HELP!
We're having trouble with knowing how to get our rooster and three new chickens to live together in harmony. We could call ourselves "Campbells chicken rescue" because in the last year, we have adopted (now) 4 chickens. Buddy... is a game rooster, now 10 months old, who has free range of our yard every day, but since the winter, goes in at night to roost. Buddy has been like our little boy... mostly friendly and we have fun together, "bugging" and "fishing for worms." In other words... he has always been happy with us. Then, we rescued three 4-wk old chicks January 23rd, and they've outgrown 3 "domiciles" (brooder, dog carrier, and 5 ft. chicken "cage")-- moved from our closed-in porch to our garage, and we just finished a 10' x 12' coop. Sunny, Barley & River have also become part of our family... we "love" them and have had a blast since their arrival. The weather has warmed up enough that we think they can be left outdoors, and they need more room anyway. Well, we now have a big problem. Buddy's heard them for weeks now, seen & smelled "evidence" of their presence because we let them outside a few hours in the morning before we let him out of his "roosting place" in the barn, and late afternoons, after we coax Buddy back in to his pad. The problem is that "Buddy"... now 10 mo. old... has now seen them! Two days ago, Buddy watched my husband finish the coop (which is like a big covered pen)... and when it was finished, Buddy decided to go inside, so we locked him in!
We let the little guys outside to roam and led them to the coop area. Buddy was shocked and VERY ANGRY
... to say the least. The chicks didn't seem to be bothered at all by his "growling" and crowing. They pretty much ignored him. Shortly before sunset, we took them back in the garage and let Buddy out. He raced around to try to find them (but couldn't), and in his anger tried to attack me. I kept him at bay, but later, I went outside & he caught me by surprise and succeeded... putting about a 2" scratch and bruise on my right leg. YESTERDAY... we reversed it. My hubby put the chicks in the coop and let Buddy roam free... and that actually was WORSE! He was FURIOUS! He ran around the cage... "growling and yelling" and ruffled up his neck and feathers in attack mode, trying to stick his head through the chicken wire (which was impossible). According to my hubby, he did this for HOURS, only briefly walking away to one of his favorite places. I came home around 6 p.m. & he was beside the coop... still guarding and growling
I tried to coax him to his roost (barn) and he revolted! He would NOT LEAVE his post by the coop. It was only after over an hour of sheer torture... running, me chasing at times... (for me & him) that he finally ran into his evening roost. My once fun and friendly little "buddy"... has now turned ferocious and wants to fight - both me & my husband - we're now afraid to ever combine Buddy and the "kids"! We had hoped to at some time let them all free range together, but we're afraid that Buddy will kill them! NOW WHAT? We don't want to totally ruin what was a warm relationship with Buddy... but we would like our trio to be free to roam also. We really need advice!
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