Balancing Corporate & Homesteading Lifestyles
Homestead Harvest: Growing Kale & Mint
Vegetable Spotlight: Kale
- Difficulty to Grow: Easy
- Varieties: Curly, Lacinato, Red Russian
- Varietal Differences: Curly has tight ruffles, Lacinato has darker, smoother leaves, and Red Russian has red-tinted leaves.
- Seed Starting: Start indoors 6 weeks before last frost.
- Planting & Soil: Prefers well-drained, fertile soil with a pH of 6.5-6.8.
- Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.
- Container Suitability: Excellent; use deep pots.
- Companion Plants: Dill, Cucumber, Beets
- Pests/Diseases: Cabbage worms; use neem oil or handpick.
- Harvest: Pick outer leaves first; harvest can continue even after frost.
- Fun Fact: Kale can grow new leaves after snow!
- Culinary Uses: Salads, smoothies, chips.
Herb Spotlight: Mint
- Difficulty to Grow: Easy
- Varieties: Peppermint, Spearmint, Chocolate Mint
- Varietal Differences: Peppermint is more pungent; Chocolate Mint has a subtle chocolate flavor.
- Seed Starting & Propagation: Cuttings root easily in water.
- Planting & Soil: Prefers moist, well-draining soil.
- Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade.
- Container Suitability: Ideal; controls spreading.
- Companion Plants: Tomatoes, peas, cabbage.
- Harvest: Pick leaves as needed.
- Fun Fact: Mint repels mosquitoes.
- Medicinal Properties: Aids digestion, freshens breath.
- Storage: Dry or freeze leaves.
Tips For Building Trust With Your Rooster
Creating a bond with your rooster requires patience, understanding, and consistency. Here are three tips to enhance your interaction with them:
- Regular, Gentle Handling: Start handling your rooster from a young age, if possible. Regular, gentle interaction helps build trust. Approach them calmly and speak softly to reduce any fear or aggression.
- Respect their Space: Roosters are territorial by nature. Always respect their space and approach them in a non-threatening manner. This helps in reducing aggressive tendencies.
- Consistent Feeding Rituals: Establish a routine where the rooster sees you as a provider of food and positive experiences. This routine can create a bond and establish you as part of the flock's social structure.
Communicating With The Flock: The Rooster’s Role
Roosters play a pivotal role in the social structure of the chicken world. They are not just protectors but also communicators. Here's what their behavior signifies:
- Crow Call: Roosters crow to announce their presence, assert their territory, and maintain flock cohesion. It's their way of saying "All is well" or "Stay alert."
- Food Discovery Dance: When a rooster finds food, he often performs a special dance to alert the hens. This behavior demonstrates his role in caring for and nurturing the flock.
- Wing Flapping and Posturing: A rooster will often flap his wings and strut to show dominance and keep order within the flock. This behavior is crucial in maintaining a hierarchy and peace among the chickens.
Healthy Herbs For Chickens: Rosemary
Rosemary is an excellent herb for chickens, offering several benefits:
- Respiratory Health: Rosemary can help improve respiratory health in chickens. Its strong aroma is known to clear nasal passages and aid in respiratory wellness.
- Pest Repellent: The strong scent of rosemary is a natural deterrent for pests like lice and mites.
- Stress Reduction: The aroma of rosemary has a calming effect on chickens, reducing stress levels which is beneficial for their overall well-being.
- Antioxidant Properties: Rosemary contains antioxidants, which can support the immune system of chickens.
- How to Use: You can hang fresh rosemary in the coop, add dried rosemary to their feed, or scatter it around the coop and run.
Remember, while rosemary is beneficial, it should be used in moderation as part of a balanced diet and environment for your chickens.
Coop Winter Weatherproofing Tips
Weatherproofing your chicken coop is crucial for several reasons.
Firstly, it ensures the health and comfort of your chickens. Exposure to extreme temperatures, be it scorching summer heat or freezing winter cold, can lead to stress, reduced egg production, and even health issues like frostbite or heatstroke. Additionally, weatherproofing keeps out moisture, which is vital as damp conditions can lead to mold growth and respiratory problems in chickens. It also protects against pests and predators that can exploit vulnerabilities in a coop’s structure. Finally, weatherproofing extends the life of your coop, safeguarding your investment and ensuring a safe, comfortable home for your chickens for years to come. In essence, a well-maintained and weatherproofed coop is fundamental to responsible and efficient chicken keeping at C&C Homestead.
- Weatherproof the Coop:
- Goal: Keep the coop warm without making it airtight, as ventilation is crucial.
