Post by Lannie on Jul 29, 2008 9:11:12 GMT -5
My big, proud, beautiful Alpha rooster has been kicked to the bottom of the pecking order, and my heart is broken. We were gone most of the day yesterday, and when we got back I noticed a LOT of rooster tail feathers in the Commons area (the big grassy patch in the middle of all the buildings). I knew they weren't Odin's (Zeus' brother) because he was sitting underneath the lilacs next to the house with his girls and he was fine. But I couldn't find either Zeus or Jake, the younger 1 year old rooster. All of Zeus' girls were in the chicken run, but no Zeus. So I panicked, thinking maybe that damblasted fox had come back and managed to grab Zeus, but if that were the case, then where was Jake?
Eventually, Zeus showed up at the coop, just before sundown, and then Jake came wandering in, and when I went to close up the coop for the night I saw they were both pretty bloody, but Jake seemed to have gotten the worst of it. Evidently he'd made a move on Zeus and got his butt kicked for his trouble.
But this morning, I found out the truth. When I opened up the coop, Zeus didn't leave right away because he was busy trying to dislodge a fuzzy pantaloon feather that was stuck in the dried blood on his comb. I thought I'd see if I could help him, so I reached out and he LET ME hold him. That never happens. I picked the feather off his comb and let him go, and he hopped out of the coop. Jake immediately went after him, and chased him all the way across the Commons and off into the orchard. Zeus was running as fast as he could. That was the weirdest sight - it's usually Zeus (or Odin) chasing Jake. Anyway, I lost sight of them, but a few minutes later, Jake was back with Zeus' girls, and I can't find Zeus anywhere. He's apparently hiding.
I feel SO bad. Zeus is such a kind and gentle soul, but maybe that's why Jake was able to take advantage. Maybe once the hen in the hedge hatches her chicks, there'll be enough pullets that eventually Zeus can have some more girls of his own. In the meantime, I hope Jake quits chasing him. He's obviously defeated him, so I hope things will quiet down in a day or two.
~Lannie
Eventually, Zeus showed up at the coop, just before sundown, and then Jake came wandering in, and when I went to close up the coop for the night I saw they were both pretty bloody, but Jake seemed to have gotten the worst of it. Evidently he'd made a move on Zeus and got his butt kicked for his trouble.
But this morning, I found out the truth. When I opened up the coop, Zeus didn't leave right away because he was busy trying to dislodge a fuzzy pantaloon feather that was stuck in the dried blood on his comb. I thought I'd see if I could help him, so I reached out and he LET ME hold him. That never happens. I picked the feather off his comb and let him go, and he hopped out of the coop. Jake immediately went after him, and chased him all the way across the Commons and off into the orchard. Zeus was running as fast as he could. That was the weirdest sight - it's usually Zeus (or Odin) chasing Jake. Anyway, I lost sight of them, but a few minutes later, Jake was back with Zeus' girls, and I can't find Zeus anywhere. He's apparently hiding.
I feel SO bad. Zeus is such a kind and gentle soul, but maybe that's why Jake was able to take advantage. Maybe once the hen in the hedge hatches her chicks, there'll be enough pullets that eventually Zeus can have some more girls of his own. In the meantime, I hope Jake quits chasing him. He's obviously defeated him, so I hope things will quiet down in a day or two.
~Lannie