Lost my little Rooster yesterday right before my eyes.

[Stiggy]

Sorry to hear about your little roo, as someone else ( I forget who mentioned it) but they suggested getting rid of the other roo. A good roo will let the others eat and drink before he does, and he will protect them and break up any quarrels and not be aggressive. Its a bad sign when two roosters who are brothers and have grown up that way are aggressive and fight like that.

 

[lazy gardener]

Regarding fertile eggs: I'd suggest that you do a thread search on how to tell if an egg is fertile (before being incubated). A person who has not been trained in what to look for would not be able to tell the difference between a fertile egg and an unfertile one. Enjoy your eggs whether they are fertile or not.

Re: rooster behavior: It's normal for young roosters to be aggressive to each other. They are sparring over who gets to be boss. Sounds like big roo won those rights. It's also normal for young roosters (cockrels) to chase the pullets, and to be a bit selfish when it comes to the food/treats. More gentlemanly behavior will come soon. The way a rooster mates looks brutal to us humans. He will grab the hen by the back of the neck, and pin her to the ground while he does his thing. She may squawk, but then she will get up and shake herself off and go about her business as though nothing has happened. A good rooster will mature to: Watch sky and land for danger and alert the flock. He will tid-bit the girls. (He'll find a morsel and may repeatedly pick it up and drop it while making excited clucking noises. When the hen comes, he'll share his morsel with her.) He'll dance for the girls before mating. (Dropped wing, rapid stepping in a semi-circle around her, maybe while clucking) He may even accompany his hens to the nest box, and may even climb in and fluff up the bedding for her, while clucking.) He will never be aggressive to the chicks, and may even help raise them. He will be people friendly: will never attack a human. That being said, I'd take every precaution with a rooster, and keep him penned when young children are visiting, and if it is necessary to administer care to one of his hens, I'd pen him up first.

I do not think big roo had anything to do with the death of little roo. Perhaps, indirectly, little roo did break his neck while sparring, but if so, it was a congenital weakness. He could have died from any number of congenital causes. I'm sorry it happened, but, you still have an other roo. Are you planning to raise your own chicks? If you find it stressful to have a rooster, you certainly are not obligated to keep one.

 

[tobit]

OMG i think you have just made me NOT WANT TO EAT EGGS at all. lol.

Sorry haha they still taste great and are healthy and come from happy hens with plenty of space, and that's what counts right!

 

[familyfarm1]

So sorry that your rooster died

.

 

[henmama6plus]

In regards to the fight I sorta have come to the conclusion that Little Roo hit his head on a rock and that is what caused his sudden death. I have a rock wall for a garden fence right beside the run and I had tucked the wire under the rocks to secure it from coons. Where the post was I tucked a rock in there and it was sorta jutting into the wire. My fault. I have removed it and plan on getting wood later to frame it all out better . Right now I made an aviary type thing with left over water line. With a tree log jutting up through the center to hold it all in place. It looks like a t pee. The wire is secured to the wire with plastic ties. Anyway eventually I will frame it out and attach the wire to the framing. But it works for now. Keeps them safe. The Roosters are allready doing a good job watching for Hawks that are overhead. One came close the day after Little Roo died and he was still in a box not buried. Big Roo was all alert to it. It came very close down to us. Usually they skedaddle if I am out in yard and start to go and get camera or binoculars. I kinda thought they might be Bald Eagles. Since have found out they are def Hawks. Anyway he does look out for the hens allready but not as aggressively as Little Roo used to. I have held and petted these critters since they were little peeps. Most are happy to see me and let me pick them up . I actually sit on swing with them and rub them down with DE to keep them clean and healthy. They are pampered Chicks for sure.

 

[henmama6plus]

yes they seem to be healthy and are getting real close to being old enough to give me some eggs.

 

[henmama6plus]

thanks. I find that they are adjusting to the loss of one of their own. I am finding that I won't need as much feed. So all is good. I didn't want any Roosters but will probably keep the one I have since I have made them into pets. I don't want a bunch of them as I have limited space.

 

[henmama6plus]

This one is doing pretty good. ONly got a little nasty when it was overly hot out. It is cool out now and they are all doing great. So in a way Heat Stress did play a part of it. But I think he hit his head on a rock. ????

 

[Stiggy]

Quite possible, he also could of had a heart attack, stroke, burst blood vessel and any number of other random and sudden occurances . It sounds rare but it can happen suddenly, in otherwise healthy birds