# We HATE our chickens . . . how long do they live?



## rockdoveranch

Seriously, we HATE our chickens.  How long will they live?

We bought 10 chicks April 2005, 5 Barred Rock and 5 Rhode Island Reds; all pullets.  As tiny chicks the Barred Rock were so mean to the Reds that they drew blood and we had to separate them until they were big enough to go outside into the chicken yard.  

Back then the chicken yard was a ways back through the woods.  That first year something killed 5 of them, probably a coyote, and we have had the other 5 since.

They free range during the day and at night they go into a yard that shares a fence line with the big dog yard.  They no longer go into the yard out through the woods.

They refuse to lay where they are supposed.  They are always under foot.  When I go to put them up at night holding a can of gain for them sometimes they fly up at my hand.  Sometime they fly at me for know reason.  Sometimes they BITE me drawing blood and bruising.  I have even had them go at me like an old mature rooster would, trying to spur me with no spurs.

We treat all our animals kindly and with respect so I assume they are simply acting like rural chickens.

Way back when I lived in the middle of Houston I had a lovely Rhode Island Red hen that lived in the yard and house with my Boxer, 2 Goldens and a rabbits.  They all got along and in the pecking order, the hen was over the youngest Golden.  Poor dog!  She thought she was a dog and lived to be 11.

Our hens are 6 now.  Am I looking at 5 more years of bad, bad hens?


----------



## lilhill

Sunday dinner?


----------



## dianneS

They'll live as long as you let them!

If you don't want to eat them yourself, give them to someone who will, or if you don't want to kill them at all, let them free range full time (if they're not already) they will all eventually disappear.

If you let them free range you'll be providing a meal for a hungry fox or coyote!  The circle of life you know.


----------



## aggieterpkatie

Sell them.


----------



## ksalvagno

I'm surprised that they haven't been dinner yet. At 6 years old, I'm assuming you don't get a lot of eggs out of them. I didn't think I could have animals processed that I raised (grew up in the suburbs) but I'm finding that I'm ok with it. The first time we took chickens in to be processed was hard but it gets less and less upsetting each time I take some in. I know my birds were well taken care of and had a great life. They sure do taste good too.


----------



## redtailgal

.


----------



## freemotion

My first rooster was mean.  Beyond mean.  He became dangerous to me and others.

I raised him from a chick in a batch of pullets from a hatchery.  I treated all my chickens with "kindness and respect" and spent a lot of time "taming" them.  I put quotation marks because I was not using those words correctly at the time as far as chickens go.

There is a pecking order, and you need to be on top.  I wasn't.  I learned the lesson and learned it well.

I observed that the same rooster that would rip into me through my jeans had the utmost respect for the goats, even the youngster.  Hmmm.....I then observed that if a chicken came into their space, even innocently, it got bashed.  Hard.  No questions asked.

Now I play rooster soccer the moment I hear a crow, and I don't "tame" my chicks anymore.  It was cute at first, but after a while, the problems you describe just weren't fun.  My entire first flock was given away, and the rooster was killed humanely by my dad on one of his visits here.....hey, Dad, want pie?  Here's what you gotta do....  

I'm not as harsh with the hens but my current youngsters are not tame AT ALL.  I can open the door and they scatter.  I know that once they are full grown and can safely free-range with the rest, they will learn to come when called for breakfast and supper, and that will be good enough.

It doesn't take long to drop those romantic notions, does it? 

I did the carry thing with my first roo and it was too late.  He terrorized me until he was almost 2 years old.  I will never be terrorized on my own property by a chicken again.   Never.


----------



## redtailgal

.


----------



## Bimpnottin

They sound like they would be great for making a bunch of stock - you'd have to cook those buggers for a long time to be able to eat them.  I'd say forget it and just make lots of great stock to freeze.

Worst rooster we ever had had spurs like some kind of rooster in a cock fight, no kidding like 3 inches long.  To put it mildly, he was a menace and a sneaky basturd!  He got so bad, that he would fly at you if you went anywhere near the hens.  Mr. Rooster met his end after he flew at me one too many times and I had a big shovel.   I played baseball and hit that bugger out of the park.  He made good stock, too.


----------



## elevan

They live as long as you let them...and I'd say it's time to let them into the freezer


----------



## aggieterpkatie

In my experience there really isn't any rhyme or reason why some roosters turn mean and others don't.  I've had very tame roosters never be mean, and I've had "wild" roosters be mean, and I've had the opposite.  Actually, I've only had 2 roosters attack out of all the chickens I've ever owned. One was a Buff Orp that was the devil, and he went to a friend's for dinner.  As in, they had to put him in the food processor he was so tough!!  The other roo that jumped me once or twice was a Rhodie, and I picked him up after each time and he didn't do it more than twice before he figured he's better of leaving me alone.  

