Oh, Sage Veterans of the Chicken Yard, I am such a newbie and need help deciphering this. My newly discovered roo (yep, 2 weeks ago I thought he was a pullet) is about 4 1/2 months old and has his run adjacent to my babies' (2 months) run. I let him out to sort of free-range for a bit and he approached the babies' run with a lot of excitement, but I wouldn't say aggression. Later I saw him puffing up his chest feathers through the mesh and holding very still for the babies to peck and pull at them. When I put him back in his pen he seemed more agitated than usual and has been ever since, pacing and running his beak across the mesh. He is an only chicken in his pen and there are just 2 babies (one roo, one -- hopefully--pullet) in the other pen.
Do you think he means them harm? Is he agitated because he wants to "get at them" or because he wants to protect them? I'm nervous to let them meet face to face for fear my roo would hurt them. Please let me hear your thoughts on this. Thanks!
Do you think he means them harm? Is he agitated because he wants to "get at them" or because he wants to protect them? I'm nervous to let them meet face to face for fear my roo would hurt them. Please let me hear your thoughts on this. Thanks!