Can we talk about rooster raising?

[LizzzyJo]

Do what you’re doing until it stops working (if ever). I hope that he remains nice! He may. It sounds like you have the time to devote to him which is a huge benefit.

However, if he turns out to be a jerk don’t blame yourself! Most of them are jerks and you don’t always know until they’re 6 months old (and don’t allow him around young children).

Great work

 

[WallyG74]

Wow! He's beautiful AND has a good personality! That is awesome!
Did you do anything with him from the start? Maybe pet or hold him? Or are you in with the chickens often? Or was it just pure luck to find one with a calm demeanor? Please do share☺

Pure luck. A small breeder nearby had too many roosters. He actually advertised him as an Ameraucauna but one look and I knew he was a Easter Egger. Anyways, yes I go in the coop and run all the time with them. I don’t run, I go in the run. He was probably 10 weeks when I got him. The only time I’ve ever held him was to put him in my transport cage and to take him out. I sneak in a little pet when he’s half asleep on the roost now and then. He’s just a stand off kinda guy and I respect that. We don’t have to be buddies. I do my job and he does his and the hens are glad we do!

 

[cajuncluckerswla]

Time for a check-up. Has your method proven effective with him??

 

[bhawk-23]

Time for a check-up. Has your method proven effective with him??

Kinda. He is sweet and will approach me but then the older gals run up and peck him away. They free range all day and it's a pretty big yard. I'll try to occupy the girls with treats in one spot but as soon as I sneak away with some for him, two of the girls are chasing me down. He gets in one bite of treat and gets chased off again. Anyone have thoughts on how to deal with the unruly girls?? I just want him to see me/us as safe, and not a threat to him or his ladies. I don't need him to be cuddly, I just thought that was a more gentle way of restraining him to show he needs to be submissive But nothing will work if I can't get near him before the girls run him off!

 

[cajuncluckerswla]

I have a Phoenix roo that I spoil rotten. He rides on my shoulder when I go outside and I feed him from my hand above and away from the fray that comes with "cracker time" for all of our bigger birds. It was the best way I could come up with to get the others to let him be long enough to love on him. He's quite a regal parrot-bird too..... lolololol

 

[JaeG]

The girls are just teaching him not to be a rude jerk.

A rooster is either going to be nice, or he is not. We recently raised our first ever cockerels. We had 2 boys from hatch (different breeds) and we treated them both exactly the same. One is the perfect gentleman to the hens, tidbitting from a very young age, standing back as the hens eat, and looking after them all so carefully. He is the sweetest. The other would grab the biggest piece of food (if they were getting scraps) and run off with it before anyone else got a look in, or he'd be at the feeder first, absolutely stuffing his face, not at all interested in how the hens were faring. He also started to challenge our son (so he got the chop), whereas our little gentleman does nothing worse than growl if one of the hens is picked up. Our son can also pick up this rooster very easily and dear little Fox just puts up with it.

In the end it's all about their individual personality and you won't know that until he matures. I gave our rude cockerel until 10 months old to see if he would improve, but he was getting worse.

 

[bhawk-23]

@cajuncluckerswla
That's awesome. He will be too big for that but how cool it would be for any of my birds to sit on my shoulder!

The girls are just teaching him not to be a rude jerk.

A rooster is either going to be nice, or he is not. We recently raised our first ever cockerels. We had 2 boys from hatch (different breeds) and we treated them both exactly the same. One is the perfect gentleman to the hens, tidbitting from a very young age, standing back as the hens eat, and looking after them all so carefully. He is the sweetest. The other would grab the biggest piece of food (if they were getting scraps) and run off with it before anyone else got a look in, or he'd be at the feeder first, absolutely stuffing his face, not at all interested in how the hens were faring. He also started to challenge our son (so he got the chop), whereas our little gentleman does nothing worse than growl if one of the hens is picked up. Our son can also pick up this rooster very easily and dear little Fox just puts up with it.

In the end it's all about their individual personality and you won't know that until he matures. I gave our rude cockerel until 10 months old to see if he would improve, but he was getting worse.

So when did the nice guy start to court the ladies? Oscar will still grab a piece of treat and run off with it. He does not have any desire to share. Though he is good with the hens. Lays with the pullets his age all the time and they are slowly getting closer to the 10 month old gals. And he was the last one in the coop last night. He stood at the door and looked around for a bit before heading in himself. That was pretty neat to see.

 

[JaeG]

@cajuncluckerswla
That's awesome. He will be too big for that but how cool it would be for any of my birds to sit on my shoulder!


So when did the nice guy start to court the ladies? Oscar will still grab a piece of treat and run off with it. He does not have any desire to share. Though he is good with the hens. Lays with the pullets his age all the time and they are slowly getting closer to the 10 month old gals. And he was the last one in the coop last night. He stood at the door and looked around for a bit before heading in himself. That was pretty neat to see.

Probably from around 5 months old he was courting the ladies and trying to impress them. We have a younger English araucana cockerel in a different pen who I never liked as a chick but he's grown on me as he's got older. He started tidbitting recently (at the same age - 5ish months old), except he grabs any old bit of dirt or dried grass that he can find. He's a bit rough on the pullets at the moment though and they aren't with any older hens so we are going to pen him separately until the girls start laying.

Oscar is definitely sounding promising. The older hens should help to keep his raging hormones in check too once he gets to 'that age'.

 

[bhawk-23]

@JaeG
So 12 weeks is a bit early to expect him to give up treats I guess. Lol
I do worry about the two 12 week old pullets being the only two on the receiving end of his teenage affections. I'll have to deal with that when the time comes.
Another good day though carrying him around and sitting on my lap. He doesn't love it but doesn't struggle either.
I had to grab a couple of the cockerels from his hatch and they were awful to handle! Nothing like Oscar so my hopes are still up, for now.

 

[JaeG]

@JaeG
So 12 weeks is a bit early to expect him to give up treats I guess. Lol
I do worry about the two 12 week old pullets being the only two on the receiving end of his teenage affections. I'll have to deal with that when the time comes.
Another good day though carrying him around and sitting on my lap. He doesn't love it but doesn't struggle either.
I had to grab a couple of the cockerels from his hatch and they were awful to handle! Nothing like Oscar so my hopes are still up, for now.

Our boys have no choice but to put up with our 10 year old son picking them up. They don't enjoy it but that's too bad. Hopefully the young ones will continue to mind their manners around him.

Keep us posted on how Oscar is doing. Our older cockerel was good around the 2 pullets he grew up with - he seemed more interested in the older hens.