# Poor bullied hen...



## dcfrenkel (Nov 1, 2012)

I have a beautiful Brama hen. She has always been a bit timid and once survived a hawk attack when she was young. 
I recently thought she was sick. She was huddled in a corner of the coop, not coming outside to the big chicken yard with the rest of the flock and seemed uninterested in food. 
The other day I noticed a giant icicle hanging off her rear feathers; it looked like frozen egg white. And she seemed very light when I picked her up.

Then I saw what happened whenever she came outside...
For some reason my 3 young cockrels (just 7 months old and just reaching maturity) are all obsessed with her. They leave the other 14 hens alone but fixate on her and nonstop jump her, sometimes 2 at a time. She finally staggers off to the coop where she buries her face in a dark corner. 

Today I took her out of the chicken yard and put her outside the fence where she can wander around without risk of those (soon to be dinner) roos attacking her. My chronic escapee Auricana joined her in freedom and after a couple hours away from her taunters she is eating the food and sunflower seeds I put out for her, she is drinking water and she looks much perkier.
I feel much less worried about her.

Just thought I'd share this story.

Those roos look tastier by the minute.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Can you not remove the males until they're dinner? This is not a good setup for her at all. What do you think happens once they're inside?


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Poor sweet girl.  Glad she is okay. Can you segregate the boys for now?


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

well let me jump in here
1st three cockerels to 14 hens is no good
if it wasn't your brama it would have been one of the others
this will only get worse
but here is the thing

a rooster really only want 2 things in this world
1. to fill your backyard with his offspring
2. to protect your hens with his life if needed so he can fill you backyard with his offspring

so even if your birds never go outside things with big teeth can & do break in.
when/if that happens without a alpha rooster your hens may not make it
if the rooster dies you can always get another for cheep or even free
but when good laying hens die you will be waiting for 20 to 25 weeks for day old pullets to start laying eggs of any real size.
any chance you could find an older/more calm rooster with nice spurs?
i have had good luck with roosters that had a little age on them
the young studs can cause trouble (as you are finding out)
if not select 1 boy & remove the other 2 



good luck
piglett


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## dcfrenkel (Nov 1, 2012)

So, I do have a rooster that have had for a couple of years. He is gentle and sweet (he is the father of the 3 trouble makers). 

These 3 youngsters are from a summer hatch. I never intended to keep them. The plan has always been to eat them. I have just waited too long this year and they are now reaching maturity and starting to act up. It is partiaally because they are from a later brood than normal, and that brought the ideal slaughter time right up against holiday and family coming in early from out of town...
This weekend will see them all in the pot.
Really it is all my own fault for falling behind schedule with slaughtering the young roos this year. 
I will not let this happen again, that is for sure. 

I have been raising chickens for many years and this is the first time I have let this happen. Lesson learned; don't put off the beheading of the boys. I usually do it within a week of their first crow.

Thankfully, in the evening when I bring her into and put her up on the roost, they don't bother her there. They are heavy and cannot get to the high roost. 

Like I said, just a few days until the young boys are in the pot.

I do have 3 hens that always escape the chicken yard. They have been keeping company with my brama and she seems much more perky. Though from day one after hatching, she has been a melancholy girl. She has always been timid and keeps to herself more than any hen I have ever had. 
She is an interesting individual.

Thank you all for your kind advice. I will be keeping a close eye on things for the next few days.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

family showing up from out of town....... that is the best time to process roosters
they can help you pull the feathers


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## dcfrenkel (Nov 1, 2012)

I just want to thank you all for your thoughtful and supportive comments. 
My girls also thank you for advocating for them. 

I got up at 5am today and dispatched the young roos. They are all in the freazer (except for my faithful and gentle Mr.Mr.) and peace has been restored to the yard. 

We celebrated with a couple of butternut squash grated up in the food processor and scattered atop the dusting of snow we have out there from last night. The girls all seem very content; especially my poor bullied brama. She has joined the group and is eating squash undisturbed.

