Clyde is going bye bye

[wildcat chix]

I'm a little sad, as we've had him almost 2 years now. We got a pair, Bonnie and Clyde. Last fall we gave Bonnie and 7 babies away to someone who had much more room for them than we do. We kept Clyde and another roo, Rudy. They pretty much took care of themselves, and each other, through the winter. Recently we added a Barred Rock roo and a red hen of dubious breeding.

The Barred Rock seems a little young to know how to be a rooster, but Rudy is stepping up. So we are doing a little juggling of roommates and *managing our flock* like the forum title says. The best thing right now is to give Clyde to the same person that has Bonnie, let Rudy take over the role of Alpha, and let the Rock just 'be' until he proves himself one way or another.

Clyde is a very good rooster and we believe he trained Rudy well. Thing is, Clyde is....well...a bully. He considers himself the boss out there and picks fights with everyone. It is in his nature, being a Game rooster, but there is no place here for bloody chickens, so he has to go. By the way, he is not human-aggressive - just don't like other guy birds.

I'm just venting a little. I know this is best for him (he won't be killed) and best for us (no fights) and best for the rest of the flock (no stress looking over their shoulders for him anymore). Plus, I can go see him whenever I want, and if we decide we want another Game, they're just a phone call away.

 

[wildcat chix]

Clyde

 

[Mrs. K]

well, I am not quite sure what you are trying to do, but I think I might have kept Clyde, and got rid of the rest of the roosters, and got more hens. An aggressive rooster that is good to people, is not a bad thing. They tend to keep their flocks of hens safer.

A successful flock will have one rooster to 10-15 hens. Then if you get more hens than that, you keep another rooster.

I think by keeping the two roosters, you are going to be back to this bloody chicken thing sooner than you thought. Hormones have roosters fight each other to be the head rooster. When you take the head rooster away, the other two will begin to fight to establish this all over again.

mrsK

 

[ButchGood]

I bought 4 roosters with the batch of 16 chicks. I want 12 hens and a rooster just like Clyde. Im going to choose the best of the 4 to take care of my girls. A bird like Clyde is perfection. No worries about the flock being defended without looking over your shoulder in fear of getting your legs attacked. I hope Im luky enough to get 1 good one out of 4.

 

[sourland]

Clyde is not being a 'bully' he is simply doing what he was bred to do. With him in charge the others have been subordinated and part of their true personality may have been suppressed. Do not be surprised if one or both become human aggressive when Clyde is gone. It is not surprising that Clyde is not human aggressive. It is a trait that has been selected against in gamefowl through stringent culling.

 

[mstricer]

You need more hens

 

[goldnchocolate]

He sure is pretty!!

 

[Mum]

I think you've made a decision based on the breed of cockerel you most prefer? So you plan to have one Game (Rudy) and one Barred Rock Roo?

I believe you will still have fights between the two remaining cockerels.

Clyde is a very handsome bird, btw! And the fact he is not human-aggressive adds to his splendor IMO. I wouldn't call him a "bully" either, I'd call him one very clever boy who takes his role seriously and protects the girls at all costs.

 

[LestersFlat]

I don't have any real advice to offer about your Clyde other than what was already given. I have an aggressive roo who is too rough with some of my hens, and with me and my husband as well. I really don't want to get rid of him, because he does do his job of protecting them (I think) but it has gotten to the point where I am afraid to go out to the coop when he is there. I take a snow brush with me and whack him as necessary, but he just won't give up the fight!

All this to say he is a big PITA, and if you have a non-aggressive (to humans) roo, maybe you should reconsider and keep him.

BTW, my stinker roo looks a lot like the one in your profile. Do you know what kind of rooster that is? Mine was just given to me, and I have no idea... Check out this pic of him giving me the stink eye!

 

[wildcat chix]

BTW, my stinker roo looks a lot like the one in your profile. Do you know what kind of rooster that is? Mine was just given to me, and I have no idea... Check out this pic of him giving me the stink eye!

The one in my profile pic is Rudy. There are more pics of him on my page. He is one of the biggest chickens I've ever seen. He is just a barnyard mutt that we got last year. The closest to his breed I can come is Red Sex Link - I know the roosters are white and the hens are red. So far all our roos are human tolerant if not exactly friendly, with the possible exception of the Japanese bantam - he is still a little skittish.

So you plan to have one Game (Rudy) and one Barred Rock Roo?
I believe you will still have fights between the two remaining cockerels.

No, we are getting rid of the Game,(Clyde); keeping the Red Sex Link and Barred Rock roos. they won't fight because they're separated now each with their own hens.