Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

Are these quiet people?

I have a soylent Shorley - she/he doesn’t crow. Maybe he/she is shy…

It’s a movie from a long time ago. Called “Soylent green”
It didn’t quite make the cult films list.

 

[featherhead007]

What exactly is a "game" rooster? He looks like any ordinary welsummer or brown leghorn or even a jungle fowl? Or does "game" refer to any roo raised to cock fight? I thought cock fighters were a specific breed raised on farms where all the roos were chained to an individual dog house? Shows how little I know about roos?

Maybe game roosters are just that,
“Come on, let’s fight, I’m game!”

 

[featherhead007]

Those huge Orp ladies will grow too large for him to breed? even if he does accumulate them as a harem?

That didn’t stop my ol roo buddy Sir Jaffar!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

What exactly is a "game" rooster? He looks like any ordinary welsummer or brown leghorn or even a jungle fowl? Or does "game" refer to any roo raised to cock fight? I thought cock fighters were a specific breed raised on farms where all the roos were chained to an individual dog house? Shows how little I know about roos?

Game rooster is another term for fighting rooster. For him to be brought to the horse show and essentially dumped with 2 other boys, Randy was someone else's fighting reject. That is ok, their reject is now my hero.

 

[featherhead007]

jealousy, or CeeCee was upsetting the pecking order - or both.

I don’t think CeeCee even subscribes to the pecking order. She doesn’t hesitate to snatch food away from everyone. She’s fast and sneaky. Very loving to me too.

 

[featherhead007]

Agathae is the worst offender here. She will sneak off, claim she's "laying an egg" while running around on the other side of the yard doing who knows what.

One word to describe what she’s up to…
BeakBook!

 

[featherhead007]

Mug Monday?!

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Esme saying goodmorning today... Or probably more accurately "PLEASE let me up on your shoulder, I PROMISE I won't peck your eyeballs and fart in your face! And my feet only have a LITTLE bit of poop on them!"

Yeah, no more shoulder perching for my birds anymore

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This was yesterday but I can't not share my cuddle sesh with Magrat
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My sweet little runt lady

And just because MY birds can't shoulder perch anymore doesn't mean a wild chickadee can't!
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This was just 20 minutes ago. Sweet little thing, I can't tell if it's sick, injured, molting... The fact that it lets me get really close to it and even pick it up without any fuss has me worried I hope it's just stunned or something

Good belated morning to you too little Esme!

 

[featherhead007]

Welcome to the thread.

I love hearing you want a Rooster. I fully support anyone who is allowed to keep a rooster having one. Don't get me wrong, I love my hens, every single one of them. The roosters, My Roosters have always stolen my heart.

A few questions if you do not mind.
Is this your first time having chickens? Has your dad had chickens in the past and hopefully experience with roosters? Rooster experience is not needed, but it definitely helps in the long run.
How old are your current chickens? I ask because if you decided to raise a cockerel up yourself without a mature Rooster already in residence older hens will be your best tool. No matter the cockerel, no matter how sweet he is as a young chick, when he hits about 5 months old he WILL hit the idiot phase. Hormones will be out of control and rule his tiny pea brain. He will run the young first year pullets ragged as they tend to not stand up for themselves. Since you do not already have a older boy to literally "whip" him into shape and learn the ropes from your older hens will do it for you. He tries to run them, they are going to beat the day lights out of him. It will not be pretty, but, do not interfere. A smart boy will learn fast, a hard headed boy, it will take a bit. He will learn to court the hens and be respectful and not chase. A good rooster also does not just watch out for predators. He escorts the hens to and from the nest box. He finds and builds suitable nests for them. If he finds food, he tidbits and offers the best bits to the hens and lets them eat their fill first. Some roosters make wonderful dads. Not all will interact with the chicks, but they all should never harm chicks and be extra vigilant when they are around. I have a hard and fast rule with my boys. I will not tolerate human aggression. There are too many good boys out there who need a home to deal with a jerk. During the idiot phase from about 5 months to about a year and a half a boy may test you. I have had them run up behind me but stop short of attacking. When they have done this I have quickly turned around and scooped up the hard head and went about my business carrying him around. I expect my boys to move out of my space if I walk near them. Giving out treats, offer them to the rooster. Let him call and offer them to the hens, it is his job after all. Not all boys like or want to be held. Respect that. Even the most standoffish tend to like their crops or wattles rubbed at night on the roost. Occasionally at night take him off the roost and hold him for just a few minutes. Do a once over inspection of him. There may come a time when you do need to handle him due to injury. He may protest, scream like he is dying but hold him securely until he settles down. Once calm return him to the roost. Some roosters, and I have been blessed with 2 so far and working on a 3rd enjoy to be handled. I can be outside sitting around and they walk right up to me and stand there. That is their signal they want picked up and placed in my lap where they immediately settle down. I then rub or massage their shoulders and backs of their necks and they simply melt and purr. Those boys, they have been the ones that have found a special place in my heart and when I have lost them it has shattered me.
Another option besides raising a rooster from a chick is to check out facebook if you have it or craigslist or similar sites. This time of year and coming into next spring poultry and livestock groups will be flooded with listings for boys. Sometimes you can find some boys that are closer to 2 years old needing a new home. To me it is a bonus if they have come from flocks that previously free ranged.

