Ok, glad to find these posts--we have two pullets and one rooster--purchased in March as chicks--well, the chicks have been gettin' laid but they ain't yet a layin'. I'm so anxious for eggs, this is my first time! I was wondering why they hadn't started layin' yet--so I'm guessing they just aren't quite ready...they do seem to change and grow a little more each day--so they may not be quite ready to lay. I have been following them around the yard to make sure they aren't laying eggs and hiding them...but there's lots of places for them to hide that I can't get to, so I've provided them with very nice nesting boxes in their coop and keep them closed in until around noon...I'm hoping they'll get the idea that the nesting boxes are a nice place to lay and the yard is not!
That said, our rooster is starting to get a little more aggressive each day. I have a small five lb. poodle and he's been chasing him off...sometimes he'll startle and act like he's ready for a fight. I don't want a mean rooster--I have lots of kids coming thru because I teach piano...on a fun note, our roo does sometimes hop on the patio table and look into the window where I'm teaching and crow--it's the cutest thing and my students all love it...but, I'm wondering if I should be worried about him getting aggressive. Any experience out there with this? I had a student a few years ago (long gone) who was attacked by a rooster at someone else's home and it traumatized the poor kid. I don't want anything like that going on, here...I'm guessing that we can't let him get the upper hand--so when he puffs up and starts moving towards us (lately, he's started jumping a bit--which my husband says is a fight mode) we stomp towards him and chase him away--he always backs down, but he does get braver anhd braver...oh, he's an Americauna--which I heard is a fairly docile breed and not too big. It looks like he has nubby spurs starting on his legs...any thoughts or advice would be welcome.
Robmcsched
Family: Husband, two kids, small poodle, barn cat, two rescued pot-bellied pigs, one rooster, two pullets and planning on getting more chicks!
