WHAT THE HECK!!!!!!!

[MissChick@dee]

Yikes now I’m stressed from reading. Thanks to those who responded it really did enlighten me on so many levels. Gonna stick with chickens!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Yikes now I’m stressed from reading. Thanks to those who responded it really did enlighten me on so many levels. Gonna stick with chickens!

Me too. don't need no fighting tiny fast beasties.

They are cute though.

 

[R2elk]

Me too. don't need no fighting tiny fast beasties.

Better tiny fighting beasties than gigantic fighting beasties.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Better tiny fighting beasties than gigantic fighting beasties.

Super true there!


Maybe someday I will give it a go. They are interesting and rather adorable.

They just will have to be housed proper so no blood is shed.

 

[R2elk]

They just will have to be housed proper so no blood is shed.

I raise turkeys. Blood getting spilled is a fact of life, especially with multiple males around during breeding season. Seems they would rather fight than mate.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I raise turkeys. Blood getting spilled is a fact of life, especially with multiple males around during breeding season. Seems they would rather fight than mate.

I have raised ducks and geese and chickens. That's the extent of my dealings.
My ducks were in pens with 1 drake and 3+ females.
The geese were one mated pair.
The roosters I had were tiny bantams so didn't fight cause the Jersey Giant said NO.

Lots to learn before take the quail plunge.

 

[Susan Dye]

“Now be good little birdies and stand still so I can take your picture!” I remember trying to get decent pics of my Barnvelder chickens for “what gender?” They just refused to co-operate! “Arghhh DANGER, she’s pointing something at us! Death ray! She must have a death ray! RUN!!! Fly into the brooder wall!!! RUN!!!” It was so much fun... pics when you can

 

[JaeG]

I'm glad the mystery is solved and that's really interesting. I have a female that I was sure was going to be a male. It is a cinnamon and as a growing chick it had speckles of blue on its chest and had a red tail. It stayed with those few patches of 'boy' colours for awhile, but laid an egg, then over time molted into a normal cinnamon hen.

In contrast to @007Sean I've had all boy cages before and they were actually a lot less trouble than my all girl group (I ended up with 3 girls getting the tops of their heads completely plucked). The boys had the odd missing feathers but nothing serious. They did all grow up together which does help (though so did the girls). I currently have 2 males and 5 females living in a big aviary and they seem to be getting on ok - one is even sitting on eggs.

But put the wrong individuals together and it's all out war. I tried introducing a female to a male once and they seemed to be ok so left them alone for only 2 minutes while I changed their water, in which time she pecked the top of his head into a bloody mess. I guess she was less than impressed with my choice of a mate for her. I just couldn't believe how quickly she'd severely injured him (thankfully he recovered just fine - they are tough little birds).

 

[007Sean]

I'm glad the mystery is solved and that's really interesting. I have a female that I was sure was going to be a male. It is a cinnamon and as a growing chick it had speckles of blue on its chest and had a red tail. It stayed with those few patches of 'boy' colours for awhile, but laid an egg, then over time molted into a normal cinnamon hen.

In contrast to @007Sean I've had all boy cages before and they were actually a lot less trouble than my all girl group (I ended up with 3 girls getting the tops of their heads completely plucked). The boys had the odd missing feathers but nothing serious. They did all grow up together which does help (though so did the girls). I currently have 2 males and 5 females living in a big aviary and they seem to be getting on ok - one is even sitting on eggs.

But put the wrong individuals together and it's all out war. I tried introducing a female to a male once and they seemed to be ok so left them alone for only 2 minutes while I changed their water, in which time she pecked the top of his head into a bloody mess. I guess she was less than impressed with my choice of a mate for her. I just couldn't believe how quickly she'd severely injured him (thankfully he recovered just fine - they are tough little birds).

That's why I never say that this is the only way to raise them, as this series of posts prove...what works for one person may or may not work for another.

I ran a hugh aviary, 5' x 20' with 2 males and 25 females. Was fine for awhile, then all heck broke loose. Seperated the males, one pen with 12 females the other with 13 females, end of fighting.

 

[007Sean]

I raise turkeys. Blood getting spilled is a fact of life, especially with multiple males around during breeding season. Seems they would rather fight than mate.

X2 with my pheasants.