PLEASE Tell Me What Would YOU Do With Deacon? Need Advice (Poll)

[drumstick diva]

I think I would give him to someone that can confine him in a covered run. I know you love him but, you aren't going to use him for breeding. If he was King of the Coop elsewhere with a harem of hens - he might even forget about" taking off." or be too exhausted to try. Do you know someone who has a predator safe pen with COVER and hens for him - just as a trial to see if it would work?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I don't allow just one chicken to wander anymore- I like to get rid of that chicken because they are the bait for the predator that will wipe out the whole flock.

The hawks and cats around here just love it when a chicken is away from the group. Then they come back.

So if it were me, I'd give him away in order to protect the flock.

 

[speckledhen]

Diva, if I sent him somewhere, he'd have to go permanently. No birds who leave here get to come back because of the disease factor.

I appreciate all the input. Gives us lots to think about. I'm going to ask my hubby to read all your responses and we're going to think on this. I already had plans to build a moveable sort of day pen for a broody with chicks where she could get out and be safe, not a building, but just a safe place inside a pen for a broody to have outdoor time when she can't be in with the adults. This may be a good time to just do it.

Laura, when I said my DH doesn't know how to build temporary stuff, I mean he really goes overboard with everything as far as building things to stay. I tease him about it all the time when we are trying to change things around and we can't get them apart, lol. He can't do "temporary", just not in his nature, but he's going to have to shift away from that if we do this little rooster "pod" coop with those lattice work doors.

 

[1muttsfan]

Smart lad, that Deacon. Just not quite smart enough. Some folks just love their freedom.

 

[speckledhen]

He does seem fairly intelligent. And after Isaac killed my best male, Indy, who was looking like his main competition and now, is acting the same way toward Rex, I may end up needing Deacon. Ike doesn't pay much attention to Scout, Gabriel or Deacon, but he is always after poor Rex.

 

[bobbi-j]

Something to consider - if you use Deacon for breeding, will you have a whole new batch of chickens with the gift of flight? I'm not sure what I'd do in your shoes. It is quite the dilemma. Since you may need him for breeding, it seems your only option is to clip him. Let him roam, he may likely get killed. Give him away, you don't have him for breeding.

 

[speckledhen]

Something to consider - if you use Deacon for breeding, will you have a whole new batch of chickens with the gift of flight? I'm not sure what I'd do in your shoes. It is quite the dilemma. Since you may need him for breeding, it seems your only option is to clip him. Let him roam, he may likely get killed. Give him away, you don't have him for breeding.

I didn't even consider that his progeny would be good fliers! Not what I want at all! You interjected another aspect that I had not even thought of.

I raised up several sons of Isaac because Ike is 5 years old and may not be with us much longer. I wanted two or three males for the free ranging main flock since one cannot cover all the various groups when they split up going this way and that. Isaac gave up and just ended up staying in the coop while the hens went in ten directions. Since I had Indy (may he RIP) and Rex and their brothers, it was so promising. Then Ike killed Indy just after I rehomed one of the boys and now, Deacon is doing his best to get himself killed. Maybe even if the others weren't around, Deacon would not be the best choice for flock rooster anyway, not for my situation and set up. Hmm. I know that eventually, as my old hens die off, I will be hatching some Brahmas. If Deacon makes himself a fox snack and Isaac kills Rex like he did Indy, maybe I ought to think about keeping a Brahma rooster. No WAY a Brahma would be fence-jumping!

 

[bobbi-j]

The rooster in my avatar is a brahma. I loved his personality - very docile. He always just moved off to a respectful distance when I came down to do chores. He'd call the hens over when I brought kitchen scraps down and would feed his favorites. It was so cute to watch. He was nabbed this summer along with 4 other chickens while we were on vacation. I have his son, though, and so far he has been very good, too. He's about 8 months old and has shown no sign of aggressiveness. He's a brahma/ee cross. Looks more like an ee with his beard and tufted cheeks. (He's also camera shy.) I figure he's a good-sized bird, so if he turns out to be obnoxious, he'll make a good meal.

 

[speckledhen]

He's a good looking rooster, Bobbi. This is Deke's 1/2 brother, 20 week old Scout, who is a Delaware x EE, but hasn't figured out that he can also fly. I hope he won't. He's very docile, but so hormonal that all the hen's are going nuts running from him right now. He stalks them inside the coop and he's afraid of Deacon. I'll be keeping him because he's just a love.

 

[bobbi-j]

He looks like he'll have some size to him once he fills out. When did Deacon figure out he could fly? Before 20 weeks? If so, maybe it will always be a mystery to Scout as to how Deacon always ends up outside the pen.

My last rooster didn't have a name. My current one is Blackbeard, mainly because of his muff.