Does anyone else have problems with roos, or is it just me???
I never wanted a roo...didn't want the noise or my hens to be mated. But then I caught the hatching bug and thought it would be great to hatch my own eggs.
I caved in and bought a Blue Ameraucana trio and after a few supervised free ranging hours I left the trio alone with my flock of girls. A few hours later I hear hens hollering and my roo crowing nonstop. I go out to find my youngest sons Polish dead at the feet of the roo. I figured he must have broken her neck while mating her. I separated the trio right away and a few months later I sold the big roo. I am now raising their babies up, possibly to have a different roo.
This Spring I lucked out and got 2 bantam frizzle Cochins at TSC, one turned out to be a cockerel. I figured I would keep him and see if I could get any neat frizzle babies. He has been mating them for a couple weeks and I even have 2 hens sitting on fertile eggs from him already and they are developing. Today I went out to give treats and found my other sons black Jap hen unable to walk. She keeps falling over on her side, like she can't get her balance. Same type of behavior one of my previous juvies had when it got landed on by another jumping chick. No illness symtoms. I am suspecting my roo got too rough with her sometime today. I have separated her, but not sure if she will recover.
Does this stuff happen to other people with roos or is it just my bad luck? I am really considering getting rid of him (the frizzle) and not bothering to keep a Splash Amer. roo either. I don't want my hens/pullets to keep getting hurt by stupid roos. I am really bummed and frustrated!
I never wanted a roo...didn't want the noise or my hens to be mated. But then I caught the hatching bug and thought it would be great to hatch my own eggs.
I caved in and bought a Blue Ameraucana trio and after a few supervised free ranging hours I left the trio alone with my flock of girls. A few hours later I hear hens hollering and my roo crowing nonstop. I go out to find my youngest sons Polish dead at the feet of the roo. I figured he must have broken her neck while mating her. I separated the trio right away and a few months later I sold the big roo. I am now raising their babies up, possibly to have a different roo.
This Spring I lucked out and got 2 bantam frizzle Cochins at TSC, one turned out to be a cockerel. I figured I would keep him and see if I could get any neat frizzle babies. He has been mating them for a couple weeks and I even have 2 hens sitting on fertile eggs from him already and they are developing. Today I went out to give treats and found my other sons black Jap hen unable to walk. She keeps falling over on her side, like she can't get her balance. Same type of behavior one of my previous juvies had when it got landed on by another jumping chick. No illness symtoms. I am suspecting my roo got too rough with her sometime today. I have separated her, but not sure if she will recover.
Does this stuff happen to other people with roos or is it just my bad luck? I am really considering getting rid of him (the frizzle) and not bothering to keep a Splash Amer. roo either. I don't want my hens/pullets to keep getting hurt by stupid roos. I am really bummed and frustrated!
