Hey gang, sorry been swamped. Just wanted to update on two fronts. Left Eye our blind out of one eye, was tried at flock integration with issues. I put Isis and Gretchen two sweet petite EE in the enclosed run with her and they did great! If anything Left Eye was more territorial about her run, coop and food. I picked the right girls for the job. They didn't fight her just ran and avoided her. I put them up in the small coop at night and they did fine. Then Thursday, I decided to open up the run and let them out as Left Eye was now scratching for food with the girls and roosting up in the run. So she ws eager to join the gang and her eye is no longer swollen or red so I figured the less time away the better. So I stayed and watched, well almost immediately leaving the run she was attacked by the youngest RIR Roo and he was pretty rough with her, she ran to he free range area after that and was attempting to eat and she was attacked by one of her Delaware sisters. She then rested under a tree and was again attacked by Rojo the big RIR Roo's. Rocco broke that up but she basically ran back into the run and into the smaller coop and into a nest box. So I closed her up and gave her some time. Then opened the coop again and left for awhile. Later she was out in the run on a roost. I left and returned after the heavy thunderstorm to find the entire flock huddled in the large coop. I thought great, this is gonna work out ok. Well came out 15 minutes later and found Rocco and Rojo ganging up on her in the run. Enough that she had her head buried behind a board and she wasn't moving. Well that upset me and I went and picked up Rocco by the feet and then carried him around in my arms while I chased down Rojo. Seems sort of silly now but I guess my mama chicken came out in me. I then put her back into the enclosed run with Isis and a Little One (another EE).
Also yesterday I observed the little red RIR chase and holding onto one of the Buff Oprh roosters, so things have been escalating between all the roosters. Plus observed some hens getting mated by Rocco and then immediately Rojo. Now all four roosters were all trying to mate. The girls have been nervous and a lot had been flying to the top of the 6 foot fence rails and roosting all day. The EE seemed especially flustered and a few had tried roosting in the tree's the last couoke nights, as they didn't seem to want to be in the coop. Bruno one if the Buff Oprh's was losing weight, being starved out of the food, mostly by Rojo. He spent a lot of time in the coop. So all of those things combined, we decided that the two RIR roo's were becoming thugs and seemed to upset the girls the most, so it was decided we would cull and process both of them today.
So we locked them in the enclosed run over night with most the flock in the big coop and Left Eye and the two EE in the small coop. Then is am after letting the main coop our for free range we moved them in there after an hour or so everyone seemed to already be allot calmer, the dynamic shift was already apparent. So we gave thanks and reverence to both rooster and then got to work. This was my first processing and to be honest I was a bit nervous, but after the initial head chopping it got easier. We processed both boys and cleaned them up. They both are in the fridge right now, We will eat one on Sunday. My BF was tremendous in teaching me the ropes and I obviously couldn't have done it without him. So just wanted to state two things, I learned many lessons from those roosters in my short chicken raising time. I also felt it was important to be involved in all of it, as that was the reason we got them. To be connected to our food source, to know they had a good life, were raised and treated well. So now the circle has come full circle for me and all I can say is thqt I feel very blessed to have had this chance to be involved in my food source, as many people will never have that connection.
So it has been a long week, given the injured bird. She was able to successfully integrate with the flock today and I am glad to report she roosted up with everyone in the main coop tonight. So for that I feel great about our decision on the RIR roosters. Also today the flock seemed pretty content, the flock engergy was more mellow and I saw one girl up on the fence and that was only briefly. I observed no fighting between the two BO Roo's. So I would say this affirms our thoughts about the other two, RIP Rojo and Little Red.
Sounds like you made the right decision. Our one rooster, Dinner, behaves similarly to your RIR roos. Not only is he rough with the ladies I have noticed our head roo, Carter (BCM) gets too excited and rough when he is around and they seem to team up on the ladies, but if I separate Dinner, Carter is a gentleman and courts the ladies properly. Obviously we've always had plans to process Dinner, but it's coming time to do it asap.
How old were your roos?
I've processed a few chickens before, but never the actual dead. DH did that. This time though DD wants to do it as long as she doesn't have to see any blood. She wants to break his neck. He is so mean to the girls she hates him. I'm glad by the time she's my age, raising her own food will be second nature for her. Although at this point she says she's only ok with killing animals she doesn't like. Next year we'll have enough meat birds I think she'll get over that though.
We also have a chick (SLW) that is a roo, I think his new name will be Nuggets instead of Poppy.