I've had LOTS of roosters here the past few years and they're so nice and gentlemanly.  If I have to catch them for some reason they just chill out while I'm holding them. They don't freak out or act wild and crazy.  And I've got one OEG bantam roo that is pretty darn friendly and will let me pick him up.


----------



## redtailgal

.


----------



## Matthew3590

redtailgal said:
			
		

> Here is my funnniest rooster story, might not be so funny to read but it was hysterical in person.
> 
> I knew the hens had been bothered about something.  They were acting odd, holding feathers tight, and jumpy.  Egg production was down, and I knew there was a snake invovled because Rye Whiskey did the "Hitler March" around egg nests all day for several days.
> 
> So one afternoon, when I heard my hens screaming, I ran hard as I could to the coop to catch the invader in the act.
> 
> What I found was a six foot kingsnake and Rye Whiskey in a massive fight.  The snake had wrapped around the rooster, but had only trapped one foot.  Whiskey was understandable FURIOUS, and had every intention of killing that snake.  The snake was a bloody mess, several puncture would fom Whiskeys spurs, but was nonetheless attempting to bite Whiskey..........the poor snake was pulling feathers trying to find somewhere to bite.
> 
> Well, I had to do something. Being the super intelligent person that I am, I grabbed the snake by the head and the rooster by the one free leg, and unwrapped them.  I ended up with a furious rooster in one hand, who was STILL trying everything he could to get the snake that I held in my other hand.  Meanwhile, the snake, who was equally furious, managed to wrap himself around my arm and squeeze until my hand was turning blue.
> 
> I was in quite the pickle.  I could turn loose of the snake until he turned loose of me.  I couldnt turn loose of Whiskey, he would have torn me to shreds trying to kill the snake that was trying to kill me.
> 
> Of course, by this point, the hens had decided all was well and had gone about their business.
> 
> I had no other option than to strangle the snake (NOT an easy job with a numb hand and a pi&&ed off rooster).  Once the snake was dead or unconscious (I didnt check, lol) I dropped them both at the same time and made a mad dive for cover.
> 
> Whiskey then proceeded to literaly tear the snake into peices. AND THEN HE ATE THE SNAKES HEAD.
> 
> I sure do get myself into some predicaments with my critters. lol


I would have dropped the rooster de head snake throw snake back to rooster and he show off his "kill" to the ladies!


----------



## freemotion

Wow, that is quite a story, redtailgal!!!!  Wow!!!


----------



## lilhill




----------



## dianneS

> Whiskey then proceeded to literaly tear the snake into peices. AND THEN HE ATE THE SNAKES HEAD.


Wow, that is one mean rooster!  I have chickens tear apart smaller snakes and torment bigger ones until they leave the general vicinity of their coop, but a 6 footer!  Wow, I've never seen a chicken take on one that size!  And eat his head too, that would be a big head, I'm assuming he didn't eat it in one bite.  That's one sadistic roo!


----------



## rockdoveranch

Crazy funny story Redtailgal, although I know it was not funny at the time!  I am a very visual person and could see the story unfold in my head as you told it.  

We have had rat snakes in our white ringneck loft and I swear, they can grab on so hard to a corner made of 2 x 4's and metal siding that it is almost impossible to pull them out.  Hot wire has kept them out.

I thought all roosters were mean!  Many years ago I had a little place with chickens, goats and a horse.  Before the kids could play outside I had to put the roosters up and catch that damned billy in mid charge at me and lock him up in a stall.  I am too old for that sort of shenanigans now.  Now I am afraid of tripping over a chicken or cat and falling.

I have been a full time country gall since 2004 and we have not eaten any of our chickens or sheep yet, though I am ready to take our dorper/barbado mix to the butcher in a month or two.  May try to find a neighbor to take the hens, although they do lay eggs.

When we first came out here to live someone gave us their goats.  We had 3 billies, one of which would hook me.  My legs were always bruised, so I started going out to feed with a metal pipe and would konk him on the head to keep him away from me.  One day I was konking him and next thing I know I got hooked really bad.  Turns out I was konking the wrong billy.  We sold them that week to a neighbor.


----------



## redtailgal

...


----------



## elevan

Don't mean to hijack but has anyone ever had their chickens kill small birds (like chickadees)?


