Rooster Chat

[microchick]

Well my long run of my roosters living together in peace, well, in what passes for peace with roosters, came to a crashing end today. My two Welsummer roosters created an alliance and deposed my sweet natured Buff O rooster to the point that he would not come out of the coop. When I saw them gang up on the Lavender O rooster, I stepped in and pulled them from the flock. Red immediately came outside and rejoined the hens. Unfortunately the Lavender O decided to resume his old full frontal attacks on me. I removed him from the flock also. So now I have three young roosters who have been banned from the main flock leaving Red back in charge of the hens and the 8 12 week olds-one of which is his son. There is no way I will be able to re-home them or sell them in good faith, knowing their behavior. Then again, I cannot fault roosters for acting like roosters.

I sure hope little Rocky is a chip off the old block. So far his personality is very much like his father's.

This change happened so fast...48 hours. Now I have to decide what to do with them. They make me so sad. Last week the Welly boys were protecting me against the LO's lapses in judgement. Today they are exiles.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Wow,never knew roosters went that extreme,its like a war.

I did know they Exiled others,but man,Alliances!I already am afraid that I have at least 3 more roos on the way,do not want them taking Zeus out,makes me nervous.

 

[microchick]

I had two Buff O roosters that did the same thing last year. They seriously tried to kill the Welsummer roosters.

I've long held the rule dear that two roosters were enough for a flock. I tried to make the best of the cards that were dealt me with the four roosters I wound up with. I'm the first to admit that I'm soft hearted. I do not like to do a terminal 'cull'. Still I cannot deny the new peace that has settled on my flock of 21 hens, rooster and juveniles since I pulled the three aggressive roosters.

Tonight I set in the coop with Red's little son, Rocky, sitting contentedly on my lap while the rest of the flock scratched around in the dirt.

I sure hope he grows up to be like his daddy.

 

[cabinchicky]

I had two Buff O roosters that did the same thing last year. They seriously tried to kill the Welsummer roosters.

I've long held the rule dear that two roosters were enough for a flock. I tried to make the best of the cards that were dealt me with the four roosters I wound up with. I'm the first to admit that I'm soft hearted. I do not like to do a terminal 'cull'. Still I cannot deny the new peace that has settled on my flock of 21 hens, rooster and juveniles since I pulled the three aggressive roosters.

Tonight I set in the coop with Red's little son, Rocky, sitting contentedly on my lap while the rest of the flock scratched around in the dirt.

I sure hope he grows up to be like his daddy.

Wow, that was a fast turn around in their behavior! Hope you all the best with them .

 

[microchick]

That is what floored me, the speed at which this alliance and revolt happened. The bigger of the two Welly roosters has always shared Alpha with the Buff O rooster with the smaller Welly rooster staying to the outer parameter of the flock. On occasion, they would let him mate with a hen but generally, the BO and the Welly worked together to protect the hens and would occasionally fight with the smaller of the three roosters.

So the alliance that the Apha and the #3 rooster formed literally over night still has me shocked and amazed.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Caught Zeus in the nest.Gave hin 3 eggs and he rolled them under him and sat on them!

 

[microchick]

That is so adorable.

My three outcasts are not happy roosters but they are behaving themselves. I seriously expected a knock down drag out but the three roosters are co-existing peacefully in their little bachelor pen. Tonight the Welsummer roosters actually acted happy to see me and started chattering excitedly when they saw me cross the yard with their treat bowl in hand. Strange how their behavior changes when the trigger mechanism, namely the hens are removed from the equation.

In the mean time, the hens are enjoying the peace and quiet. The flock seems less stressed. Red is definitely less stressed and most of all I am less stressed not having to watch my back, sides and front every time I entered the run.

I still do not know what the ultimate fate of the roosters will be. I'd like to keep them. I honestly like these roosters, especially when they are away from the rest of the flock, and hopefully I will be able to get a better 'bachelor' pad set up for them now that my new coop is finished. I have young cockerels from a Feb. hatch to deal with but the new rule stands. NO more than 2 roosters with the hens at any time.

I think what is the hardest to deal with is that I really thought that I had these guys figured out. They just had other plans.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Sorry about that.

Maybe you can switch them every other few months or yeat?

 

[chickMonk]

I went to integrate my chicks (8wks) with my flock of 3 hens and 1 rooster. He made it a point to peck every single chick! I put the chicks back in their divider and all is fine again. I just worry about when the chicks out grow the divider.

 

[microchick]

Sorry about that.

Maybe you can switch them every other few months or yeat?

I wound up returning "Lame Chester" to the flock after 73 hours of 'time out', mainly due to the fact that Red was in a funk. I had moved him and his flock to their new coop and run and the poor rooster stood at the fence and stared into space. He stopped crowing, stopped tending the hens. I was starting to get worried about him when my husband pointed out that maybe he missed his 'buds' and was happy with his place in the group. So I put Chester back in the pen. I wish I had filmed the release. That Welsummer rooster was happier than what should be considered legal. He crowed, he danced, he sang, he danced some more. He was soooooo happy to see his hens again that if he was a puppy he would have been wetting himself with joy. No matter which hen he danced around, she squatted for him. Red perked up immediately. There was no challenging between them, no fighting, not even a ruffled feather.

Red still isn't acting himself 100% but getting one of his buddies back seemed to help. I wish I could return the other two but I cannot trust either one of them enough to go into the pen with them and doubt if that is going to change in the future.