want Speckled Sussex and Splash/Blue/White wheaton EE if anyone is close enough and wants to trade or sell me eggs...!!!



littlethorn: are you anywhere near Sonoma County?

I call this my, "I take my coffee NO cream. Drat." photo!

 

[dwegg]

Quote:

That's funny about your two girls...I can just imagine them..."There she is again! Oh No she has got one of us! Look, Look! She's trying to kill her...RUN, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

 

[dldolan]

Quote:

That's funny about your two girls...I can just imagine them..."There she is again! Oh No she has got one of us! Look, Look! She's trying to kill her...RUN, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

You won't believe this craziness!

I had to enlist the help of my DH and 22 yr son to help me today when all the girls were in the run. I decided, "this is ridiculous!" and asked boys to help me catch the two ding-dongs. Hubby thought this was funny, as he has seen me handle all the "other" hens, and didn't know these two were such a pain! Stationed hubby at one corner, son by the henhouse up-ramp... After 5 minutes of all three of us chasing them about (stressing out all the other hens, no doubt!) we caught the really dufus one...who proceeded to shriek in my arms the whole time. Jeepers. (I then felt defensive and showed DH and son one of the other girls, who just calmly let me pick her up to check her....!!) After another 5 minutes, finally cornered the other Wellie--who pecked at me while holding her (little velociraptor~!!). Jeesh.

Gave all girls treats to make up for the stress (all 5 normally mentally endowed birds ate from my hand!), but Wellie dufus #!1 marched into the henhouse squaking, and Welling #2 went to pout. Told my hubby we were only raising our own chicks from now on, and NO WELIIES.

All this with a herniated disc. The things we do for love (or something) of chickens... Good thing it was 5pm and a glass of wine was waiting.

Dawn

 

[Mahonri]

I'm going to have to say goodbye to my polish so I can make room for my Icelandics!