I am totally new to this chicken thing... in terms of birds, I've had parrots before so I am aware of the importance of asserting dominace do you don't get an agressive bird. We also have guinea fowl, but, well, there really is NO socializing them - we feed them and they free range and do their thing... Anywho... I ordered 7 hens from My Pet Chicken and they arrived three and a 1/2 weeks ago. 3 Easter Eggers, 3 Speckled Sussex and 1 White Cochin. This past week I noticed one of the SS acting differently or more 'bossy' than all the other 'girls'. It was perching on the top perch, and when the cats would go into the club house (really an old milking shed) to investigate the chick brooder, this SS would stand tall and sort of act like she was protecting everyone else. (They are in a large dog kennel with cardboard around the bottom to prevent drafts). 'She' is also the first to check out new treats and will even hope on my arm to eat berries before anyone else. I've noticed that 'her' comb is much larger and reder than everyone else's AND this bird hasn't grown chest feathers like everyone else has. In fact, the feather's 'she' has grown, are much different looking than everyone else's. I googled SS and learned that the boys feather later than the girls. SO, with the comb, feathers, AND behavior I think "Mary the SS" is really "Mark, the ROO!" I don't want a mean adult rooster. I didn't really want a rooster AT ALL, my husband REALLY did (he LOVES the noise, and apparently, the guineas aren't enough for him). Is there anything I can do to make sure this little Roo understands we are at the top of the pecking order? Anything I can do to make him friendlier and less likely to gore me one morning while collecting eggs? My mother's African Gray Parrot would attack anything in range, and when NOT out of her cage, she would wait till your ear was as close to her as it could get and screech because she knew it hurt your ears. My mother did EVERYTHING wrong in socializing that bird (allowed her to ride on her shoulder, etc. etc.) I realize chickens are different than parrots, so anyone got any advice? Looks like I am stuck with a roo now! Rooster? other girls PS... YES, we have the world's ugliest brooder (the perch really is a wooden crutch we found in a barn and the cardboard is old signage the owners of our house left behind when we moved in... their coop is being build and will be much cuter!
I am certainly no expert because I too am new to chickens, that's probably why I ended up with 2 roosters and just 1 pullet!! I got my chicks when they were 3 days old and they are now 3 months. My roosters (Black Australorp & Buff Rock-think that's what they are called) are the sweetest, friendliest little guys. I handled them as much as possible when they were little and fed them treats out of my hand. Now they are like dogs, they associate me with treats and come running when I get close to the run. So basically handle them while they are little and spoil them rotten and hopefully they will be friendly and realize you're the boss!! p.s. love the crutch, great way to recycle
