What did you do with your flock today?

[Shetland lover]

I had to look up earthstar fungi....I've never heard of them. They're adorable

Your birds sound delightful! I had a roo raised solo that grew up to be the sweetest boy ever. Just a perfect little love bug all his life. My oldest has a roo like that too that still goes into sleepy mode the minute you pet him and he seeks out people for loving still even though he's getting old. Precious babies

My roo was sweet n mellow with other birds too, but my kids roo is a monster to other roos. He's a little banty mix and killed my favorite yoko roo who was 3 times his size when my daughter let him out to play one time. Everyone's so used to how he is with people that we were a bit shocked. Hers was raised with other chicks ands a really good roo to the ladies. Good protector too so we shouldn't have been shocked.

Now days most of my favorite birds weren't handled much... they're the birds that are more curious and friendly by nature. Though I still cuddle young ones occasionally.

Oh! Your poor Yoko roo! That was one of the reasons we had to re-home Leo. He started attacking Sylv and smothered Pru and Clara each time he mated with them. We were terrified one or all ofof the three would be killed. He was wonderful with people, the hens, the cats and SIL's dogs.

I'm just hoping with all I've got that Ferdy and Stanley continue to get on. I can't face the prospect of having to re-home one.

I'd always wanted to see earthstars so I was amazed to find them. They don't look real!

I just can't resist a cuddle! I'm one of these idiots who get mauled to death by a wild tiger because I decided to pet it....

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Does he always attack or is it only if he's out with the ladies (or within sight of them?) or in an area he considers his territory?
Sylv was only ever aggressive to me if the ladies were all with him in the coop and I put my hand in. He'd peck my hand hard enough to draw blood on occasion.

I think you need to work out why he's doing it. Is it because he sees you as a rival or he's protecting his flock etc?

He does it everytime I enter the run.

He didn't use to do it outside the run with just me n him (all others stay inside the run)...but the past few days he has gotten worse about going at my feet even outside the run!

He has no problem eating even just regular feed out of my hand while in with the rest of the flock.

But I videoed him while he sat just constantly going at my feet yesterday even though I'd peck him on the head etc. This is without me even moving my feet and I'm sitting in the run like I always do where I feed em all treats n stuff.

20230103_151349.mp4

• Gammas Bearded Babies
• Jan 4, 2023

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

My daughter forgot to tell me a week or so ago that one of my girl's eggs had some blood in it.
Didn't remember it til I went down to feed this morning and found a shellless egg on their porch where the older ones roost when it's not freezing outside.
How do yall go about telling which girl laid it? I've got 5 that are laying that sleep in that area.
Is it within reason to assume it is the same girl that did both?

 

[FBMcrazy8]

He does it everytime I enter the run.

He didn't use to do it outside the run with just me n him (all others stay inside the run)...but the past few days he has gotten worse about going at my feet even outside the run!

He has no problem eating even just regular feed out of my hand while in with the rest of the flock.

But I videoed him while he sat just constantly going at my feet yesterday even though I'd peck him on the head etc. This is without me even moving my feet and I'm sitting in the run like I always do where I feed em all treats n stuff.

20230103_151349.mp4

• Gammas Bearded Babies
• Jan 4, 2023

My daughter forgot to tell me a week or so ago that one of my girl's eggs had some blood in it.
Didn't remember it til I went down to feed this morning and found a shellless egg on their porch where the older ones roost when it's not freezing outside.
How do yall go about telling which girl laid it? I've got 5 that are laying that sleep in that area.
Is it within reason to assume it is the same girl that did both?

Maybe it is the boots??? I don’t know if wearing something new would cause it or if maybe he doesn’t like the colors??? I honestly have no idea. Just throwing something out there cause that would be my first thought.

I have seen where people will put food coloring on the vent so when the egg is laid some of the color is smeared on the shell. I had one girl who had blood in an egg but there wasn’t a shelless egg after. I think that if there was blood inside it is more from the development of the egg. Here is an article I have read about that happening
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bloody-egg
If she is a new layer like mine are, it might be the same thing as mine and they are just working some things out.

 

[TropicalBabies]

I tell ya. I have probably had well over 50++ big grown cockerels to rehome and a few roosters plus my personal stock. I have never experienced anything close to rooster gone bad. Yes they have pecked my hand when I feed them or try and mate my foot etc. Actually had a cockerel come up from behind once and peck my ankle in a questionable way. That is just hormones and them just figuring their stuff out all are easy to catch and handle and care for after a little handling. I also live in the land of rooster/chickens with ferals everywhere where we literally have 1000000000000's of wilds living in the trees and jungle and I have never seen or heard of roosters attacking. Only on byc lol.
I'm starting to wonder if it has to do with environment. Feeling cornered because of coop arrangements or lack of freerange. We have very open living here and that may help them from feeling cornered?? They are prey animals and know everything wants to eat them.

@Gammas Bearded Babies Maybe you can find him a gig where he can live solo with awesome people. I'd hate to cull such a beauty myself.
Sorry you are still having troubles ♡

 

[TropicalBabies]

He does it everytime I enter the run.

He didn't use to do it outside the run with just me n him (all others stay inside the run)...but the past few days he has gotten worse about going at my feet even outside the run!

He has no problem eating even just regular feed out of my hand while in with the rest of the flock.

But I videoed him while he sat just constantly going at my feet yesterday even though I'd peck him on the head etc. This is without me even moving my feet and I'm sitting in the run like I always do where I feed em all treats n stuff.

20230103_151349.mp4

• Gammas Bearded Babies
• Jan 4, 2023

I would not peck him with your hand. That is a challenge. He does not look like an aggressive boy to me in that video. Pick him up and put him on your lap each time. Be soothing. Not threatening.

