GingerGypsy
In the Brooder
I have a dozen RIR's, all about a month and a half old. One of which is already displaying signs of being a good rooster. (shooing the flock, pacing on the front lines, etc.)
Since none are fully feathered (still missing their head feathers), I'm sure that they're nowhere near being set in their ways just yet. Which brings me to the worry that once "Buddy" starts to mature a bit more, he will turn into one of the aggressive monster birds that I've read about and he will no longer be the sweet little boy that I know him to be at the moment.
For now, when I open their coop in the mornings to let them out into the run, he's the first one to greet me at the door (presumably, making sure it's safe for everyone else)…and he waits patiently for me to put my hands out so he can climb in and be gently lowered to the ground- while the others clumsily spill out after he has left. During the day, if he sees me headed his way, he drops what he's doing and rushes to greet me, then stands there staring at me, just waiting to be picked up or petted. For the most part, "Buddy" behaves as if he's a pet (he's even starting to come running when I call him ) so….should I expect this fantastic bond to be broken any day now- or is there hope that my sweet little boy will keep up with this desirable behavior?
Since none are fully feathered (still missing their head feathers), I'm sure that they're nowhere near being set in their ways just yet. Which brings me to the worry that once "Buddy" starts to mature a bit more, he will turn into one of the aggressive monster birds that I've read about and he will no longer be the sweet little boy that I know him to be at the moment.
For now, when I open their coop in the mornings to let them out into the run, he's the first one to greet me at the door (presumably, making sure it's safe for everyone else)…and he waits patiently for me to put my hands out so he can climb in and be gently lowered to the ground- while the others clumsily spill out after he has left. During the day, if he sees me headed his way, he drops what he's doing and rushes to greet me, then stands there staring at me, just waiting to be picked up or petted. For the most part, "Buddy" behaves as if he's a pet (he's even starting to come running when I call him ) so….should I expect this fantastic bond to be broken any day now- or is there hope that my sweet little boy will keep up with this desirable behavior?