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Author Topic: The separation of the clan  (Read 4853 times)

Offline Cindi

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The separation of the clan
« on: November 09, 2009, 10:37:37 am »
The chickens were all in one area, as the roosters age, they get to having minds of their own, and need to have separate places to be.  I have a rooster, dear Ivan, that Light Brahma who is now over a year.  He is king of that yard.  I have a Blue Cochin rooster, that knows he is king of that yard.  The Blue Cochin was with his girls and the younger birds in a separate house from Ivan and clan.  It was time to put them all into one house, to hunker down for wintertime, to keep warm.  The building that was their summer house, was just a little too large.  So, we took Hercules' house (that's the Blue Cochin), divided it in half and now have them in one house.  Well, that was a few weeks ago, until we decided again, with that broody Blue Cochin hen, that they need to have their own house again.  So we did further renovations, took my bee house and cut it in half and put the Cochins in there, so they are again separate.  Probably sounds a little confusing, it is to me too  :? :shock: :shock:.  Never mind, it is OK, smiling.  A rather convoluted story for sure, one that mostly only I would partially understand, hee, hee.

It seems these chicken things are just like bee things.  I cannot count the times my poor, devoted ol' Husband has revamped, rebuilt, revamped, built again, and then probably done it all over again -- all kinds of stuff for me -- oh those birds and those bees..  Poor soul, not many would put up with my antics, but he just says "whatever makes you happy", smiling, I am a lucky woman.  He knows that a happy wife makes for a happy life  8-) :-D.  I am a great go-for, I do make his life a little easier when I just go and get everything he asks me to -- but at the same time, I am a good learner, I learn by vision -- and he has taught me many things as I watch, and go-for.....

You will see these pictures, you will see that the chickens are very happy, and they gonna make me lotsa money one day (oops, did I say that, don't tell them, smiling).  Have that most beautiful day, full of happiness and love, with great health. Cindi

Before they went in, and made that mess that chickens make  :-P, don't they just love to mess things up, smiling, you know what I mean.  The two blonde gals, Buff Orpingtons, that you see on the far left and far right are mother and daughter.  I got them in August from a chicken friend.  One is 2 and one is 1-1/2 years old.  When I got them, they were so fat they could barely walk.  With the exercise that they get around here, free ranging, over hill and far away, they have lost a bunch of weight, and are now looking mighty fine.  I traded them for two Buff Orpington roosters (I can't call them cockerals, because the first four letters of this word are bleeped out, because of profanity stuff here (and let me tell ya, that is a good thing, I love the forum rules, BTW, keeps it family friendly) and you will see bleeperals, (but you get what I mean).  The roosters went on Sunday, last, to the friend that I traded these gals for, I raised them for 3 months, from little chicks, he has a hankering for free range roosters), oh rats, me ramblin'......I have kept the 6 month old rooster, his name is Jimmy, and he is becoming a star for sure!!!



This is the older group, by a few months, a couple of gals are not in the picture, think they were still outside



This is the Cochin clan buddies, the Cochins are now in their own little spot



And this is what I found inside the Cochin barn the other day.  Can't figure what end of the bird it came out of.  Clearly, undigested grass, it was whompin' big and looked pretty disgusting.  I thought it was a big poop, until I looked closer.  Yes, I look at chicken poop.  As with any animal, (or human), as disgusting as it sounds, the feces is really how you can tell if a creature, big or small, is healthy.  I have a link to a site that has a whole whack of chicken poop pictures.  It has helped me to understand what is a healthy poop and what is not, and has relieved my mind a whole bunch, knowing that some of the weirdest poops I have ever seen in my life are really, "quite normal" excrement from the vent of a chicken/rooster, smiling, hee, hee.  If you want that link to that poop site, give me a PM, it is very interesting, if you like to look at graphic pictures of pooooooooooo.......

This was a bunch of mushed, muched, partially I think, digested grasses.



And this is what it looks like a little stretched out -- yes, I am basic, I don't mind touching stuff (I have some lovely blue latex gloves that I use alot, and I have a box of them, yay!!!)  Look at the size of that sucker!!!  About 7 cm long!!!



There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline JP

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Re: The separation of the clan
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2009, 01:34:28 pm »
Nice story Rock lady. I think I will be looking at Buff Orpingtons for my layers. A friend has a couple and they get a dozen eggs a week on average.

That clump of grass BTW was pretty nasty Cindi, but glad for you your chicken didn't choke.


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Offline annette

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Re: The separation of the clan
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2009, 03:44:54 pm »
They look like a bunch of well taken care of chickens. Good work Cindi.

