Trying to decide what to do with a 2yo Roo.

[LaFleche]

A lime?

Like using sandpaper or a file.

 

[triciayoung]

I say keep him as well. He sounds like a really good rooster. Have you put saddles on the two girls?

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Keep him, he sounds sweet. I have several Roos, obviously they favor some hens to mate, so those girls wear saddles with wing guards spring & summer. I do trim spurs yearly, too, they grow back.

 

[jpalmatier83]

I really appreciate all the feedback here.

To aart, I’m integrating them now. Installed hardware cloth panels to section off a portion of the coop. They spent a couple days strictly look but no touch. I made the panels in such a way that now I open up a gap small enough for the littles to get in and out but the bigs won’t fit. They get supervised free range time together. Mostly the big ones ignore the littles. Ocassionally the roo in question will walk over and look at them, but mostly ignores them. At this point, that seems appropriate to me. I keep them separated at night/when I’m not home. Will start leaving the gap open all the time soon.

To tricia, no saddles yet. The feather loss is just irritating me. There’s no injury (beyond feathers) and the hens aren’t changing their behavior due to him. Like everyone has been saying it probably bothers me more than them.

Unless something changes, sounds like I’m keeping him. Thanks to everyone who chimed in.

 

[aart]

Like using sandpaper or a file.

Yep, not sure how a lime(citrus fruit?) would substitute sandpaper or a file.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Yep, not sure how a lime(citrus fruit?) would substitute sandpaper or a file.

Smart phone talk to text typo?
May have said file but phone typed lime. Stuff like that happens to me daily

 

[janiedoe]

I would encourage you to observe your flock.
You've already said that he is not unappreciated with the young ones, so you are doing some watching.
Watch how the hens interact with him. Do they groom him? Do they huddle around him when there are visitors or when he sounds an alarm?
I don't think feather loss is a big deal unless there are open wounds. In that case he may need his spurs trimmed. Even the best rooster may seem aggressive toward the hens, to us on occasion. If he is a good flock leader, we will try to round them up and keep them in a group. That means that he will occasionally chase and even breed one who doesn't submit.
I've seen mine run one day, and squat for and groom a rooster the next.
I admire and respect a good, non aggressive rooster. I wouldn't part with one without giving him, and his attitude, careful consideration.

 

[aart]

Smart phone talk to text typo?
May have said file but phone typed lime.

Maybe....or a misinterpretation as @LaFleche is from germany and am not certain if english is their first language or could be a colloquialism not common in the US.