@featherhead007 @rural mouse and
@Ponypoor
No help you bunch of enablers.
Ok in all seriousness I have brought in dad on the decision as well. He is going to observe as well when he is out and put in his opinions. I can also trust his opinions, he will not look at him through rose colored glasses like I may be doing right now. I am grieving Branch, get attached to Roos and feel sorry for all of them. I cannot just up and say he stays, mom and dad, mostly dad have to also be on board.
Let's just say Randy is officially on trial. To earn a place in the flock he has to meet several criteria.
First, this truce with Bubba has to hold out. They start fighting, and if they do not stop he is gone.
He can never, ever show any human aggression, idiot phase or not. There are children of all ages in the neighborhood, I will not tolerate it. Even to adults. He does not have to like being held or even want to be held. He attacks a person though, he is gone.
He has to remain in the backyard. It must become his home base, he cannot keep going down to the barn and leading hens down there. If he chooses to roost in Momma Hens tree, fine. I would prefer he eventually roosts in either the coop or on the main roost with Bubba.
He must learn and learn quickly to be gentle with the girls. I know young cockerels can get rough with them in the idiot phase, but he WILL not hurt one of them. I really worry about Poppet my smallest. Poppet is gravitating towards him, I was watching out the kitchen window while I did dishes. He danced for her her but she dodged him. To his credit he did not try to grab her. He actually has not grabbed any of the girls roughly yet that I have saw. That said, he hurts a girl he is gone.
The chicks, when I move them outside the first few weeks they will be confined to the coop. Both he and Bubba and the rest of the flock can interact with them through the safety of the coop. When they are released at first it will be with my supervision. I will not tolerate any aggression at all towards the chicks. He shows aggression towards them he is gone.
As far as the chicks go, they are too young to sex yet and will not be so for a while. I want a cockerel in this group. In theory I should have at least 1. I have never had a all pullet hatch. So lets say I get the boy I want out of these chicks. He too will have to prove himself but mainly the only thing that will cause me to rehome him would be human aggression. When the possible boy hits his idiot phase Randy would be roughly about a year old give or take. Hopefully by then IF he is still here he has had sense whipped into him. He will be allowed to whip the new boy into shape as long as he does not maim or try to kill him. He needs to show tolerance, just like Bubba is doing with him. He does not he is gone.
To be fair I am giving Randy a chance, but he IS a game cockerel. He is not a small old english game cockerel like
@Ponypoor has. He is essentially a fighting cockerel that whoever hatched and raised him decided he did not make the cut. That could be in his favor to be honest. I have to remain skeptical though. I NEED multiple boys, 2 to be honest. I am asking Randy to fit into a flock that goes against EVERYTHING he was bred to be. Right now, I will not kill him, I see potential. I am hoping he starts roosting in the coop that way he could be contained IF he crosses a line and needs to go. I should not have to bear the responsibility to rehome him if it comes to that. I will though, I will first try to find him a home if he does not work out for me.
He is going to make mistakes.
They are shy of me, but they are still hanging out with my chooks. I’m very surprised that they haven’t been eaten by the barn cats yet. (There’s several of them here too)
