Hi from South Carolina and need help with rehoming cockerel

[Accidental Chicken Mom]

Welcome. I will pm you in the AM.

Thanks a bunch! Happy weekend.
I'm a complete newbie here, so hopefully can figure out how to get pms... perhaps they'll come to my email?

 

[DobieLover]

Thanks so much! I was leaning that way too... but my husband and Henny have always been a little stand-offish and last night Henny lunged at him. So that's pushing toward voting Henny off the island.

There are no guarantees that Conchita will not eventually do the same thing.

I'm not trying to be rude but your hubby is doing something to trigger Henny.

I had to learn how to move and behave around my own rooster too. I've been flogged more times than I can count! But I kept my boy because he is so very good for the flock and that is the most important thing. I worked with him and we now have a mutually respectful relationship.

You can give this article by @Shadrach a read and hopefully it will help you help your hubby how to understand and treat Henny the Awesome so he can remain with his girls as their leader.

 

[TwoCrows]

Thanks a bunch! Happy weekend.
I'm a complete newbie here, so hopefully can figure out how to get pms... perhaps they'll come to my email?

If someone sends you a PM (private message) or you want to send one to someone, you access that here at this envelope...

 

[Accidental Chicken Mom]

Welcome from a fellow South Carolinian! We do have a State Thread on here.
So sorry things didn't turn out with having Henny Penny. If you haven't already, try posting him on Craigslist or FB Market Place as well as the state thread. Best of luck finding him a new home!

Thank you!! I thought I'd replied to your kind note, but don't see it below your message. Still figuring out how this whole site works. Maybe I replied to myself? Really appreciate the support.

 

[Accidental Chicken Mom]

If someone sends you a PM (private message) or you want to send one to someone, you access that here at this envelope...
View attachment 3613522

Oh thank you!! Of course, the letter icon. I think I must be stressed out.

 

[TwoCrows]

Oh thank you!! Of course, the letter icon. I think I must be stressed out.

BYC can be daunting at first, lots going on here. But you will learn over time. Just click on everything until it gets you to where you want to go.

 

[SilverBirds]

Thank you!! I thought I'd replied to your kind note, but don't see it below your message. Still figuring out how this whole site works. Maybe I replied to myself? Really appreciate the support.

You did, but that's okay! You'll get the hang of the site.

 

[Accidental Chicken Mom]

There are no guarantees that Conchita will not eventually do the same thing.

I'm not trying to be rude but your hubby is doing something to trigger Henny.

I had to learn how to move and behave around my own rooster too. I've been flogged more times than I can count! But I kept my boy because he is so very good for the flock and that is the most important thing. I worked with him and we now have a mutually respectful relationship.

You can give this article by @Shadrach a read and hopefully it will help you help your hubby how to understand and treat Henny the Awesome so he can remain with his girls as their leader.

Wow, that's an info-rich article. Thank you! I've tagged for future reference.

Your points make a lot of sense... if I can convince my husband to be a bit more patient with Henny. Conchita is a wild card. A beautiful one, but an unknown.

Henny does over-mate but I'm hoping that's a first-season overachiever thing? Do you find the subsequent seasons are a bit less testosterone driven?

Phryne has a raw bald place on her back (I can't get close enough to her anymore to put on a saddle or Henny would have a fit) Tally has lost feathers on her head and Aggie's side feathers are shredded. Hoped the new additions would relieve some stress, and one of the newbies is mating with Henny and laying already. Two aren't mature yet and the 4th is Conchita the cockerel that is stirring up Henny's wrath and creating much angst.

Are you able to handle your hens around your rooster? Right now I can't - again maybe first season thing? I miss being able to sit outside with a cup of tea and hang out with the chickens now that Henny's become so protective. And I'm afraid to have anyone else "chicken sit" for fear Henny might hurt them...? So I can't go anywhere overnight.... all factors in weighing the decision of who has to go.

Thanks ssoooooo much for the support! I'm a mess trying to figure out the right thing.

 

[Lovely Lettie]

Welcome to our awesome community! Nice to meet you

 

[Nayday]

Hi – I’m Cynthia, a newbie backyard chicken parent. Henny Penny showed up in July 2022 and stayed. We thought we’d like a few hens once we retired, but that little stray accelerated the process. As the name (which stuck) implies, we mistook Henny for a “she” but crowing and beautiful saddle & hackle feathers later explained why the shiny new nesting box wasn’t used. Henny Penny ate treats from our hands and pecked at the door for more. He’s grown into a magnificent big boy. Best guess 15 or so months? Maybe a BCM? ID help appreciated!!

We added 3 mixed pullets in November to give him company (one each RIR, Barred Plymouth Rock & Welsummer) and Henny takes his roostering seriously, to the point of wearing off some back feathers. So, we recently added 4 more to the flock to boost the rooster-to-hen ratio up to 1 rooster to 7 hens (one each Black Copper Marans, Olive Egger, Americauna and White Face Black Spanish.) Henny tidbits, feeds his favs beak-to-beak, always gives the gals first dibs on treats, vigilantly warns of hawks or other threats, and gallantly stands guard while girls are laying. Recently, when a hawk was circling overhead, he shepherded the gals to safety, marched to the middle of the yard, and stood bravely looking up at the sky. He’s become so protective now he won’t let us get close to the ladies anymore – at least so far during this first mating season.

Annnnnd… one of our new “pullets” has morphed into a cockerel. That’s not going down well at all and puts us back to the same rooster-to-hen ratio with only 3 hens for each rooster. Today Henny tried to kill Conchita - the cockerel.

It's heartbreaking, but we urgently need to rehome Henny. We'd love to find a situation where he’ll have lots of ladies to care for and won’t be confined to a cage or small run. During the day, Henny and our gals free-range a large, fenced area with trees, shrubs and flowerbeds for dust-bathing. He’s had organic feed.

I know there are so many unwanted roosters - that's how we accidentally got into all this, because of an abandoned rooster. But I'm hoping someone has a larger flock that would appreciate Henny’s protection and attentions? If so, Henny’s your fella. We're in Travelers Rest, SC area in the Upstate. We're also really close to Western NC.

Update: last night Henny lunged at my husband who has never been as bonded with him and is pretty keen to vote him off the island.

Beautiful boy! I posted my 3 mo old Americauna on craiglist...not my fav but ok in this small area. He went to new good home in less than 3 hrs! Got 10.00