Chickens?

[Mick Dempsey]

36 minutes ago, AHPP said:

Applicable anecdote. Maybe the ferret pulled the head off instead. It was actually four of them released btw. 

Thats a shame, I’m a big fan of ferrets, hate to see them mistreated or abandoned.

[AHPP]

My mate offered to take them. The bloke declined. Then released them fifty feet from my mate’s chicken run. Distinctly un-neighbourly. 

Edited 8 hours ago by AHPP

[Mick Dempsey]

Poor little fellers.

[Joe Newton]

2 hours ago, AHPP said:

This one turned out to be very much a rooster.

 

 

 

Still getting eggs. 0-2 a day usually but bizarrely got 5 yesterday (5 standard hens and the 2 white ones, if they are indeed hens and old enough to lay eggs). 

Bad news next door. My mate lost a turkey and several chickens to a ferret that some helpful fellow discarded. I’ve been out trying to shoot it but alas no sign. Gut feeling is it’s perished in the cold. Had ten rats over the past couple of nights getting bored waiting though. Pard dedicated on the Little Badger. Still too much mag (6x). 

Let's see a photo of the Chiappa then? I quite fancy one.

 

Have you looked at the Zulus 2-12x? Looks like a lot of scope for the money

[Bob_z_l]

The Rooster looks good. 

 

Barring ferrets/mink he looks like he'll do a good job of keeping everything else in order. 

Good on you

[markieg31]

We have around 40 hens in house on wheels, move it every couple of days. We have had several cockerels over the last few years, they allways start off really nice then end up turning aggressive towards my wife and children. Can not work out what is going on as others seem to keep civilised cocks

[Oldfeller]

30 minutes ago, markieg31 said:

We have around 40 hens in house on wheels, move it every couple of days. We have had several cockerels over the last few years, they allways start off really nice then end up turning aggressive towards my wife and children. Can not work out what is going on as others seem to keep civilised cocks

mate of mine returned home one day from delivering a load of wood and found his wife trapped in the shed by a large black cockerel who was exactly as aggressive as  the ones you describe, he asked me to deal with it and he was a fine  looking fellow,I didn't want to dispatch him, so  I went round late at night when he was roosting and bundled him rather noisily into a hessian sack, and left him in the lorry overnight, in the morning I let him out in my yard with some food and water and left him to it, when I came home later he totally ignored me and actively kept out of my way, we became more friendly after a week and he would often follow me around when I loaded wood and get the worms and grubs I disturbed.he never once went for me,  I guess he thought he better behave or he might go back in the sack.

I think they are a little like dogs, if you don't establish yourself as pack leader,,, they will.

Edited 6 hours ago by Oldfeller

[markieg31]

Don't you worry, one of them would go for me so I would give him a good boot, then collect the eggs, theses buggers would come back at you. The only solution I found was the crock pot. 

[Oldfeller]

55 minutes ago, markieg31 said:

Don't you worry, one of them would go for me so I would give him a good boot, then collect the eggs, theses buggers would come back at you. The only solution I found was the crock pot. 

make sure the others see the whole necking,gutting,cooking,eating process.

it might sway their decision to "have a go" next time.

[Bob_z_l]

Best ones I've ever had were the Traditional Bantams.   They look after the hens and defend to the death. 

 

Light Sussex and Dorkings  - full size were absolute b@stards. Rough treading hens and aggressive.

 

Current one has a bantam grandmother and Dorking Dad.  He is still wit us at 3 years old. 

AAHP's look like a large version of a Dutch Bantam we had. Another good keeper. That defended his girls to his unfortunate end. 

Good luck.