will the hen miss the rooster?

[mstokes]

We are getting ready to get rid of a rooster. I am not too upset about it myself because he likes to attack my legs and feet any time I am in the backyard. However, I am concerned that one of my hens might miss him! This is probably really strange to ask because they are just chickens, but I am curious! The hen and rooster do have a very close relationship. He even stayed in the house with her when she laid her first egg! They never get too far apart...it's really kind of sweet! Anyway, will she be sad and mopey after he is gone? Do chickens have a good memory or will she just forget he ever existed? Thanks for help with my strange question...

 

[CMV]

Why are you asking this? Do you want to beat yourself up a little more over a tough decision you had to make? Keeping chickens means you will have to make a lot of tough decisions, some easier than others. You cannot keep a bird that is menacing you. Period. You have made the right decision for you and your family. Don't beat yourself up over it. I'm not going to answer your question because I don't kick people when they are down.

Good luck.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

if they are really close she might look for him all the time, I would remove him at night when they are roosting, thats what I did with my young roos, didn't seem to faze sny of my little chicks, I know someone that got a hen off someone that originally got 2 chickens and 1 was a roo, they got rid of the roo and the hen didn't lay for 6 months until it went to the new home with more chickens then it layed 2 eggs in 1 day
maybe you can coop her up with another chicken for a few days so she makes a new friend.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

Quote:
that was very sensitive of you.... not

 

[mstokes]

Thanks for the help so far. I guess my biggest concern with her missing the rooster is that she won't lay eggs. She just started two weeks ago and is laying an egg every few days. I just don't want her to quit laying altogether now that she just started!

 

[farmerbrownsdaughter]

Don't worry, I had to get rid of my beautiful roo when the nieghbours complained and all my chickens grew up together, the hens never seemed to notice, kept on layin'....good luck!

 

[MakNugget]

Quote:
that was very sensitive of you.... not

CMVs' response was appropriate IMHO.

The hens will get over it.

 

[LeezyBeezy]

My hens were just fine when the roo left. Your's will be too.

 

[drdoolittle]

Wow, I can't wait to get rid of my roos!! I think a couple of the hens will miss them, heck, I will miss them! However, I will NOT miss them tearing up my hens backs, or trying to sneak up on me to attack my legs! I think everything will be just fine.

 

[GoldenFinch27]

We are getting ready to get rid of a rooster. I am not too upset about it myself because he likes to attack my legs and feet any time I am in the backyard. However, I am concerned that one of my hens might miss him! This is probably really strange to ask because they are just chickens, but I am curious! The hen and rooster do have a very close relationship. He even stayed in the house with her when she laid her first egg! They never get too far apart...it's really kind of sweet! Anyway, will she be sad and mopey after he is gone? Do chickens have a good memory or will she just forget he ever existed? Thanks for help with my strange question...

Depends on how many hens you have. If you have a little amount of hens like me, they get more attached to people and the other chickens. My rooster was killed by a raccoon last month. My 3 hens grieved over him for a day and got over the raccoon in a week. I still think they miss him today. However, when I first got my chickens they already had a rooster. When I transitioned them over to Candy Cane (The rooster that died) they did great. I don’t think they missed the rooster since they were originally in a crowded hallway with I think 12 hens. I think none of them were friends with the rooster, making the transition, in a way, easy. Now that I only have three chickens, they have formed close bonds with each other. Therefore, if you do not have many hens, they will probably miss the rooster. Just don’t get rid of the rooster in front of them or they will be scared for a week like mine.