Hi, I'm new to chickens, relatively. I thought I didn't want a rooster
in my little backyard coop, which came with three rir's - one of whom a
hawk got a week ago (still dealing with that... so hard). Anyways, a
neighbor wanted to give me 4 of her light brahma chickens, two hens, two
roosters. I decided to keep the hens and give the roosters to my Amish
friends who expressed an interest. Next trip over I was told one of the
roosters was a hen. Noah, my Amish friend, who knows chickens quite
well, but had no experience with this breed, said that it was completely
acting and sounding like a hen. No crowing, no strutting, if threatened
it squatted and clucked. It was raised in an enclosed pen with at least
three other roosters, total of 40 or so chickens. Even though light
brahma mature a little slowly, since these were over a year old I would
have expected secondary characteristics to have been fully developed.
At Noah's the chicken could freerange along with his brother rooster,
and Noah's fifty some rir's (no rooster other than the new one). So at
any rate, Noah didn't want another hen, so asked me to bring that one
home. It was after dusk when I got him home, so he was sleeping in his
carrier, and I simply lifted him into the coop. First thing the next
morning he was all rooster. Not yet crowing, but trying. But strutting
around, showing his stuff. I guess, to protect himself in that enclosed
pen with the other roosters he just acted like a hen, "ate his crow" so
to speak. In Noah's flock he hunkered down in a corner and let the hens
all peck him - I guess a carry over from the cage/pen he had grown up
in. But he is now coming into his own. Is learning to crow, each day a
little clearer and stronger. He is a wonderful protector for his little
flock, keeps them gathered and is attentive to everything around him.
He actually has done wonders for bringing my two breeds of chickens
together as a flock - they were having a rather intense feud going on.
They now not only tolerate each other but snuggle up as sisters at
night. Funny how things work out! Sara
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