Drama In The Barnyard

Over at Just The Right Things, I introduced my Liberty-the-Teenage-Rooster problem. Liberty has been flaunting his newly-discovered rooster testosterone in the barnyard, much to the dismay of the hens.  His original strategy was to run willy-nilly around the barnyard, jumping on the first hen he could catch. There was much squawking and unhappiness.  It was a few weeks of total confusion.

Thankfully, the constant scattering of the ladies has subsided.  Most of the hens have made peace with Liberty.  He still has his way with them, but they calmly submit then do a dramatic feather ruffling that seems to say, “Whew, glad that’s over!”

Unfortunately, now he very, very intentionally targets his victims – Thelma and Louise, my two Golden Buffs and the best egg-layers in the flock.

Poor Thelma and Louise.  Their sweet heads are SO abused.  And to make matters worse, the other girls seem to help him.  He’ll see Thelma, start making a bee-line towards her, she’ll head in the opposite direction, and then one of the other hens will get in front of her and start attacking her, seemingly to keep her there until Liberty can get close.

That poor head. It’s plucked almost bare.

I’ve spent HOURS out in the barnyard, watching this and trying to understand the flock dynamic right now.  I feel like I’m watching a soap opera.

He does not touch Maude, (his “mom” since she sat on the egg that hatched him).  I have seen her go after him and pluck one of his tail feathers.  He gives her a wide berth.

Maude. I wouldn’t mess with her either.

He NEVER goes after the three princesses, aka Belle, Rapunzel and Jasmine. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that those young Black Copper Marans are like wicked stepsisters.

Liberty and the princesses. They’re plotting evil – I can feel it.

Louise tried to roost in the goat shed with them to get away from Liberty in the coop at night.  They were SO MEAN.  She would hop up onto the roost and they would go after her.  She only stayed there a couple of nights, cowering in the corner.

Uh, hi! Can I come sit by you?

What do you think you’re doing?

Stay over there. Or better yet, get outta here!

In the daylight hours, Louise spends a lot of her time in the doghouse inside the goat shed (it came with the goat and the pig).  It’s like she’s hoping Liberty will forget she exists. Thelma has worked out another strategy – she sticks close to Doink the pig, like he’s her bodyguard.  It’s not that effective, but at least she’s trying something.

I’ve been taking both Thelma and Louise out of the barnyard and letting them free range in the yard for a while each day to get away from the drama.

Louise, safe from the flock.

After watching this all week, I think, hopefully, that things are getting a bit better.  Maybe it’s because the snow melted and there’s more room to roam in the barnyard.  Maybe these things simply take time.  I don’t know.  I’ll keep watching.

(Shared at the Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Backyard Farming Connection Hop, Down Home Blog Hop, HomeAcre Hop, The Country Homemaker Hop, Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest, Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop and TALU Tuesday!)