My rooster is scared as all hell, mind you he was scarred as a chick. We ordered six day-old chicks from the local farmer's store, and our friend who breeds chicks gave us two for free, which both turned out to be roosters eventually. After a few months, they matured and of course, one was extremely agressive to the other rooster, fighting all the time and being rough on the hens. It also crowed at ungodly hours of the morning. Eventually my dad went and donged it on the head.
Afterwards, the flock is much more peaceful. However, the rooster is scared as all hell. He will sound the alarm if something goes near him and his hens, and will be alert and attentive, and will mate with the hens and find food for them, if something is bounding towards them he will sound the alarm and run like a girl.
He's good at fertilizing the eggs, but not at protecting his flock. It sure as hell beats having an aggressive rooster though, I'll tell you that
love this!!!! Us newcomers need to hear stories like this, it reminds us to keep a balanced flock!!!!I have heard many folks say "I do not want a rooster because they crow so much" or "I do not need a rooster"... but most often it is "Why do I need a rooster?" Well here is an excellent example of why to have one and why they are so special.
Three weeks ago I lost a beautiful buff cochin to a coyote...she was snatched just a few feet from my front porch. We found where the coyote had lain and watched us working on pens and so forth, waiting for us to go inside. When we did go inside for about 10 -15 minutes, the coyote grabbed my girl and carried her off. I found all of my girls under the front porch, with the exception of 4 that had hidden in the woods but my rooster was standing alone between the porch and where the attack occurred. I found my cochin's wings and legs, but her torso was taken to the den. I understand why my cochin was lost...she was big and slow, the slowest moving bird I owned, so my roo was able to get everyone to safety but her.
We found the coyote's den and my diligence in hunting her and watching over my flock became paramount. I did everything I could to discourage the coyote and take away her sense of safety...it paid off, she moved the babies. That was one option that I had hoped would happen as a last resort, my choice was to hunt her down and then destroy her and then the youngsters. They are merely future predators and ones too young to fend for themselves without their mother, so I chose that option out of humane regard for the youngsters. (This decision is mine solely and NOT open to discussion, nor is it the point of this post so please leave it alone).
So, she moves the youngsters and my diligence stays guarding my flock and hunting her. To no avail...until today when I witnessed an act so amazing that I would have 40 roosters if I could. I admit to being simply in awe. Here is what happened:
I am upstairs when my husband calls to me "Honey, you better come down, something is up with the chickens". So, I come downstairs, grab my rifle from the closet as my husband is telling me the girls just came flying all of my cross the yard heading for the coop in a strange manner. I go out the front door and cannot see any of the birds...and suddenly I see a flash of white crammed under the coop, one of my Delaware is hiding under there...I start taking a closer looks and all of my girls...18 total are under the coop...so I start wondering where Lancelot is and I look for him and find him standing statue still near the road about 8 feet from the coop targeted on a spot off in the distance. I follow his line of sight and see nothing. I called to him "Lancelot...what's wrong big boy?"...he looked at me briefly with this look that I can only describe as calm and confident...as if he was saying "I got it mom...no worries". So I kept looking all around, hoping to see the slightest movement...nothing, the girls are quiet and hiding and Lancelot is standing in the same spot. So after about 4 minutes, I walk back inside and decide to walk through the dining room and check out the back, make sure the ducks are okay and that all is in order...as I step onto the threshold of the sliding glass door in my dining room (2nd story of a tri-level), it happens.
Lancelot comes running around the corner of the house and towards my area in the middle of the backyard...he stops, turns and stands to full height...I barely get "Lance what are you" through my brain when Mrs Coyote comes skidding around the corner, full speed towards my rooster. I raised the rifle, prayed, took aim, fired and starting running for the stairs. I only had one shot, there was no time to eject the round and load another before she got him. It was a good shot thank heavens...I dropped the coyote about 15 feet from my brave rooster. I grabbed my rooster up into my arms and I will admit I was crying and asking "are you okay?" as I was checking him over...he was fine and I put him down and watched him immediately run past the coyote towards the coop, making a call I had never heard but one that the girls instinctively understood...one by one little heads popped out from under the coop and the girls started to rushing out towards him. Everyone is safe and accounted for.
Now, some may say. Well no biggie he was being a rooster....well yes he was BUT think about this for a moment or two. He could have easily stood his ground in the tall grass where he was...I doubt the coyote saw him until he took off running. This leads to the "Why" did he run....why did he take the time to run down a hill around the house and stop halfway to safety, turn and wait for her?
Well this is why....he did what he is genetically designed to do...he protected his girls. He took the girls to safety....stood guard...then he took the predator away from the girls. He willingly, proudly and bravely stood still facing a coyote charging him...prepared to fight till his last breath...there was no fear in him there was only duty, obligation and an internal directive to stand, fight and protect.
So...if you consider that he lost one girl three weeks ago and chickens recognize by facial feature...they can recognize 100 different chickens by their facial features, then it would stand to reason that he saw the coyote, knew why it was there and deliberately took it away from his girls. Now whether or not he knew if he fell where he was, the coyote would be a couple feet from the girls....who knows but I do know what I saw, I saw a deliberate move to put the fight where he wanted it.
So why do you need a rooster? You don't but your hens do. The rooster that crows and annoys you...will sacrifice himself gladly protecting his flock. He will do it while showing no fear, no hesitation and no doubts. So the better question is why don't you need a rooster.
My brave beautiful boy, Lancelot
Wullus, you are not wrong at all. I just wanted to point out that running is not necessarily the sign of a coward rooster. They are genetically programmed and but they are individuals. Lancelot has changed due to his life's experiences with predators. I know deep in my heart that when I lose him, it will be fighting a predator or just old age because he has been through so much with various predators that he is just plain ornery with them or anything messing around his girls.Ahh okay, I always get it wrong with chickens :/ thank you for letting me know. I always thought that they were supposed to attack the predator, but I guess that must be some really cranky roosters, or the really brave ones, or something. Guess it depends on the circumstances/personality?
