$&%# rooster, and @#%@ the hens for listening to him!

[Uzuri]

So I finally got all the hens trained to go up on the roost, but that stupid ninny of a rooster WILL sleep in the nest box. I put him on the roost, he tips right off repeatedly until finally he eludes me and runs and hides somewhere that I can't reach him.

So the heck with him, says I, until the stupid bugger started telling the HENS that the nesting box was the place to sleep.

So now I'm back to putting hens on the roost. They seem to stay there when I put them there, but the idiot rooster makes them all cram into the box until I come out to put them up. Thankfully a couple are disobedient--to him--and go up on their own, but good grief.

So what should I do with ol' dunder-head here? Short of soup, for the moment, because he seems to be a nice guy otherwise. He's going to find himself in a roo-box just to keep him from leading the hens astray if this keeps up.



(Nest box is a good foot below the roost, before anyone asks).

 

[Julie_A]

Soup? I'm thinking dumplins'!!!

 

[shaggy]

without the roo, the hens use the roost?

if so ... seperate the roo from the hen for 3-4 days .... hopefully that will clear his memory .... put him back in with the hens ....

hopefully ... monkey see monkey do

 

[Dar]

what about closing the nests at night and re open them in the morning till they get the hint

 

[Uzuri]

Those are both thoughts. Shaggy, do you think I could get away with just separating him before dusk and letting him run with them during the day? They don't go in much in daytime, since they're not laying yet.

Yeah, the hens definitely head up there on their own without the rooster instigating things, no problem (well, except one wyandotte... she stands in the doorway, waiting for me to "tuck her in". Silly chicken.)

 

[shaggy]

Quote:
you *might be able to get away with that as long as you make sure he stays out of the coop altogether and make sure to catch him before he goes inside in the evenings

----------

my line of thought was:

by completely separating him from the flock he gets knocked down to the bottom of the pecking order

keeping him with the flock would allow him to maintain his status and continue in his leadership role

 

[Danigirl3]

Sounds like he's afraid of heights, the big chicken. LOL

 

[Uzuri]

He really *is* a dork XD

I think there's something in the water at my place. All the lady animals are OK, but my boy dog way goofy, my boy cat is a spaz, and my rooster is... indescribable!

 

[Akane]

I have a rooster like that. I have 2 hatches of his sons and daughters and I plan on picking one to replace him. Luckily most of the hens have always listened to the bantam roos who are much smarter.