A brag on my sweet roo, Steve <3

[carcar80]

Just a brag on my rooster, who I am just foolish over. I know he's still young, (~4months), but so far his personality is just tops. Got a few shots of him this past week, while talking my hens through the game plan for next week.. (this is the week they will start laying, we've decided.. together.. LMBO!!)

Steve:



He's gotten to where he won't let the adult ducks near his girls (which I'm glad for), but was very tolerant of the pekin babies I just raised. Even when the adult boys do come near, he will just keep a watchful eye. If they start to get too close, he'll move in and give them a chance to leave. If they start to ease away he will let them go on their own. Only if they don't heed his warning will he give them a little "boost".



He's nice to my kitty cat when he comes to visit the flock..


Here he is enjoying a little preening with a couple of his ladies on the carport (their FAVE hangout spot, sigh)..


And here's the look I get when I go to close everyone in the coop for the evening.. lol.. my favorite time since this is when he'll let me pet and love on him. Free ranging, not so much, but he tolerates me once he roosts lol..


I did pick up a little SLW girlfriend for him last week, so hopefully next summer I can have a few little baby SLWs, as long as he minds his P's and Q's.

 

[chickenvillemom]

He is very handsome! Sounds like he has his priorities straight -- protective, but not over the top! I am hoping my 10-wk-old roo will end up with a nice disposition too...he's already quite the drama king, however, so I'm not so sure. Thanks for sharing!

 

[carcar80]

Thanks! What kind of roo do you have? I had a RIR "accidental" roo who was the same age as Steve and already getting nasty. But I always hear of RIRs having a bad rep anyway, so I really don't want to assume that Steve will always be so nice just bc he wasn't keeping up with that roo's temperament.

 

[chickenvillemom]

I have a mutt (BR, Jersey Giant, EO). He is very sweet once he calms down, but he is excitable and dramatic...a real mama's boy too! He is one of 7 that my broody Buff Orp hatched in March and he still loves to snuggle with her. So cute! He is definitely trying to take charge of the coop...the older hens still put him in his place, though. I had a Buff Orp roo who became very aggressive when he matured...I thought they were supposed to be friendly, but I guess it really depends on the individual. Good luck with Steve!

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Steve sure is handsome, and it sounds like he has the right balance of friendly and vigilant.

 

[carcar80]

Thanks! Forgot to mention, I visited Steve's dad the other day while getting my new hens. His owner commented on how he is a nice roo- I hadn't mentioned to her how nice Steve is, so that made me feel good. So maybe we will get a pattern going.

 

[theoldchick]

He's a handsome fella!

 

[carcar80]

New brag, lol. Steve is maturing more every day.. He's mounting my hens now and even though he only has a few, so far he is a total gentleman with them. Not a scratch on them and he's not overdoing it. He and I did go through a couple weeks of on-again, off-again alpha challenges but he seems to get it now.

Anyway, on to the brag: my Doberman is, of course, very fast and she loves to ZOOOMMM past the chickens when they're in the yard. The past couple days she would also cut one from the group and give a good chase. (I don't correct her bc she's used to playing with her feathered siblings and, since my chickens are free-range I prefer they learn flight reflex from her as opposed to a true threat)..

So far Steve would get his feathers ruffled and would crow several times but that was it. Well! Yesterday evening, here she comes.. Zzzzooommmmm!!!! Zoooommmmm!! Third pass, BAM!! Steve had had ENOUGH! LOLLLLLL you've never seen such a surprised Dobie. Steve ran her around that yard a time or two, her running backward the whole time. We laughed SO hard. Once he stopped, she did too and they just had a standoff. Dobie afraid to move.. Steve puffed up like something off Jurassic Park. When he backed down, Dobie made a quick exit. You've never seen a prouder-looking roo, strutting in front of his girls. Let out just one big crow instead of the usual several.

Yay, Steve! LOL

 

[b.hromada]

He's a beautiful boy! Love your pics! thanks for sharing!

 

[LisaLouHoo]

I had a beautiful SLW rooster who is no longer with us. I had two of the same breed and knew I should only have one, so I kept the prettier of the two and named him Randy. Suddenly when he was about 6 mos old he started attacking me whenever I went near the coop, which was often since I collected eggs, etc. I started carrying an umbrella for protection and he battered it up pretty good. After a month of this, we finally had enough and he became Randy noodle soup. I now have a new cockerel named Randyroo who is a New Hampshire. He's 16 wks old and so far so good, but I'm totally on guard. I love the looks of a rooster and am sooo hoping this one is nice. Here's a pic of the former Randy, RIP.