Roosters have been getting a bad rap lately and it's saddens me. I consider my rooster to be good for far more than fertilized eggs. He's very protective of the girls, always looking out for predators and he finds them all the best places to forage for goodies.
Yesterday while watching chicken TV I found yet another reason I adore him.
My flock is usually very peaceful and they all get along well. Late yesterday afternoon they were all foraging in the garden area when two of my top hens suddenly decided they hated each other. They engaged in a knock down, drag out fight with claws, wings and beaks going in every direction. My rooster, who had been several hundred feet away at the time, was on the scene in seconds. He stepped right in between the two hens and took a few blows for his trouble. He finally managed to break the fight up by using his body to push the two hens apart.
Over the next half hour or so the two hens went at it two more times. Each time my roo stepped in and restored the peace. He finally ended up "shadowing" the instigator for the rest of their time outside so that she couldn't start another fight.
I don't know what got into the hens, but all is well today. For those who would ask why I didn't break it up myself - no blood was being drawn and it's all a part of the pecking order. I truly believe it's best that they work things out themselves (within reason).
When it's all said and done, my rooster is worth his weight in gold.
Yesterday while watching chicken TV I found yet another reason I adore him.
My flock is usually very peaceful and they all get along well. Late yesterday afternoon they were all foraging in the garden area when two of my top hens suddenly decided they hated each other. They engaged in a knock down, drag out fight with claws, wings and beaks going in every direction. My rooster, who had been several hundred feet away at the time, was on the scene in seconds. He stepped right in between the two hens and took a few blows for his trouble. He finally managed to break the fight up by using his body to push the two hens apart.
Over the next half hour or so the two hens went at it two more times. Each time my roo stepped in and restored the peace. He finally ended up "shadowing" the instigator for the rest of their time outside so that she couldn't start another fight.
I don't know what got into the hens, but all is well today. For those who would ask why I didn't break it up myself - no blood was being drawn and it's all a part of the pecking order. I truly believe it's best that they work things out themselves (within reason).
When it's all said and done, my rooster is worth his weight in gold.
