At what age do roos begin crowing and turn hormonal and mean?

[Andora]

I have somehow ended up with six roosters, and we've fallen in love with all of them. We live in a suburb and if we don't end up moving soon they will have to be re-homed.

What age can I expect my boys to start crowing? I have two Polish and two EE's that are all 10 or 11 weeks old, and a buff Brahma that is 15 weeks old. None of them have shown any signs of crowing at all. They are tame too, all except one Polish. They will eat from your hands, some of them like to be carried. They are kind to their girls. I've seen the black EE try to mount on of my SF's a million times, but she runs off and he goes off and prances elsewhere. None of my roos seem to fight with each other either.

Is it all going to come crashing down soon? Or would they have already turned into crazy hormonal teenagers by now if they were going to get mean?

 

[WildBurroShirts.com]

Wishing you ALL the best...but suburbia doesn't usually mix well with roos, sad to say.

Unless you're neighbors are all stone deaf? Or you plan on supplying them eggs every week?

Still...I'd love to see yours be the one time it works out.

Good luck!

 

[Andora]

We are looking at small farms right now, so I'm hoping we might move before they get their crow on. If not, then they can't stay. Though the man behind me (who instructed us to call him Old Man lol won't tell us his real name) and his wife sit outside and together and watch my birds peck around my yard in the summer while Old Man puffs away on his pipe. I don't think he would complain, but I'm pretty sure the rest of the neighborhood might!

 

[Silkiemama]

Do you have enough hens for all those boys? Sometimes when birds are raised together they will act like a flock, and pretty much get along. Usually though, there is one who ends up being "in charge", and he will try to put everyone in their place. The other boys may try to challenge him, and some territorial fighting may ensue if they are all allowed to stay together much longer. I believe most chickens start to mature at about 6 months. Good Luck!!!

 

[Andora]

I have...um...I think 8 pullets? I know that's not enough for all the boys! (typo...meant to write for all the GIRLS.) If we move to farmland I will get more girls. They have all been raised together since I got them as chicks from Ideal so here's to hoping that keeps them a little more stable as a flock. The Brahma roo is six times larger than the other roos, I think he's in charge. But one of my EE roos fought off a hawk yesterday while everyone else ran and hid....so who knows. It almost seems like they work together to take care of the girls. (All except the Polish roosters, they just seem constantly confused and a step behind what's going on. LOL.)

Owning chickens is so much more interesting with roosters! I love to watch the big Brahma usher the girls to safety if he senses danger, or watching which girls each roo picks for favorites, it's so funny how they bring their girls the treats they get and watch them eat.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Whoa, I have over 20 roos in a 20 X 40 barn and they all go out to free range every day. RARELY do I have a problem with the boys.
They are all mostly mature now and run the hens like any other roo would do.

Really, the only problem I have is with a few BIG ROOS that like to flog the wife and me every so often. They get the rooster red treatment and in a few weeks it is repeated.

Roos will be Roos no question about it. BUT, they play such a very important role in the flock that I would be completely lost without their presence.

I LOVE my roos. i like the way the operate, the way the look and the way the take care of their respective hens.


I do not think that roos are mean at all. They are programed to do a purpose in life and it is a simple role. Try to deter them from this role and of course they are going to get stupid.

I have very happy hens and roos. They do what God intended them to do and this is just the way it is.

ETA: BTW when you polish roos come to complete maturity you will be AMAZED at how cool they look and how aggressive they can be. I lost my big ol' silver laced polish to some predator a while back. He was a very large and aggressive animal and I am sure he protected his hens to his death.

 

[tackyrama]

I have 4 roos and 12 hens, not a good ratio but they were raised together and get along pretty well. At least they all know who's the boss. Up to two weeks ago I had an additional 7 roos that I couldn't get in the freezer last fall for one reason or another. Believe it or not they ALL got along although the hens are looking really frazzled. One roo is a buff orp and he's naturally mellow. One is a americauna and he's fairly mellow too. The other two are more aggressive but don't push each other too much. I think I may just be lucky. I've heard a lot of horror stories on BYC! Another thing about my flock is they are free range and that lets them get along all the better.

None of my roos are what I would call mean. When they are just being roosters some might call mean but that's just what roosters do.

 

[chookchick]

All I can say is--try not to get too attached! I had three cockerels and everything started to get crazy at 3 months. One started crowing, and they all started fighting constantly! I had a small "playhouse" coop and it was always in an uproar. Tried to find homes, then put down, the two definite roos, ended up having the neighbor butcher them

Then as soon as they were gone, my favorite chicken started crowing!

. I tried desperately to keep him, but after several months even my husband could not put up with the crowing. So I rehomed him, I hope it turned out okay, but the new owner suddenly stopped emailing me about him, so I guess I don't want to know--he was a good guy.

 

[Andora]

Quote:
You're right--they do have a specific purpose! I think it really enhances chicken tv when there are roos involved. I wasn't really thinking mean as in not understanding their role, but more thinking of how my toddler knows them all by name and spends hours in our yard sneaking up behind them and grabbing them, then toting them around and swinging them on her swingset, etc....mean as in are they going to start flogging her (or me!) and no longer be pawns in her make believe games.

Or will they be this tame forever?

I am nervous about the Polish. I loved the Polish pullets I had, I was disappointed when the ones I ordered from Ideal both came out roos. The roo hair-do will be so pretty when it's all grown out, but I can already tell the WC black will be a wild man, he's spastic. We named him Dr. Evil.

 

[chookchick]

Please do not let your toddler be around a cockerel or rooster without you there! They may seem sweet now, but their behavior WILL change in a heartbeat as they mature. There are lots of posts about roos flogging children.