Asking Y'all Your Opinions On Roosters

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

The best thing for her to do at this point is just buy her girls and chances are she may get a Roo in the mix so if she does she may find she likes him and will keep him but if you have standred birds than you should have that as a Roo Bantams the same thing for other reasons then just guarding the girls.

The most important thing she can do with being a first time chicken owner is to come here and start asking the questions from REAL chicken owners now form those who have"heard " what to do.

I say IMHO just buy the chicks and if she doesn't get at least one roo and she still wants one then she can buy one later on.

As for being a friendly breed I have but one rule he gets 2 chances with me he attacks me the first time he goes to a cage by himself the 2 time he attacks I pick him up and carry him around then put him in a cage by himself for longer the thrid time he is Dinner plain and simple but I am already letting mine know I am head roo here I did the pecking order on them and time they get lippy I poke them on top of the head nwo they don't even look at me unless I got food or a treat so you may want to try that with her.

Good Luck

 

[silkieroo]

If there going to be free ranging i would get a rooster so he can alert his girls to any danger... I recommend a silkie

 

[La_TomboyGirl]

Well, I have 2 or 3 pullets all ready for her once she gets their place ready (coop just needs staining now). I picked up a few extras @ Chick Days so she could be saved the brooder hassles, & have eggs by fall (hopefully). I told her I had them, but no pressure if she wanted different breeds than what I had bought, as we can always use more eggs!

She does seem to want them though. They will be POL hens mid-June. They are a barred rock, an Ideal 236, & an EE, all hand raised & handled often since day 1. They are all very well-behaved girls, even the 236 (leghorn layer cross). i also have 5 light sussex eggs that candled good @ day 11 yesterday due out Mem. Day weekend that I told her she could pick some from, if she wants any. I do have several "extra" Silkie roos, all raised with same pullets & same age as them, too. I told her she was more than welcome to one o them as well. So I was wondering if the bantam roo to standards generally works well. Thanks for all your helpful input, guys! Anyone else?

 

[michickenwrangler]

Quote:
Actually, it was my husband who had the idea to get a cochin rooster. I boarded at a stable where they had 40-50 chickens and 2 roosters, a silver spangled hamburg and a blue LF cochin. DH fell in love with the big, docile basketball-looking guy and offered the owner some money for the roo. He declined but DH wanted a cochin roo after that. We found one on CL, went out to pick him up and pay for him, but the owner said she just wanted a good home for him so we got him for free. DH also named him and "Fred" even responds to his name. Everyone else around here has RSLs or RIRs and a few have Easter Eggers, but we are the very few who have cochins, so he always gets compliments on his size and appearance.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Buy straight run and by the time you know it's a roo, maybe he'll be attached to it?

When I brought home our wellies I could tell by the eyeliner and headspot that one of ours was clearly a roo. I didn't let on though. The wife took to that one and started calling him Biscuit. She didn't even bat an eyelash when he sprouted a comb and wattles. She was even phased when his brother gravy did the same (he was a surprise though).

The funny thing is.......getting chickens was my husbands idea. I was against those "smelly" creatures and there was no way in h e double ll I'd ever have a rooster. (and I'm not shoveling poop - and what do you think this is, a farm?

) So we started with 7 pullets - hey, they were cute, what can I say - I'm a girl and I'm a sucker for cute baby animals. (awwwww) Then the realization hit me. Hey, they're not THAT bad. (I was hooked) Then on to hatching. (an addict has to have more, right - but it was for the kids, yeah, science lesson for the kids.

) Now we certainly have a rooster. But we need a roo to protect the hens (cuz we lost one to a hawk).

So now we have 2 coops, and building a 3rd. And 29 chickens and only 7 are old enough to be laying. (and I'm shoveling poop) Now all I need is a broody.

He's probably regretting it now.

 

[CMV]

I don't keep male birds. Period. Any males go into the pot as soon as they become a problem. And every one has become a problem at some point.

 

[rcentner]

I love my roosters, every one of them. stay away from OEGB's..I had one of those roos and he would attack me. I highly suggest wyandotte roo's, they are quiet and docile. This is one of the reasons I can have more than 1 roo, my wyandottes are so docile. Just my opinion, but chickens without the crowing? sounds silly to me, I love to hear the crowing and observe the gentlemanly behavior they exhibit towards thier ladies.

 

[Kari]

I currently have two roos. I got them to replace the three roos that I lost to a neighborhood dog. My previos roos were wonderful, kind to the girls, and respected me. The roos that I lost were an Ancona, a Partridge Brahma, and a Black Langshan.
I was given a new Black Langshan, and a Easter Egger. Hate them both. They are mean, nasty and brutal to my hens. Last night was the final straw, I walked into the coop, and they both were tag teaming one of my smaller hens. The Lang had her pinned to the ground and the EE was tearing feathers out of her head and ripping at her comb. I beat them both off of her, and kicked them both out of the coop and the run. They are now free ranging in the yard with NO access to the hens. I am toying with the idea of building them a bachelor pad, but will probably put them both in the stew pot. I hate a mean roo.

 

[La_TomboyGirl]

Wow. I can see why some people are anti-roo, if they may have had those kinds of experiences! I think this thread's become pretty interesting & is definitely giving a well-rounded idea of pros & cons........

 

[tinychicky]

roosters are great! they'll protect a freerange flock from predators and keep the hens in check! the problem is that you may have some surprise chicks at some point, which will result in more roosters that are hard to find homes for. beleive me. i started with 12- 6 hens and 6 roos- and now i've got 12 roos and 16 hens. i am not trying to keep you from getting a rooster, but, unless you want chicks, be careful to remove eggs from broodys!