My Rooster is Driving me Bonkers

[Stephine]

If I had the stomach to kill this roo, or were able to find a taker he’d already be gone… but the only person who wanted him was somebody I strongly suspected wanted him for cock fights and so he is still with me…
Anyway, he now has figured out what makes his job as flock protector easiest: just keep them all in the covered run. It took me a while to realize what was going on… my dog would be out there, supposedly watching the chickens, and all chickens would be crowded i to the run. When I came out to “lock them up” in the evening they’d all run out to great me and then let me throw them their treats into the run, to get locked up…. what the heck? Now I have taken to shooing them all out of the run and closing the door so they have to stay out. The rooster has countered by trying to keep them all under the coop now, but is less successful because they can get out on three sides… phew. Seriously… What a pain!

 

[Stephine]

To his defense: We do have hawks around the property all day every day, and we have lost one hen to an attack a year ago that neither the dog nor the roo were expecting because it was the first. But the hawks are not flying over the chicken area or sitting and eying the flock all day long - actually hardly ever. If one shows up the dog is on him immediately - he keeps very good watch of the sky now. In general the hawks are really not interested in the chickens. But the roo has decided if he hears a hawk anywhere at all he will lock his hens in for the day. Grrrr.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Maybe because the leaves are gone and not as much cover for hens. ?

 

[Stephine]

Maybe because the leaves are gone and not as much cover for hens. ?

no, there are tall redwoods, a big butterfly bush (with leaves), a trampoline… I really think he is overreacting and likes the complete safety of their coop and run. Which is too bad because he has the dog as helper, and if the dog doesn’t spot any danger first, just a sound from the roo will have the dog on high alert… They have known each other all the roo’s life (almost 5 years now) and make a great team. I wonder if the roo thinks there’s more of a threat than there actually is because the dog also of course alerts to visitors, delivery people, turkey vultures in tall trees, the neighbors doing odd things…. He doesn’t bark very much, but still.
I have a feeling the roo is getting more protective the older he gets.