*Buff Orpington Thread!*

[DreamsInPink]

 

[metallicpits]

this is Andrew Jackson our Rooster. He's not so friendly

 

[DreamsInPink]

To those of you with roosters, do you find that if you handle them and try to make pets of them when they are younger, that they tend to challenge you more when they get older? Or does it have anything to do with it? I'm new to chickens and am curious about rooster behavior. I really want one. I want to hear it crow every morning.. but I don't want a meanie in my flock.

 

[metallicpits]

Our Rooster Andrew Jackson attacks me every chance he gets. Lol I didn't raise him as a chick thought. We filed down his spears and trimmed his beak.it helped a Lil.

 

[microchick]

To those of you with roosters, do you find that if you handle them and try to make pets of them when they are younger, that they tend to challenge you more when they get older? Or does it have anything to do with it? I'm new to chickens and am curious about rooster behavior. I really want one. I want to hear it crow every morning.. but I don't want a meanie in my flock.

Well, as far as our Buff boy is concerned, no, we didn't handle him nearly at all. He was supposed to be a girl so we handled 'him' like we did the girls meaning we didn't show him any special attention. We did handle the two that were sexed male and they turned out as mean as snakes. Red had his moments early on and I had my doubts about him but something clicked with him and suddenly he became the best rooster anyone could ever wish for. To this day I do not handle him unless absolutely necessary but we are friends. Tonight I asked my husband if he had seen Red's new trick and invited him out to the coop to watch as I tossed pieces of bread to Red and he caught them in midair and distributed them to his hens. Wouldn't take a million dollars for him. He is good to his hens, keeps the other roosters in line and doesn't try to beat me up like the other boys do from time to time. To me that's pretty darned close to being a perfect rooster IMHO.

Here's Red when he was 6 months old:


He is a year old now and one of his BO hens hatched out at least two full blooded sons of his in February down to the little ruffle in the front of his comb. They also have the same cocky "I bite you fingers" attitude that he had at their age. Here he is when I first started going "Houston, we have a problem with this chick!"



And his two sons at one week of age:


The chick on the far left and the one taking his share of bread are turning out to be little cockerels.

I hope they have their pop's personality when they grow up. I am handling, more to get them to trust my hands then anything else but I think it's basically just the luck of the draw when it comes to roosters. Either you get a good one or you get a good dinner.

 

[DreamsInPink]

Thank you very much.. that's a wonderful story. And your boy is gorgeous! You are quite lucky and it sounds like he is too!

So far, I don't know as I have any cockerels. Though I have a SLW and a BR that look distinctly different from their siblings of the same breed. (if that made sense) lol Even though they are all supposed to be pullets.

I do have 12 straight run BOs. Oh and 5 Silkies.. also straight run. So.. who knows what I'll end up with. I have a favorite BR and Silkie and I'm so afraid they are going to turn out to be boys.

So, what is your advice on handling cockerels? Handle them to make them more tame, or leave them wary so they have more respect for you? (a smart chicken friend told me this is how she does it and I'm just curious)

 

[Wyorp Rock]

this is Andrew Jackson our Rooster. He's not so friendly

He's handsome!

 

[microchick]

Thank you very much.. that's a wonderful story. And your boy is gorgeous! You are quite lucky and it sounds like he is too!

So far, I don't know as I have any cockerels. Though I have a SLW and a BR that look distinctly different from their siblings of the same breed. (if that made sense) lol Even though they are all supposed to be pullets.

I do have 12 straight run BOs. Oh and 5 Silkies.. also straight run. So.. who knows what I'll end up with.

I have a favorite BR and Silkie and I'm so afraid they are going to turn out to be boys.

So, what is your advice on handling cockerels? Handle them to make them more tame, or leave them wary so they have more respect for you? (a smart chicken friend told me this is how she does it and I'm just curious)

For the the most part I agree with her. Somebody here on BYC once said, don't make pets out of your roosters. Make the hens pets if you must but leave roosters alone to do the job they were born to do. I try to live by this advice with the exception that I do like them use to my hands in case I need to doctor them for an injury or illness so I try to handle them once a day when they are babies and Juvies. Once they are adults, that's it, no more handling. I cannot remember the last time I caught Red or even touched him. Maybe 6 months or more. He respects me, gets out of my way when I am in the run, but has learned that I am the treat lady and good things come from me when I come into their domain.I think it's the luck of the draw with roosters. Some, no matter what you do are going to be mean. Others are like Red and worth their weight in their golden feathers. I've had good luck with this technique. From time to time I've had to carry around a junior rooster to put him in his place but for the most part, all of our roosters are pretty good guys.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

We have a Buff Orpington almost POL, about two months out and she is already as tall a rooster. She looks likes a Buff on stilts and is still growing. I am curious what the largest Buff hen was that was ever recorded?

 

[bit o poultry19]

I have a white cochin hen/buff orpington roo cross, and it looks more like a Columbian cochin!!

And black aus hen/buff orp roo