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Love those Roosters Crowing

11 August 2020
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4 month old Delaware Rooster

We had a rooster for a few weeks and he began crowing at 4 months with a gentle “wake up” call. Because we’re not allowed to have roosters in our area, I had to find a home for him. I miss his crowing but I’m sure my neighbors are relieved. Here’s some crowing rooster for your enjoyment. If you miss the sound of a rooster, this video was created by Yang Edwin for you.

 

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I found another video on Youtube and am posting it. Robert Hock in Austria made this one. It is fantastic

to listen to the differences in crowing.

The above video is credited to Robert Hock.

One more for your enjoyment by Anze Rogelja. Now you know why neighborhoods don’t want roosters.

 

 

 

 

Move Over Rooster! This Coop’s too crowded.

26 July 2020
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Ten chickens on a roost.
Too many chickens!
 

Roosters Not Allowed

So many chicken lovers live in areas that do not allow roosters. Even though we do not live in a city, but a small hamlet along the California Coast, our zoning allows us to have only 20 chickens but no roosters. A rooster’s crow can be heard for nearly a ¼ of a mile. So with respect to my neighbors I needed to find a home for the rooster I’d adopted.

Here’s the story:

Some inlaws had raised 10 chicks from day-olds. They were breeds known for being calm and tame. The family unexpectedly decided to put their home up for sale and relocate. They needed to find a home for their chickens as soon as possible. Of course, I raised my hand, anxious to get pullets who were friendly, young, and nearly ready to lay. I was able to find a home for my two remaining hens from a previously flock, Roxanne and Zelda. I cleaned and disinfected my coop and had my son pick up the ten 4 month old chickens.

What to do with the rooster?

Now the dilemma. One of the chickens is a beautiful Delaware cockerel (rooster). He began to crow immediately upon arrival. I knew I couldn’t keep the young beauty although I loved this “gentle giant”. I posted on Backyard Chickens for suggestions from the experts.

The advice was:

  1. Kill the rooster and eat him. This is something I just couldn’t do.
  2. Give him away.…This would also probably doom him to a stew pot.
  3. Bundle him with a few pullets. Perhaps someone would want a “ready-made flock”.

Within five days, I’d found a family through Craigslist to purchase the rooster along with three pullets. They had recently lost their rooster and their older hens were not laying as many eggs as they needed. They wanted a “ready-made flock”. I was going to have to sell some pullets anyway. My coop was built for six hens and I really didn’t want the consequences of overcrowding.

I’ve kept one pullet of each breed, a Delaware, an Easter Egger, a Dark Brahma, a Salmon Favarelle, and two Barred Rock. I’m a happy chicken wrangler and I’m sure my neighbors are happy too!

 

Getting New Pullets

17 July 2020
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First flock of six pullets.

I’ve been cleaning the coop today, spraying the roosts and cement floor with bleach to disinfect. We’ve never had a problem with mites and I’d like to prevent it, if possible.

I found a home for our last two hens and tomorrow some young pullets are arriving. I bought them from a family who got them as chicks about 3 months ago. They suddenly had to move due to a job change. This will be my third flock of hens. Fifteen years ago I bought six day-old chicks. I had to get rid of one because she terrorized the other hens. These original hens you can see on https://www.backyardhencam.com/six-hens/. After those had all passed away, I took two hens from a neighbor. When they passed away, I bought four hens as young layers.
I recently found a home for Zelda and Roxanne, my last two, so that I could begin with a new flock of chicks.

My favorites were the six I raised from chicks. So tame and sweet. One lived to be eight years old. I’ve really looked forward to starting over with chicks. I’ll post a picture when they arrive and you can always look in on them on my webcam.

 

 

Bigger is Better – Chicken Coops

29 January 2019
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I just read a great article on Backyard Chickens on “How Much Space Do Chickens Need“. I realized that they really need as much space as you can give them. We let our hens out of their 8′ x 16′ outdoor run every day for a few hours. They run, scratch, dust bathe, and flap their wings in the open areas even though they have plenty of space in their run to do so.

By giving your hens as much space as possible you will avoid bickering, pecking, and cleaning chores and will have happier and healthier hens. For the exact measurements of our coop and outdoor run, designed for 4-6 hens, see: https://www.backyardhencam.com/2010/03/floor-space-for-chicken-coop-and-runs/

Please read the article at the link above. It may change your opinion on the space you are providing for your hens.

Hens scratching under apple trees.

Hens scratching under apple trees.

Auracana, Ameraucana; What’s the Difference?

23 September 2018
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Ameraucana hen named Zelda with muffs and beard.

Ameraucana hen named “Zelda” with muffs and beard.

One of our hens is an “Ameraucana” (note spelling). She’s black in color and has beautiful streaks of gold among her black feathers along with a blue-green iridescent cloak around her neck that reflects in the sunlight. The Ameraucana breed was derived from chickens brought from Chile in the 1970’s that bore the gene that produced blue-green eggs. These original chickens had no tail. You can tell the difference between the original Araucana and the Ameraucana by noting the tail, muffs, and beard on the Ameraucana. The Ameraucana has small, round, earlobes, or absent earlobes, and their small pea cobs are red.

When we bought our Amerauacana pullet, the breeder insisted she was an Amerauacana and not an Easter Egger. That got me thinking, “What is wrong with an Easter Egger?” Turns out nothing except they have no standard and therefore cannot be shown in poultry shows. According to My Pet Chicken,“Easter Eggers are not a breed per se, but a variety of chicken that does not conform to any breed standard but lays large to extra large eggs that vary in shade from blue to green to olive to aqua and sometimes even pinkish. Easter Eggers vary widely in color and conformation and are exceptionally friendly and hardy. Since they are usually quite friendly to children and humans in general, they are a great choice for a family flock. Most hatcheries mistakenly label their Easter Eggers as Ameraucanas or Araucanas (or various misspellings thereof). Easter Eggers do not qualify to be shown, since they do not conform to a breed standard.”

eggs in handWe love our blue-green eggs and will continue to keep an Ameraucana or Easter-Egger so we can enjoy these eggs of a unique color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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