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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2015 12:49:51 GMT -5
Yes, it's been awhile, so you need to hear chicken stories again. After laying like crazy all winter, 4 of my 8 hens have decided all they really want is to be mothers and have gone broody. They just sit now and have for weeks. No laying, no free ranging with the rest of the flock. I've decided to give one her wish and brought some eggs over from my Aunt's so she will be hatching out her siblings. I don't want to use our eggs because it would be a brother/sister cross. Not the worst thing for a chicken and we do have two chicks from that cross, but I can avoid it, so I will. And...speaking of the rooster...Fluffy Butt is leaving us. I posted a plea on Facebook to get rid of him when he was driving me nuts (he crows ALL DAY) and someone took me up on it. I'm a bit conflicted, because outside of the crowing, I do really like him. But the kids are afraid of him (he chases them) and the hens are beat up (only 4 running with him now...not enough to spread the love around). I don't really NEED a rooster since we won't use him for chicks, but they are great protectors of the hens. He is definitely one that would give up his life to a coyote to save his girls, but he also will try to take out toddlers. Hopefully, the hens are too lost without him and one steps up as the alpha. Not sure when he's going, maybe this Sunday. But, Thelma is sitting on 7 eggs that should be hatching in a couple weeks. That will be fun. Here's FB recently.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2015 12:57:09 GMT -5
Oh he is a beauty and look at that craw. I bet he is to fat under there.
My chickens ate so good when I butchered them the heart, liver, and everything were covered in fat. I doubt they would have lived a long life. They foraged bugs and had piles of food and were little gluttons. But they sure tasted good.
Hope he gets a nice home.
I had one rooster too and he would crow at the outside light at 2 or 3 in the morning. Rooster me pot, enough is enough. LOL All kinds of talk about eating their hearts and livers followed by "Hope he gets a nice home". He actually is going to a nice place. Big farm far from any roads with 16 hens and no roos there.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Apr 21, 2015 13:45:05 GMT -5
He is gorgeous! I sympathize with the crowing... our neighbor has as rooster who crows from about 4am to 10pm. Luckily the coop faces the almost-windowless side of our house so we don't hear him unless we're outside, but I'm really surprised the neighbor hasn't fried him up yet.
DD loves walking over to look at the "titkens," though!
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on Apr 21, 2015 13:55:36 GMT -5
Keep posting these MPL, I live my chicken dream through you...
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Apr 21, 2015 15:30:26 GMT -5
What happens to the broody hens? Will they get over it and start producing eggs again or do they end up in the pot?
I've got two acres and always thought it would be nice to have a few hens and fresh eggs, but we don't have leash laws around here, so I would have to construct a big chicken run to keep the hens safe from my neighbor's two yippie ass little dogs. Their white one likes to chase and bite everyone and everything that comes within 100 yards of his house.
By the time I built the whole chicken palace I could pay for several thousand eggs, so this is probably not going to happen.
Fluffy butt sure is gorgeous, by the way.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2015 15:44:54 GMT -5
What happens to the broody hens? Will they get over it and start producing eggs again or do they end up in the pot? They'll probably give it up after a while. I hope. But sometimes they don't until they get what they want...at least one little chick to take care of. If they keep it up I may give them a real egg or two instead of the wooden ones they're trying to hatch.
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Apr 21, 2015 15:53:38 GMT -5
I have 22 hens and 3 roosters on order from mypetchicken.com. ISO has been fixing up his chicken house waiting for them. I hope one of his wants to hatch eggs that would be fun. They have a pretty good sized yard to play in next to the pasture so should find a few bugs.
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Blonde Granny
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Post by Blonde Granny on Apr 21, 2015 16:37:54 GMT -5
That is one beautiful rooster than you have MPL. He's standing there so proud and straight, he almost doesn't look real. I hope he's going to be happy with his new home.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2015 18:09:14 GMT -5
That boy is absolutely gorgeous! He definitely needs a larger harem to appreciate his grandeur.
I can't wait to see pics of the new babies.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2015 18:57:23 GMT -5
Y'all are making me not want to give him away!
