Mamagirl3
Chirping
we purchased 14 day old pullets and 1 day old cockerel in feb 2022. This rooster grew up with our girls and all was fine. This march some of the hens went broody and raised chix. the first 8 born there was 5 boys!! When momma hen was ready to go back to the big pen her little chix followed her in and they slept separate to the coop in their own little house with a little heat. But as they grew they went right in the main coop and all lived happy. When the little fellas started trying to crow ... there had not been problems and i didnt want any -- we moved them to the pen we had used for the brooding hens earlier. Then in july went to coop one morning and our beautiful roo was dead? Had been fine and when hubby got eggs the evening before it was getting late enough most were already in coop and he said our roo did his normal little chit chat he always does when he sees us and was in his reg spot with the girls huddled around. Dead in morning? Not a mark on him.. all we can guess is he got too hot from the girls all around him which also was blocking the fan and screened window from him getting air. So for 3 months didnt make any changes, let them settle down. Then we picked out our favorite of the ones we raised and put him in on the roost one night. The girls hated him.. ran from him, even some pecked at him.. left him to see if thi gs would settle? Got some better but after 2 weeks they still didnt want him near them. Put him back and waited a couple weeks and put another one in there.. they were not as mean to him but still ran from him if he got close. But since there was no meaness we left him. Now it has been 6 weeks. He does his part in watching over them! They dont run from him, but they still will move away from him. Yet they sleep all around him at night. If he makes a warning sound.. they all come to him. But want no part of mating. The 3 hens he can sneak up on occasionally and get on them.. he tries.. but they will not move their tails out of the way.. so he is never successful. Please help.
I need advice! Some of my girls are still sad acting over losing our boy.. is it hopeless that they will never accept another roo? Is there something special we need to do to get them to accept another roo?
thank you.
I need advice! Some of my girls are still sad acting over losing our boy.. is it hopeless that they will never accept another roo? Is there something special we need to do to get them to accept another roo?
thank you.