7 w.o. black Orpington BANTAM cockerel in San Francisco East Bay, CA

[mthrclckr]

I've got a seven-week old black Orpington bantam cockerel that I want to get rid of. He does this annoying thing where if I put my hand in his cage, he gets his hackles up and attacks my arm - bites my fingers or whatever. Of course no damage is done because he's still small, but I don't want him around when he *is* capable of harming me or my kids. He's fine with his brood mates, though. In fact, he was one of the less-rowdy ones. I don't know what his deal is... Maybe somebody is willing to work with him to break him of this nasty habit. I can show you how to suppress him so that he can't attack. I just don't have the patience or the know-how to really work with him myself. It's a shame because I can tell that he's going to be a gorgeous boy. For looks alone, he would have been a keeper. BTW, he's not crowing yet.

He's free. Only catch: PICK-UP ONLY (we're in Hercules) and no shipping. You can raise him up to butcher (not that he's going to make a very filling meal) but just don't tell me about it. PLEASE - NOT for breeding. I don't like this sort of aggressive behavior perpetuated, *especially* in this breed, which is known for exceptionally good temperament. Sorry, I do NOT have a pullet to go with him. I'm hoarding all of the girls right now. No exceptions.

Please let me know if you're interested. If I still have him in a month or so (and he's still being a booger), I'll probably take him to the feed store. You can see the photo of him below. He's already getting some beetle green sheen on his back (which you can't see in the photo). I won't necessarily give him to the first responder. I'll give preference to whomever is willing to try and rehabilitate him.

Since I can't seem to get an e-mail notification for PMs in my mailbox, please either post here or e-mail me directly ([email protected]).

Thanks for looking!

-Naomi

 

[EweSheep]

Thank YOU for not using him for breeding and letting buyers know of his disposition. Orpingtons are known to be friendly, not aggressive. He can be someone's pet or meat. But if no buyers or give aways to be taken, then you may need to have him put down. But lets work on getting him a good home even he is handsome!

I do the same thing with Welsummers, I cull any Wellsummers that has an aggressive tendency to humans and chickens alike including an aggressive chick that just wont stop.

Here's to you!

 

[mthrclckr]

I knew it wasn't likely that anybody would respond anyway, but I just wanted to officially take him off the market. It seems that allowing him (and his brood mates) to free-range for part of the day has done wonders. He's really mellowed out. I want to keep him for a few more months to see if he develops nice physical attributes and maintains even keel. It's still unlikely that I'll breed him, though, even if I keep him that long. I've named him "Watson." (His brother is "Crick" and his sister is "Rosalind Franklin.") He's still getting along great with his brood mates, too, so it was an easy decision to reach.

EweSheep, thanks. I tend to believe in Karma. I wouldn't knowingly sell/give away an aggressive bird without disclosing such information. If anything happens, like a small child getting their eye put out by a bird that *I* sold somebody, I would feel beyond horrible. I would hope that anybody else would feel the same way and do the same thing.

-Naomi