- How-To: Add extra layers of straw or wood shavings on the floor for insulation.
- Bonus Tip: Avoid using heaters as they pose a fire risk; instead, rely on the chickens' natural ability to keep warm by huddling together.
- Prevent Water from Freezing:
- Goal: Ensure a constant supply of liquid water.
- How-To: Use a heated water dish or a water heater base under your regular water container. Alternatively, change the water multiple times a day to keep it from freezing.
- Reminder: Check the water frequently as chickens need more water in the winter to maintain body heat.
- Boost Their Diet:
- Goal: Provide extra calories and nutrition to help them stay warm.
- How-To: Add grains like corn or wheat to their diet in the evenings. These grains take longer to digest, producing more body heat overnight.
- Caution: Balance is key; don't overdo it with grains as they can lead to obesity.
- Provide Winter Entertainment:
- Goal: Keep chickens active and prevent boredom, which can lead to pecking and other issues.
- Ideas: Hang a cabbage or other treat just out of reach so they have to jump for it, or add a dust bath area inside the coop.
- Why: Mental stimulation is as important as physical health, especially when they're spending more time inside.
- Check for Frostbite:
- Goal: Prevent and treat frostbite, especially on combs and wattles.
- How-To: Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly on combs and wattles to provide some protection. Regularly check for signs of frostbite, which include pale, discolored, or blackened areas.
- Action: If you suspect frostbite, bring the chicken to a warmer area and consult a veterinarian for treatment advice.
Remember, each flock and environment is unique, so adjust these tips as needed for your specific situation. Keeping a watchful eye and taking proactive steps can make a world of difference in ensuring your chickens' well-being during the winter months.
The Protective Instinct Of Roosters
Roosters possess a strong and innate protective instinct, which plays a crucial role in the dynamics of a chicken flock. This instinct is a fascinating aspect of their behavior and has several key elements:
- Guardian of the Flock: Roosters are naturally inclined to act as guardians. They are always alert, often taking a high vantage point to watch for potential threats. They will sound a distinct alarm call to warn the hens of danger, whether it's a predator or an unfamiliar presence.
- Defense Against Predators: When a threat is detected, a rooster will not hesitate to confront it, sometimes engaging in combat to protect the flock. This bravery can be awe-inspiring, as roosters will face off against much larger predators to keep their hens safe.
- Maintaining Social Order: Part of a rooster's protective role involves maintaining social order within the flock. They often break up fights among hens and ensure that all members of the flock get a chance to eat and drink. This pecking order maintenance helps keep peace and stability.
- Leading and Guiding the Flock: Roosters often lead the hens to food and water, sometimes even calling them over when they find a good source. They will also shepherd the flock back to the coop at dusk or when they perceive danger.
- Aggression as Protection: It's important to understand that a rooster's aggressive behavior, especially towards humans, often stems from this protective instinct. They may view humans as potential threats to their flock, especially during the breeding season.
- Breeding Season Behavior: During the breeding season, a rooster's protective instincts are heightened. They become more vigilant and may exhibit increased aggression to protect their hens from perceived threats.
Understanding and respecting a rooster's protective instincts are key to managing them effectively. This doesn't mean tolerating aggressive behavior towards humans, but rather recognizing the root of these behaviors and responding appropriately, such as by establishing boundaries and using non-threatening body language. By doing so, you can maintain a healthy and safe environment for both the rooster and the rest of the flock.
Dominance And Roosters
Here's why dominance doesn't work well with chickens:
- Stress and Aggression:
- Attempting to establish dominance through force or aggressive behavior can stress chickens, leading to fear and anxiety within the flock.
- Aggressive actions may trigger defensive responses from chickens, potentially resulting in increased aggression among flock members.
- Hierarchy Establishment:
- Chickens naturally establish a pecking order within the flock, where each bird knows its place. This hierarchy is typically formed through subtle interactions and not through dominance-based methods.
- Trying to assert dominance disrupts the natural order and may lead to increased aggression and social instability.
- Trust Issues:
- Building trust with chickens is crucial for their well-being and effective management. Using dominance-based methods erodes trust and can make it challenging to handle or interact with the birds.
- Ineffective Communication:
- Chickens communicate through subtle body language and vocalizations. Trying to dominate them disrupts these natural communication channels, making it difficult for chickens to understand human cues.
- Long-Term Behavioral Issues:
- Dominance-based methods may result in long-term behavioral problems, such as increased fearfulness, reduced egg production, or even feather picking among flock members.
