elorac
In the Brooder
- Jul 28, 2015
- 27
- 0
- 47
Back on March 15 of this year, I got 4 chicks, 1 day old, supposed to be Dominique pullets. So, now 7 months old.
One is a rooster, and I have never had a rooster before.
Can y'all shed some light on a couple things?
1.The 3 pullets, same day acquired from a craigs list post, have clearly Dominique combs.
This rooster has a comb like my barred rocks. You know they look extremely similar. I wondered if a Dom roo can have a comb like the BR?
I'm not upset if he's a BR. I wanted doms just for nostalgic purposes. No breeding plans and no need for "pure" whatever.
2.I do not understand his behavior, and how long it should take him (if he does) to start acting more protective and/or show instinctive signs of offering hens food, etc. stuff like that.
Right now, he does try to mount the younger hens he was born with. Not too often though, they seem to give him a fussin more than cooperating, and even sometimes gets chased by them.
He does not DARE mingle socially with my hens that are my original flock, they're about 18 months old.
He is huuuuuuge/fat? he walks sorta wobbly and tends to sit down as if he's tired of standing sometimes. He strikes me as a very awkward teenager who grew a foot in one year and doesn't quite know how to manage or balance their body very well.
This awkwardness and being so much bigger seems to have come along in the last couple months. I thought he might grow through it, but I wonder how long it will take.
He does not take treats to hens, as far as I can tell. When I give the group treats, he lays back and has to be cautious about getting some for himself. He gets chased away by the older hens.
Can any of you tell me what age I should expect him to be more roostery? And when I might determine if he is, or is not, a very good protector or worth keeping?
I had never had a loss until this summer. Raccoon got a Silver Laced Wy hen during the night. And just today, a hawk got one of the 3 young dom hens. I know these things happen. Mr. Rooster was with one of the other young hens INSIDE the coop INSIDE the box where they used to live. (sort of the transition box when they were too small to mix with my other hens earlier this year). He is twice the size of others, and I wonder if he was a fighter, he may have been able to deter the hawk. Maybe when he's older?
Thanks for any input. I have no idea what to expect from a rooster as they grow up.
One is a rooster, and I have never had a rooster before.
Can y'all shed some light on a couple things?
1.The 3 pullets, same day acquired from a craigs list post, have clearly Dominique combs.
This rooster has a comb like my barred rocks. You know they look extremely similar. I wondered if a Dom roo can have a comb like the BR?
I'm not upset if he's a BR. I wanted doms just for nostalgic purposes. No breeding plans and no need for "pure" whatever.
2.I do not understand his behavior, and how long it should take him (if he does) to start acting more protective and/or show instinctive signs of offering hens food, etc. stuff like that.
Right now, he does try to mount the younger hens he was born with. Not too often though, they seem to give him a fussin more than cooperating, and even sometimes gets chased by them.
He does not DARE mingle socially with my hens that are my original flock, they're about 18 months old.
He is huuuuuuge/fat? he walks sorta wobbly and tends to sit down as if he's tired of standing sometimes. He strikes me as a very awkward teenager who grew a foot in one year and doesn't quite know how to manage or balance their body very well.
This awkwardness and being so much bigger seems to have come along in the last couple months. I thought he might grow through it, but I wonder how long it will take.
He does not take treats to hens, as far as I can tell. When I give the group treats, he lays back and has to be cautious about getting some for himself. He gets chased away by the older hens.
Can any of you tell me what age I should expect him to be more roostery? And when I might determine if he is, or is not, a very good protector or worth keeping?
I had never had a loss until this summer. Raccoon got a Silver Laced Wy hen during the night. And just today, a hawk got one of the 3 young dom hens. I know these things happen. Mr. Rooster was with one of the other young hens INSIDE the coop INSIDE the box where they used to live. (sort of the transition box when they were too small to mix with my other hens earlier this year). He is twice the size of others, and I wonder if he was a fighter, he may have been able to deter the hawk. Maybe when he's older?
Thanks for any input. I have no idea what to expect from a rooster as they grow up.