Though I love my Winston Roo, he is decidedly agitated with the introduction of any new ladies into his flock, and I'm uncertain as to why.
At the auction, Monday, Moose picked up a trio of Chanties (who are quite lovely). We tucked up another breeding pen and put the 2 hens and roo into the pen -- that was the end of it. Before going to bed last night, I headed off into the coop to do one last check, make sure I closed up the window and so on, and found out the Chanty's are escape artists. 1 hen and the roo were roosted on the roost right near Winston, and the other ended up in with my Momma and chicks, on top of the nest box; I left them alone for the night, pulling the one girl out from Momma and onto the roost.
This morning I checked again, early, and found Winston up and about. I grabbed up the rooster and put him back in the pen in hopes they wouldn't trying and escape again and to see, if he did, how for that matter. Everything was Dandy until Winston did his morning crow and out came the other roo, squeeeezing through the weighted bottom of the pen and all hell broke loose. A mouth full of feathers later, I got hold of the other roo and moved him out to the old pen. It's decided: Winston will not tolerate another roo in his barn -- ever. And I'm alright with that. We'll build up the base of the breeding pens to prevent the roos from seeing eachother and they'll be bachleor padded when not in use.
However he decided to attack the other hens that had been brought in. Another mouth full of feathers and high-pitched screaming later, I caught the girls and we moved them to the other pen as well. I had this happen with Momma bird and one of my banties, but I thought it was because the banty was, well a banty, and Momma just made a big deal because of her babies.
Is there any way to introduce new ladies into a flock with a roo as opposed to change as he is, or is it natural for there to be some fighting, jousting and otherwise ruffling-of-the-girls when they are new? I expected it with the hens, but not with him.
I should make a distinction, he is attacking them, as he did the roo. Hackle up, feet out, wings wide, head down. He's not trying to breed them. Considering I want him as one of my foundation roos for breeding, it's not going to go so well if he's just going to kick the crap out of quality hens to stick with his street-walker stock
Thanks!
At the auction, Monday, Moose picked up a trio of Chanties (who are quite lovely). We tucked up another breeding pen and put the 2 hens and roo into the pen -- that was the end of it. Before going to bed last night, I headed off into the coop to do one last check, make sure I closed up the window and so on, and found out the Chanty's are escape artists. 1 hen and the roo were roosted on the roost right near Winston, and the other ended up in with my Momma and chicks, on top of the nest box; I left them alone for the night, pulling the one girl out from Momma and onto the roost.
This morning I checked again, early, and found Winston up and about. I grabbed up the rooster and put him back in the pen in hopes they wouldn't trying and escape again and to see, if he did, how for that matter. Everything was Dandy until Winston did his morning crow and out came the other roo, squeeeezing through the weighted bottom of the pen and all hell broke loose. A mouth full of feathers later, I got hold of the other roo and moved him out to the old pen. It's decided: Winston will not tolerate another roo in his barn -- ever. And I'm alright with that. We'll build up the base of the breeding pens to prevent the roos from seeing eachother and they'll be bachleor padded when not in use.
However he decided to attack the other hens that had been brought in. Another mouth full of feathers and high-pitched screaming later, I caught the girls and we moved them to the other pen as well. I had this happen with Momma bird and one of my banties, but I thought it was because the banty was, well a banty, and Momma just made a big deal because of her babies.
Is there any way to introduce new ladies into a flock with a roo as opposed to change as he is, or is it natural for there to be some fighting, jousting and otherwise ruffling-of-the-girls when they are new? I expected it with the hens, but not with him.
I should make a distinction, he is attacking them, as he did the roo. Hackle up, feet out, wings wide, head down. He's not trying to breed them. Considering I want him as one of my foundation roos for breeding, it's not going to go so well if he's just going to kick the crap out of quality hens to stick with his street-walker stock
Thanks!