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Pinless peepers (blinders) can trigger intense defense mechanisms in poultry. When I first began using them many years ago, the reaction of the other chickens to the chicken suddenly appearing among the flock wearing this unfamiliar device was a swift and intense attack. A similar thing happened...

Tootsie is still Mr. Big. Strawberry is tolerating his nonsense such as an occasional aggressive jump at him with wings outstretched. This is probably the secret to their ability to get along peacefully the majority of the time. Strawberry no longer is intimidated by Tootsie, and when Toots...

Just thought an update would go good right about now. Today, I watched my two roosters during their two times out free ranging together. They seemed very much back to the way they were before the Big Fight - inseparable. They dirt bathed smashed up against each other. They were like two little...

Strawberry is healing up nicely. Today, when it came time for the boys to free range, there happened to be one hen still out after the rest of the hens went into their run. I let Strawberry out first, and I kept Tootsie back in order to give him his treatment for his leg cancer. Toots went a bit...

Good news! Tootsie and Strawberry are out free ranging together peacefully. There has been no aggression. Both boys are wandering together as in old times. What I had been doing is to restrict Tootsie's free ranging, and expanding Strawberry's. My intention was to put a break on Tootsie's...

These two are probably the oldest any of my roos have reached, others dying in the past from the leucosis virus, predators, and apparent cardiac issues. Both boys are behaving normally, showing no signs of illness. Today, both finished their food, so perhaps things are beginning to settle into a...

Both boys' appetites have been greatly diminished. There is tension between the two which is normal under these circumstances. It must be very stressful. About the only sign of aggression from Tootsie when both boys are in their run is Tootsie does the mating dance with Strawberry. I'm sure...

No doubt Strawberry is aging, and Tootsie is aware of it. There is only a year difference between the two. Other than that, Strawberry seem in good health.

Since the polar shift in ranks, the two roosters have been confined to their run with no incident. However, today I let both out to free range. Lest I entertain the notion that all is forgotten and forgiven, Tootsie chased Strawberry so far away from the run that I could barely hear their...

Yes, Mary, health issues are among the most common reasons for chickens challenging rank in the flock. One thing about Tootsie I didn't bring up is that he's likely suffering from a squamous cancer on one leg. I've tried to treat it for a year, throwing everything at it I can think of. No...

Not all is back to normal. It's very hard for me to look at that little punk Tootsie as an alpha roo, but both boys seem to buy into the notion that he is. I've been concerned that Strawberry would either consider himself unworthy of eating or Toots would send a message to him that he isn't...

This is a discussion, not necessarily an advice request. I'd like to share this with you all as an observation following a drastic change in the relationship between my two roosters, Strawberry, a seven year-old Cream Legbar and six year-old Tootsie, a Legbar/EE cross. It happened two days ago...