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Monday, 25 February 2013

Cockerel Swapping

I was going to call this post "cock swapping" but I then thought people finding it through search engines would be disappointed!
One of the guys at work was after a cockerel to run with his hens, so I gave him one of mine as I've meaning to kill them for ages and just haven't got round to it.
Off to a good life
I took the bird to work to swap him over there. The sparky said "Isn't it cruel to leave him in that cage all day?" (the cage had food and water just so you know). I said I've talked it through with the cockerel, and out of his two options and he seems happiest with this one.
Having friends who keep chickens can be handy when trying to breed from them. As you don't really want to use a cockerel from you own stock for the fear of inbreeding, so it's better to swap cockerels. I've big plans for the little Silkie cockerel I got from this guy last year and hopefully my little guy will perform for him and not show me up!
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21 comments:

  1. Jane and Chris25 February 2013 at 22:23

    A stud chicken...who knew!
    Jane x

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  2. Tanya Murray26 February 2013 at 02:56

    Good for you. There is a lot of cockerel dumping going on in Australia.

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  3. Natalie Cleary26 February 2013 at 08:00

    That's nice! Hopefully he will fit right in!

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    1. Kev Alviti3 March 2013 at 22:31

      Apparently the frist night they bullied him but when my friend got home the second night he was already in charge!

      Delete
  4. Sue26 February 2013 at 09:01

    Have you noticed that if someone 'sees' a chicken in a cage, they say it's cruel, but then they will happily eat eggs from 'caged birds' who would actually have far less space than your cockerel!!

    Nice that he's found a new home instead of ending up in a pie :-)

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    1. Kev Alviti3 March 2013 at 22:32

      Yeah, He probably spent 8 hours in that cage and is now pretty much free range again a much happier existence

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  5. crafty cat corner26 February 2013 at 11:07

    A much better end for him.
    This is one of the reasons why I would be no good working a small holding with animals, I could never bear to part with any let alone kill them.
    Briony
    x

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    1. Kev Alviti3 March 2013 at 22:34

      I was brought up on a farm so have no worries about killing stock thats no longer productive. Each animal has to have it's place. This one was just lucky I kept putting it off.

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  6. Mo26 February 2013 at 11:45

    I love that you talk to your poultry :) Good luck with the Silkie.

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    1. Kev Alviti3 March 2013 at 22:34

      hypothetical I asked him, as he has no choice! I'm the boss.

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  7. Minnie26 February 2013 at 14:58

    Aw. Hope he goes on to have a long and happy life.

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  8. Texan27 February 2013 at 01:16

    I have to agree I am sure he felt being in the cage till he got to his new home was a good trade off given the other option.

    On my citrus in the greenhouse. I have a electric heater that runs by thermostat out there. Its a cheapo one we got at Walmart on clearance 20 bucks, but it does the trick. I could not keep citrus here either if I didn't have a heater in the green house. We don't get near as cold as many for sure where we live, but we do see some freezes at night during our winters.

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    1. Kev Alviti3 March 2013 at 22:36

      Maybe I should invent double glazed greenhouses that are cheaper to heat. I don't think I could afford to heat one over here with the cost of electric but I'm still jelous of all your citrus

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  9. Unknown27 February 2013 at 04:19

    I wish I could bring mine to work (in an office) as I always have to arrange for people to come over on the weekend and pick up chickens, so inconvenient! One that we swapped ended up not doing the job (if you know what I mean) and was eaten by his new owners, I don't blame them, we would do the same.

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    1. Kev Alviti3 March 2013 at 22:38

      Yeah I will end up eating two of the three Ive got left but I keep forgetting to do it (or it's too cold out). I think I might end up calling the one Sunday, as thats always the day I'm going to kill him!
      We're a right bunch of bumkins at work, no one bats an eye lid when a chicken get brought in!

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  10. John Going Gently28 February 2013 at 19:53

    If you had titled it COCK SWAPPING , I would have arrived earlier!

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    1. Kev Alviti3 March 2013 at 22:39

      Well if I had to guess anyone would me that comment then I would have guessed you! (in fact I had you in mind when I wrote it!) (no hang on that sounds wrong)

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  11. Lindac24 March 2013 at 07:49

    You have a Silkie Cockerel? Do you find that he's erm...up to the job with the bigger hens? I only ask cos we have a White silkie cockerel in with our rescue hens and one silkie hen and he's pathetic, in fact I'm pretty sure there would be no viable eggs produced by him except with the silkie hen.
    Love your new coop btw.

    Linda

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