Saffron gets a reprieve

[dedicateddourly]

I am such a wuss. I live in an urban area where my husband and I are raising our very first flock of chickens. Three only, but Saffron the RIR began crowing almost two weeks ago. Roos aren't prohibited here, but I don't want to tick off the neighbors. He doesn't crow until 7:30, and then infrequently throughout the day. I honestly don't think it's too bad, but my nerves are a wreck because I'm worried about my pretty cool neighbors being resentful. I know this is because I'm a worry-wart. I've thought about re-homing him for this reason alone.

But he has also started to challenge my husband, and has pecked his hands several times. We pick him all every time to teach him who's boss, but it isn't working so far.

Anyway, this past Saturday my husband and I were about to leave for an overnighter at a friend's place a few hours away. Saffron had pecked my husband AND I was anxious about him crowing more than usual being contained in the run all weekend. SO I gave my husband the go-ahead to drop him off at his co-worker's place where he would be slaughtered and eaten. I had tried all week to find a good home for him where he could live well, but I had no luck whatsoever. So I convinced myself that the best decision would be to just get rid of him. I would have to deal with a possible future nasty roo and I'd have peace of mind where the neighbors were concerned.

We crated him up, put him in the car, and my husband was about to pull out of the driveway. But I saw Saffron pacing in the crate and I heard Bridget the Delaware crying for him from the yard. It absolutely broke my heart AND I COULDN'T GO THROUGH WITH IT! I stopped my hubby, returned Saffron to the run, and felt a wave of relief sweep over me. We had a great trip visiting our friends this weekend.

But now that I'm home, I feel like I probably should've gone through with it, but I probably won't unless the neighbors complain, or if Saffron gets progressively meaner.

Thanks for reading. Just had to share my worries.

Here's a pic of my pain in the neck:

 

[pgpoultry]

He's a pretty pain in the neck, and I can empathise with the inability to 'do the deed'.

RIR's can be aggressive, but it seems that you are going to hang on to him, so you need to try to calm him down.

Grab him when he emerges from the coop in the morning (in an old towel if necessary) and walk around with him under your arm petting him in front of the hens (Tape up his beak for a bit if necessary). Talk to him and stroke him at the same time ....you may feel a bit stupid! Repeat this daily for about 5 days, it usually works.

If you couldn't get rid of him the first time round it is unlikely you will be able to do it on subsequent occasions.

Good Luck,

sandie

 

[dedicateddourly]

Haha, thanks Sandie. I do pick him up and pet him and talk to him everyday which I think is the reason he doesn't challenge me. I keep telling my husband to do the same, but he works more hours than I do, so he spends less time with them. I'll try to reinforce it though.

I have to say that Saffron was a bit weird with me today when we returned home. He looked a little puffed up and seemed to consider challenging me, but he didn't. I assume it's due to the fact that we were gone for so long and either he was mad or he somehow sort of forgot who I was.

 

[gryeyes]

Oh, Saffron is a good lookin' roo! Sorry to hear he's a problem child.

I have too many roosters... I really wanted to re-home at least one of the two Silver Sebright nasty boys when they were jumping everything.... they tag-teamed pullets for gang rapes! But whilst I was putting up CraigsList ads and asking around, they started developing manners. Appearance wise, Alex and George are such cuties! And they have settled down quite a bit.

The bantam Buff Brahma, Charlie, is gorgeous and little gentleman. Nugget, the bantam cochin is just starting to crow and is running after the girls right now, and he's so pretty too.

Carl, my large fowl EE - dominant - rooster actually does keep them in line if he's in the same part of the yard, and the Sebright boys have actually decided they like to hang with Carl nowadays. There is less and less time spent avoiding him so they can chase down the girls.

Nobody argues that I'm the Boss of Them. So, I don't have the same problem as you have with Saffron. The "too many roosters rule" seems artificial, in the case of my flock - well, except for the few weeks when the little bastids were running rampant with their early, hormonally driven nasty behavior. Nobody fights with each other, although there are moments of neck-feather flaring at each other now and then. That's the maximum confrontation.

I feel sort of guilty that I haven't continued to try to re-home any of the "excess" roosters.

 

[akaxo]

have you thought about just going to see your neighbours to see if the noise is bothering them if you haven't already? i was worrying myself silly for a while about the neighbours over our back fence getting annoyed by the noise so i went and saw them with some eggs. turns out they absolutely love the noise (yay i'm not the only one!) and their young son is in love with our girls and peers through a small hole in the fence at them all the time and has made the family stop buying chicken to eat

put our minds at rest no end after needlessly worrying for some time.

 

[fourgotten]

Quote:
THIS!

You'll set YOUR mind at ease (your neighbors probably don't care at all or you would have heard about it already... unless they are like some of MY neighbors who'd rather grump to everyone BUT you about it) and you'll be making friends by dropping free eggs in their hands!

The neighbors closest to me weren't bothered in the least by my rooster... they, like me, enjoyed his crowing when they heard it. Sadly we got rid of him because we were concerned about some of the OTHER neighbors going to the city about it. He's in a better place now... and by that, I mean that he's the sole rooster in a flock of about 20 hens and loves his new family... falls asleep in their arms.

 

[dedicateddourly]

Quote:
LOL, if they're minding their manners, I don't why you'd have to re-home those extras. Saffron is still , 17 weeks, so I hope he's just being a teenaged brat.

 

[dedicateddourly]

Quote:
Thanks for the response. My 2 immediate neighbors, and a neighbor whose yard is adjacent to mine, say they haven't yet been bothered by the noise. I will definitely give them all eggs once my pullets starts laying. I know I should just take their words at face value instead of worrying that they're just trying to be nice and neighborly. I know I need to stop worrying

 

[dedicateddourly]

Quote:
I'm glad your roo is in a happy place. If I had to re-home Saffron, that is exactly what I'd want for him.

Oh, and one of my neighbors likes the crowing too. She says she prefers that to the city noise any day.

 

[akaxo]

yeah that's the sort of response i got from our neighbours, great hearing them, much better than chainsaws and lawnmowers, makes a nice change from dogs, cool novelty etc etc. i reckon you're worrying about nothing really

it's great that you are being so considerate though.