Chicken shack Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 (edited) Collected three ex-battery hens from the Little Hen Rescue in Norfolk Sunday and came home with a cockerel. He is a bantam and of similar size to my hybreds. OH was not very happy and said I quote 'I thought we had agreed not to have a cockerel'. I got quite emotional while I was there which I had not expected. I was told to put the cockerel in with my original 5 hens and to keep the ex-batts seperate. There was a bit of a face off with the cockerel but it lasted nano seconds and all is calm. I have only heard him crow a couple of times I do hope he is quiet. One of my neighbours was quite exicited to have him as a neighbour. He had only arrived with his brother Sunday morning from a very good home. The owner had said that if no home could be found she would have them back. I think his brother may also be living in my village as when I peddled past a house I saw an identical cockerel and I know the old man rescues hens also. I don't know what type on breed he is as I was a bit overwhelmed by the experience. I wonder if the previous owner is an Omleteer and may read this. The 3 ex-batts were very quiet at first and I had an egg not long after we arrived home and again yesterday. Yesterday afternoon there was an awfull fight between 2 of them which resulted in 2 bloody faces. I was at a loss as what to do but they appear to have settled down again. I know you should not allow blood to be drawn but it happened very quickley. I have named the cockerel Harvey because he is quite gentle like the James Stewart film of the same name, but need to get leg rings and get to know the new girls. I hope you havn't all fallen asleep this is a rather long message but I wanted to share it with you as my family think I am a little crazy. Edited November 7, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 LOL , crazy or not you have got him. I hope there are no more conflicts and all settles for you. I think a little cockeral would be nice but i am in a built up area so can't have one. (the council said No!) any piccies ?? would love to see him as i have banties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Congratulations, he sounds like a sweetie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 What a lovely post - you sound totally smitten See how you go with Harvey - cockerals can be marvellous, but there is no getting away from the fact most of them are noisy. Bantams can be quieter...but there again they can be shriller I'd just let your OH get used to the idea about a boy in his own time. Keep a close eye on your fighting girls - they may have established the pecking order and settle down. If not, however, you should have some purple spray or similar to hand as a first precaution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicken bark Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 You can ramble on as much as you like on here - I made all the parents faces glaze over in the playground today with my chicken ramblings! Ex-bats are brilliant - I've only had mine a few weeks and I love them to bits. I also have a cockerel and I have found that as long as he is shut up at night he isn't too noisy (touch wood). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 I too have got a cockerel, OH doesn't know yet. Well he was sold as a cockerel but is about 20 weeks old and showing no signs of being one so I might have got lucky. Anyway how much noise can something that will fit in the palm of my hand make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Thought this was a title of a new film Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Thought this was a title of a new film Laughed out loud reading this and my OH came rushing in asking what was so funny .He knew I was not watching my girls antics as they had already trotted off to bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikey Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Anyway how much noise can something that will fit in the palm of my hand make. You would be surprised Congratulations on resucing them all......I ended up keeping a suspected cockerel from the last rescue I did ....I think shes a he/she as never laid an egg but tries to crow and fights like a boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memphisto Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Congratulations on your new ex batts and cockerel. Sounds like getting your new girls and Harvey was quite an uplifting and emotional experience for you, hoping they all settle down soon and the newbies enjoy their new free range life with you all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 I have had my ex-battery ladies and Harvey nearly a month now. I originally put Harvey in with my original girls and they settled down straightaway. I kept the three ex-batts in their for about 2 weeks allowing the others to free range around them. It took them this amount of time to eat meal worms with relish, I wanted them to love them as this is how I get them all back in their runs. My garden is huge and know one has a fence so I needed to know I could get them back. Last week I allowed them to free range for the first time, they stayed close to the and were happy scratching around. The original girls and Harvey joined them with the odd skermish and yesterday they were free ranging all together. I pulled the and put it in Omlet fenced off part of the garden and they all went to bed in the and as usuall. I let them out into the fenced of part this morning and they are all fine. I will allow them to free range after lunch and just hope the ex-batts realise I have move their It is definetly better if you have space and time for introductions, when I was at my London home it took 4 weeks of stress for the girls and me and I thought they would never intergrate. I will add some picture on to my flickr site later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicken bark Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Sounds as though it has gone well! You are right - the more space the better when it comes to introductions. Love to see the photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Can't wait to see a picture of Harvey - hint little hint I'm a big cockerel fan. Mine came from another home too and OH said exactly the same thing, word for word so your post really made me laugh. When it comes down to it OH actually makes more noise than my little Dill (I tell him I am measuring him on a f***ometer) but guess OH is not so shrill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