- Alternative Approaches:
- Positive reinforcement and rewards are more effective methods for training and managing chicken behavior. Chickens respond well to treats, praise, and consistent, gentle handling.
- Understanding and respecting the natural instincts of chickens, such as their pecking order and social structure, allows for a more harmonious and stress-free environment.
In summary, establishing a positive and respectful relationship with your chickens, based on understanding their natural behavior, is far more effective than attempting to assert dominance. Chickens thrive in environments where they feel secure, trust their caregivers, and can express their natural behaviors without unnecessary stress.
If you have a rooster and looking for help, we highly suggest you check out Roovolution or follow our posts as we work with Storm, our handsome Deathlayer rooster.
Roosters: Resources For Peaceful Coexistence With Your Rooster
Living with a rooster transforms the rhythm of a homestead, infusing each day with the spirited personality of these feathered leaders. The crowing at dawn becomes a familiar melody, a natural alarm that signals the awakening of the farm. Beyond their role as timekeepers, roosters exhibit a protective nature, diligently watching over the flock with an alert eye and a vigilant stance.
Their colorful plumage and proud demeanor add an aesthetic charm to the coop, making them not just guardians but also living ornaments. While their crowing might be an acquired taste, it becomes an integral part of the homestead soundtrack, a testament to the lively presence of these charismatic birds. Despite their occasional assertiveness, a well-raised rooster contributes to a harmonious flock dynamic, creating a homestead atmosphere rich in both natural beauty and the unique charm of life with these feathered companions.
Share in our journey of learning Storm's behaviors, earning his trust, showing him that we aren't a threat to the flock, and living together peacefully.
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Let’s Talk Rooster
This is my rooster Storm, a Silver Deathlayer. At the time of writing, he is about 8 months old.
I won't go into the story of getting him (I'll save that for another day). I wanted a Deathlayer roo, and was happy to hatch him and his 2 DL hens. He joined my Wyandotte hens (3) and we recently added Amercauna hens (2) to his flock.
Storm was as sweet as anything until his girls started laying and about the time his hormones kicked in. Now, he has his moments and I am working hard to understand his behavior and build trust.
I am in a lot of chicken groups on Facebook and I see so many posts about roosters and the recommended solutions to their natural behaviors. When you really look at the psychology, many of the recommendations, just don't make sense.
First, we need to look at the primary purpose of a rooster, it's to protect the flock. Chickens are prey animals, and their instinct to survive is strong. A rooster's instinct protect the flock is STRONG.
People's first go-to, when it comes to roosters, is dominance. Many methods of dominance are actually creating fear. Fear is not trust, and it's not the relationship that I am looking to create with my rooster.
A little digression but I have worked with horses for many years, another prey animal. Dominance doesn't work. I could not nor would not try to out muscle and dominate a 1200 lb animal. Granted, roosters are only 7lbs or so (depending on the breed) and easy to out muscle ... but the psychology, regardless of size, is the same.
A relationship of fear is not the goal. It may provide a temporary solution but disaster is ahead. Fear may create submission, but that isn't trust and could have unwanted consequences when you aren't looking.
Roosters aren't for everyone. For some flocks, they aren't necessary. And sadly roosters are a dime a dozen ... think about it ... 1 rooster to 8-10 hens with a 50% hen/rooster hatch rate ... to most roosters are disposable. Solution to a problem, make soup and get another and try again.
So again think of the psychology, create fear in your rooster and it will increase their innate drive to protect. Cultivate trust, a different story. It takes time and work, but if you have a rooster you want, especially rare breeds, putting the time in is well worth it.
More about Storm ... he has come at me ... but never has "yet" made contact. I never turn my back on him, I always bring him treats (he loves popcorn), he hates new voices ... if I am on my phone collecting eggs or near the run and on speaker phone, he gets upset and aggressive. He does not like me handling "his" hens. He always backs off if I step towards him. I have to use a net to catch him. I wish this wasn't the case and am working to change it, but it is what it is right now. When I catch him, I hold and pet him and he relaxes.
I am always contentious of his behavior. I can see when he is agitated. I NEVER wear shorts in the run. I have gloves that I wear when needed, like when opening or shutting my coop door (it gets stuck) because it doesn't work smoothly, it will be fixed but until then, I wear gloves because Storm will come at the door if it gets stuck and he feels threatened and peck my fingers.. Sounds silly, but I now sing to them when I go in the coop to close the door at night (Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah).
The bottom line is Storm doesn't trust me. Will he learn to? I hope so. I will do all that I can to earn his trust ... soup isn't the answer.
Want to learn more about building a relationship with your rooster, then check out Roovolution.
