After reading some more, I have 1 more question... My hens, well 3 of them are pets... They eat out of my hands and all that fun stuff... With a rooster, say an aggressive rooster, can you still feed the hens out if your hands? I've read on here where a rooster will attack during feeding.. What do you do? How do you put the food down?
Both of my Roos, are complete gentlemen, when it comes to feeding. I believe it is for two different reasons, though. But, I'm no expert, and can't say, for certain. I just observe them, for a few hours, whenever they are out of the coop.
My Australorp (Alpha) simply refuses to eat (be it out of my hand, off the ground, or out of the feeder) until the girls have eaten quite a bit. He takes care of them, and looks after them, and checks in on the ones singing the egg song, in the coop.
My Rose Comb RIR (in my avatar, for now) is the Beta. He's just a bit younger, and was raised amongst most of my layers. But, when we brought him, and the girls home, those girls immediately, became the Australorp's girls, and he was forced to play second fiddle. If he tries to "interact" with one of the mature hens, from the mature hen coop, the Australorp, will run him off. They don't physically fight, but, one will chase the other, until he is satisfied that interaction, is over. But, the RIR, continues to try to find a way, to cozy up to any of the girls, that will have him.
So, since we truly like both Roos, and neither is mean, nor is either aggressive towards us, our solution, is to build another coop, and run, and give him a flock of his own. We have nearly 60 growing out, now. Many, were bought as straight run, in sets of five, so, there are bound to be a few more Roos in the bunch. But, the RC RIR, will be the next one, given his own harem of girls. The rest, we just need to see how they interact, to decide, what will be their fates.
