[chloe]

I have a bantam cockerel called Smokey who is just over a year and he lives with 12 hens and his other brother. Him and his brother get on fine and when i pick the hens up he is also fine. But today i picked his brother up and Smokey started challenging me. I put his brother down and started walking towards Smokey and he jumped up at my hand (he didn't get me though) i caught him and sat him down on my lap, but how do i know he won't attack again? If he does how can i stop it?
Many thanks,
Clo

[stan deakin]

you wont stop it clo thats how cocks are just be careful i have got a few scars with them having  a go at me cock pheasants are the worst , just being protective i suppose

stan

[joyfull]

One of my guinea fowl has started to do this - he has fallen for a bluebelle chicken and doesn't want me anywhere near the garden and her, the other guinea fowl always tries to come to my rescue. The nasty one will end up in the pot if it keeps doing this - he has a very nasty bite 

[gsc]

Blimey Joyfull - have you had him from young?  Does regular handling help or is it just pot luck (excuse  pun).

[joyfull]

only had him a couple of weeks - I think we are his third owners. the other one who came with him is fine infact he tries to keep mr nasty away from me. None of my cockerels are aggressive, I guess this one just needs a girlfriend, unfortunatly you can't sex guineas until they are at least 10 weeks old and even then it isn't always that easy. I do have 8 eggs under some broodies so hopefully when/if these hatch some will be girls and calm nasty down (any boys will be in the oven as I am told guinea fowl are very tasty  ).

[gsc]

Lol Joyfull - I am working up already to the oven bit.  My first job will be the Cream Legbar boys when they hatch.

[joyfull]

not quite when they hatch you do have to wait a few weeks   

[gsc]

not quite when they hatch you do have to wait a few weeks   

Really - some-one told me the Legbars were auto-sexing at birth?

Glad to have chance to put it off a while but guess it makes it harder.

At least the dogs are fed BARF (Raw Meaty Bones) so nothing will go to waste.

[joyfull]

Oh I thought you meant for eating like I do 
yes they are auto sexing at birth and it is far easier when they have just been born especially if hatched in an incubator rather than waiting until you get attached to them.

[gsc]

Joyfull - I am told the Cream Legbars boys aren't worth raising for the pot,  Is this everyones opinion?

[joyfull]

should be enough on for two people  (a leg each perhaps but not much in the way of breast meat).

[gsc]

mmmm Not sure I can be bothered for that.  By the time they are reared I guess the time and cost, then culling and plucking etc. makes it not such a good idea?

[joyfull]

but at least you know what they have been fed on, how they have been kept and how ethically they have been dispatched of, minimum stress, no transportation and quickly.

[gsc]

but at least you know what they have been fed on, how they have been kept and how ethically they have been dispatched of, minimum stress, no transportation and quickly.

I  guess but now I have 2 incy's I am thinking there will be a lot of boys so maybe I can be a bit more selective about which to grow on.  Maybe another thread coming up

Promised to hit the gym with my sister before going for a swim and a sunbathe but this is more fun than the gym 

[Casey76]

I suppose it really depends on how ruthless you can be.

CLBs can be sexed on hatching - many breeders cull boys immediately.

Salmon faverolles you can tell by about 2 weeks when their feathers come through (girls will be salmony - boys are black).

You could try feather sexing (but you need a breed in which the males express the slow feathering gene to be sure - Marans have this) at 2 days, noting it down and running them all on to maturity to judge your accuracy.

Unfortunately pure breeds are slow to reach table weight and they will be crowing long before they are ready... so I guess it depends on how tolerant you and your neighbour are.

I have 13 growers specifically for the table and 11 of them are males    At 10 weeks old, I have 3 definitely crowing and another 2 trying to.  On Saturday i will be processing the 6 heaviest, but the two noisiest birds wont be ready for weeks - I'm going to stick it out as long as possible but I have one close neighbour who I have to keep in mind.