help! rooster has become "lazy"

[folly foot]

Recently we had 2 roosters beckys our dominant one and houdini our youngest. Recently houdini (know for his escaping and wandering) has disappeared and failed to retur ,been gone for almost a week now

. Before he disappeared beckys seemed to have more energy and they both had crowing competitions though houdini didn't have his full voice yet. Since houdini has disappeared beckys apears lazy, barely taking the time to "take care" of his girls. All he does is find a sunny spot and sunbathe not moving unless we approach him. He hardly crows anymore.... I'm not suggesting this is because of houdini disapearance , but this is certainly strange.. any ideas or advice on how to fix this?

 

[Flock Master64]

To me it sounds like they were battling over position as top rooster. Since Houdini lost and was shunned from the flock. Since Houdini left Becky has no reason to be energetic or active since he had no competition and all the hens are his

 

[folly foot]

Ya I guess that makes sense, I just got worried because it seems like beckys has no excitement in his life. I'm kind of tempted to raise another rooster, but I'm wondering will that do more harm than good?

 

[Flock Master64]

Are your chickens free range? If they are how much acres of land do they have to free range on?

 

[TheTwoRoos]

He does have reason to be energetic.Taking care of the flock.If he is not doing his duties then why is he there?

It is possible that he may have ran Houdini off (Often happens.)Or houdini got killed or kidnapped.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Ya I guess that makes sense, I just got worried because it seems like beckys has no excitement in his life. I'm kind of tempted to raise another rooster, but I'm wondering will that do more harm than good?

It is alot easier to raise younger roos up around older ones.This way a pecking order is already form.But that is nit always the case.One may end up being more dominate when older.

 

[folly foot]

They are free range we have around ten acres near the house and and bunch more in the gully close by but the chickens tend to stick close to the house and not explore much. Houdini was a very beautiful roos and though it probably sounds rediculous I wouldn't be suprise if someone stole him he's is an American cross with a red body and blue speckled along his wings... ( phone isn't letting me upload a pic).
We haven't found any evidence that he had been killed by something (no feathers or signs of a struggle and the day he disapearance there was no sing of anxiety in the flock

 

[folly foot]

He does have reason to be energetic.Taking care of the flock.If he is not doing his duties then why is he there?

It is possible that he may have ran Houdini off (Often happens.)Or houdini got killed or kidnapped.

Since beckys isn't really doing his job I've given out the suggestion of getting another roos but my family (after sadly accepting the disapearance of houdini) aren't really willing to part with another roos