Remember this little chick? "She" and her sister were bought for Rylan as his replacement chicks when Shadow died.A month or so ago we noticed she was getting awfully red in the face. We didn't think too much of it since our other chickens got red at various times, some earlier than others. But then we brought them inside one night when it was pouring down rain. We noticed the tail feathers were getting a little curled at the ends. Yeah.....I do believe he's a rooster.
Rylan is still holding on to a little bit of hope. He wants to wait until he fully crows before we find him a new home. He's made one attempt so far I think. I feel bad for his flock-mate though. She will be lost without him. We finally put them in with the big chickens last week and they are always together away from everyone else. 
Paul and Rylan are working on changing my mind. "He's a very tame rooster" they say. "She will be too lonely!!" they say. I say I don't want to risk them being attacked. I say I am not too keen on eating fertilized eggs. Don't know why- I just don't like it....along the same lines as me not eating meat in general. They are 13 weeks old. A few more and we will be finding him a new home....
Is it true you can't put chickens and roosters together? Something about one giving the other a diease?
ReplyDeleteDarn that rooster anyway...I don't know that I've ever met a tame rooster, but if it works out, go for it!
ReplyDeleteStinky rooster, hiding among the ladies! For shame!
ReplyDeleteSadly, I've never met a well-mannered rooster either---good luck there Sadie!
I have met a well mannered rooster. In fact, we had one. His name was Fred and we carried him around everywhere. Then he died (the dog got him) and mom got another rooster with the next batch of hens. This rooster was named Randy, and not nice. Not at all. The only time we would go into the chicken coop was when he was crowing so we knew he was outside.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't bad though. Nothing more than a few scratches. It may be worth trying it out if the boys are so attached. Then you could have chicks of your own.
Fert eggs though. You may have to think on that one.
Good luck!
Val
I bet he stays tame...
ReplyDeleteFirstly, no it isn't true that hens and roosters cannot live together. They can, and generally, hens like a rooster around.
ReplyDeleteI have had many roosters, some mean, and some like pets. We always wait until we see their behavior as they grow up. We get rid of the mean ones with no remorse. We keep the good ones to protect the hens.
As for fertilized eggs, if they have been collected daily and not incubated, they will not have started to develop at all, and so you will notice no difference in egg quality, taste or appearance. It isn't true that a red spot means it was fertilized. This can occur in unfertilized eggs as well and is just something that egg factories have bred out of chickens that produce for the mass market. We eat fertilized eggs all the time, and you can't tell them from the rest.