I've had chickens for years, but mostly I feed and water them, lock them up at night and let them out in the morning. I watch them hunt & peck, but otherwise they go about their day and I go about mine. Anyway, after reading about roosters showing the girls treats, etc., I decided to watch last night when I gave them some of their favorites (cherry tomatoes). It was fun to watch him stand over the goodies making his little noises, or pick one up and take over to the hens and drop it at their feet. What a change from last year! I got him and 6 others a year ago. They were half-starved, and he would gobble up every morsel of food he could find, fighting the hens for it. When they are let out to free range, he watches where they all go, then follows one group or another. It is fun to watch their interactions.
The only reason mine is here is because he's not human aggressive. We don't keep those, nor do we give or sell them to anyone else...
Quote:True! The giving away of aggressive roosters is a little too much like administrative pass the buck for me too. Besides, they make the best chicken dinner! Who said revenge was a dish best served cold?
What could be more fun than reading about a behavior, then running out to see if yours do it?! I would probably never have picked up on half of what they do without BYC. It was really impressive to see a roo chase his girls back toward the coop, then present himself to the predator. I missed the beginning of it, saw the hens running back, then him out in the open as if baiting a predator -- who either backed down or wasn't real, as no harm was done. He did his job, even if the predator was a tractor.
Can't wait to see my little guy doing it. I've 9 older girls (6 months) but then decided I really did want a rooster after all. So now we have 5 more pullets and the 1 rooster fuzzy butt all are a week old. I got a Jersey Giant Rooster, hoping his size will help with the hawks and other predators we have around here.
I loved seeing my roo transform. At first be just basically "chicken raped" the girls. Now he dances and brings treats and sings for them. I love my charmer!
