New to Roo's

[crooked stripe]

Here is a picture of the first roo I ever kept past 6 months. (red sex link) I put 6 four week old chicks out with the other 1 year olds. They picked on them something terrible. So I put them in a separate enclosure and this falcon had 2 for lunch. This roo was going crazy trying to get to the falcon but couldn't. I then enclosed the chicks in a covered pen. This morning a strange cat was trying to get into the pen. This roo kept the cat at bay long enough for the cat to lose interest. I was surprised the roo would defended the chicks even though he is separated from them. I am really impressed how a roo guards and defends the other chickens. He turned out to be fairly good looking and just decided to keep him and I am glad I did. He has proven to be worth all the problems he causes with his possessiveness of the coop and runs. I learned a roo is a must if you have predators. I don't know where he learned how to defend the others and his area but it is impressive. Anyone else have a roo that shows this behaviour? I would love to hear some stories.

 

[gryeyes]

I love my roos. I have one dominant EE, standard size, who does all the right things, and a few other little bantam roos. One of those is the #2 rooster, and he's JUST as protective, if not more so. He's a bantam Buff Brahma and he will even chase blue jays and crows in the "back forty" which is not near where most of the chickens free range (usually). Blue jays and crows aren't after the chickens, but Charlie doesn't care - they don't belong in HIS yards!

When he was just a little bitty thing, practicing his crow, didn't have all his pretty feathers, he alerted on one of those huge dragonflies. Cracked me up!

 

[Ridgerunner]

That defensive behavior is instinctive in a good rooster. I'm not at all surprised he would defend them. A good rooster defends all members of his flock, giving his life if necessary. It is a shame not all roosters are good.

I don't really have any good stories about a rooster defending his flock. The best I can do is mention that any time I go into the run with something in my hand that frightens them, the hens go to the far corner and the roosters get between the hens and me. They are not frightened when I am carrying things like the water bucket of the feed bucket, but about anything they are not used to, like a bag of oyster shell, a tool to fix something, or something green and leafy from the garden can frighten them.

With that coloring, do you happen to know the parent breeds of that roosteer. He looks a little different from my red sex link rooster, Specklled Sussex rooster over a Delaware hen.

Gryeyes, jays and crows will eat baby chicks and eggs, so I think it is pretty good he will chase them. Sounds like one of the good roosters.

 

[crooked stripe]

Ridgerunner, I have no idea what he came from. There where 6 left at the Tractor Supply and I couldn't leave them there. 4 red sex links and 2 Marans. I bought them for .50 a piece at the end of the season. Out of all the hundreds that where there I got the last of them. I see the resemblance in the two. Out of the 50 or so I have had in my short chicken keeping experience he is the best roo. My Black Astralorp hens I enjoy the most, seems they always come to see you and have something to discuss. Just like my grand daughter, I don't understand a word. rj