LindaLouBird
Chirping
- Jul 30, 2022
- 15
- 53
- 66
Got my first 3 pullets ever, 1 month old triplet RIR's, in May. Added young black hen & buff orp in August. Those 2 were tight. The 5 hens of different breeds & lightly different ages got along, though they picked on the Orp, who was super sweet & a little smaller, weaker. Then # 5, a Barred Rock (Jailbird). Until a dog attack killed black Licorice & Buff Orp (Butterscotch was alone). Got her another black hen friend. 2nd attack by neighbors dog took 1 big RIR, & Butterscotch. No one had laid yet. 3RD ATTACK took Jailbird. Let the trauma 5settle & the 2 remaining RIR's began to lay. Got the black one a friend, another barred rock. Got 5th. small ISA brown, who gets pushed around & isolated every once in a while so she can get a decent meal. 2 big RIR's rotate leadership & lay regularly. The black & barred one were due to start, little brown unlikely but I love that runt. Last week, a new white egg. But whose? Then I caught the Rock mount the black one. Huh? Did I really see that? I thought she might be gay! ...I learned that a hen may take on rooster's role. Huh? Now he's jumping her often. Today, he(?) ripped her comb. He only has eyes for her, not the RIR boss hens, or the little one. She appears to be getting it hard & often for 3 days now. I guess I'm still surprised. The questions are - 1. Why has he never crowed? 2. Why has it not been aggressive towards me like others I have read about? 3. Will he/it go for the little one? The 2 big queens? 2. Will it get nasty? Start to be aggressive with me? 3. Make good soup?
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