Favorite Things: October 2007 Archives

Want to hear what I hear every morning?

Cool, huh?

Please pardon the quality of the video, it is grainy. The small digital camera takes a quick film clip but when it is uploaded and changed from one format to another the picture quality really bites it. I am going to use the videa camera and try to get a better film later today.

When I left Georgia and came to Virginia I had to get rid of my flock. That was hard. I loved my chickens but I loved Steve more and so I moved up here and married him. I am the lucky one.

It has been four years since beginning this new adventure and just this year I have been able to begin building another flock of hens.

This spring when I got chicks from McMurray I ordered a few of several breeds. I wanted to remind myself what it was I liked and didn't like in certain birds. Buff Orpingtons have long been a favorite but for some reason I am just not in a BO raising mood up here -although I do have four pullets now. I love BIG birds. I don't like bantums and I don't like fru fru chickens either. No real particular reason why other than I just prefer the bigger breeds.

If it were possible to raise roosters without mayhem in the coop I would in a heart beat. I love those guys! I have 3 rooms for chickens in my barns and I don't think Steve would build me runs for every breed I take a fancy to.

I thought I would show you two of my favorite boys that I have now.

This is Buster. He is a Barred Plymouth Rock.

This is Laf (as in Lafayette, Marquis De La). He is a Cuckoo Maran.

They are pretty big boys at 19 weeks, suprisingly large to me. I guess it shows how well they eat.

I can't wait to see how their tails feather out. It is so exciting to watch them grow! I especially like the way the red of their combs and wattles really stands out against their black and white barring.

Both are pet quality and nothing special for the breed. I raised them and I love them and so that makes them super duper in my book.

So now can you point out the differences in the roosters? Can you see what characteristics mark them for one particular breed or another?

It is very easy to confuse a barred plymouth rock, a cuckoo maran or a dominique - unless you know what to look for.

I'll help you out.

First, look at their combs. Both have a single comb. So obviously they are not a Dominique which has a rose comb (but in a few cases can have a single comb).

Second, look at their legs. Barred Rocks have yellow legs. Cuckoo Marans have white legs. You can see the leg color follows through with the beak.

Thirdly, look at the pattern (or barring) of the feathers. The barred rock has a more consistant pattern whereas the cuckoo maran has a 'cuckoo' or irregular pattern.

Forth, typically cuckoo marans are much lighter in color, especially when compared to the hens of the same breed.

Learning to identify the different breeds isn't hard if you are interested in learning. It really isn't much differnt than someone looking at a dog and quickly being able to identify the breeding. When something strikes your interest it is easy to learn about them.

I don't know how to take the photos so that you get a true idea of the size of these two roosters. When they straighten their necks out to crow they are somewhere around 2 foot tall. When you pick them up and tuck them under your arm it is like carrying a basket ball. At 19 weeks they weigh in at around 8lbs or more each. I love watching and noting the changes in their growth. They won't be at full size until around two years old. They will go through one or two molts in his first year but then when they feather out they are going to look incredible.

While these roosters are docile and gentle to us now as they age it is possible for them to become aggressive. Roosters are preprogramed by nature to act and react, to protect their flock and their territory. They do learn some behavior but it isn't always possible to condition the birds. Natural temperment plays a big roll. These birds can seriously hurt a human, even a human that feeds and cares for them. It is the equivalent of a bull or a stallion or a hog or a male guard dog. My birds seem to know that we are the head roosters and so far they treat us that way. The hens squat by us indicating they are ready for mating - it is their submission to us - which is a good thing.

We watch carefully when the children, especially Steven, are out in the coop with us. He can quickly become a target of the birds. They could seriously injure him and then I would have to kill them all (the roosters). You can't train it out of them when they decide to make one thing their target.

It is also nearing the time when all of the extra roosters have to be culled. Only one rooster to a hen house and I am lucky that I have such a big place and can have several hen houses therefor several roosters. We had a bit of a shake up in the coop yesterday. I'll be telling you about it later. The pecking order has changed and will change again.

I am curious to see who comes out on top as the king of the hen house.