svh
Crowing
This past Sunday, I picked up an EE Cockerel named Jasper, from @Pawsitivly and her family. Very sweet, easily handle able and very BIG !!! @Pawsitivly did an awesome job raising him, thank you !!!
Saturday, I had prepared my brooder pen, inside part of the coop, to house Jasper for a "look no touch" pre-integration process. I know, I should have quarantined him for a period of time, but I didn't have the space, or resources to do it properly. I did however thoroughly inspect him off property, and found no obvious problems.
Some of the babies,10 or 11 weeks old, were the first to greet the new arrival.
Then the biggs moved in for a closer look. Tempers flared for a time, with a bit of pecking through the barrier, but no damage was done.
Note the size of Jasper at around 6 months old ..... The second hen in command, a year and a half old SLW, had to jump up on a cinder block to see eye to eye with this big boy !!!
This afternoon, some of the hens were hangin around the penned Cockerel, I figured what the heck, it's been 4 days, lets see what happens, so I freed Jasper, and immediately 2 hens attacked him !!! He quickly, and easily demonstrated his dominance, and put an end to any of that nonsense !!! It was over in seconds, before I could retrieve my camera.
He went around to inspect all 15 pullets and hens, checked out the new digs, and went right to finding a "girlfriend" !!! He struck out several times, then finally found Hazel the Barred Rock, and found mutual love.
I had a rooster about 8 months ago, who was just plain problems, and was invited to dinner, but he was nothing like Jasper. I think he's a keeper !!!
I was amazed at a few things that happened today :
First, How quickly he established leadership. literally within minutes he was, as they say, ruling the roost !!! He went right to taking command, and everybody just fell in line, with VERY little drama.
Second, He almost immediately went right to his roosterly duties, scratching up delicious goodies for the ladies, who were following him everywhere. He also seemed very wary of the sky, and seemingly, kept looking out for aerial predators.
Third, I was impressed on how he led the whole flock to bed at a reasonable time. I've had ongoing problems with "girls gone wild", the hens going every which way, here and there, and not wanting to put themselves up before dark. He changed EVERYTHING in the flock dynamics, in a matter of hours !!! I checked the coop when I noticed they were all inside quite early, and he had the best, highest roosting spot, and even the littles were up on the roosts the hens were kicking them off of just last night !
What a wonderful peacekeeper.
As of dark, Hazel, his love from earlier, and clearly his favorite, and Orca, the second hen in charge, (the one he fought with earlier) were snuggled up on either side of their new king.
Here he is with an eye on the sky.
Here is Jasper with his new groupies !!!
Thanks again to @Pawsitivly, and thank you all for looking !
Saturday, I had prepared my brooder pen, inside part of the coop, to house Jasper for a "look no touch" pre-integration process. I know, I should have quarantined him for a period of time, but I didn't have the space, or resources to do it properly. I did however thoroughly inspect him off property, and found no obvious problems.
Some of the babies,10 or 11 weeks old, were the first to greet the new arrival.
Then the biggs moved in for a closer look. Tempers flared for a time, with a bit of pecking through the barrier, but no damage was done.
Note the size of Jasper at around 6 months old ..... The second hen in command, a year and a half old SLW, had to jump up on a cinder block to see eye to eye with this big boy !!!
This afternoon, some of the hens were hangin around the penned Cockerel, I figured what the heck, it's been 4 days, lets see what happens, so I freed Jasper, and immediately 2 hens attacked him !!! He quickly, and easily demonstrated his dominance, and put an end to any of that nonsense !!! It was over in seconds, before I could retrieve my camera.
He went around to inspect all 15 pullets and hens, checked out the new digs, and went right to finding a "girlfriend" !!! He struck out several times, then finally found Hazel the Barred Rock, and found mutual love.
I had a rooster about 8 months ago, who was just plain problems, and was invited to dinner, but he was nothing like Jasper. I think he's a keeper !!!
I was amazed at a few things that happened today :
First, How quickly he established leadership. literally within minutes he was, as they say, ruling the roost !!! He went right to taking command, and everybody just fell in line, with VERY little drama.
Second, He almost immediately went right to his roosterly duties, scratching up delicious goodies for the ladies, who were following him everywhere. He also seemed very wary of the sky, and seemingly, kept looking out for aerial predators.
Third, I was impressed on how he led the whole flock to bed at a reasonable time. I've had ongoing problems with "girls gone wild", the hens going every which way, here and there, and not wanting to put themselves up before dark. He changed EVERYTHING in the flock dynamics, in a matter of hours !!! I checked the coop when I noticed they were all inside quite early, and he had the best, highest roosting spot, and even the littles were up on the roosts the hens were kicking them off of just last night !
What a wonderful peacekeeper.
As of dark, Hazel, his love from earlier, and clearly his favorite, and Orca, the second hen in charge, (the one he fought with earlier) were snuggled up on either side of their new king.
Here he is with an eye on the sky.
Here is Jasper with his new groupies !!!
Thanks again to @Pawsitivly, and thank you all for looking !
