Is this why they're called "Roosters"?

[seatil]

I have a hen with 17 chicks that's been living in our walk in pen along with a couple of escapologists and project motzle's backup rooster:



Recently I've started letting them out during the day. The other night I went out to check that they'd put themselves to bed. I found this:



Brings new meaning to the word "Rooster"!

[sewren]

Ha ha - amazing!! Probably more comfy (for the kids, that is!)

If only my chicks (11 and 19 week olds) would learn to roost - I'm routinely removing them from the nest boxes every night at the moment but starting to think I might have to block them off before bed time because they don't seem to be taking the hint!!

[seatil]

If only my chicks (11 and 19 week olds) would learn to roost - I'm routinely removing them from the nest boxes every night at the moment but starting to think I might have to block them off before bed time because they don't seem to be taking the hint!!

Are they being bullied off the roost by older chooks? I had one rooster that routinely spent the night in the nest box. He was the bottom ranked of three roosters in that paddock.

[sewren]

Are they being bullied off the roost by older chooks? I had one rooster that routinely spent the night in the nest box. He was the bottom ranked of three roosters in that paddock.

Yeah, I did think about that. There should be plenty of roosting space for them all though (there is one roost that is about 7 foot long and normally has only one or two takers!) so maybe it's just that they need to sort out getting to bed on time so they don't get their path blocked! I'll try blocking off the nest boxes and hopefully that will sort them out but if not I might have to put up a bit more perching space for them...

[eae]

Just like people toddlers - love horsing around on dad... (even if he isn't actual dad in this case!)

Lovely pics

[Kracka]

cute picture!
funny how they're tolerant like that

[seatil]

Gratuitous picture of the chicks from the first photo in this thread. I had 17 chicks, 10 girls, 6 boys, 1 undetermined as yet (amazing, but still doesn't nearly correct my long term rooster:hen ratio). Most of the girls are now in their new home, leaving me with a bunch of roosters and a momma hen that just doesn't stop momma-ing (7 weeks old now, and still BOK BOK BOKing around the driveway).



And another gratuitous picture of my latest lot. Of this lot, 3 hatched out under the hen last Saturday. The others have been steadily added from the incubator as the week has gone by. Another to be added later today (probably the last, as mum is running out space under her).

[Marina]

Wow, you're still busy at this time of year. I find in autumn hens mother for longer than in spring - and just as well as the nights are getting cooler. Maybe not where you are up North but here it will cool down in March, sometimes we even get a light frost.

[seatil]

The incubator was filled with duck this spring. My gaggle of broodies were anything but broody, which put paid to hatching anything until I was done with ducks.

I'm actually quite liking this hatching-in-summer thing - I don't need to worry quite so much about chicks getting cold as a result of getting "stuck". And I can put brooder raised chicks outside MUCH earlier this time of year as the nights don't drop much below 20C, though they're starting to get cooler now.

Next year I'm going to be in trouble with two reliable incubators.

Just added chick #17 to the broody. I bought her with a chick at foot not too long ago. Apparently she had a bit of a reputation for being a chick stealer, which turns out to be perfect for grafting incubator hatched chicks onto her.

[sewren]

Aw, now you're making me want to ditch my work and go outside and take chick photos!!

Totally agree on hatching at this time of year - my week old chicks are hardly spending any time under mum at the moment and it's nice to see them out and warm! Although our nights aren't quite so warm as yours - we got down to 10 degrees the other night! Although it more often sits around the 15 degrees mark so still pretty nice for the wee ones...

I like the chook in the middle of the first photo that looks like she is pale buff with blue bits - pretty! Right, I' off to photograph chicks - ha ha!

[seatil]

Aw, now you're making me want to ditch my work and go outside and take chick photos.

I like the chook in the middle of the first photo that looks like she is pale buff with blue bits - pretty! Right, I' off to photograph chicks - ha ha!

Nothing wrong with ditching work to take chick photos. And I agree - the pale buff n blue chick is a stunner. I'm keeping her. As well as the "Olga" female - Faverolle crossed with a buff Sussex frizzle. Just wish she'd been a roo... (Not often I wish that!)