My Old Lady Orps' New Rooster...Meet Xander

[Cetawin]

Meg room with Caroline??? Only over someone's dead body...that would never work.

 

[speckledhen]

Yeah, no kidding. Someone would die, like throwing a match into gasoline. Those are two very dominant hens.

 

[theoldchick]

He is a good looking guy! I wonder if he was trying to get rid of the weakest member of the flock? Or in his horny haze could not stop himself?

 

[speckledhen]

Well, Hope, not Nugget, is the weakest member of the flock. At least, I think that's the case. Neither has laid an egg in over a year, which I think is due to internal laying (she keeps bloating up, weighs nothing) but Hope is less than 3 years old. Nugget is 5 1/2 years old and has been slowing down tremendously ever since Suede died last year. Hard to say who will die first. Xander is just overcome by hormones and no one will allow him to do anything except call them to dinner. I feel bad for him, I really do. He's adorable.

 

[sumi]

Poor little guy! I hope you can work out something and be able to keep him and keep him happy.

 

[speckledhen]

Dusty, the 5 yr old blue Orp hen, especially hates him. She goes out of her way to chase him around the pen when she becomes frustrated with his advances. If a chicken can look disgusted, she does. She's even taking to trying to sleep on top of the file cabinet nest rather than near him. He's not doing anything wrong, just being a hormonal teenager, but he can sure dance nicely. They ought to be impressed and swoon in his presence. At least, he thinks so. And he keeps trying.

 

[sumi]

Shame, he's all hormones and charm and not a sexy young pullet in sight. Poor thing! I do feel sorry for him, but it's also funny in a way. I wonder what the old girls think of this arrangement. Good thing they can't talk...

 

[speckledhen]

HA, no kidding! They'd be cursing me on a daily basis if they could speak.

Meg is too funny. He dances around her, she looks down at him, gives him her special " you will die if this continues" look, flares her hackles a smidge, and he vamooses, pronto!

 

[sumi]

Video! I'd love to see that...

 

[speckledhen]

I would love to video that. It's hilarious. He is so earnest and completely in love. Nugget has taken to clucking like she's going broody to put him off. I had a blue Ameraucana hen once, Charlotte, who faked broodiness to put off the rooster. She had me fooled for awhile until I realized that she quit as soon as he walked away and came to me to be picked up and cuddled.