So I posted here back in June right after a dog attacked and killed 3 of my flock. One "hen" barely survived. It had just been given to me by a lady amateur breeder, sold as a banty HEN and supposedly full grown. Well, I almost euthanized it after the attack, but just couldn't do it, so nursed it to health. It was infested with maggots in the wounds, and I fought from throwing up as I handpicked each maggot out, then poured hydrogen peroxide on the wounds. So shockingly, the bird survived. I guess because i handled it daily, it became very tame and sweet. It is the first bird to come jogging out to greet me every morning. So I had been noticing that this "banty" was actually growing tall... weird. Also looked lean compared to my round girls. Still, nothing registered with me that anything was off. So yesterday I was gardening and heard a "cock-a-doodle-do". I thought, "Darn it! Neighbor's nasty rooster is in my yard and now I gotta catch him!". Looked around--- no trespasser. Hmmm. Turned my back and heard the crow again. Turned around just in time to see my no-longer-banty, no-longer-hen let it rip. Darn it!! This is my favorite bird!
I really can't have a rooster--- in my town we are technically supposed to keep them enclosed in a "sound proof" area until 8am. I leave for work at 7. Not only that, but the birds live too close to our guest house where my grandbabies sleep. So far, they haven't complained about the noise. It really isn't so loud. Much quieter than the horrible, ear-splitting crow of the mille fleur banty we had that you could hear 1/2 mile down the road. Will it get louder as he ages?
Here is another odd thing--- this young rooster is really henpecked. He has almost no guts. I have to feed him separately and guard him while he eats or else the hens chase him off. Do you think he'll get tougher as the testerone takes over? He lives a pretty miserable existence. Everyone in my flock picks on him.
If no one complains, maybe--- I am keeping this rooster--- he is just so sweet. I am just so surprised that "she" is a "he". Has this every happened to anyone, or am I just really stupid????
I really can't have a rooster--- in my town we are technically supposed to keep them enclosed in a "sound proof" area until 8am. I leave for work at 7. Not only that, but the birds live too close to our guest house where my grandbabies sleep. So far, they haven't complained about the noise. It really isn't so loud. Much quieter than the horrible, ear-splitting crow of the mille fleur banty we had that you could hear 1/2 mile down the road. Will it get louder as he ages?
Here is another odd thing--- this young rooster is really henpecked. He has almost no guts. I have to feed him separately and guard him while he eats or else the hens chase him off. Do you think he'll get tougher as the testerone takes over? He lives a pretty miserable existence. Everyone in my flock picks on him.
If no one complains, maybe--- I am keeping this rooster--- he is just so sweet. I am just so surprised that "she" is a "he". Has this every happened to anyone, or am I just really stupid????