Waldow came to take chickenville by storm

[daisy06]

Ever have one of those situations that you just have to post on BYC? I just did. I've got too many roos but love em all. Plus, I just got another one today.

But ya do watcha haved to do:

I've got 7 roosters. Actually 5 roos and 2 cockerels. Thing is I actually got one today for free. Rescuing a rescued or something of that nature. It was a black jersey giant and he sure is handsome. I named him Waldow (after Robert Waldow; the 8 ft guy). See, I had a smaller rooster (Burt) that was dominant before I got Waldow. Burt had his girls, loved them, and kept the other roosters straight. Now the two roos are figuring out who should be the boss of the yard. Waldow at first was confused about all the hens and roosters but now he's figured it out. Hens are good but roosters, well, roosters that like his girls are bad. Actually, he hasn't actually got any girls yet. Burt is the one with all the girls, but it won't be that way for long. I assure you, no roosters have been hurt physically, just emotionally. The hens don't care at all. They're just scratching around the yard as if it is just another normal day.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I have quite few roosters, too, and they do keep things interesting. I have only had one time that an alpha rooster was successfully challenged and lost his dominate position. I felt bad for him.

Most of the time around here the alpha is not challenged because the cockerels hatched into the flock just accept the dominance of the older rooster. I suppose that may change some day...

 

[daisy06]

I know what you mean. My youngest rooster was actually the head rooster though. The others just except his dominance. Oh and I learned that Burt (my original rooster who is way smaller than Waldow) actually won. I found Waldow all by himself sulking in the pen. Poor Waldow!:/

 

[daisy06]

Waldow left us. Well, actually I gave him away. One day I was going out to feed the chickens and Waldow is out there, minding his own business and strutting around girls. I feed them as usual (I sit with them while they eat, occasionally offering them food from my hand which they will gladly take from). After a little bit, I reach out to pick one of the hens up to hold her as I usually do and Waldow doesn't like that. He attacked me (I had a sore arm that day before he did this and he made it even more sore) and runs me off. The next day, I go out and am a bit wary. He follows me from behind and stays behind me. When I get to the food bin, he attacks me from behind, kicking my back. Well, after that there's no doubt about it. He's outta there. And he wasn't just a little old thing, he was a big jersey giant. I bolded the giant because he was, well, a giant. Well those things happen, and Burt's back on top. Thing is, I have a JG chick that I know is gonna be a roo. I raised this one though, and Nikki ( the JG chick who I really, truly thought was going to be a girl- but sadly is not) is super friendly. He jumps on my lap and sits there like that's where he belongs.