d'anver lovers,discuss the breed and post some pics!

[speckledhen]

Quote: The friendly ones were the exception. I've had only one truly friendly cockerel and that one is my Spike I have now. He flies to me when I call him, loves to eat from my hand, lets me rub his chest. So he is a joy to have around.

They range from rabid pitbull like my Rusty was to flighty (omg, she's trying to TOUCH ME! ACK!) to sneaky aggressive opportunist like Aubrey used to be and still is at times to just plain indifferent/standoffish. Seems aggression starts at differing times. My Angus we lost to unknown causes was never aggressive, let me rub his chest on the roost, never flogged me, but wasn't super friendly. He and Spike have been the exceptions to aggressive D'Anver roosters here.

Aubrey used to love to sneak up on me from behind and flog, but he has mellowed with age (he's just over 2 years old now). He doesn't like to be touched and I almost have to get a net to catch him or wait till roost time and be quick about it, but he doesn't get up on his feet and do his threatening head bobbing thing when I talk to him on the roost now at least.

 

[laseterlass]

I want Roosters capable of protecting the flock My little boys zeroed in on my poor dogs the other day They are only 8 weeks old It was cute

 

[speckledhen]

No rooster can really fight a dog, though there are some notable exceptions like my friend's huge blue Orpington rooster, who has gone up against coyotes, foxes and a rottweiler and lived to tell the tale. Any rooster can alert the flock to danger and herd them to safety, certainly, which is why I have a bantam Cochin in with the standard size older Orp hens who lost their rooster last year.

A bantam rooster protect? Well, only in the loosest sense of the word. He can only sacrifice himself by throwing himself at the predator or see things the hens may not as they stuff their faces with their beaks to the ground.

It's a mistake to think that a rooster must be human aggressive in order to do his duty to his flock. In fact, in the large fowl roosters, if they acted like the D'Anvers act, they'd lose their heads in a heartbeat (and have). I only tolerate it in the D'Anvers because that does seem to be more of a breed trait in them than a behavior that can be changed. I knew this before I ever got the eggs from Aubrey and allowed for it. They certainly wouldn't make a decent chicken sandwich, lol. The rabid pitbull types I still don't want to keep, like my Rusty, who was rehomed. What a PITA he was!

 

[chickee]

My two d'Anver rooster chicks are super chicken aggressive. I tried to put my adult porcelain d'Anver hen ( in my avatar) in with them and their hatch mates the BW Ameraucanas and they started attacking her, then in the frenzy, each other! I had to remove her since she was unable to fend off their combined assault! The Khaki quail rooster chick is super calm and likes to be held, but the buff Columbian rooster chick is shy and just tolerates being held. The three pullet chicks are not run up friendly, but are very calm when picked up and held. I have a feeling they will get friendlier with time and treats

I need to take some pictures to post since they just keep getting cuter and cuter!

 

[warmheart]

Excellent post, SpeckledHen! I love having a roo to do sentry duty in the pseudo free range situation of the fenced backyard as the girls forage. Everyone respects the alarm calls.

Aubrey also mentioned aggression before I got my eggs, I just didn't expect 2 of the four cockerels to constantly be on my shoulder or in my hand. I love all 6 birds, but these 2 boys are so attached that when I finally try to put them down, they dance insistantly between my feet until I pick them up again. Twice I've accidentslly come indoors with one of them bloblike in my hand. That's why I asked of my birds were related to Pocket Penny.

The other 2 boys I have, one is cranky and the other sweet but just plain friendly enough, not extreme like the 2 who are so need-to-be-carried Velcro!

 

[speckledhen]

Many of the D'Anver males started out more friendly, but as they approached the raging hormones stage, they showed their true breed traits. That's usually when you see if a rooster is going to be human aggressive, whether bantam or LF. Some are just never friendly in the first place.

I've never seen a breed in which the females were so diametrically opposed to the males in their temperaments as the D'Anvers are.

 

[warmheart]

I'll keep my eye out for the potential aggression. About at what age did you notice it start? I've never raised a rooster from a chick before.

Worst case scenario, if both of the friendly boys turn aggressive, I still have 2 sweet pullets.

Best case scenario, both of the super- friendly boys never turn people-aggressive.

In a month, they will be 3 months old. Wonder if it'd show up by then? This really helps to have experienced people share about their roos! Thank you so much!

Editing to add- Ironically, I just read an article while Googling, that suggests helping a young roo through that initial aggressive phase by carrying him around while doing chores. These particular 2 cockerels insist on it already!

 

[speckledhen]

Most D'Anver breeders just accept it as a breed trait. The hens make up for it with their super sweet dispositions. And you could end up with one like my Angus was or even better, Spike. Aubrey isn't even a pain like he used to be anymore, not unless I bring a camera or phone into the coop. And even then, he's not as quick to start stalking and threatening. That boy sure hates the paparazzi!

I honestly don't recall the exact ages, but I'd say probably sometime over 12 weeks of age they'd start showing their behinds if they're going to. Surely, at 16-18 weeks old, you'd see it when the hormones are kicking in full tilt. Some of them are flogging you in the brooder, for heavens sake.

I've never seen a male who was genetically prone to human aggression be changed by carrying him around. Temperament is heritable and if it's in his genes, handling him may bring out those traits even sooner. Been there, done that, never changed a male who was prone to aggression once he hit maturity/mating age. They'd have to be rather intelligent for it to work, and I've never seen many D'Anver males who had many brain cells, to tell the truth, lol. Spike is the smartest D'Anver male I've had here.

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

I know all cockerels are different but I have made pets out of three different ones (buff Columbian, black and a mottled) started when they were chicks. They would fly up on my arm if I went in the pen, ride on my shoulder while doing the feeding and stuff like that. All three turn out to be the meanest ones on the place. Not sneaking mean, full frontal attack mode mean. The black one and the mottled one will start flogging the wire if they see me coming. Not saying it will always happen, just relating my experience. I don't make pets of any no more.

jj

 

[zach N houdan]

My milles are all mean I have been through five and just given up with trying to get a nice one but my two quail boys are very very sweet it was because my first male lost his mate and was by himself for about two months until I got him a D'Uccles and Cochin girl and now he has six Danver girls and is still sweet and my new cockerel I got was living with his mom an aunt who always attacked him so he is very wimpy I got him from Karen Unrath this year and the mom of my cockerel was the northeastern poultry congress show champion!!!!! I was so happy I got him