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

[Suzierd]

Speckledhen is that Rex in your avatar? Just Beautiful.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm not sure how long Deacon has been flying out, but it's been at least a few weeks. At first, it was only occasionally and only when Rex chased him and he went airborne to escape a beating. Then, he started flying out to come to me, so now, he does it just because he wants to do it. The brother that was raised with Scout by my broody EE, Maretta (who is Scout's real mother), is Gabriel. Gabriel is wider than Scout and very skittish, not wanting to be touched at all. He doesn't seem the type to become a flier, not lean bodied like Deke and Scout. Gabe's biological mother is a BLRW x BBS Ameraucana so Gabriel also has some Ameraucana in his background, but I just can't see him being anything like Deacon.

This is Gabriel with his full sister, Serena. You can tell he's a larger body type than Scout or Deacon.



Suzie, yes that is Rex in my avatar. He's a good flock rooster so far. I hope Isaac doesn't do him in!

Been a long day worrying over that dumb rooster. I'm going to bed and hope no bad dreams about him. A few nights ago I dreamed there was an entire flock of game chickens in my yard I'd never seen and two donkeys fighting over a dead raccoon they'd stomped to death. NOTE TO SELF: No antihistamine B4 bed unless absolutely necessary! LOL

 

[1muttsfan]

Wow! Dreams like that leave you exhausted in the morning.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think if you clip the wings, or if you leave the wings, you are going to loose him to a predator. So really you could think of it like this, if I lose him by giving him away, he is still alive, (and such a pretty boy) where he could perhaps be a little higher in the pecking order. A happy roo, tends to stay pretty close to his girls.

You are not keeping him for breeding, or as a flock master..... sounds like he has a good disposition, I think you might try your local poultry club and see if someone could no use him as the only rooster in the flock. He is eye candy, and with a good disposition, I think you might get a taker.

Mrs K

 

[Suzierd]

I just love Rex! Please don't let Isaac hurt him

Dreams can be crazy! Lol

 

[speckledhen]

I just love Rex! Please don't let Isaac hurt him

Dreams can be crazy! Lol

I love Rex, too. Isaac is getting old, but he still likes to let Rex know who is the Boss of the Coop. I sure hope he doesn't hurt him. Ike's leg hurts him so much now from what I believe is arthritis that he no longer sleeps on the roost but on the floor. That just started within the last week. Before that, it was obvious that he was having a tough time folding his legs under him to sit on the 2x4 roost so we had already added another 2x4 up against it to make it almost 8" wide for him. So, the signs of old age are catching up with Isaac. I need Rex to be around. He's really becoming a great flock leader when he gets the chance and he's good tempered as well.

Deacon drove me nuts all day long wandering. I can't let him get to me. After DH got everyone into the coop for the night, he finally was able to get Deke in there, too. When I went back out later to do a final egg check, Deacon hopped up the two bars to the nestboxes and tried to climb into my arms. What a goober!

 

[1muttsfan]

Love those sweetie boys

 

[speckledhen]

Deacon roamed all day long today. A few times, he wanted to go back in the coop so I opened the door and he hopped in. Within 5 minutes, he was back out or on top of the coop acting like a live weathervane. I kept hearing the last line of the 12 Days of Christmas, but instead of "a partridge in a pear tree", I heard, "and Deacon roaming the yard!". Sing it, it's catchy, LOL!

He and I shared a piece of whole grain bread. A piece for Mom, a piece for Deacon. He was patient and waited for his turn each time, unlike all of the other chickens, who pretty much tackle me and make me give it over or be flattened. He's quite unusual, that one. The bad thing was he'd call and call for the girls, but of course, no one could come get the bread he offered.

 

[Happy Chooks]

The bad thing was he'd call and call for the girls, but of course, no one could come get the bread he offered.

 

[speckledhen]

I want to thank everyone for their input on the poll. Deacon is still wandering most of every day at will. It's way too cold for us to build anything and we're still just trying to cut enough firewood to stay warm in our own house without using that stupid heatpump, which isn't really true warmth, IMO. And there have been other concerns getting in the way.

Seems the most folks would clip a wing or wings. I agree that one wing is probably best, but I still haven't done so. We encountered an emergency situation with his daddy, Isaac, so have left Deacon to his own devices in order to throw all our attention to Ike's welfare. I just hope Deacon avoids a life or death encounter till we can get to him.