Do They Have Memories?

[wbruder17]

I just had to rehome another roo. I'm usually very good at finding new homes. And this one was fine, for a chicken. But certainly nowhere near the habitat I have for my chickens and the way he was raised. I'm sure he will be fine...blah blah....but do you guys think that they have any kind of memry of how they had it before? Or things that have happened to them? I love my chickens and this bothers me.

He was my buddy, but I couldn't keep him.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Yes I believe that they remember things. But you cannot keep all the chickens in the whole world and have to take care of your home the way you see fit, selling/buying etc.

I believe he will miss your home, but will get used to the new place.

 

[wbruder17]

I've just always felt better about the homes I've taken roos to. I think I got a bad picture because of all the rain we get here, and the guy seemed very sweet with his animals. It wasn't bad. Access to a large run, a big coop with heat, and lots of other chickens, duck, turkeys, goats, mules, horses etc. He is a hatchery and does a lot of business. He laughed at my concerns a bit and said he would be well taken care of.... so I'm probably just being paranoid. I saved the roo from a cat attack as a chick and nursed him back to health. He was spoiled rotten and trained to fly onto my arm for treats, but, like you said, I have to think of my flock, and he was being very rough with my hens.... he has ripped out a bunch of their head feathers and made my little cochin banty bleed. I'm pretty sure my hens hated him..... and I have a very sweet D'Uccle roo, that is quiet, goes to bed early, wakes up late, and does not beat up on my hens. I won't have as many fertile eggs to hatch, as my roo is tiny and I have 20, mostly full sized hens....

Oh well. I guess I did what I had to do.the DH wasn't having it anymore. I need to be grateful I can even have one roo....

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I've just always felt better about the homes I've taken roos to. I think I got a bad picture because of all the rain we get here, and the guy seemed very sweet with his animals. It wasn't bad. Access to a large run, a big coop with heat, and lots of other chickens, duck, turkeys, goats, mules, horses etc. He is a hatchery and does a lot of business. He laughed at my concerns a bit and said he would be well taken care of.... so I'm probably just being paranoid. I saved the roo from a cat attack as a chick and nursed him back to health. He was spoiled rotten and trained to fly onto my arm for treats, but, like you said, I have to think of my flock, and he was being very rough with my hens.... he has ripped out a bunch of their head feathers and made my little cochin banty bleed. I'm pretty sure my hens hated him..... and I have a very sweet D'Uccle roo, that is quiet, goes to bed early, wakes up late, and does not beat up on my hens. I won't have as many fertile eggs to hatch, as my roo is tiny and I have 20, mostly full sized hens....

Oh well. I guess I did what I had to do.the DH wasn't having it anymore. I need to be grateful I can even have one roo....

Those d'Uccle roosters are absolute sweethearts. I hear you!

 

[kari_dawn]

I agree that they have memories...how lucid they are is a different story I suppose...ever since I lost Clover, Cider, and Ichabod to what I believe to be a mink, Ivy refuses to go into the coop but rather tries to roost on top of it I lost my three girls about a month or more ago, and my girls only get to free range on the weekends. I still have to remove Ivy from the top of the coop and herd her back in at night.

In the end, it is still a good home...I don't know of many people that have heated coops. Besides, stressing out your girls is not acceptable roo behavior...roos are so readily available because so many cannot keep them...when it comes to his girls, a roo should be held to a very high standard, and be the ultimate gentleman.

It sounds like he is going to a great home though.

 

[wbruder17]

Yea, agreed. I'm not going to put up with a roo that is not nice to my hens. Ultimately, THEY are the important ones, the roo is just an added sidekick for amusement and the perk of hatching babies. The DH said no roosters, but because Feisty is so little and relatively quiet, I was able to sneak around the "rule"...hehe.

At least he didn't go to freezer camp!

 

[kari_dawn]

true! At least fiesty stays too! He sounds adorable ^.^

 

[wbruder17]

He's super cute. Looks like a little Charlie chaplain, but his name is totally fitting. He doesn't attack me or anything, but when I try to pick him up, he will bite, and drew blood once when he bit the fatty underside of my arm while I was giving him a "health check". And he certainly keeps the ladies in check, despite his small stature. If there is a tiff over the food, or there is an impatient waiting line at the dust hole, he is right there, monitering the situation and dpling out a good wing/foot scuffle and they are right back in line. Funny, the actually respect him, where they were defiant to the rehomed roo. Feisty asks, Gash took. Funny how alike hens and women are. Askk, and you shall receive. Steal, and you will be loathed.

 

[kari_dawn]

Ha ha so true! I had a bantie roo named Caspian...he was a blue cochin x silkie, and he was very good to his girls. He never once accepted a treat from my hand without offering it to the girls. If one didn't want it, he would offer it to another...he never took it for himself. My standard roo was a pain, always jumping on the girls, no dancing, and no bringing gifts. Waffle (my matriarch) would chase him off if he so much as LOOKED at her whereas Caspian got mating privilages whenever and wherever he wanted

I suppose all girls are the same...lol