MaGlockner
Songster
Hi All,
Sunday morning the local gaggle of turkey gals showed up with a little Roo trailing along. He's a golden laced wyandotte, seems young. Not seeing spurs even. No visible signs of any illness. As soon as he saw my girls coming down the walkway from their coop he made a bee-line and has paraded around outside the run ever since, doing his rooster thing.
He hasn't made a peep, possibly because he's traumatized (we think he was dumped). I drove all around to the area chicken peeps. No one claims him. The farmer up the way said he'd bring him to auction (no. can't do that). He's interacted thru the hardware cloth with my gals (two buffs, two BCMs, one easter egger). We're very concerned about his wellbeing, as we have a lot of predators (foxes, coyotes, raccoons, fishers, and a bobcat, not to mention both barred and great horned owls, who often give a hootenanny in the pines above the coop/run). He likes to roost on the roof of the coop at night.
It's winter. I don't want him to be hurt. We let him in and my gals attacked. He just cowered while they pecked at him, but no feathers were lost or blood drawn. My son intervened and the little guy ran out and still paraded around the run doing what a good roo should do, protect the flock. He spent two nights outside. The third night, I put the gals to bed in the coop then shooed him into the run, where he roosted nestled against the wall of the coop. He wouldn't leave the next morning. I let the gals out and again, the bottom two in the pecking order attacked him. He ran out of the coop, paraded around outside all day.
We were advised to try putting him into the coop after dark, so I did. He seemed ok, was even on a roost. This morning I let everyone out really early. All the girls came out but he didn't. He was in a nest box. He eventually walked out and was immediately attacked. I picked him up and put him out of the run into a wire dog crate placed right next to the run.
Yes, I know, QUARANTINE. Already too late for that as he was right up against the mesh with the girls. I will deal with any illnesses, if they occur. Don't be a hater. I'm looking for help not judgment.
Sunday morning the local gaggle of turkey gals showed up with a little Roo trailing along. He's a golden laced wyandotte, seems young. Not seeing spurs even. No visible signs of any illness. As soon as he saw my girls coming down the walkway from their coop he made a bee-line and has paraded around outside the run ever since, doing his rooster thing.
He hasn't made a peep, possibly because he's traumatized (we think he was dumped). I drove all around to the area chicken peeps. No one claims him. The farmer up the way said he'd bring him to auction (no. can't do that). He's interacted thru the hardware cloth with my gals (two buffs, two BCMs, one easter egger). We're very concerned about his wellbeing, as we have a lot of predators (foxes, coyotes, raccoons, fishers, and a bobcat, not to mention both barred and great horned owls, who often give a hootenanny in the pines above the coop/run). He likes to roost on the roof of the coop at night.
It's winter. I don't want him to be hurt. We let him in and my gals attacked. He just cowered while they pecked at him, but no feathers were lost or blood drawn. My son intervened and the little guy ran out and still paraded around the run doing what a good roo should do, protect the flock. He spent two nights outside. The third night, I put the gals to bed in the coop then shooed him into the run, where he roosted nestled against the wall of the coop. He wouldn't leave the next morning. I let the gals out and again, the bottom two in the pecking order attacked him. He ran out of the coop, paraded around outside all day.
We were advised to try putting him into the coop after dark, so I did. He seemed ok, was even on a roost. This morning I let everyone out really early. All the girls came out but he didn't. He was in a nest box. He eventually walked out and was immediately attacked. I picked him up and put him out of the run into a wire dog crate placed right next to the run.
Yes, I know, QUARANTINE. Already too late for that as he was right up against the mesh with the girls. I will deal with any illnesses, if they occur. Don't be a hater. I'm looking for help not judgment.
