Accidentally got a small cockerel yesterday thinking it was the same size as our hens. Need advice

[McChooky]

Thank you for your response. Our main reason for wanting a rooster is to protect our 10 hens and warn them of hawks. We have 10 acres but only about 1 is cleared for our house/yard.

We are hoping a rooster will be able to crow and warn them so they can take cover under the trees/ shrubs.

We had an unfriendly rooster a few months ago, but rehomed him because we were afraid he’d hurt our toddler who loves the hens.

Sadly roosters are little help against most predators .Their job is to sound alerts and get the girls to safety .You don't want a rooster around a toddler. If he becomes aggressive your toddler can be hurt

 

[ChickenMama1992]

Sadly roosters are little help against most predators .Their job is to sound alerts and get the girls to safety .You don't want a rooster around a toddler. If he becomes aggressive your toddler can be hurt

Yes, this is why I’m not sure if we’ll end up keeping him once he hits maturity. I thought it was a hen when I brought it home (couldn’t see his saddle feathers in the tiny cage he was in)

 

[McChooky]

Yes, this is why I’m not sure if we’ll end up keeping him once he hits maturity. I thought it was a hen when I brought it home (couldn’t see his saddle feathers in the tiny cage he was in)

The more you learn about what triggers human aggression the better your odds are of raising a good one.Teaching your children how to act around a rooster will greatly lessen the risk of an attack.Good luck!

 

[McChooky]

I went to tractor supply for chicken food yesterday and they had an animal swap going on. I took my toddler to go look at the animals. There was a small Easter egger for $10. It was a small cage and I thought it was a hen, I also thought it was the same size as our Easter egger at home (5 months old).

I brought it home and realized it’s way smaller than the hens (maybe 10-12 weeks old) and also has saddle feathers. The hens were bullying it really badly so I isolated him into a small coop within our large run. The hens all sleep in the larger coop. Today I picked up a small coop from a friend and put it outside the run and set it up for him.

He’s very friendly and seems really comfortable with me already. My questions are 1- will being in a separate coop for a couple months until he’s bigger be too lonely for him? 2- would he be happier if I just gave him to a local farm?

One of the saddest stories I read here was about a young rooster that had his own flock and started out good but this ladies mother in law came to live with them and didn't like the chickens coming on the patio or begging for treats so she sprayed it with a water hose and chased it with a broom.The rooster was trying to protect his hens when he attacked her.He also started chasing the children so they got rid of him.The flock quit laying for close to 6 months after all this drama so she finally moved the coop and fence away from the house.I never see her posts anymore and often wonder how things worked out.