Two roos and its not working -- long...

[tdgill]

Quote:
this works for me...
eta:
I'm starting to think that the 6-8 hens to 1 rooster rule is so my roos have better odds at getting lucky! LOL!

 

[emys]

I don't think it is the swift death that is in discussion as possible evil, it is the covering it up and lying about it.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

I would never tell my kids to lie, but I have been known to tell the white lie, like no dear that dress doesn't make your backend look like the broadside of a barn. The rest of the thought is not said - its your backend that looks like the broad side of a barn.... a lie of omission if you will.


Something happened to the rooster.....

Some thing most certainly would have happened to the rooster...


I don't know yet what I'll actually do. Separate coops is unrealistic. Giving him back is a set up for future arguments since I know she would let him out and he would come back.


We had a hen have her head ripped right clean off by a hawk once.........

 

[tdgill]

well you don't necessarily need separate coops. a dog kennel or any similar type object - even a quickie framed up box/run will do. you can make it work easier than you might realize. thats IF you were really trying to keep him. sorry to hear of your troubles. especially if kids want to keep him...i'd make it a good excuse to have a special house/garage chicken. lol

ETA: I was surprised at how quickly i was able to rehome one of my buff orp roos btw. I joined a local group cecilcountychickens and someone posted looking for a buff orp roo.

 

[jeannieo]

Quote:
I'm in this same situation except a tad more complex. I have five banties of which two are roos, one half blind cochin (a total sweetie) and a black silkie who protects his 3 girls with his life. I also have 20 standard size hens and two roosters that I raised from one week old (the two rooster and four of the hens). A friend had given me 12 babies of which 7 were roosters! The sweetest hen died and I did manage to rehome five of the roosters to good homes where they would not end up in the freezer. Before Liam and Seamus (the 2 big roos) grew to be so big, Sidney (the silkie) was the BMOC, mating with just his three little banty hens and actually protecting Spencer (half blind cochin) when the RIR's got too nasty. All was relative harmony until Liam and Seamus came into their rampant sexuality. They both decided they were IN LOVE

with Kate Smith (elderly BO) and they half ripped her comb off. (another post of mine dealt with that and I did perform surgery to remove the piece that was flopping and she's fine and it was no where near as traumatic as I thought it would be! but I digress!) Sidney is still the boss man chasing Liam and Seamus every chance he gets and it is so funny to watch!

However I'm afraid that the two big boys will figure out that they are three times Sidney and Spencers size and something bad will happen, so I've got the banties, Kate Smith, and two newbies in one third of the coop and the other hens and roosters in the other 2/3. Should it be the other way around?Should I have Liam and Seamus in the one third and everybody else in the bigger part (with the pen BTW, the smaller part does not have a pen yet but I'm working on it). Or should I rehome one of the big roosters or both and just keep my two little banty roosters and let harmony prevail?I let everyone out into the yard yesterday and Liam and Seamus both immediately made a bee line for Kate Smith! Poor thing!

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

For right now, the leash is working when they free range. As long as Elvis the RIR roo is not able to leave the area of the coop, he can graze on clover all he likes and the flock stays within their old range. Sometimes during the day I keep him in a dog crate inside the run just to give the other roo a rest and a chance to get out of the coop. It is not a good solution, but for now it will have to do.



(To lleash his we put a plastic wire tie around his ankle just above the spur, loose enough that it moves freely but too tight to get past his spur. Attached to that is another small wire tie ring that I connect a regular dog leash to. He learned pretty fast how far he can get. He can have at any of the girls that are willing to get close enough, he can graze and he can defend himself if he needs to. I check on him frequently to make sure he doesn't get excessively tangled and don't do this if I am not home.