Offline Cindi

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Re: The separation of the clan
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2009, 10:02:24 pm »
Hmmm....re-read part of my post and I see that a certain word was not "bleeped" out.  Moderator(s):  has someone changed the forum rules a little to allow the word c o c k e r a l?.  I noticed that and do surely wonder.  Before when I have used that word, the forum "catcher of the bad word" software would alter the word to "bleeperal" .  If so, that is kind of good, because that particular word used for a rooster that is under one year of age, clearly defines what that bird is, and actually should be allowed, it is not a word of profanity.

Annette, thankyou for the kind words.

JP, the Buff Orpington are beautiful, big birds, very docile, and lay wonderful big brown eggs.  I am particularly fond of this breed and they are so heavy and so ding dang fluffy.  You would do well to get this old heritage breed bird, you will love them to pieces.  Have that wonderful, most awesome day and life, with great health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Sparky

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Re: The separation of the clan
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2009, 09:02:44 pm »
Cindi. When the multiple breeds are in such close proximity to each other does the roosters form the different breeds create a ruckus ? The reason I ask is because I was thinking of building a coupe that would be wide but not to deep and have separated chicken yard, runs from each area of the coup to the keep them separated. I would love to have the free range chickens but have to many predator's for that to happen.

Offline Cindi

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Re: The separation of the clan
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2009, 09:45:22 pm »
Sparky, as seen in the picture the two pens in the house are separated by poultry wire.  I had Ken put plywood between the two pens where they roost, so the roosters cannot see each other at night, and for everyone's sake too.  I ended up having to put plywood along the entire poultry wire fence on the inside, only about a foot taller than the roosters are.  They come up to about my mid thigh  when they have their heads up straight.  That way they can't see each other period, until they get outside.

Their outside runs are separated only by chicken wire.  For the most part that is OK.  But today I saw the Ivan, the Light Brahma rooster and Jimmy, the 6 month old Buff Orpington having a little head to head through the fence.  I really wish I would have had my camera in my pocket, because it was funny.  They were both leaning over, their capes looking as big and fancy as it possibly could and trying to peck each other through the wire.  Not a chance.   The wire is 1 inch wire and they could get their beak through if they wanted, but that would be pointless.  They cannot hurt each other and the wire is 6 feet tall with another 4 feet above it, attached to long poles with attachments on them to make them very high. 

So, in answer to your question (sorry about the convaluted answer, but I ramble  :lol: 8-) 8-).  The roosters, as long as they don't get at each other are fine.  Now, on the other hand, if two roosters are raised together from the get go, there is always that pecking order.  One will be king of that yard, the other must be second, no choice.  There will always be a tougher dude that runs the place.  The lesser of the two will always take that place in the order, from my experience anyways.  If two adult roosters are put together, I would well imagine that there would be a massive rooster fight, with damage, more than likely.  But I do not know this thing for surely. I think it depends upon the breed of the roosters too -- some breeds are certainly more aggressive than others to others.  Hope this answers your query, any more questions, there are others that are chicken people too, and they will definitely chime in  :) :) :)  Have that most wonderful day, and health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Sparky

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Re: The separation of the clan
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2009, 10:09:49 pm »
That pretty much sums it up. I was going to divide the breeds by a plywood barrier in the chicken house and now that I see your response it looked like a good plan. At least high enough so they do not see each other. I was going to put the laying boxes on the outside wall so they can be accessed from the outside, back of the coup. I picked up a good deal on a bunch of 8' and 10' tall wire fence to make the separated yards but I guess they will raise cane when they see each other through the fences. I will be putting something over the top to keep the Hawks out. Should provide for some good entertainment and pictures. ;)

Offline Cindi

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Re: The separation of the clan
« Reply #7 on: November 18, 2009, 10:16:15 pm »
Sparky, you're lucky to have obtained that high fencing.  Don't worry too much about the roosters outside raising cane between the yards, they'll work it out.  That netting over the top is a grand idea.  We don't have overhead predators here, very fortunate in that way.  I think they hit the farms that are some further south to me.  I have a friend that a resident eagle that likes to try to get her birds.  I have only had problems for about a week in the spring for two consecutive years, but that was it, very fortunate.  Where we are moving to, now that is a different story.  Ospreys....big time.  Our friend was given a mountain of that black polypropolene (spelling/name) netting that is used in the golf hitting yards for the big net that stops the balls from being hit too far (can't you tell I don't golf).  It is going to make some wonderful overhead netting.  But I have so much I think I could cover a city with it, smiling.  Good luck with your chicken venture, you will love every minute of it.  Have that most awesome day, health and life. Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Sparky

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Re: The separation of the clan
« Reply #8 on: November 18, 2009, 10:23:26 pm »
But I have so much I think I could cover a city with it, smiling
 The beauty part about that is that every so many years the UV will take its toll on it and if you can store it you will never have to buy.

 

anything