Don't touch/handle roo for first year?

[chooks4life]

Quote: @donrae: that's a very low amount of roosters. I don't really understand how you can have about 10 roosters over 20 years (?)... Did you eat all the rest? Or don't you breed often? Or is it that you keep the same roosters for many years?

Best wishes.

 

[buttercup95]

@donrae: that's a very low amount of roosters. I don't really understand how you can have about 10 roosters over 20 years (?)... Did you eat all the rest? Or don't you breed often? Or is it that you keep the same roosters for many years?

Best wishes.

Not everyone has to breed. Many people go for years without a rooster. They're not a necessary part of owning chickens.
I have a self blue cochin bantam that I've sort of been forced to raise by hand since he was about 3 weeks old. I cull all of my roosters that start being aggressive towards me or are just too randy for the hens to handle. Some of them get butchered while the better looking ones are sold on craigslist or given to friends. So far my cochin rooster has proven to be remarkably calm and he now shows dominance over my other bantam roosters and has yet to be aggressive towards me. I can proudly say that all of my current roosters (16) have proven to be fantastic.

 

[Chickens R Us]

I will be butchering my BO roo today he has come after me one to many times. He is the one in my avatar. I handled him everyday when he was younger the ones I have never handled are great and run away from me when I approach them. Just my personal experience.

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: I know, lol.

I'm not making some kind of bizarre challenge, it's just a question. I'd thought donrae was a breeder. Maybe donrae's just one of those that keeps their roosters a long time.

 

[buttercup95]

I know, lol.

I'm not making some kind of bizarre challenge, it's just a question. I'd thought donrae was a breeder. Maybe donrae's just one of those that keeps their roosters a long time.

Oh I'm sorry I wasn't either. Although after reading my post I was a bit rude, sorry about that.

 

[chynasparks]

I have a RIR rooster. He's 22 weeks. I finally heard him crowing this weekend. I just loved hearing him crow. However, I didn't intend for raising a roo. I was told at purchase at 4 weeks I was buy 4 pullets. He's not aggressive - yet. I'm not afraid of him. I've carried them all to a peck and play enclosure when younger and I still carry them regularly to a cattle panel whoop run. I can't free range them so this is my way. I sit in the coop with them daily. I pick up the girls while I'm in there but not Bill. I let him watch and do his thing. His nubs where spurs will be are budding out. And his handsome! Having said all that, the day he becomes mean and tries to inflict harm, he will have to go. I'm really hoping he'll stay nice because he's part of the family. But since I must handle my birds I'll have no choice. I never knew, until reading on this forum, that aggression is bread in and keeps breeding in. I have no info on my peeps' parentage. Thanks to everyone on BYC for all the great information you pass on!

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: It's fine, no need to apologize. I just thought I'd offended someone by giving the impression that roosters are a vital part of flock keeping and if someone doesn't have one they're doing something wrong. Looks like it was a misunderstanding. Best wishes.

@chynasparks: best wishes with your rooster and hope he turns out good. There isn't really a shortage of good roosters out there, even if he doesn't turn out well.