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Jaguar
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Post by Jaguar on Apr 21, 2015 19:18:37 GMT -5
Oh he is so handsome, your ladies will be awfully sad when he goes.
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msventoux
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Post by msventoux on Apr 21, 2015 19:49:55 GMT -5
He's beautiful...and he knows it. Enjoy your pictures of him and let him go to a home where he'll be appreciated. I grew up with chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, etc. The noise was unbearable at times. Constant crowning, squawking, honking, and so on. Throw in a couple of doves inside who cooed 24 hours a day and it cemented the foundations of my refusal to ever have any birds of any type ever again.
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dannylion
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Post by dannylion on Apr 21, 2015 20:18:53 GMT -5
Oooo, pretty! I can see why you will miss him. Is it possible to train a rooster not to crow all the time? Could he be trained not to terrorize small children? He's so pretty, it seems such a shame to have to give him up.
On the bright side, maybe one of the new baby chickens will be a rooster and will have a more mellow personality. (I know nothing about chickens. Is there such a thing as a mellow rooster?)
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2015 20:52:45 GMT -5
If you are giving your hens wooden eggs to sit on they won't get over it.
The only way is take away any eggs they have and not let them sit on them, then they will get over it. Learned that when a kid.
The wooden eggs are attached inside the nest boxes. Not sure how to get them out without mangling the wire, but maybe they can be removed.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2015 21:02:41 GMT -5
Oooo, pretty! I can see why you will miss him. Is it possible to train a rooster not to crow all the time? Could he be trained not to terrorize small children? He's so pretty, it seems such a shame to have to give him up.
On the bright side, maybe one of the new baby chickens will be a rooster and will have a more mellow personality. (I know nothing about chickens. Is there such a thing as a mellow rooster?) Someone on Facebook posted a collar that's supposed to help with the crowing. He's really not that bad with kids, my kids are just...well...chickens. Older son had a pretty bad experience with a really mean rooster when he was maybe 4 or 5 and younger son freaks because his brother is, plus the rooster can stand up and flap his wings and be about as tall as him. He's never pecked or scratched at either of them. He has total respect for me. He'll hear a hen squawking and come running ready to kick someone's ass, then sees it's me and is like, "Oh, never mind. It's all good...I'll just stand over here...um...could you put my girl down? Please?" "No?" "Oh, well, that's ok." The family that wants him has two kids 2nd and 4th grade. She didn't seem to concerned. I was hoping my kids would be upset and say they didn't really want him to go, so I could email the woman back and use the kids as an excuse, but neither one of them batted an eye when I said I found him a new home.
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dannylion
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Post by dannylion on Apr 21, 2015 21:13:42 GMT -5
Aw, that's too bad, MPL. I hope the rooster will be happy in his new home. It's too bad his personality wasn't a good fit for your family. He's really pretty.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Apr 21, 2015 21:53:59 GMT -5
When I was 3 years old, my mom took me to visit family in Poland. Their rooster bit my ear, and I guess we had him for dinner that night. . That's the story anyway. I remember none of it, but I've never been fond of birds. Though, I must say, those have got to be the 2 prettiest chickens I've ever seen!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2015 21:54:11 GMT -5
I'm wondering if I give them each a real egg or two that they can hatch they'll be happy? I might do that and see if it works.
