Soul mates?

[birdwrangler057]

Hello,
I have an EE rooster and hen, they are siblings, and were raised together. The hen never leaves the roo's side and gets upset when separated. It's kind of cute because they are each black and white (hence marital colors). Have they become soul mates? And, the hen hides under the rooster when scared.

 

[birdwrangler057]

Hello,
I have an EE rooster and hen, they are siblings, and were raised together. The hen never leaves the roo's side and gets upset when separated. It's kind of cute because they are each black and white (hence marital colors). Have they become soul mates? And, the hen hides under the rooster when scared.

here's some pics...

 

[TalkALittle]

Chickens instinctively flock together. It's what they do, there being safety in numbers. Hens will instinctively stick around a rooster because a rooster will instinctively act in a way that provides protection for the hen--looking out for predators, finding food, etc. Some chickens exhibit these instincts more strongly than other chickens. If you've only got 2 birds then, yes, I'd expect them to really stick together. After all, it's pretty much just "them against the world".

 

[birdwrangler057]

Chickens instinctively flock together. It's what they do, there being safety in numbers. Hens will instinctively stick around a rooster because a rooster will instinctively act in a way that provides protection for the hen--looking out for predators, finding food, etc. Some chickens exhibit these instincts more strongly than other chickens. If you've only got 2 birds then, yes, I'd expect them to really stick together. After all, it's pretty much just "them against the world".

I actually have 10 chickens, but my three EE's are housed sperately, I asked this question because the third EE hen hates the roo along with the 9 other hens. Also, my rooster drops one wing, limps a foot and kind of twitches his body when around the black hen.

 

[TalkALittle]

Haha! She's probably his favorite. He's courting her with a mating dance.

I had a roo for a short period and some of my girls gravitated toward him but the others were equally happy to flock around my sassy, dominant hen. She did a fine job of keeping the girls in line and watching out for hawks before he showed up and had zero use for the rooster. I think they had an agreement. She agreed to let him pretend he was the one in charge and he agreed to never try and mate her.

Since you house them separate from the rest it's likely you have two sub-flocks, each with it's own pecking order. If you integrated them you might see the other hens more accepting of the roo. Or maybe not and the roo would be content to take the "path of least resistance" and only pursue the hens that don't put up a fight. Watch to make sure that one or two hens don't wind up being the sole objects of his attention. That can be a stressful life for a hen.

 

[donrae]

I actually have 10 chickens, but my three EE's are housed sperately, I asked this question because the third EE hen hates the roo along with the 9 other hens. Also, my rooster drops one wing, limps a foot and kind of twitches his body when around the black hen.

This is a courting behavior.

They don't know they are siblings, doesn't matter one bit to them.

Pretty much all hatchmates will act this way, the bonded together behavior. It's common in most animals raised in a group/litter/clutch.

 

[birdwrangler057]

ok thanks.