Today I took Frodo off the nest for the last time for her mandatory eat-drink-poop break. Now she is in lockdown and won’t get off until the babies have hatched. Frodo is proving her mothering skills once again. She’s been such a determined sitter that I’ve had to get her off the nest every afternoon so she gets some nourishment and poop time. Initially, Mr Bingley was running a fine line with his assertiveness towards Frodo and the other girls. The first couple of times when I put Frodo out it was like he was telling her off, chasing her and grabbing her roughly. The second time he drew blood on her comb while I was elsewhere so I started shutting the gate into the run so she could do her things in peace. But she started jumping over the gate and running off into the orchard like a crazy fluff ball and after a few days, thankfully, Mr Bingley calmed his farm. Now I can put Frodo down beside him and he’ll just stand there, guarding her, while she crouches low down, putting hay on her back with her beak until she comes out of the nesting trance and gets some food. Mr Bingley was chasing and pushing around the other girls way too much as well, until he started to realise that they would hang around him more if he spent more time feeding them and doing nice things instead of trying to force them to do what he wants. Hopefully he remains more chilled out. He was starting to make me nervous with his craziness but I suppose that’s what you get for having a cockeral mature right on the start of the breeding season! Jane is still a little scared of him in the morning, being slow to come out of the coop and then running for the hills when she does. Hopefully she realises he’s calmed down a bit.
Frodo was feistier than usual today, hoeing in on the treats bowl I put out and chasing all the other girls for getting too close or just because. She almost jumped on Lydia at one point. Mr Bingley stayed near her and kept a look out. Last night The Husband helped me to candle half the eggs. I mainly wanted to check the three we were unsure about the first time, plus the second undated egg, and we also did Legolas’ other two eggs. All of these looked good, so fingers crossed! They are technically due to hatch on Tuesday evening and Wednesday, so now we wait…
Wild Hope Homestead 
I would say his ‘nuttiness’ is young raging hormones and inexperience. And no one to teach him the right way.
Dots was never an aggressive or dominant rooster when all his rowdy brothers and the RiR boys were still around that first summer, so he wasn’t doing a lot of hen chasing. But I had several who did. After they all left for Freezer Camp, Dots’ grew into the alpha role. By the time the RiR boys we old enough want to mate, he’d already established as Gentleman Rooster who danced and tidbitted. And those protector instincts kicked in.
Pip had the advantage of watching his papa and saw what worked for papa. Patience, tidbits, letting the girls eat first. Standing guard while they dirt bathe, even if he wants to, too. He’s learned from the best. I see Dani doing those things too, and he’s the same age as Mr. B. But he had a week or two where he only gave tidbitting enough time to lure the girl close before he lunged and grabbed. Took him a while (and getting chased by Dots, Pip and some of the hens!) to realize he needed more finesse.
Mr. B will get better at it, too. He just needs more time to learn what his ladies need from him!
I love that he’s standing watch over Frodo now. Pip didn’t, but that’s because while Abby was broody and sitting on eggs, he was trying to establish who his ladies were. He had five or six hens he was trying to impress. But once his ‘siblings’ hatched, he did help stand guard over them. I find it funny that we don’t give animals credit for having long memories or feelings of connections. No matter what anyone says, I know Pip stood guard over Abby’s new babies because they were hers, and she is his momma. I watched him helping her herd them, showing them things, even after the boys started behaving more like boys. Dani? Couldn’t stand them and picked fights with Sumi and Taller, and pulled Snickers tail feathers out constantly in an attempt to gain dominance. Pip has shown Abby’s summer boys nothing but patience and kindness, like a good big brother. He still does,even with them nearing the age where they will want to mate with hens of their own.
It makes me wonder how Mr. Bingley will be with Frodo’s new babies. This will be interesting to see!
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Keeping my fingers crossed for Legolas’s eggs. C’mon, babies!
Mr. B just keeps getting handsomer and handsomer. I hope he stays nice and doesn’t go aggressive/territorial like his father. 😍 love those dark Australorp eyes!
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Yes! Ah, Mr Bingley is very attractive. I really hope he stays nice too. After his recent nuttiness his behaviour towards the hens is getting better and better and I can feed them by hand in the mornings again. 🙂 He is turning into a very good rooster so far. Stay good, Mr Bingley!
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Her name is Frodo. I love it 💕
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Thanks! She did have some aptly-named buddies in The Fellowship of The Egg, but one by one they fell into the darkness. 😦 Mr Bingley and co are the children of Frodo and Elrond. 😛
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