Thanks again for letting me share.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

dcfrenkel said:


> I just want to thank you all for your thoughtful and supportive comments.
> My girls also thank you for advocating for them.
> 
> I got up at 5am today and dispatched the young roos. They are all in the freazer (except for my faithful and gentle Mr.Mr.) and peace has been restored to the yard.
> ...


well done!
we grew a bunch of extra squash this year so we could give give them to the flock throughout the winter
we cook ours up on the woodstove in a big pot


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## DanielleBoland (Nov 25, 2012)

piglett said:


> family showing up from out of town....... that is the best time to process roosters they can help you pull the feathers


I hav been one i those who have been the sorry sucker to just happen to have shown up on butchering day


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

DanielleBoland said:


> I hav been one i those who have been the sorry sucker to just happen to have shown up on butchering day


my wife & i tend to skin most of them (unless they will be roasted)
we did 6 cockerels in an hour including cleaning up


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## nj2wv (Aug 27, 2013)

How do you do that so fast? I process myself and it takes me over an hour to do one. I roll them in a plastic bag like a burrito then duct tape around so they won't flap when dying. I tie their legs with twine. Then hang them upside down and cut their throats. Wait ten minutes then snip their heads off and the wing tips and the feet. Then I snip the skin by the breast then peel the skin off. Then by the neck area I remove the crop and cut all the tubes there. In the belly I pull out all the innards and cut down by the bones and remove the whole tail. Is there a faster way without help?


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## minmin1258 (Nov 5, 2013)

Whoa NJ2WV you won the incubator give away!!!! Go claim ur prize!!!! Congratulations!!!!!


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## nj2wv (Aug 27, 2013)

Thank you. I sent Austin a private message with my information so I hope that's the right way to do it. I thought that's what he said to do in the video but I can't hear to good lol.


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## dcfrenkel (Nov 1, 2012)

nj2wv said:


> How do you do that so fast? I process myself and it takes me over an hour to do one. I roll them in a plastic bag like a burrito then duct tape around so they won't flap when dying. I tie their legs with twine. Then hang them upside down and cut their throats. Wait ten minutes then snip their heads off and the wing tips and the feet. Then I snip the skin by the breast then peel the skin off. Then by the neck area I remove the crop and cut all the tubes there. In the belly I pull out all the innards and cut down by the bones and remove the whole tail. Is there a faster way without help?


I use a couple of cardboard boxes to make cones and I put the cones into round tomato cages which are mounted into my compost. I carry the roo up from the coop holding it snug under my arm (belly up for calming effect). I have a little block with a twine loop nailed to it and I use the loop to gently hold the head in place while I use one hand to hold the feet and the other to wield my (sharpened hatchet). I quickly put the headless bird into the cone to drain into the compost. The cone prevents damage to the meat from flapping and running. I get the next roo and repeat. It takes 2 minutes per bird. I often break for tea and let them drain for a bit. 
Skinning is straight forward and takes 4 to 6 minutes and includes cutting off feet (which I often save for friends of mine who like to cook them up). Then I either use a very sharp knife or scissors to cut tissue away around the vent and make a small slit from there toward the chest. I reach in and pull everything out and throw into the compost. I try not to break up the liver because that is my reward for the work (sauteed liver and toast for b-fast. Heaven).
I then take them in and rinse them thoroughly inside and out. I often brine for a good hour or two before airtight bagging and freezing. Brining makes for even juicier tastier meat; but it is just a personal preference.
It all goes pretty quickly. I did pluck one bird this time for roasting and all together it took me about 3 hours from the time I got out of bed until I was rinsing and bagging because I didn't make up my cones the night before.

Sometimes I hang them from the apple tree to drain while I have my tea breakinstead of leaving them in the cones; depending on how many birds I have and if the cones are all full. (after 5 minutes in the cone, that is).

I stir my compost well each day for a couple days and it does not stink or attract pests.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

nj2wv said:


> How do you do that so fast? I process myself and it takes me over an hour to do one. I roll them in a plastic bag like a burrito then duct tape around so they won't flap when dying. I tie their legs with twine. Then hang them upside down and cut their throats. Wait ten minutes then snip their heads off and the wing tips and the feet. Then I snip the skin by the breast then peel the skin off. Then by the neck area I remove the crop and cut all the tubes there. In the belly I pull out all the innards and cut down by the bones and remove the whole tail. Is there a faster way without help?


my wife has processed hundreds of chickens in her home country which is the Philippines. i can do a bird in about 20 min. myself if i skin them but she is a real pro. so i just help her by removing the head & feet. if she is not yet ready for the next bird i start skinning.


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## nj2wv (Aug 27, 2013)

Thanks everyone for the information and ideas. I need a lot more practice lol.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

nj2wv said:


> Thanks everyone for the information and ideas. I need a lot more practice lol.


check out youtube
there is a guy on there who does a nice job of showing basic skinning
also remember what works for 1 person may not work well for the next
you have to try different things till you get the hang of it


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