I'll have more babies in about 3 weeks. My Welsummers and Buttercups are coming from Cackle this time. Shorter trip for them since this hatchery is in Mo. unlike Ideal which is in Texas.
MollyD
Worms??? Help
Thanks for letting us know about the gape worms.
I have a million pill bugs (well, did have) but I have
kept all the animals wormed from the day I moved
here, so I hope no pill bugs have turned into carriers.
I hope your chickies are doing much better!
They are doing great now with the worms that is..........We had a run in with a coon a few days ago he was determined to get into the chicken yard, dug holes.........bent up wire......got into the garden shed riped open some chick starter and scratch. We fixed the wire and filled in the holes.......drove re bar down around the outside of the yard. He came back the next night I cought him digging by the gate, I scared him off with the lights......so the next day we went to co-op and bought a fence charger and hot wired the outside of the yard and run, I don't know if he got the s**t shocked out of him or not but we haven't seen him since
gues you showd him who has opposable thumbs and a large brain!
if he shows up here he'll meet his doom!n so glad you didn't lose any.
tf
I just added a porch screen door to the greenhouse so the chicks etc won't suffocate in there tonight. It's 7:13 pm and 90 degrees right now. I had a minor mutiny on my hands rounding them up tonight. No one wanted to go inside. I have an old step ladder that's not safe for humans anymore. I keep it turned on it's side in their area for them to perch on. Lots of chickens thought they were sleeping out on it tonight!!
Anyway I got them inside. Over the screen door at the bottom I added a wire shelf that stretches from side to side. Then a 30 pound propane cylinder to hold the whole thing shut. Hopefully a raccoon can't get in through all that :-(
MollyD
i barricaded the bottom of the penthouses. seems to me a rat could get through any one of them, then head on over to number 5 and feast on babies.
had to rescue twice today. literally the claws of life LOL, hammering out the wood slat to free the little guys getting into such tiny places. wasn't desinged fo rthem, but no place else to go till the rat problem is gone.
glad your chickens got your attention quickly Judy, you were a good chicken lady!
Did the second worming today, and what a surprise, my 3 1/2 month old Golden Lakenvelder Roo named Shorty, who has been crowing now for a month and thinks he is Mr. Stud. Decided he didn't like the fact that I was rounding everyone up to give them their worm meds, and ran up behind me and started spurring my leg. He wouldn't stop every time I turned my back on him, here he came. When it was his turn he spurred my hand and made it bleed. I wanted to ring his little neck, but of course I didn't. This has really hurt my feelings, I treat them ssooooooooo good, have raised them from little balls of fluff. I feed them better than I do my DH (he says).
Is this normal??? Will he never be my friend again?? Are my other two Roo's going to do the same thing?? They are PBR's They are so sweet. What can I do to stop this behaviour?
I am new to chickens and need your help again....I have learned so much but this one threw me for a loop. Do I play roo kick ball??
Judy if you don't show him who's boss you are in for a real miserable time!
I'd put him in a pen when he made me bleed and leave him there a few days without another chicken for company. Just food and water.
MollyD
You need to send him to roo rehab, care of TF... along with three hens LOL...
Judy, I am pretty new here too and am still learning a lot. I have seen it mentioned a lot on here about the roo 'time out' pen, crate, box, etc and it has been very successful for a lot of folks.
I read an article once that talked about a lady that had a super vicious roo that would attack everyone....grown ups and kids and she didn't want to part with him either......so she decided to play head rooster with him. She said that she got all dressed up with lots of layers and lots of padding, and a helmet. Grabbing a metal garbage can lid and big stick she went out to engage him in a rooster duel. She said he didn't want to bother with her after she had gone to all this trouble, but she knew that if she didn't do this, she would have to get rid of him.....so she got him to look her in the eye and they faced off. She didn't go after him, she waited until after he came after her and fought him off every single time. She said it took well over an hour, but finally he had had enough, stood and looked at her for awhile, then walked off.
She never had a problem with him after that, she had established in his eyes that she was in fact the 'head roo!' She had to do something.....she offered tours on her farm and couldn't keep doing that with him attacking.
It doesn't sound like your guy has gotten that full of himself yet, so I image the 'time out' system will probably work well for you. I just thought that this story was very interesting and wanted to share. Molly's right.....if you don't nip it in the butt now....you will end up with a roo as nasty as the one in the article.
Good luck Judy! Keep us posted on how Shorty's attitude adjustment goes!
Christy
well, you know, those lakenvelders don't understnad english gueling LOL
I had a Golden Phoenix roo that kept attacking me. Every time he'd attack, I'd chase him down and hold him until I felt like letting him go. Even had to punt him a couple of times. One day as we were butchering other roos, I went out to the pen to get one, and he did it to me again. I ended up making chicken and dumplings out of him. Sometimes once they turn they don't go back. Not trying to rain on the parade, just warning you. I'm sure it's an individual roo thing, good luck!
I also had a roo that kept attacking me. I posted about him previously. He was a Buff Orpington. I used to carry a stick with me when I went up to gather eggs. Hit him one time and blinded him in one eye. He kept it up even after that. He ended up in the pot after he attacked my DH. And, yes we had raised him from a day-old.
What made me mad is that I had been told the BOs were very gentle and laid back roos and would never, and I repeat, NEVER do stuff like that. I was also told that RIRs were know for that. Well, the BO is history and the RIR is still around although he is too old for breeding. (he's 4). He is still the top roo in the flock.
Granny
You know, I have a feeling it doesn't have so much to do with breeding as it does with the individual roo, though I don't know for sure. I would have to imagine that like people....some are just mean and nasty and some aren't! Of course, I could just be full of it......but it makes sense to me. : )
I know Granny, I had mine from day one too. He used to be a gentleman and then one day he just got it in his head that I was a threat. The pick-him-up-and-hold-him method would work for a week or so and then he would be back to flogging me. I got rid of him before his spurs grew out and he became a real threat to my kids. It was a real shame too because the only reason I bought him was because of how beautiful the roos of that breed are. Oh well. I'll stick with my silkie roos. Yeah LadyBugs, I think it's an individual thing too. Some breeds might be more prone, but probably more on the roo himself.
I've got a New Hampshire that I'm keeping an eye on. When ever I'm not looking he sneaks up and pecks me on my legs. Happily all but two roos are destined to be butchered.
MollyD
That's the same here, Molly, I am going to keep two for breeding, and am hoping the ones Ideal sent with my keets are standard ones. I won't keep bantams and if that is what they sent, I will be having, instead of Cornish Game hens to roast, it will be Bantam roosters to roast. And, that may be as the guineas are larger than the chicks already, and I got them on the 15th of May.
GG
Well thanks for all of the response, I guess I'll try the time-out box. I have 4 Lakenvelder Pullets and I wanted him for breeding, and he is going to be gorgeous...but I can't have him trying to attack me every time I turn my back on him
Thanks alot everyone
I hope Ideal does a better job on my order next year. Aside from those fake Delawares the chicks were good. I have to ask Paul if they've refunded my money yet ^_^ he's likely to keep quiet hoping I'll forget! LOL
MollyD
bumping up...