Sunday, March 4, 2012

Bantam Babies and Chicken Innards

For a while, I have been wanting to get some girlfriends for Nappy.  He's such a little fella, and the big girls won't submit to him for anything.  About six weeks ago, I bought two bantam chicks.  This one is mostly Cochin.

It is turning into the cutest little chicken.  OMG!  It is such a low rider, and its feathered feet make it look like it is constantly sitting.  Nate says it looks like it has bell-bottoms on. 





The other chick we got is part Old English Game and part Cochin.  It should be along the same size as Nappy.

















This one is turning into a cute bird too.  It doesn't have the flair the Cochin has, but it should be just Nappy's size.  He'll appreciate that.


Now the dilemma.  One of them is a rooster.  Even when we had them in the brood box, we could hear one of them trying to crow in the mornings.  A screeching noise that would stop when one of us would approach the box.  I have even heard it in the morning coming from the shed and run where we have them now.  I just can't figure out which one it is.  I think it's the black one because as a chick it would run up and peck my hand when I would reach in the box to change the food and water.  It has since stopped that behavior.  However, today, we put them into the animal yard to start getting to know everyone else, and Nappy made a beeline for them.  He flared up, and the Old English also flared back at Nappy.  So, now I don't know if it's the Cochin or the Old English.  Interestingly, the standard Wyandotte chick that I suspect is also a rooster also ran over and flared up.  Nappy flared up at the Wyandotte and made him back off.  The Wyandotte is now bigger than Nappy.  Nappy may be little, but he doesn't take any crap.    

Needless to say, it was an interesting dynamic to watch.  We potentially have 3 roosters on our hands, so we will have to decide what to do with the extras.  One that note, I attended a chicken processing class this weekend.  I learned so much and most importantly can now disembowel a chicken, just another thing to add to my farm repertoire. 

Happy homesteading,


Candace


2 comments:

  1. Oh, why oh why do we always end up with more roosters than hens! It seems to be Murphy's Law for homesteaders. I think you've got your roosters pegged by their behavior when they all got together today. Sounds like typical male egos needing to be exercised!

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    1. Mama Pea: I know, right? We'll see how it plays out. The Wyandotte may be my first meat bird?

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