Chicken lessons for a kid

**ladytoysdream** · 08-09-2011, 06:38 AM

Odd title....sorry.
The niece wanted chickens back this spring. My plan was to hatch eggs for her, but she wanted birds that would lay green eggs as adults. Could not find eggs that both parents were Ameracaunas. We ended up with 12 chicks from TSC. I raised 6 and niece got 6.
We each lost one bird in the growing process.
The final total was one pullet each. And 5 roosters each of the original 6

I am keeping my one pullet and finally got the 4 roosters put down for meals/freezer for us. Checked the niece's birds yesterday and her boys are chasing the one girl something fierce.
I am trying to explain to the hubby that the niece needs to have a lesson here of some kind. We know she can't keep 4 roosters, and she can't make up her mind, which bird she wants to keep. So trying to think of some suggestions. All I can think now, is to offer to take the one pullet temporary and put her in our flock, till the niece makes up her mind which boy she wants. She wants to raise more birds in the spring, and she will face this problem again with roosters. She is almost 11.
If she can't make up her mind now, then winter the 4 roosters. I figure the experience will be good for her. I can give her some regular pullets from our flock, in the spring. And or start another hatch for chicks, for her.
Light bulb moment.....if I have both Ameracauna pullets here...then come spring, I can hatch their green eggs. She will have to keep 1 rooster if she wants pure Ameracaunas.
Guess I need to throw some thoughts at my SIL later today.

**bonnotsm9** · 08-09-2011, 10:46 AM

We went through a similar situation with our 8 year old son. He did finally realize that he couldn't keep the five 5 roosters we turned out to have. I culled them earlier this year. Our hens are much, much happier. (and so am I)

**ladytoysdream** · 10-20-2011, 06:48 AM

I need to update this.

The SIL ended up giving 3 of the roosters to a fellow they know. Supposedly he was going to eat them. His wife decided she liked them and now they are pets. They don't have any other birds.

SIL ended up keeping 2 roosters who are now in separate pens. The pullet is now laying green eggs. The plan is for us to give them 2 or 3 more pullets in the next few days. They finally got the coop up. Then come spring, hopefully between her pullet and mine, we can hatch some of the green eggs so she can have a bigger flock. My hen will probably have to go visit her rooster. Or we could bring one of the roosters here for awhile. She wants pure ameraucanas. Thank goodness, I have the extra kennel cage sections now. Portable pens

We will be using one of my broody hens to set the nest. Probably Little Red, the half banty/half orpington. I do have a incubator, but I prefer a hen to do the work.