Gideon's Got a Girlfriend! Gideon's Got a Girlfriend! She Isn't Pleased!

[Cetawin]

hahahahaha Poor Gideon...he learned a valuable lesson did he not? Poor thing.

Sumi....there is always plotting over Cyn's birds. How she has managed to keep Suede this long I have no idea. I already have blueprints for the "Suede Addition" to the house and my DH has plans for the Isaac Cruzin area" to be installed in his truck so Ike and he can go cruzin for chicks. LMAO

She has several birds that I truly adore Suede first and foremost, the most glorious rooster to ever live....Snow the little Beauty Queen and Ida...the Barred Tank. I think they are my favorites.

 

[speckledhen]

That Gideon sure had delusions of grandeur, going after one of my 4 year old hens. Panda doesn't take much off of anybody!

You can read more about Tiny's antics here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-attack-hen-will-she-become-a-suicide-flogger

 

[sumi]

My young roos sometimes get ideas about the older hens. I remember one day the hen was standing right in front of me when little roo jumped her. As I looked down I could see most of the hen, he was that small, didn't even cover her back. "Did" his thing and jumped off, very proud of himself, but made the mistake of walking in front of the hen he just "serviced". Boy, did he get flogged!

Cyn: Just read the Tiny thread. You guys must really love her! When did she start this reign of terror? I'm missing a chunk of her life story.
I actually thought of her today, was thinking you should put a sign on your gate: "Nevermind the dog, beware of the chicken!"

 

[speckledhen]

Gosh, I'm really not sure when her aggressive attention seeking started. I'd have to ask DH about that. I'm pretty sure she was around laying age, but could be wrong. I even tried to rehome her once, with full disclosure of course, then DH decided he'd put enough work into her and someone else wouldn't understand her like he does so we took down the ad.

Just asked DH. He thinks when she was almost a year old is when the flogging began. She's always pecked at hands for food-hands have food for her. If you pushed her away because she was annoying you, she'd come back fighting. She bites many times, it seems, out of frustration more than anything.

 

[sumi]

It must be frustrating and scary for her, not being able to see properly. But it's nice of you to hang on to (put up with) her.

 

[speckledhen]

If she had been completely blind, we would have euthanized her right away. I already had Zane, as I'm sure you know, and didn't want another who needed special care. Sometimes when she is a pain, I snatch her up, turn her facing backwards and tuck her under my arm like a football, so her head is down and she can't reach anything except maybe my backside, LOL. Then, I do what i came into the coop to do.

 

[sumi]

I can imagine it's hard, looking after a special needs chicken. We only had one, thought she wasn't severely handicapped, but she didn't live very long. I can imagine 2 will be quite a mission! It's just strange that Tiny is so aggressive towards you, after you raised her and spoiled her. Turned her into a spoiled brat?

I think if faced with dealing with a blind chick I'd find it hard to cull, but I'd wonder about it's quality of life. Would it be able to have a happy life doing chicken things?

I've seen you mention Zane in some of your posts. What is/was wrong with him?

 

[speckledhen]

Zane was hurt in a fall from the roost at about 18 weeks old. By the time he was about 20 weeks, he was more or less completely crippled. He was my up and coming male, alongside his dad, Hawkeye, in the main coop. Hawkeye died suddenly and Zane's injury ended up in permanent tendon damage so that he had a leg in a bent position with no movement in his foot. He got around using his one good leg and his wings as crutches, so couldn't be with the flock.

He lived in his own "apt" in Suede's coop for years, being taken out for sun baths, but we had to keep him dusted for lice/mites (which he never had once), keep his spurs, nails and beak trimmed because he couldn't do it himself, watch him when he was out since he couldn't get away from anything, etc. Gypsy, my black Ameraucana, was his best friend, and she came to visit him regularly. They were so sweet together. He'd even dance for her on one leg.


Here are threads about my Zane, who died suddenly a few months ago at the age of 4 1/2. He went out crowing his heart out, safe in his cage, one morning.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/199821/zane-the-protector-pics
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/134200/silly-zane-pic
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/112067/a-chicken-love-story-gypsy-and-zane
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/280703/zane-and-shadow-roommates-cute-pic-post-79
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/89789/zane-an-update-for-those-interested
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/631894/our-beautiful-zane-is-gone-rip-my-angel-with-barred-wings


ETA: And it continues....Gideon just puffed out his chest and danced for several hens and CAROLINE squatted for him! She's my head hen, a 5 1/2 yr old Buff Brahma! I think his in-road is that he looks so much like Isaac. He was all over the place dancing here and there, but he ran from Snow, my Splash Ameraucana (good move, boy-we call her "the Bouncer") and when he walked toward Isaac and then realized it was good old Dad, he ran, especially when Ike gave him the Foghorn Leghorn "boy, I say, now, boy!" look. LOL. I think I need to re-check his age. He's acting like his hormones are full-on raging, but he's only 13 1/2 weeks old.

 

[sumi]

Oh, poor Zane

But at least he had a good and long life with loving "parents" and friends. I'm going to read his threads in a bit. Am waiting for a chicken buddy who's coming round any time now. He's a BYC lurker by the way! I'm trying to get him to sign up.
Your chickens sound very entertaining! And Gideon sounds like he's going to be a good breeding roo

I swapped my last randy baby roo with a friend who told me later that boy is father to nearly all the chicks on his farm and he's most satisfied with the service, thank you. Silly little roo started practising in the chick pen on the moms. I'll never forget the sight of him hanging on to the startled hen's neck, bouncing around, cheeping his head off. Lucky for him that hen was too surprised to flog him! I don't know what it is with my baby roo's. Must be something in the water...

 

[speckledhen]

Must be a Delawegger trait, early breeding. Had one who jumped his own broody mama at ten weeks of age, LOL.

Now, the waiting begins to see if Gideon is going to be good tempered like his dad. It's too early to tell yet. So far, no biting or remotely any aggressive acts whatsoever, but he's still very young. I will be figuratively holding my breath until he hits around 18 weeks old so I can gauge his temperament better. Human-aggressive LF roosters are not permitted here, no matter how attached we become.