----------



## rockdoveranch

elevan said:
			
		

> Don't mean to hijack but has anyone ever had their chickens kill small birds (like chickadees)?


No birds that I know of, but a couple of weeks ago we were cleaning up around the house and uncovered a little field mouse, and one of our chickens snatched it, killed it, and the rest fought over who was going to eat it.


----------



## freemotion

elevan said:
			
		

> Don't mean to hijack but has anyone ever had their chickens kill small birds (like chickadees)?


Yes, when I had mine in a pen covered with deer netting they would get small birds.   Saw a broody hen with chicks kill a chipmunk once, too.  Ick.


----------



## rockdoveranch

OMG!  

I am remembering the chickens I had in the 1980s out on a little track of land that I visited once a day to feed and play when I could.  They would rip each other apart if one got the tiniest little cut that bled.  Actually, I have no idea how they would get cuts as I have never seen a cut on our chickens out there . . . MAYBE . . . the cuts were from them beating up on each other.  They were given to me by a neighbor out there who HATED them!  

How do we eat such vicious animals.  

They were good with the kids though!  The kids loved playing with them.

They were in a large chicken yard at first and eventually free ranged all the time.  They would pick through the horse poo to eat bits of grain and bugs.  My current chickens have never gone into the horse pasture and picked through her poo for bugs.  All they needed to do was walk through the barbed wire.


----------



## elevan

freemotion said:
			
		

> elevan said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Don't mean to hijack but has anyone ever had their chickens kill small birds (like chickadees)?
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, when I had mine in a pen covered with deer netting they would get small birds.   Saw a broody hen with chicks kill a chipmunk once, too.  Ick.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I've been finding a lot of dead chickadees lately by the coop.  And almost every time I find one of my broody hens feathers by the dead bird.  I've never seen her do it but suspected that it was her....otherwise my mind goes rampant about predators around my chickens...but I'm pretty sure it's her.


----------



## dianneS

elevan said:
			
		

> Don't mean to hijack but has anyone ever had their chickens kill small birds (like chickadees)?


I've seen my chickens chase other birds away.  I guess they see them as a threat to their food supply, but I've never seen them kill any.  There were some grackles in the coop this morning collecting feathers for their nests and the chickens didn't pay them any mind.


----------



## foxywench

honestly if you dont enjoy them and there not laying well theyd be dog food or stock...you could put one in a slow cooker for about a week, but id personally off em, pluck em and cook em up for stock or just off them to the dogs.

my personal opionon of keeping livestock is it you dont enjoy it and its not earning its keep its just wasting space and its time to go...be it sold on or processed.


----------



## meme

I have 35 chickens, and I have no problem with them, but they live 6-10 years.My oldest chicken I have right know is 7, and she is the nicest chicken!


----------



## freemotion

elevan said:
			
		

> freemotion said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> elevan said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Don't mean to hijack but has anyone ever had their chickens kill small birds (like chickadees)?
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, when I had mine in a pen covered with deer netting they would get small birds.   Saw a broody hen with chicks kill a chipmunk once, too.  Ick.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Thanks. I've been finding a lot of dead chickadees lately by the coop.  And almost every time I find one of my broody hens feathers by the dead bird.  I've never seen her do it but suspected that it was her....otherwise my mind goes rampant about predators around my chickens...but I'm pretty sure it's her.
Click to expand...

Hmm....If I didn't see the hens with the birds/chipmunk/mice/etc, I'd never know it....because they eat every bite!   Often I don't see the kill, but see them chasing each other around and one has the carcass in her beak, running in front of the pack, head held high, remnants dangling.  Ew.  I will be eating "mouse eggs" for breakfast.


----------



## elevan

freemotion said:
			
		

> elevan said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> freemotion said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, when I had mine in a pen covered with deer netting they would get small birds.   Saw a broody hen with chicks kill a chipmunk once, too.  Ick.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks. I've been finding a lot of dead chickadees lately by the coop.  And almost every time I find one of my broody hens feathers by the dead bird.  I've never seen her do it but suspected that it was her....otherwise my mind goes rampant about predators around my chickens...but I'm pretty sure it's her.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Hmm....If I didn't see the hens with the birds/chipmunk/mice/etc, I'd never know it....because they eat every bite!   Often I don't see the kill, but see them chasing each other around and one has the carcass in her beak, running in front of the pack, head held high, remnants dangling.  Ew.  I will be eating "mouse eggs" for breakfast.
Click to expand...

Mostly I've found just their wings...the rest are gone.  But I have found 2 whole, dead birds.
It only started after she went broody.  It's during the day only.  And the fact that I usually find one of her feathers near...it's gotta be her, right?

