NOt good, not good, not good

[KDbeads]

This is soo not good.
We finished the run for the birds this afternoon. Put in the resident 2 mutts. The 3 new EE pullets are in their dog cage waiting for their quarantine time to be up.

We have no idea how it happened, and hubby was out there dealing with the dead AC with the gate wide open.... but the three new girls got loose. When I found them they were at the new run in the only place that has chicken wire below 3 feet off the ground. The big roo had one girl by the neck (not just the feathers) and pulled in as far as he could get her. I got her loose and once I could move out of the way he got another the same way, happened again with the third. They look pretty beat up from it, very upset as well.
I when into the run to get him away from the mutt hen he was beating up (his response to taking his new toys away I guess) and the roo charged me, earned himself a spot in solitary indefinitely. I don't tolerate that kind of behavior in any animal that lives here. I tossed his butt in a cat carrier until I could deal with the girls.
Hen has some bloody peck marks and the girls all have little blood blister type marks from where he had a hold of them. Due to lack of confinement space and not really being able to figure out how the girls got out of the cage, we made the decision to put the girls with the hen. Had a bit of ruffled feathers but after I stood there for 10 minutes with the smallest curled up to me everything settled down enough for me to let them be.

The roo on the other hand is in the dog cage. He lived there for a week until we got the coop built anyway and he wasn't able to get out, then again he's at least double the size of the girls.

I tossed overripe plums and peaches in the run for the female, hopefully that will help keep from too much pecking long enough for me to get out there in the morning with scraps and grass.


I really hope we did the right thing.

 

[fordmommy]

Sounds to me like you did fine. Just keep an eye out. Sometimes you just have to adjust for the situation. I would have done the same thing. Honestly. Now you will have to deal with that roo. Freezer camp or craiglist.

Keep your chin up. You did good.

 

[KDbeads]

Roo tried to charge me again through the cage this morning... too thin for freezer camp at the moment

Going to ask around to see if someone wants him before hitting up CL.

The hen is really ruling the pen this morning, she won't let the girls off the roost. I stepped in, took them all down and put them by the food and water for a few minutes while holding her so they could at least get water. If she keeps up I'll close her out of the coop during the day so that the girls can eat and drink. Shouldn't take too long to assimilate then though.

 

[kathyinmo]

Boy, I can relate ! ! ! My rooster, Rocky, is 18 weeks old. He is also in solitary confinement getting fattened up. He has harrassed this flock for the last time. He was always grabbing the girls and feathers were flying, as they would not submit due to their age. He got one Buff Orpington by the neck, and ripped a 2 inch laceration in her. She is in the hospital crate, and his name has just changed to Crock Pot!

 

[KDbeads]

So far so good, everything has calmed way down, though the hen will still peck at the girls if they get too close to her. But she's letting them in the run now. She laid her egg on the floor of the coop today, apparently she just didn't like the changes we made yesterday! Luckily the girls left it alone.
Mr. Cocky is still trying to charge me though the cage, amazing the difference 3 new girls made to his attitude. He hadn't crowed the entire time he was here until Friday either, the day we brought the girls into the garden area. I was so hoping we'd have a nice roo who was mostly quiet

 

[Soccer Mom]

There are lots of nice roos out there. No reason to live with a nasty one. Freezer camp for nasty boy! But don't be disheartened. There is no reason your next rooster won't be a love.

 

[poultrypatch]

I only have 2 words for that Roo......STEW POT !!

Hope your little girls mend well
Liz

 

[KDbeads]

After talking hubby into it (He's a bit squeamish) once the roo has filled out he will be dinner.

Have 15 eggs in the bator now, pretty sure I'll get a few roos (hopefully EE's) and this time they won't be free roaming strays that have never been handled!

 

[fordmommy]

 

[KDbeads]

So I go out this evening after dark to check the coop and the girls. The hen has the ENTIRE roost to herself and the girls are all huddled with each other in one of the nest buckets, as far away from her as they can get

I'm going to pick up the nesting boxes tomorrow and install them instead of the buckets so I'll add another roost for them in that area. It was so funny looking to see 3 little golden orange heads poking out of this purple bucket with the flashlight reflecting off their eyes....