Rooster Conundrum

[Jasonpdx]

Hi All,

I have a conundrum. I started a meat flock last spring with 5 hens and a rooster. They are Rangers that I held out from a batch I got in the spring. My goal is to have a self-sustaining meat flock. Everything is going fine, except for the rooster. I've never had a rooster that crows SOOOOO much. He is a nervous guy! In the morning he'll crow every 10-20 seconds for about an hour straight. Then intermittently throughout the day. None of my other roosters crow nearly as much as this. And he's a big guy so he crows really loud. It's driving me nuts!

So, I'm stuck. If I process this guy, the flock has no point unless I start over again in the spring and have another year setback with no guarantees that the next rooster won't be just as annoying. Do I just need to learn to ignore the incessant crowing and chalk it up to, "well, that's a rooster"? Or should I consider this a false start, swallow the setback and look for a new beginning in the spring?

What would you do?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I have a few boys that have contests through out the day and night. It's just part of their personality.

 

[CluckerFamily]

Roosters crow 24/7/365.

 

[RainbowHen]

You can always get another roo and see. If it crows less then butcher the first one.

 

[Folly's place]

Sorry, but it is funny. One of the many times that the 'best pick' maybe isn't.
Is he happy to be alive? Does he know what the choices are?
As you've said, starting with new ones in spring puts the plan off another year. Can you grit your teeth and smile through March or April? Do you have the space to keep more than one cockerel next year, so you're not down to one or none?
Ear plugs?
Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

It has to be your decision. You are the one being annoyed. I don't know your tolerances to that crowing. I don't know your goals, why you want Ranger over Ranger chicks. It is your goals and tolerances that count, not mine.

It sounds like you have other roosters. If one is a dual purpose how would it work for you to put one of them over those Ranger pullets to get hatching eggs. You won't get Rangers, but you should still get pretty nice meat birds. That could put meat in your freezer while you get some new Rangers to start over. I don't know you goals but you may find you actually like them as meat birds. I doubt you'll need it but it might give you experience in hatching Ranger eggs.

This depends on your timing. If you aren't hatching eggs until you'd buy Ranger chicks you can just buy extra Rangers if you want meat birds to butcher. If you are hatching to sell that won't work. It depends on your goals. Mine don't matter.

There is no guarantee you will like a replacement any more than you like this one, maybe for different reasons. If he is annoying enough it's worth a try.

 

[Jasonpdx]

It has to be your decision. You are the one being annoyed. I don't know your tolerances to that crowing. I don't know your goals, why you want Ranger over Ranger chicks. It is your goals and tolerances that count, not mine.

It sounds like you have other roosters. If one is a dual purpose how would it work for you to put one of them over those Ranger pullets to get hatching eggs. You won't get Rangers, but you should still get pretty nice meat birds. That could put meat in your freezer while you get some new Rangers to start over. I don't know you goals but you may find you actually like them as meat birds. I doubt you'll need it but it might give you experience in hatching Ranger eggs.

This depends on your timing. If you aren't hatching eggs until you'd buy Ranger chicks you can just buy extra Rangers if you want meat birds to butcher. If you are hatching to sell that won't work. It depends on your goals. Mine don't matter.

There is no guarantee you will like a replacement any more than you like this one, maybe for different reasons. If he is annoying enough it's worth a try.

I do have one other rooster that I could substitute with. However, he is a part of the egg flock which is right next to the meat flock pen. I thought about using him, but am afraid that it won't work because he'll be focused on getting back the egg flock instead of settling in with the meat hens. Is it possible to switch roosters that easily?

 

[Folly's place]

Roosters will be happy with hens, and if you decide to use this other bird, will he be a good fit with your Rangers?
Mary

 

[Jasonpdx]

Roosters will be happy with hens, and if you decide to use this other bird, will he be a good fit with your Rangers?
Mary

He's a fairly large Moran mix. Actually, he's the best rooster because he doesn't crow much at all He was going to be the replacement for the egg flock rooster but maybe I could repurpose him.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree, roosters will be happy with hens. That part I would not worry about. You might have some drama if a dominant hen doesn't want him there but with a good mature rooster should be able to manage that.

My thought is how are you feeding them? Are you restricting feed with the Rangers to keep them from getting too big? I had not thought of that earlier. But I don't think it will hurt him to go on a diet for a few days while making his conjugal visits. The way chicken mating works, the hens will store sperm for a couple of weeks after a mating so he can rotate back and forth between the two hen flocks.. That's probably not a real issue but it's the only possible one I can come up with.