Hen vs Hawk

[Weehopper]

Yesterday, I heard my hens raising a ruckus. Called the dog and ran for the door. Burst through the door just in time to see a smallish hawk make a dive at my mama hen. Sis (the hen) spread her wings and flew up trying to hit the hawk. Not unusual behavior for a game hen. She has six chicks to defend. Of course, when my dog and I came through the door it was enough to make the hawk veer off and head for the trees. I sent the dog out to make her presence known, in case the hawk had thoughts of coming back.
Then I had a thought. Where was the BCM rooster, Mr Big? Why was he not here defending his hen? I start calling the birds to take a head count. And who comes out from under the barn with the other hens? Mr Big, of course. I wondered, why was it that I wanted a rooster? Hmmm...

 

[sourland]

Game hens are among the most protective mothers. Game roosters are also more protective than most other roosters.

 

[Weehopper]

I know, but I gave my gamecock away due to the stitches in my leg

. Never had any other kind of rooster until now, so it never dawned on me that a different breed wouldn't be as, umm, game. Good thing the hen is game or her chicks would have been hawk bait.

 

[sourland]

Odd that a gamecock would be human aggressive. It is a trait that has been stringently selected against - for self evident reasons.

 

[FlyWheel]

<Snip!>. I wondered, why was it that I wanted a rooster? Hmmm...

Were the chicks she was protecting hers? Or was she a surrogate? If the former that could be one reason...

 

[Weehopper]

I had let her hatch one egg from each of my hens, including herself. The father is my BCM rooster.

 

[Weehopper]

Normally he was not aggressive at all. But it was spring and he was perky. I had already sawed his spurs off once, but had just noticed he had sharpened them back up. Anyway, he started hitting me at feeding time. I don't know if he thought I was too slow or what. Also, he was old. After about a week of dodging him, he ambushed me from behind and flogged my legs. He sliced open my ankle, and I thought he had hit a vein. I couldn't make it stop bleeding so I went to an urgent care place nearby, and they stitched it up. I gave him to my sister in law..she has a, sort of, home for old gamecocks. Takes real good care of them. She was happy to have him.