Advice On Which Rooster to cull

[FarmerGirlz]

I am just putting a rooster in so that we can hatch our own chicks. Although it would be nice to breed them to be better for our area, which has hot summers and mild to harsh winters. I think that I am going to get him and see how nice he is compared to the other rooster(I will be giving him special attention so that he hopefully grows up nice), and decide who becomes dinner from there. Maybe I can convince them to let the two roosters have access to the flock at once and see how it works out and use that to help decide as well, but I am not sure.

Hope that goes well. How many hens do you have though? I have nine and that's not enough for my 2 roosters. Hence the culling! =(

 

[ZachyWachy]

As for your hens wounds, I am not skilled in this but maybe I can help, if you can use water to clean it out, and then put on some sort of antibiotic, then wrap it in clean wrags or something, that might help. Keep her separated until the wound is healed over and the skin is no longer tender, apply antibiotic daily and change wraps when it is dirty. That might help, I had a hen that broke a leg, and before i could decide on a course of action, she was walking on the leg and currently free ranges with the flock and has only a slight limp; the lesson I learned: if they can survive the first little bit, then they will heal up quickly.
Hope

 

[ZachyWachy]

I have 14 hens, 3 have chicks, and I am getting 2 of them to go back into the flock.

P.S. that last little bit was supposed to say, "Hope she gets better!"

 

[Mrs. K]

@ ZachyWachy - I would not recommend your plan. If you place the younger rooster into the flock with the established rooster, he is going to fight that youngster. If you have a LOT of room, it might work, but I don't think it will.

Do not give roosters special attention, so that they lose their fear of you. Chickens equate fear with respect. Chickens respect higher order birds, by giving them space, and moving away from them. That is what you want your rooster to do. Chickens that are pets, and sit on your lap, are not afraid of you, in chicken society, you are lower than they are, as they sexually mature, they will want to dominate you often by attacking you. Roosters are not like puppies that if treated nicely, will be nice to the hand that feeds them. This board is full of roosters turning into nightmares.

I do like the idea of a cockerel growing up in an established flock. Older and larger hens will teach him some manners. Often times, roosters grown up just with flock mates, get bigger than the other pullets, and become bullies as there is no one to put them in their place, such as an older hen.

For your stated needs of a rooster, I would cull the BA, and add the new rooster and cross your fingers, roosters are a crapshoot, some turn out, some do not.

Good luck,
MRS K

 

[ZachyWachy]

I free range my roosters, I have had a sneaking suspicion that he might get not afraid of me and end up mean; it's just that I have had roosters that are very calm and nice, however, they are bantams. I mainly just want to have him be chill with people and not see them as a threat and not have to watch my back all the time, I mean, the BA hasn't done anything in awhile, but the memories of him jumping at me and so now I can't help but get nervous whenever he is near; I will feel a lot safer when we shorten his spurs.
Thanks this is helpful.