Precious..the blind Barred Rock hen

[Chickenhappy8708]

So I know that a rooster can be a good peace keeper, and take care of his ladies. But, my cockerel is only 17 weeks old, and nowhere near mature yet. Could he have put Gwyneth in her place already? She has certainly changed her attitude in the last few days. The other 7 young pullets are nearing point of lay, so I know pecking order will be changing. I can see some strong wills in the upcoming bunch.

Here is Pari...
View attachment 2303694

My cockerel has been trying to mate since He was 12 weeks, and one hen wouldn't sum it, so he almost ripped her comb off, its very possible he inflicted pain once or twice, and that was enough for her.

 

[centralcaligirl]

And of course..the star of this thread...Precious!
View attachment 2303695

She is gorgeous! Fascinating flock dynamics

 

[Chickenhappy8708]

And of course..the star of this thread...Precious!
View attachment 2303695

I have to say, her face is structured similarly to my blind hens, can she see a little? I know Amber can, but not much, and not well.

 

[black_cat]

Poor guy...our Minnesota winter won’t be kind to those big points on his comb...or his gigantic wattles.

Lots of vaseline!

 

[aart]

So I know that a rooster can be a good peace keeper, and take care of his ladies. But, my cockerel is only 17 weeks old, and nowhere near mature yet. Could he have put Gwyneth in her place already?

It is indeed possible. A rare blessing to have a savvy cockerel.
Time will tell.

Lots of vaseline!

Eh, oft repeated, not necessarily effective.
It would have to be applied daily, and can gather all kinds of 'dirt'.
IMO, it's best to leave hands off frostbite, before and especially after.

 

[BY Bob]

Precious is almost 17 weeks old. She will hit that milestone on Thursday. As of yesterday, she weighs 3lbs. 8oz....which puts her ahead of the other two Barred Rock pullets we have by 10oz. Of the three Rocks, she also has the biggest and most red, wattles and comb. She continues to be Precious in more than name.

Tonight I took her out of the run to have a little free time in the yard without the others. So here are some pictures of her little adventure. She really enjoyed the fresh grass, and even flew a few feet...maybe by surprise..not sure. She does act a little paranoid outside of her safe environment, but also seems to love the grass under her feet.

These photos are very special. I love seeing her out in the grass. That's where a Barred Rock is most visually striking in my opinion. She is growing up wonderfully.

 

[BY Bob]

So I know that a rooster can be a good peace keeper, and take care of his ladies. But, my cockerel is only 17 weeks old, and nowhere near mature yet. Could he have put Gwyneth in her place already? She has certainly changed her attitude in the last few days. The other 7 young pullets are nearing point of lay, so I know pecking order will be changing. I can see some strong wills in the upcoming bunch.

Here is Pari...
View attachment 2303694

He is handsome for sure

 

[vantain]

My cockerel has been trying to mate since He was 12 weeks, and one hen wouldn't sum it, so he almost ripped her comb off, its very possible he inflicted pain once or twice, and that was enough for her.

She was limping a bit on Friday. I originally thought she may have just sprained her leg jumping off the roost, but now I’m sure it was the surprised mating.

 

[vantain]

I have to say, her face is structured similarly to my blind hens, can she see a little? I know Amber can, but not much, and not well.View attachment 2303708

I think she may see something, but only through her left eye. She often has her head cocked to favor that side. That said, she still runs into things, but overall, navigates her environment fairly well.

 

[vantain]

I have to say, her face is structured similarly to my blind hens, can she see a little? I know Amber can, but not much, and not well.View attachment 2303708

That’s a great picture!