Recent content by Folly's place

  1. Folly's place

    I could use some breed suggestions or a reality check.

    The buff Plymouth Rocks we bought from MurrayMcMurray years ago were very very nice! Also Speckled Sussex females from Cackle, very nice. We tried SS straight run from three different hatcheries, and loved the females from everyone. However, half the males (the larger birds, of course) were...
  2. Folly's place

    Male or female

    That comb is larger and 'more red' than the others, so my best guess is that it's a cockerel. Mary
  3. Folly's place

    Roosters

    These cockerels should be with your hens, I think I'm reading that all your 13 week old chicks are with your adults, as they should be, with plenty of space, multiple feeders and waterers, and places to be out of sight if each other, and no injuries. Watch your four boys as they grow, both for...
  4. Folly's place

    Daytime rats eating chicken feed. Not allowed to use rodenticide in my area due to owls, Hawks, coyotes and domestic dogs of course.

    Domestic rats make great pets, way better than the other 'pocket pets' more people buy. Wild rats, not so much, and definitely not welcome here! As we have bantams and standard sized birds, the treadle feeders aren't useful for us. One episode with rats in our coop was one too many! Mary
  5. Folly's place

    Male or female

    Welcome! They are all really cute! The first one, black with some white, is a cockerel. Most others look girly, except possibly the buff with some blue in the tail. More pictures in a few weeks! Mary
  6. Folly's place

    Is my rooster aggressive?

    Welcome! So sorry this has happened, and glad that your child wasn't injured more severely. This cockerel needs to be dinner, for you or some other family, ASAP! First, you have gained valuable experience in recognizing behaviors that are red flags, before that first attack! Human aggression...
  7. Folly's place

    Bullying after getting along

    Also at least two feeder and waterers, out of sight of each other. And if it's one aggressive hen, get her out of there and out of sight for a couple of weeks, and see if it helps. Or move her on to another flock. Mary
  8. Folly's place

    Metal Waterers... leaching something?

    No problem with stainless, it's the galvanized waterers that are an issue here. Mary
  9. Folly's place

    I could use some breed suggestions or a reality check.

    I just got three Sapphire Gems this May and so far they are beautiful! Also, nearly all breeders, not only hatcheries, breed birds no older than two, and many younger, because that's when the young hens produce best. Nearly nobody keeps birds in production older, and tries for longevity and...
  10. Folly's place

    I could use some breed suggestions or a reality check.

    Henderson's chart has been around a while, and it does generalize about breeds, so there will always be exceptions to 'average' individuals. Show breeders often favor looks above egg production, for example. The chart is a good place to get ideas, and consider breeds that have been off your...
  11. Folly's place

    Are some breeds better mothers than others?

    Broodiness is mostly a genetic trait, and breeders can either select for it or away from it. Hens who are broody and raising chicks don't lay eggs, so having hens who don't want to be broody increases egg production. Hatcheries are mostly interested in increasing egg production, and use...
  12. Folly's place

    I could use some breed suggestions or a reality check.

    And do look at Henderson's Handy Dandy Breed Chart, easy to locate on Google. Mary
  13. Folly's place

    I could use some breed suggestions or a reality check.

    About caution and predator awareness: As mentioned above, 'flighty' is part of what helps! And birds who have survived a bad experience tend to learn caution, at the expense of loosing flockmates. Chickens tend to have two behaviors when threatened, and individuals tend to repeat the same...
  14. Folly's place

    I could use some breed suggestions or a reality check.

    I'd also mention Speckled Sussex, and Plymouth Rocks, and Buckeyes. Look at Henderson's poultry chart, it's very helpful and covers a lot of your questions. And if you get a very broody hen, she will be very welcome in many other flocks! Mary
  15. Folly's place

    Switching their feed

    Welcome! If your chicks have been at their coop and on your ground for a couple of weeks, it's safe to transition them to an unmedicated feed, because the amprolium should no longer be needed to manage whatever coccidia exposure they have experienced. Layer feed, definitely not. It's designed...
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