Happy roo

[stilldeb]

I have two roos (so far, I think!), both 27 weeks old, one a little black Cochin frizzle named Freddy and the other a twice-Freddy's-size silkie named Harry (who was Harriet til he crowed). We also have a younger flock of (hopefully) all girls that are 10 wks old. Freddy had been demoted to "second roo", had stopped crowing, was hiding in the nesting box when Harry picked on him, etc., so the other girls were finally big enough that tonight we introduced Freddy to his own 'harem' and moved him to the other pen/coop. It all went well and in no time, Freddy was crowing again! Now I have two happy roos. (ok, nobody else better turn out to be a roo!!)


OH - this switch means I will have to feed Freddy with the younger chickens, who are still eating organic "grower/developer feed", which is a change for him...they get kitchen food and treats, too, and run in the yard - in separate groups right now...is this okay for him feed-wise?


deb g

 

[gryeyes]

Yep, it's okay, and he will like it, too. My older chickens have been lurking around a grow-out coop where I'm keeping some youngsters, hoping the kids will scratch and/or kick out some of their "better" baby feed.

Great to hear you have a happy roo now! My subordinate roosters would sure like to have their own harems....

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

That's so funny! I have a similar story, if you don't mind: ahem...

We "borrowed" a very old game rooster from my sister because she got a new roo and demoted old "Popcorn" to the duck pen and he wasn't doing so well. We fattened him up(the ducks wouldn't let the old boy eat) and got him back to good condition, and he's been alone for quite a while now in the "bachelor pad". The other day my husband and I were watching Popcorn and started to feel really bad for him. He can't quite perform his "rooster duties" with hens, he fights other roosters, so he is alone and must be lonely. But every time we introduced one of our healthy young hens, she was not so happy to be in the smaller coop/run with him and would try to get out to go back to the "big coop". We finally decided to put a few pullets from another coop with him just to gauge the reaction. They are around 3 months old: two BR and two RIR. You should have seen the delight that old fella had! He staggers when he walks, he lies down a lot, his spurs are way overgrown and his beak needs trimmed but he hunted treats and danced and tried his best to impress the ladies. Being basically still chicks, they may not have "gotten" him and his game, but it warmed my heart nonetheless! He ushered them into the coop tonight and paced out front of it for a few minutes, reminding all other watching fowl that the ladies were taken, lol. He's so funny. Anyway, just hijacked your thread to share my own story...hope you don't mind!

 

[stilldeb]

Haha - no...love it! Actually, that was the only "problem" we had, too. Freddy was doin' the 'rooster two-step' at my 10 wk old girls and they just looked at him like "huh?" He is still happy being King Freddy, though. And he is such a shrimpy little guy in with these girls, some of which are Brahmas, Silkies, etc. (all my chickens are Bantams), that they are mostly his size, some are even bigger than him.

Deb G