 

[PopoMyers]

He does it everytime I enter the run.

He didn't use to do it outside the run with just me n him (all others stay inside the run)...but the past few days he has gotten worse about going at my feet even outside the run!

He has no problem eating even just regular feed out of my hand while in with the rest of the flock.

But I videoed him while he sat just constantly going at my feet yesterday even though I'd peck him on the head etc. This is without me even moving my feet and I'm sitting in the run like I always do where I feed em all treats n stuff.

20230103_151349.mp4

• Gammas Bearded Babies
• Jan 4, 2023

Maybe bachelor pad time, like @Shetland lover alluded to. Solitary confinement. No girls for you, buddy!

 

[Shetland lover]

He does it everytime I enter the run.

He didn't use to do it outside the run with just me n him (all others stay inside the run)...but the past few days he has gotten worse about going at my feet even outside the run!

He has no problem eating even just regular feed out of my hand while in with the rest of the flock.

But I videoed him while he sat just constantly going at my feet yesterday even though I'd peck him on the head etc. This is without me even moving my feet and I'm sitting in the run like I always do where I feed em all treats n stuff.

20230103_151349.mp4

• Gammas Bearded Babies
• Jan 4, 2023

As Matilda was growing up - approx 12 wks old onwards - he started challenging my feet exactly the same way. Maybe not as agressively and he didn't try to flog me or anything. Does Joey run from loud noises? Every time Matilda tried to go for my feet, I'd clap or hiss very loudly at him and puff myself up. If he persisted I threw a cloth over his head and removed him from wherever we were. I didn't reward him at all and didn't allow him contact with anyone at all for about an hour. It took about 2 weeks to teach him it wasn't acceptable.
I think the key with Matilda was stopping the behaviour immediately. I didn't let him get away with it once. Also, Gladys, Connie and Maud constantly kept him in check, being older ladies who didn't take any

I'd not feed him any treats with the others if he misbehaves and I'd consider separating him so when you go in the run with him, there's nothing to work himself up over.

I really hope you manage to calm him down. I know how much you love the little bugger.

 

[Shetland lover]

I tell ya. I have probably had well over 50++ big grown cockerels to rehome and a few roosters plus my personal stock. I have never experienced anything close to rooster gone bad. Yes they have pecked my hand when I feed them or try and mate my foot etc. Actually had a cockerel come up from behind once and peck my ankle in a questionable way. That is just hormones and them just figuring their stuff out all are easy to catch and handle and care for after a little handling. I also live in the land of rooster/chickens with ferals everywhere where we literally have 1000000000000's of wilds living in the trees and jungle and I have never seen or heard of roosters attacking. Only on byc lol.
I'm starting to wonder if it has to do with environment. Feeling cornered because of coop arrangements or lack of freerange. We have very open living here and that may help them from feeling cornered?? They are prey animals and know everything wants to eat them.

@Gammas Bearded Babies Maybe you can find him a gig where he can live solo with awesome people. I'd hate to cull such a beauty myself.
Sorry you are still having troubles ♡

I agree, Tropical Babies. I think it has a lot to do with environment and also giving them enough mental space to behave naturally. I suspect roos spend much of their time just worrying. Whether it's about being eaten by predators, losing their flock, not finding food, becoming trapped... I can always tell if Ferdy is unhappy or worried as he will whine about it - as does Stanley. Maybe other roos use aggression as an outlet instead?

 

[ChicksnMore]

Oh! Your poor Yoko roo! That was one of the reasons we had to re-home Leo. He started attacking Sylv and smothered Pru and Clara each time he mated with them. We were terrified one or all ofof the three would be killed. He was wonderful with people, the hens, the cats and SIL's dogs.

I'm just hoping with all I've got that Ferdy and Stanley continue to get on. I can't face the prospect of having to re-home one.

I'd always wanted to see earthstars so I was amazed to find them. They don't look real!

I just can't resist a cuddle! I'm one of these idiots who get mauled to death by a wild tiger because I decided to pet it....

I love cuddles too, maybe not wild tigers ...but in general...lol.

Losing Nutters was really sad and just a stupid moment. The yokos had daily free range then and my kids chickens usually stayed in their gardens. The yokos no longer get daily free range. I moved them closer to the house main reason they're cramped for space) and rotate who gets free time now so at least it should never happen again.

I tell ya. I have probably had well over 50++ big grown cockerels to rehome and a few roosters plus my personal stock. I have never experienced anything close to rooster gone bad. Yes they have pecked my hand when I feed them or try and mate my foot etc. Actually had a cockerel come up from behind once and peck my ankle in a questionable way. That is just hormones and them just figuring their stuff out all are easy to catch and handle and care for after a little handling. I also live in the land of rooster/chickens with ferals everywhere where we literally have 1000000000000's of wilds living in the trees and jungle and I have never seen or heard of roosters attacking. Only on byc lol.
I'm starting to wonder if it has to do with environment. Feeling cornered because of coop arrangements or lack of freerange. We have very open living here and that may help them from feeling cornered?? They are prey animals and know everything wants to eat them.

@Gammas Bearded Babies Maybe you can find him a gig where he can live solo with awesome people. I'd hate to cull such a beauty myself.
Sorry you are still having troubles ♡

You're a wise lady. I have one boy that was never cuddled as a chick but started jumping on me as a young adult. Just curious about the treat giver. He was such a friendly doll until one day I decided to pull a hen n roo from his run during the day and scared them in the process. He went from happy greetings to attack greetings overnight. That's Sir Clucks A Lot. He's back to being relaxed around me but it took a while to re-convince him I wasn't a threat. Henavier stayed sweet and affectionate towards me and that helped. They're oegb's and my smallest birds ...teeny things that never get freedom.