This sounds like a great update! how encouraging.I thought it might be interesting for some to read an update on my newly roosterless flock. Just as I had hoped, the flock has calmed down a lot. It is such a relief. I used to hear screams and squabbles and have hens run in and out of the coop while cleaning the poop boards and waterers in the morning - now: blissful peace. Rarely a squawk, no chasing. And also, like I had hoped, without a rooster constantly “telling” my hens that I was dangerous and punishing them for getting close to me, now my hens are completely at ease around me. I just found out that that has its downside, too, when I tried to shoo them into their coop a few minutes earlier than their bedtimeI actually had to pick them up one by one and put them in, and they’d still come out again… Ha! Before I could just gently wave my arms near the ground and they would scoot.
Well I much prefer it this way! Hopefully one of the hens will step up and help our dog with the hawk watch - that is the only good reason I can now think of for having a rooster. But I have high hopes for my new Bielefelder pullets, they seem very sky/predator aware. We’ll see.
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