Rusty Bucket Farm

[fuzzi]

5/19 Updates:

Daisy is "done" with the Crazy 8 Puffs. There was no drama that I observed; she is simply off to forage with the other ladies and the babies seem to know they are not explicitly invited. They stick to one another quite happily, in all the shady and convenient places she's taught them to go. A very good momma. That's what, about 5 weeks of patient, steady mothering? I'm nothing but pleased with her performance.

I don't like posting without a picture, so here's Yorvir a few days ago, looking a bit more haggard as a full grown sire than he did as a spunky cockerel:
View attachment 3837815
Here's a compilation; the first one could be him but the rest definitely are him as he matured:
View attachment 3837816
He was never intended to be anything but dinner. We raised a batch of 21? 22? I can't recall, crossbreds from the neighboring farm. Buff Orpington over Leghorns. And he was one of the nameless cockerel crowd until my husband noticed he'd made himself the boss of the group. He got a name, just for fun, but his bossy personality did not seem unkind nor did he show any human aggression when most of his male siblings did. He became so tame and such a buddy to my husband that we had to make room for him. And I'm quite pleased with him... the first boy I've fully been able to turn my back on and trust he's not going to be tempted to flog me. A true sweetheart.

KEEP HIM!!!

A good rooster is a joy. I've had both good and rotten.

I wonder if my cockerels being raised by a flock of hens will be a little more...mellow?

 

[CoopBoots]

KEEP HIM!!!

A good rooster is a joy. I've had both good and rotten.

I wonder if my cockerels being raised by a flock of hens will be a little more...mellow?

Rusty is (I love him, of course, but) a rotten rooster in terms of human interaction. He drew blood yesterday. So I don't set much stock in his sons, and true to form, none of his sons so far have grown up nice. My broody raised all of them. However, I never invested much time in taming them so I don't know if handling could have made things turn out better despite their genetics.

Yorvir's sons are now in the making, so I'll definitely report in on how they mature for comparison. My husband is encouraging me to handle them more and test them out. Hopefully friendly genetics will do something for their personalities, but they are already fairly wild since I've been very hands off...

 

[fuzzi]

Rusty is (I love him, of course, but) a rotten rooster in terms of human interaction. He drew blood yesterday. So I don't set much stock in his sons, and true to form, none of his sons so far have grown up nice. My broody raised all of them. However, I never invested much time in taming them so I don't know if handling could have made things turn out better despite their genetics.

Yorvir's sons are now in the making, so I'll definitely report in on how they mature for comparison. My husband is encouraging me to handle them more and test them out. Hopefully friendly genetics will do something for their personalities, but they are already fairly wild since I've been very hands off...

I raised both Joel and Samuel without an adult in the coop, just me, lots of hands on. Joel was good, respected me and took care of his girls. Samuel attacked me, his hens (rough mating) and his chicks.

I'm not sure handling can overcome genetics.

 

[CoopBoots]

I'm not sure handling can overcome genetics.

That sure makes me feel better about how many of Rusty's sons I have voted off of chicken island! 5 so far, and probably Circle to make 6 soon. He's really got nothing going for him; he's the cowardly knife-in-your-back kind. Every time I have to catch a hen he takes a swing at my head through the fence! He only gets worse with time. It's really too bad, as he's a pretty thing.

 

[fuzzi]

That sure makes me feel better about how many of Rusty's sons I have voted off of chicken island! 5 so far, and probably Circle to make 6 soon. He's really got nothing going for him; he's the cowardly knife-in-your-back kind. Every time I have to catch a hen he takes a swing at my head through the fence! He only gets worse with time. It's really too bad, as he's a pretty thing.

Samuel was handsome, but a real .

 

[CoopBoots]

Samuel was handsome, but a real .
View attachment 3838742

He really was a stunner! You have lovely, lovely birds.

 

[fuzzi]

He really was a stunner! You have lovely, lovely birds.

Thank you!

 

[CoopBoots]

5/23 Updates:

We've been spending a little time with "Baby Boy", the most developed cockerel of the Crazy 8. My husband thinks he's the right mix of bold but friendly, like his father, but jury is still out. We'll keep trying and see what happens as his hormones start up; shouldn't be long! The rest are all hale and healthy. Even Peppa's little Rusty-baby is growing by leaps and bounds!

Since I never introduced my outcast from the bonus flock, here is Helen:

I've never seen a chicken adapt to a new group so seamlessly. She is submissive to the established girls in Noodle's flock and her only attitude is to support them if a random pullet sneaks into their private area to avoid Yorvir's romancing or to steal food. They already accept her while the pullets bring out their territorial instincts. Quite fascinating to me, as I expected at least a little trouble bringing in a complete stranger! Chicken Jane, the adoptee from my neighbor's flock, still had to go through a bit of hazing before peace ensued.

Anyway, Circle is slated for freezer camp, probably this weekend, just due to being a poor candidate with MANY fresh cockerels deserving their chance and space continuing to be a commodity. I feel badly about it but he's had his shot. Need to just get it over with...