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Post by Opti on Apr 22, 2015 8:40:35 GMT -5
He looks great, but if he's not right for your family it is good he goes somewhere better for him. Perhaps a mellower fluffy butt might be in your future.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Apr 22, 2015 8:52:18 GMT -5
Y'all are making me not want to give him away! Well, I can speak from personal experience that no matter how handsome the man is, when he won't stop crowing about himself and pecking at you, he wears on you pretty quick. Your hens may be as happy as your kids that the bossy loudmouth is relocating. Handsome only gets you so far!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2015 9:06:53 GMT -5
Well, I can speak from personal experience that no matter how handsome the man is, when he won't stop crowing about himself and pecking at you, he wears on you pretty quick. Your hens may be as happy as your kids that the bossy loudmouth is relocating. Handsome only gets you so far! And yeah...hens might be happier. A couple of them are getting a little beat up. I was going to have to buy them little chicken jackets because their backs were getting plucked raw from him jumping them all the time.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Apr 22, 2015 10:12:46 GMT -5
He's beautiful...and he knows it. Enjoy your pictures of him and let him go to a home where he'll be appreciated. I grew up with chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, etc. The noise was unbearable at times. Constant crowning, squawking, honking, and so on. Throw in a couple of doves inside who cooed 24 hours a day and it cemented the foundations of my refusal to ever have any birds of any type ever again. -hug-I don't want birds either. Occasionally DH gets on a 'I want Chickens' rant.... Silly Man, he's never dealt with chickens...
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2015 15:10:51 GMT -5
They are fun but I don't like roosters, they can get real mean.
The hens won't stay fertile long after he leaves. Right now they should be able to hatch their own eggs. If you crack one it should have a little red drop of blood in it or a thick area that shows they have been fertilized.
Honestly if you just keep shooing them out of the nests and keep them out for a few days they will get over it, it won't hurt them.
And yes he is a beautiful rooster, cock of the walk so to speak!! I don't use eggs from our hens to sit on. I bring them from the neighbor since the hens and roo are brother and sister. They hatch their siblings, not their sons and daughters.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Apr 22, 2015 20:48:21 GMT -5
Super cute! We got 4 chicks this year and they just moved outside last night. So far they haven't managed to put themselves to bed though. If we got chickens who are too dumb to roost at night I'll be pissed.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2015 21:36:47 GMT -5
Brought 10 more eggs home tonight and split them up between the other two sitting hens. I had planned on splitting them three ways, but the one hen was roosting with the others and not in the nest box. Maybe she finally gave up?
Lost one egg of the first batch of 7. It must have broke somehow and the hen ate it. I'm hoping all the yoke all over the other ones doesn't mess them up.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Apr 23, 2015 6:58:11 GMT -5
Wait, hens will eat their own eggs? Huh, the non-financial things I learn on here!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2015 7:27:14 GMT -5
Chickens LOVE eggs. They leave intact ones in the nest alone, but if one breaks they go nutso eating it. I think the shell is their favorite part. Occasionally I'll get one that is just really icky dirty or I'll find it somewhere else in the barn where I don't know how long it's been sitting and I'll just break it on the ground and they come running.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Apr 23, 2015 8:55:16 GMT -5
Chickens LOVE eggs. They leave intact ones in the nest alone, but if one breaks they go nutso eating it. I think the shell is their favorite part. Occasionally I'll get one that is just really icky dirty or I'll find it somewhere else in the barn where I don't know how long it's been sitting and I'll just break it on the ground and they come running. My Grandmother used to save the eggshells from whatever she used inside along with any veggie scraps to take to the chickens in the evening. They liked their 'treat'
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2015 9:00:06 GMT -5
Chickens LOVE eggs. They leave intact ones in the nest alone, but if one breaks they go nutso eating it. I think the shell is their favorite part. Occasionally I'll get one that is just really icky dirty or I'll find it somewhere else in the barn where I don't know how long it's been sitting and I'll just break it on the ground and they come running. My Grandmother used to save the eggshells from whatever she used inside along with any veggie scraps to take to the chickens in the evening. They liked their 'treat' I suppose they crave a lot of calcium with all that shell production. I leave a dish of oyster shells in my coop for them to snack on when they want.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Apr 23, 2015 9:25:55 GMT -5
My Grandmother used to save the eggshells from whatever she used inside along with any veggie scraps to take to the chickens in the evening. They liked their 'treat' I suppose they crave a lot of calcium with all that shell production. I leave a dish of oyster shells in my coop for them to snack on when they want. This makes sense. She'd also add ground oyster shells in with the feed so they could have better eggshells. She'd sprinkle them in when adding food to the feeders. (looks around to make sure DH isn't here) I remember a lot about keeping those blasted chickens.
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