re-arranging chickens

[bj taylor]

I've moved the rooster & three hens into the hoop house for night time roosting. I've moved the lone hen & the 12 chicks into the enclosed chicken run/and coop. the broody is where she's been. the lone hen is FINALLY content. she spends her days with the fast growing chicks. the rooster & three hens spend their days free ranging.

nobody is happy tonight in their new environment, but this allows me to not jump up at the crack of dawn to get out there to open the pop door because i'm afraid the chicks will be trapped inside the coop w/rooster & 3 hens who might take exception to them. the lone hen can just hang out with them & establish this bond she wants & she'll have a group to join.

the broody won't have to worry about the other hens trying to get her babies, and she won't have to worry about fending off the rooster.

maybe I've found a way to achieve harmony in my flock - maybe. it's been rocky for quite awhile now.

I fished out the traffic cone today - no way it's big enough for Charlie. I did get a cage ready that I can put him in the night before the deed is to be done. it's small enough I can get to him. i'm leery of tying his legs. i'm afraid he'll break his legs trying to escape.

good thing i'm not going anywhere major anytime soon. I am going down to West, Texas to volunteer to help out some but it's a day trip. they'll need help for a long time to come from what I hear. right now it's helping them retrieve anything that survived in their house & just giving them emotional support. the real clean up hasn't begun yet. we leave here at 6:30 & be back by 5 or 6. i'm not sure how i'll do for such long days. my stamina isn't what I used to be. first I have to get a tetanus shot and some good boots. I have the other stuff needed.

 

[so lucky]

BJ, you have my admiration for going to help out at West. I usually have good intentions about volunteering to help out but then either I have to attend to some family matter or I just don't get organized enough to do the volunteer work. There is a big free dental clinic near here this weekend, and they were calling for volunteers for the event. I thought about trying to do it, but my stamina isn't so great, either! Dang, I hate getting old and frail. I know, it's better than the alternative....most of the time. :/

 

[ducks4you]

First, too many people don't know that some breeds of roosters are downright mean. I will never get an RIR rooster again. The last one had to be whipped 1/2 a dozen times with a horse whip to keep him from attacking me. Even when it was time to turn him into dinner, I used a net to capture him and I put my foot on his neck to grab his legs. He still tried to bite me. It was a pleasure to kill him. Don't worry about breaking his legs, they support the whole bird and are very tough. I learned to move my birds by their legs upside down from chicken sales at the auction house. It will be easier than you think. Just really sharpen your knife or knifes. You might want to buy a pair of those gloves that protect you from slicing yourself. I have a pair.

 

[bj taylor]

ducks4you,
my rooster is a black australorp. it was one of the breeds I chose because it was a heavy breed & I thought mellow. he's never attacked me & I think he knows that would be a mistake. I can see the 'want to' in his posture.
I've got some Delaware roosters coming up. one of them might be my next pick. I also have a buff orp rooster, and a silver laced Wyandotte rooster coming up.
I've got a couple of red birds that I bought as 'buff orpington', but are either red sex link or rir. one of them so readily raises his hackles w/the others & when he's startled. no way on earth is one of those guys my pick.

where would I find those gloves you're talking about. I've got a havels knife that uses disposable "autopsy" blades. I understand hunters use it. the blade is only maybe 4" long. not having used it yet, I don't know if it's a good choice or not.

 

[ducks4you]

Kevlar gloves.
http://www.superiorglove.com/work-gloves/cut-resistant-gloves