New chicks and baby bunnies!

[so lucky]

In my limited experience, the mean roo will only get more aggressive. Before I gave the last one the heave-ho, he attacked me several times. It got to where I had to carry a stick with me every time I fed or interacted at all with the chickens. Lucky it was winter, and I had lots of layers of clothes on. I can imagine what damage he would have done to my fragile old bare skin in the summer!

 

[StonyGarden]

Luckily my chickens are not free ranged. Due to the amount of loose dogs + other predators they are contained in a coop and large run. He only gets mean when I am shooing a hen off a nest to collect eggs and the hen fusses. I've gotten quick at closing the door in his face really quick.

Thanks for the advice so lucky. I know its inevitable that he'll have to go. . . but I'm going to try to keep him for as long as possible.

 

[Smart Red]

There is no place for a mean rooster other than in a pot.

 

[baymule]

Actually a peck on the nose of a mean rooster is a great training tool for puppies that might someday want to "play" with those wonderful feathered squeaky toys. Putting respect and fear of another peck on the nose is a great deterrent.

Let him stalk the pups (under your supervision) say a sharp NO! as the pup gets pecked. It may save problems later. Then after this ol' meanie has properly trained your pups to leave the chickens alone, put him in the soup pot.

 

[StonyGarden]

LOL baymule! Wish I had my chickens when another one of my dogs was a puppy. She's a documented guinea killer (pulled one right off the top of a 6' fence). A mean ol' rooster would have stopped that bad habit before it started.

 

[StonyGarden]

Chicks are growing up from the second batch. They are about 6 weeks old.


Bunnies are growing up too. I have 20 5 week old kits from 3 litters and a new litter of 11 that was born on 6/19.
15 of the 5 week olds will be processed next weekend so the meat will go with a puppy who is leaving for show training. The trainer feeds only raw so we are contributing to her feed.

 

[baymule]

Your chicks and bunnies are looking good!

 

[StonyGarden]

Thank you baymule

I am being completely overrun with chicks! I currently have 28 chicks in the brooder with more hatching in the incubator! Anybody need any chicks?

 

[baymule]

chicken math at work