I live in Seattle with no roosters allowed. I have 4 pullets and 3 cockerels all hatched first week of August. One cockerel is a BLRW, slow to mature, snuggly etc. so he's not a concern just yet, but the other two, a Barnevelder and a Wheaten Marans, will need to be rehomed pretty soon. The Barnie is boss, bigger, dominant, protective, but a nice guy. The WM is his underling, understandably a bit more timid but friendly with humans and the girls. I have a friend with four chickens that is offering to take one of the cockerels for me until he crows, then dispatch him. My question is, which one of them should I relocate? My gut tells me send the Barnie away because he is confident and will adjust better to the new space; he knows how to be the boss and will only need to learn a new environment. I worry that if we sent the WM off he would be in over his head suddenly needing to be the roo and in an unfamiliar environment with new girls.
Any ideas? I want to make sure that who ever stays behind can handle suddenly being unchallenged top bird. Does this make sense? Am I thinking about it too much?
Any ideas? I want to make sure that who ever stays behind can handle suddenly being unchallenged top bird. Does this make sense? Am I thinking about it too much?
