Pullet? No sir, it's a cockerel!

HEN-tabulous

In the Brooder
5 Years
Aug 9, 2014
17
1
24
North Carolina
I'll try to keep this as short as possible, but I need y'all's advice. I just added 5 new pullets to my flock ( 2 buff orp and 3 americaunas). Turns out Eleanor Roosevelt (Americaunas) is actually a Teddy Roosevelt. Heard the 1st crow this morning when I was letting them into the run.
During the initial pecking order process, Eleanor was getting bullied like the rest. I think she ended about 3rd from the bottom. It took about two days to sort the entire process out and everyone is doing fine now.
I have a ton of questions so please bear with me:
1. Is the AMA breed a good breed to sire my hens with?
2. Will the varying genetics between the roo and the hens create issues if I decide to let the eggs go through the hatching process?
3. Since this cockerel is obviously subordinate to the hens now; when and how will that change? If I keep him, I don't want a subordinate roo watching after my girls.
I have a lot more questions, but I'm sure they'll come up throughout the thread. Thank you so much your advice! This site and it's members are truely awesome people!
 
Added info:
My flock consists of a Rhodebar hen (only layer currently), 3 RIR pullets, a Giant Cochin and a Barredrock pullet. Plus the new additions. Thanks again!
 
1 By Americana's I assume you are talking about what is commonly known as am ee and their fine as long as you don't care about mixed chicks
2 No as long as you understand the the resulting chicks may look like mom or dad or a cross of both, and you may get all of the above out of the same hatch.
3.Just give him time things will change. Chicken like people mature at different rates I had a white rock cockerel that was huge but at the bottom of the pecking order at six months, even the bantam cochins picked on him. At 8 months he was top dog
 
1. Is the AMA breed a good breed to sire my hens with?

That purely depends on what your goals are. If you are raising birds for show or for some reason want to have purebreds it won’t work with your Buff Orps. But if you want chickens that have some of the characteristics of the Ameraucana he will do fine. With your Buff Orps the pullets will lay green eggs, not blue. They should make good layers and good pets.

2. Will the varying genetics between the roo and the hens create issues if I decide to let the eggs go through the hatching process?

Crossbreeds are sometimes more vigorous than purebreds, but in this case that probably won’t be noticeable. It depends on how inbred the adults are. The more inbred they are the more benefit you get with hybrid vigor. There are no bad issues with crossbreeds as far as hatching goes. It just depends on the health and genetic make-up of the parents. Those issues are the same whether they are purebred or crossbred.

3. Since this cockerel is obviously subordinate to the hens now; when and how will that change? If I keep him, I don't want a subordinate roo watching after my girls.

This could be a long answer explaining it all, but I assume they are still quite young since you just determined one is a cockerel. Before they hit puberty sex doesn’t matter in their social relations. When they do hit puberty the hormones start running wild, especially in cockerels. Pullets normally start that process later than cockerels so you have a hormone crazed boy with no restraints running wild with a bunch of young girls that don’t know what the heck is going in. It can get quite wild. But eventually the boy matures enough to gain control of his hormones and the girls mature enough to do their part and the flock settles down. When this happens the rooster will be dominant.

Don't worry about trying to keep it short. You will get better responses if we understand what is going on and what your real question is.
 
As an example of sufficient information, I just saw your second post after I posted mine. That additional information changes my response some. While some hens will squat for practically anything in spurs, most mature hens and many pullets expect a male to be a worthy father of their children. They expect him to dazzle them with his brilliance and self-confidence, dance for them, find them food, help keep them secure, keep peace in the flock, and perform many other flock master duties. Immature cockerels usually can’t handle most of that so the hens will resist his efforts once he reaches adolescence and starts acting like an oversexed teenager. Often they can be quite brutal to him in putting him in his place.

Eventually he will mature enough to win them over but it takes time. I’ve had a cockerel that could manage that at about 5 months of age but I’ve also had a cockerel that took 11 months to win over the last hen. Most are somewhere in between. It just depends on the personality of the individual chickens, male and female.
 
Thank you for the responses and I apologize about my insufficient information. I added the second post to be more thorough. The advice I have received on this forum is excellent and I sincerely appreciate all of your help.
 
I'll try to keep this as short as possible, but I need y'all's advice. I just added 5 new pullets to my flock ( 2 buff orp and 3 americaunas). Turns out Eleanor Roosevelt (Americaunas) is actually a Teddy Roosevelt. Heard the 1st crow this morning when I was letting them into the run.
During the initial pecking order process, Eleanor was getting bullied like the rest. I think she ended about 3rd from the bottom. It took about two days to sort the entire process out and everyone is doing fine now.
I have a ton of questions so please bear with me:
1. Is the AMA breed a good breed to sire my hens with?
2. Will the varying genetics between the roo and the hens create issues if I decide to let the eggs go through the hatching process?
3. Since this cockerel is obviously subordinate to the hens now; when and how will that change? If I keep him, I don't want a subordinate roo watching after my girls.
I have a lot more questions, but I'm sure they'll come up throughout the thread. Thank you so much your advice! This site and it's members are truely awesome people!
I like having an Easter egger cockerel in my layer flock. I love mixed breed birds, with their different colors and chance of green eggs!
No issues with mixing breeds. You'll have barnyard mixes, just like mutt dogs.
He'll hit his maturity around 6ish months. It may take longer than that, but he'll come into his own. The nice thing about having at least one older hen is, she'll teach him some good manners and make him earn his matings.
 
Thanks for all the replys. I think I've decided to keep him, but if the other one turns out to be a Roo (re-homing the homie). My original girls are keeping the teenage boy in check. So far....
 

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