So, I had a hunch that I should go check on the chickens. A hunch I couldn't explain, but I knew that if I didn't check I wouldn't be able to rest or sleep. I figured I was just still worried about that fox.
Well, I went out to check on everyone as it was getting dark, and sure enough... no fox. But I had a Naked Neck cockerel wandering around my yard near the house looking freaked out and lost. Mr. Pink from the S&G pen, NOT high on the pecking order - had likely been chased and harassed until he climbed/flew out. He walked straight up to me and let me pick him up, so I tucked his head under my arm and we went to put him to bed. And there I found that Ricky Bobby (Mr. Blue) had completely cornered Mr. Orange (aka Biter or J****ss because of the unprovoked wounds he's given me) in the back of the coop, under the roost boards. To the point that I was a little afraid that Mr. Orange's head was stuck between the HW cloth and the lumber, so I had to get on my hands and knees and crawl under there with a board and pry Ricky Bobby away - and, of course, no surprise, he came after me instead. I'm quite good at rooster control/catching, so I got him in a gentle but controlling hold quickly and popped him on the roosts. Then I had to pluck out Mr. Orange, who was miserable. I had to hold him a bit, then when I put him down, he tried to go out the auto door - so I had to block it until I could go find the magnet that makes it shut early.
Sooooooo... Looks like I will be culling a LOT sooner than I had planned, it's suddenly gotten awful in there. And I've caught at least two of them doing what LOOKS like having sex with a rock on the ground (has anyone seen this?). My goal is to try to keep three and see if they will tolerate each other. My hope was to keep them longer to test heat tolerance, but I can't with this fighting. So I'm mostly culling ones who don't have very nice lives right now, pecking order-wise. The list includes the big crossbeak, Mr. Grey (who hides a lot), Mr. Baby Blue, who attacks my boots very aggressively and also is chased and harassed a lot, Mr. Orange a big biter (though he also sometimes acts like he likes me - crazy boy) who is also harassed, Mr. Pink (the one who was chased out tonight), and Mr. Purple, smallest, comb covers his eyes. something "not quite right" there, I think.
That leaves Bubba (the head cockerel, largest), Ricky Bobby, and Mr. Green (who gets to stay mainly by default because I want three instead of two). If they continue to fight, I don't have the housing to keep more than one, I was just hoping to have more than one in case I lose one to heat...
Argh!!!!! I don't want to have to cull this week...
- Ant Farm