I hope you stick around and enjoy this thread. Everyone on here is friendly and very knowledgeable. Several of us on here also have roosters and are here to offer advice if needed.

Very good post about roosters. I have some too. I have had roosters in the past that were just great roos. This post is quite accurate.

 

[featherhead007]

All this makes me sad that I just cannot find a home for poor Bert

He is such an awesome boy, I could just smack Mr P for being such a moron!

It was just like one day he decided to become an idiot! I am wondering if he is sore and in pain, I know his feet aren’t great, and he is moulting, not to mention those silly young hens keep pecking at his head and rump feathers.

Maybe I will try him on some Tylenol for a couple days and see if it fixes his attitude.

Yeah, maybe it’s not Bert’s fault about that situation?
I’d hate to see him go, or Mr. P either.

 

[Lilion]

I have my feed in n the barn - I used to keep it on the feed room at night but as I have not seen signs of rats or mice in a while I have been leaving it out.

But winter is coming and they will be back. Having said that if it were me I would leave the feed inside, I would rather deal with mice than have wild birds attracted to the feed.

I know there is a risk of AI with the birds, but the mice won’t give the birds anything deadly.

If you clean up the spilled feed daily you shouldn’t have an issue.

But I would try to find some one to help out when you’re away. You never know when the door may malfunction and lock them out - or in. Or something gets in the run. Or weather happens…. Always nice to know someone is able to look out for them

Wild birds can't get in our run, so that's not something to worry about.

I think the husband will ask the neighbor to pop over for safety sake. We need another door.

@Lilion
Here is my 'get away from the brat cockerels' extra roost. Please excuse the poop in it - it gets used a lot - even with the bratty cockerels now gone!View attachment 3939745
You can't see it in this pic (the one I took for that came out blury), but I put 'runners' under the legs to make them more stable - scrap lumber, front to back, under each set of legs & then screwed to them (pre-drill any holes so the hard plastic doesn't crack!) The corner scraps on the top are just to elevate the 2x2 so they can actually roost on it. As you can see - it gets used a lot - they love it! It is high enough so harassing pullets or cockerels can't reach them, big enough for 2 easily (actually, if it was in a good spot, sun wise, for preening - 3 could fit). In that section of the run (which is 3' high), it is the highest roost, so that makes it popular, too, and it can be run under easily, as well.

Did I mention that it was FREE, too??? I got 2 of them from the swap space at our transfer station. I will do the same to the other one when I get a chance - I wanted to see how the first one worked before making the second one. Here is a link to what it is (I wouldn't buy it for that - but you might easily be able to find something similar for free!)


Some Monday Mugs:

Sleeping mugs:
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A Georgie mug:
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A rooster watching over his laying hen mug:
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I don't think you meant to respond to me. I don't have cockrells.


And now, for something completely different. My egg haul for today...

As the Reds are no more than 16 weeks...I'm assuming Sheba had a malfunction.