And I give up on thinking about what they're eating...I mean they scratch around and pick through poo and just he worm eating is gross enough!


----------



## MissDanni

If you liked them I'd say to put them in the barn and try to tame them a bit more. We have roosters than run all over the place and we make a habit of picking them up when ever we can get a hold of one. 

However, if you really are fed up with them, it may be time for "freezer camp" and some yummy chicken pot pie.


----------



## More of a BYC person

rockdoveranch said:
			
		

> Seriously, we HATE our chickens.  How long will they live?
> 
> We bought 10 chicks April 2005, 5 Barred Rock and 5 Rhode Island Reds; all pullets.  As tiny chicks the Barred Rock were so mean to the Reds that they drew blood and we had to separate them until they were big enough to go outside into the chicken yard.
> 
> Back then the chicken yard was a ways back through the woods.  That first year something killed 5 of them, probably a coyote, and we have had the other 5 since.
> 
> They free range during the day and at night they go into a yard that shares a fence line with the big dog yard.  They no longer go into the yard out through the woods.
> 
> They refuse to lay where they are supposed.  They are always under foot.  When I go to put them up at night holding a can of gain for them sometimes they fly up at my hand.  Sometime they fly at me for know reason.  Sometimes they BITE me drawing blood and bruising.  I have even had them go at me like an old mature rooster would, trying to spur me with no spurs.
> 
> We treat all our animals kindly and with respect so I assume they are simply acting like rural chickens.
> 
> Way back when I lived in the middle of Houston I had a lovely Rhode Island Red hen that lived in the yard and house with my Boxer, 2 Goldens and a rabbits.  They all got along and in the pecking order, the hen was over the youngest Golden.  Poor dog!  She thought she was a dog and lived to be 11.
> 
> Our hens are 6 now.  Am I looking at 5 more years of bad, bad hens?


Sell them If you don't want them. Go to BYC and post an ad, or tell them you just need to get rid of them. Do they have laying pellets all the time? Do the have nest boxes? If their always under you, the just want a little love


----------



## genuck

My chickens are so good at dying, I doubt they will live to see 10. 

 Good to know that if they do they will still lay a little. I have an auction nearby for my 'culls' so getting rid of the unwanteds without eating them is easy.

 Of course the way things are going unless I get more chicks I'll have one big bachelor party next spring...


----------



## Beekissed

Not how rural chickens act....mine are all just normal.  I had a nasty SLW once but promptly wrung her neck and gave to the wildlife.  For the most part, I don't find nasty to be breed specific, but your flock sound like some whole other kinda cat....I'd turn 'em into dog food.  

As stated previously, life is too short to put up with mean animals....live happy!


----------



## genuck

Yeah, they do sound kind of crazy, I've had up to 30 roosters at once (don't ask) all free ranged with hens during the day. Only ever had one mean rooster, no others have even tried to flog. They will steal a cheeseburger in a heartbeat though. I've heard RIR can be nasty.


----------



## Bedste

where in Texas are you.....  I will find them homes or take them off your hands.....  or donate them to a needy farming family and they can dress them......


----------



## dwbonfire

your chickens sound crazy lol i've lost count how many i have and none of mine are mean like that, only one rooster and he left quickly. ive heard different opinions on barred rocks being mean or nice, ive never had a bad experience with them. same with the reds, they are usually more bold but again never had a mean one. i think you should get rid of those hens and start over, maybe get some buff orpingtons or cochins. i dont have any orpingtons but i am told they are super friendly and easy going and lay well. i do have cochin bantams and they are such nice calm birds, even my rooster.
you shouldnt have to deal with that and i'd hate for you to think they all act that way because they dont! bring them to an auction or sell on craiglist or something and then try again! 
also if they wont lay where they should, you could try locking them up in the coop for a few days, maybe a week until they start laying in the nest boxes consistantly again. you can put a plastic dummy egg in the box so that attracts them to lay there too. good luck!


----------



## CCourson05

I have one mean Roo... He was spoiled as a chick and BAM! Just like with children.... IT became a brat... Sadly, this one I can't bring myself to kill. He is the only chicken out of the 106 that has immunity from "The Cone".


----------



## Beekissed

You could retrain him.  He doesn't have to continue to be a brat...just change his attitude!


----------



## Chikn Luva

They will live as long as you let them- But if you hate them that much, I'd say it's freezer camp time.  If you don't wanna do that, sell them.


----------



## bonbean01

I have to agree with putting them in the soup pot!


----------

