off on the right foot with new roo

[cricket-cricket]

Sunday, we brought home our new roo - a gold laced wyandotte, approaching one year. Fortunately, our feisty little silky was rehomed as a pet just after being de-throned.

The hens don't seem to mind the new sheriff in town, but after all we've been through (2 aggressive roos in a row), we're wary of him, and he's likely wary of us.

According to the previous owner, he had not displayed any aggression thus far. The bird also lived with three other males - no fighting had broke out.

So he now has his own kingdom with 8 hens. I'd like advice on how to avoid (if possible) an aggressive roo. Up front I should explain that we are a working farm and while our birds are well fed, taken care of and we work around them quite a bit, we do not have time to pet and play with them. On the plus side, our routines are pretty stable. We talk at them frequently and our hens literally come when called. We never hit, kick, or provoke. A squirt gun was adequate (though the whole thing was tiresome).

(We also raise ducks, muscovies and geese with no trouble - have even learned to work around our ganders during breeding season).

THanks for the advice.

 

[satay]

All I could suggest is picking it up alot.( you may not want to do that) I have never had to do that though and at the moment in one large pen I have 2 large roosters and 6 bantam roosters and lots of chickens none are aggressive. I wonder if only having one roo may make them more likely to be aggressive as it is their job to mind your whole flock? Just thinking out loud there not really sure as i have always had more than one roo. Good luck with your new roo.