Daddy and son roos suddenly switch ranks after six years of a cordial relationship

[3KillerBs]

This is an interesting event.

Please continue to document the happenings as they progress so we can all learn from it.

 

[azygous]

Both boys' appetites have been greatly diminished. There is tension between the two which is normal under these circumstances. It must be very stressful.

About the only sign of aggression from Tootsie when both boys are in their run is Tootsie does the mating dance with Strawberry. I'm sure Strawberry is suffering insult from this. I sure am, and it's also sad.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

I’ve had long-time alpha roosters who were overthrown by an underling. Some were fine with their new position in the flock, but others cowered whenever the new top roo came near and the feathers on the back of their head would raise in fear/submission. However, after a period of fearfulness, they went back to being confident roosters. It just took them a little while to adjust. Though I do want to add that these instances were in a rooster-only flock with more than two roosters, meaning the new top roo wasn’t focussing all their attention on the previous alpha. And the previous alpha usually wasn’t at the bottom of the flock after the change, so may have felt more secure knowing he still had another rooster or two to lord over.

 

[DesertMouse]

I keep checking in hoping that these two boys have worked it out. At least they are still roosting side by side at night.

Seems like actually Strawberry should be the healthier of the two since Tootsie has the squamous cancer on his leg.

You say Strawberry is aging--how long does a well-cared for rooster live?

 

[azygous]

These two are probably the oldest any of my roos have reached, others dying in the past from the leucosis virus, predators, and apparent cardiac issues. Both boys are behaving normally, showing no signs of illness. Today, both finished their food, so perhaps things are beginning to settle into a routine.

 

[Sally PB]

I really hope so.

 

[azygous]

Good news! Tootsie and Strawberry are out free ranging together peacefully. There has been no aggression. Both boys are wandering together as in old times.

What I had been doing is to restrict Tootsie's free ranging, and expanding Strawberry's. My intention was to put a break on Tootsie's overblown self confidence with less freedom, and to enhance Strawberry's by giving the latter more freedom.

It appears to have worked. Strawberry isn't nearly the insufferable little jerk that he was in the aftermath of their big fight. And Strawberry seems to have lost the fear and self doubt he had. The result seems to be both boys are closer to the temperaments they had before the unfortunate big fight.

I think the secret to success in restoring their original behavior was to prevent them from having the behavior following the fight reinforced by allowing the two roos to continue with the undersirable behavior without interrupting it.

 

[azygous]

 

[DesertMouse]

Great job managing their personalities and dispute! It's nice to see the two of them peacefully free-ranging again. How's Strawberry's injured comb and ear healing up?

 

[azygous]

Strawberry is healing up nicely. Today, when it came time for the boys to free range, there happened to be one hen still out after the rest of the hens went into their run. I let Strawberry out first, and I kept Tootsie back in order to give him his treatment for his leg cancer. Toots went a bit nuts over Strawberry heading right for the single hen. The warning couldn't have been any clearer. Tootsie is staying in the run today.