Another update, so the rooster (the Spanish one) has become a lot more chill, and he doesn’t attack me anymore and usually runs to the opposite end of the run when I enter, but I still feel uncomfortable around him, since he still shows signs of aggression towards me when I approach the run. So might cull him later, but for now he does a good job of keeping the hens safe from hawks. I saw once a hawk attack (while free ranging), there was a huge commotion and by the time got there the hawk flew away but all the hens were safe and hid in the thickets but the rooster was still there strutting around, no sure exactly what happened but I suppose he chased the hawk away? He is very brave, but also a bit dumb, no self awareness of how weak he is, but because of that he is relentless.
My hen managed to hatch 3 chicks. I made the mistake of not checking on her nest after I put a clutch of 7 eggs under her, and over the time other hens laid in her nest and by the end was sitting on 24 eggs in the end, so most of them were too cold and didn’t fully develop and were at different stages
I then bought 4 other chicks for her to adopt, but she only accepted 2 of them, and the other two I gave them to someone else who was raising a clutch.
So they are now completely feathered out, two of the chicks were the offspring of the Ameraucana rooster, one of which is also a rooster, no idea who the moms are, but the third one is definitely a barred rock (when she hatched she had the distinct black body with white spot on the head) mixed with the Spanish rooster, and she is now completely black like a raven, with a white throat and white wing tips, and I know she is from the Spanish rooster because she has the same leg proportions with the same gait, it’s very distinct, some what like a road runner, very smooth when they run, I think it’s due to them having narrower hips? I hope she doesn’t end up having issues with being egg bound if that is the case?
