When we first inherited the chickens, they came with a very large, mean, gorgeous, attack rooster. We kept him around for the first couple years even though I got to the point where I would have to take a rake in with me to collect the eggs or he would corner me in the hen house. He would attack my husband's combat boots. He had spurs several inches long and wanted to fight! If he was out and I was weeding, it was not unexpected to get pecked unprovoked by him. When my daughter became a toddler, wandering around the yard, I grew afraid that he would attack her also, so we got rid of him. We haven't had any since. Well, just one, who was a pretty good-natured roo, that we lost when dogs got into our chicken house and attacked the hens. I think he died trying to protect them. Our current flock consists of five hens, two barred rock and three buff orpington's. They lay nice brown eggs.
Our neighbor across the street has LOTS of chickens. Probably 150-200 of them and they roam pretty freely. There seems to be a small group of them that like to scratch in my flower beds, and I've given up trying to have anything nice in them. Apparently I'm supposed to fence them out, rather than my neighbor fencing them in. Oh, well, I'm used to it. But one of his roosters has apparently discovered a ready-made harem in our yard. He started by hanging around our chicken fence, talking to the hens. Then I noticed he must have flown in over the fence and was visiting. Now, when we let our hens out late each afternoon for a good run, he is staying with them and roosting with them at night. He seems to be pretty wimpy though so I'm not too worried. We just have to be sure to pick up the eggs every day! ~Jane
