Do we rehome our cockerel?

[4and20blackbrds]

we have a slightly complicated situation.

We brought 4 chicks home. One of our pullets ended up being a cockerel, his name is Noodle. Our original 4 are 10 weeks. We have another that’s 7 weeks.

Friday we lost one of our pullets (our GLW). So now our pullets are our 10w buff Orpington and the silkie (pretty sure it’s a girl). And a 7 week old Barnevelder.

Saturday we brought 3 chicks home. A SLW, an EE and a lavender Orpington (SR).

Our cockerel is 10 weeks old and an EE. He’s a good boy. He started crowing at 5 weeks. Before we lost Ella (GLW) he didn’t peck the silkie. But starting yesterday he’s started pecking her on the back of the head like he did with the other girls. The BO and the Barnevelder are also chasing and pecking each other’s heads, I think they’re establishing a new pecking order since Ella was top pullet.

Anyway... will we have enough hens for noodle? When all the girls are grown, obviously lol. We’ll be getting 2 more chicks this summer. Or would it better to rehome him? Will he be happier with more ladies? Will the ladies be happier without him? Will the remaining birds be ok losing him with the recent loss of Ella? They’re all really close, when they takes naps and sleep at night they’re always all bunched up; they aren’t cold, they just like snuggling.

Noodle is my older daughter’s chicken. She really loves him.

 

[christwodog]

In my experience with my 2 roosters, I think it's a "wait and see" game. Their temperament can and usually will change with maturity. He may stay nice or he may be not so nice. I thought having 14 hens with one rooster was a good ratio, but he picks out his 4-5 favorites and rather ignores the rest. If Noodle is a family favorite now, let him stay and see how it goes. He may be a good one to keep, but only time will tell.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Depends if he's a good

I'd have a pen prepared in case he does get rowdy. The pecking is normal, and the "10 hens per rooster" rule is, in my opinion, a not very useful guideline. I've had roosters that pulled feathers when they had twenty hens, and I've kept successful pairs of two.

However, cockerels can get a bit... rude. Especially when there's not an adult rooster around to keep the pecking order intact. As he gets older, he may start making the pullets unhappy. He may also start attacking people; friendly boys have a tendency to do that. I'm not saying he definitely will attack people, I'm saying that it's a possibility.

With that in mind, I'd have a contingency plan based on what you're likely to tolerate.

He is probably going to go through a couple months where he harasses the pullets constantly. If that's his only problem, and you'd prefer to keep him, I'd have a wire cage so he can at least be physically separated. Such a cage is a good idea in any case, even if you find out you don't need it for him.

 

[4and20blackbrds]

Depends if he's a good

I'd have a pen prepared in case he does get rowdy. The pecking is normal, and the "10 hens per rooster" rule is, in my opinion, a not very useful guideline. I've had roosters that pulled feathers when they had twenty hens, and I've kept successful pairs of two.

However, cockerels can get a bit... rude. Especially when there's not an adult rooster around to keep the pecking order intact. As he gets older, he may start making the pullets unhappy. He may also start attacking people; friendly boys have a tendency to do that. I'm not saying he definitely will attack people, I'm saying that it's a possibility.

With that in mind, I'd have a contingency plan based on what you're likely to tolerate.

He is probably going to go through a couple months where he harasses the pullets constantly. If that's his only problem, and you'd prefer to keep him, I'd have a wire cage so he can at least be physically separated. Such a cage is a good idea in any case, even if you find out you don't need it for him.

We have a huge wire dog crate we can use for him if need be. He did peck me the other day when I tried to grab him, but they were under their favorite tree and I was trying to put them back in their run. He was throughly chastised with a good holding lol.

 

[LizzzyJo]

I can tell you what I was advised, but I have not had experience with this yet.

I really wanted a rooster, but I do not want a huge flock, so a few seasoned chicken people helped me to pick a breed that has a good chance of being a calmer boy (buff brahma). I only have 7 hens (3 older, 4 his age - 11 weeks).

I am going into it well aware of the fact that I will have to work with him and watch for behaviors - AND that he may be a bad rooster no matter what I do. I understand that I may have too few hens for him. I am prepared to send him to the pot as a last resort. But I SO hope he is a gentleman because I love him already.

In agreement with the others, I would advise to wait and see how he turns out. You'll have to let us know in the end!

 

[4and20blackbrds]

Thanks! We/I sit with them everyday. He’s been handled in some way every single day of his life. Maybe I should carry him around more lol.

 

[christwodog]

Thanks! We/I sit with them everyday. He’s been handled in some way every single day of his life. Maybe I should carry him around more lol.

I don't know if handling or not handling them makes any difference. Both of mine were hand raised by me and I was expecting them to be pullets, but that didn't turn out as planned. My Ameraucana was fine until he turned two years old, then became a holy terror. He now lives in his own bachelor pad, because he is mean to people and hens alike. My brahma is only one year old, so I think it's too soon to tell, but he is more mild mannered than Kono ever was. So I am hopeful that he will not get mean on us. I think it just depends on the individual chicken, just like you may have certain hens who like being held or petted and others freak out when touched. But they probably were all raised the same way. Luck of the draw, in my opinion.

 

[4and20blackbrds]

Ah, just like children. I guess he’s here to stay, until he’s not lol.

I will say that I’m looking forward to some babies from him and my barnie; hoping for some olive eggers. But that’s next year’s problem !

He does look out for the girls, I was manhandling the silkie today (she had stuff from out cottonwood tree stuck in her foot feathers) and he was all over me making sure I wasn’t hurting her. I really hope he stays a good boy, I don’t know if our family can stand another loss from our original 4 (lost a chick at 3 days and Ella at 10 weeks).

 

[bobbi-j]

We have a huge wire dog crate we can use for him if need be. He did peck me the other day when I tried to grab him, but they were under their favorite tree and I was trying to put them back in their run. He was throughly chastised with a good holding lol.

Something to consider: rather than grabbing at and trying to catch them, maybe train them to come to a certain call or a shake of a treat can. Then you can lure them into the run with that. I don't necessarily blame a chicken for pecking when it's being chased and grabbed. It's self defense at that point.

 

[chkva]

I hand raised 3 roosters and all were fine until they reached maturity. They got overly aggressive towards people so they got rehomed. I was quite sad since I hand raised them, but that was the best decision at the time. I replaced them with more hens because the yard seemed empty without them. You'll know with time if a rooster is a good match.