Everything you need to Know About A Rooster

[Mrs. K]

Another thing to know about a rooster - you need a sharp knife. Wishing they will be nice does not work. If you can't cull a rooster, (and that is ok) then don't get one.

 

[babygirlnmbr1]

i have had 13 production reds for 2 years now with no rooster mainly because i am only interested in eggs and no crowing. but recently a neighbor has offered me to take one of his roosters, and i wondering if anyone could tell me about integrating the rooster with my hens and about the bands i hear so much about that keeps them from crowing

 

[the poppster]

Oops!  Another question:  When the rooster tries to do his little dance around me (he in the coop, me outside) is just standing up and walking away the correct action I should take?  That is what I have done to date.  He seldom does that, but has done it two or three times.  

Do not walk away....he is challenging you...They do that to impress other Roosters
And to impress hens....or try to anyway...usually it's the most Dominant rooster that gets the girl...looks, dancing, size, none of that seems to matter....it's his position in the pecking order that she's interested in.

 

[enola]

i have had 13 production reds for 2 years now with no rooster mainly because i am only interested in eggs  and no crowing. but recently a neighbor has offered me to take one of his roosters, and i wondering if anyone could tell me about integrating the rooster with my hens and about the bands i hear so much about that keeps them from crowing

Just as a warning...... There are lots of people on this site who have reported that the No Crow collars do not work. And at least two members her have reported that their rooster died while wearing one.

 

[limited25]

Do not walk away....he is challenging you...They do that to impress other Roosters
And to impress hens....or try to anyway...usually it's the most Dominant rooster that gets the girl...looks, dancing, size, none of that seems to matter....it's his position in the pecking order that she's interested in.

So if I am outside the run when this happens, should I go into the cage and walk toward him? He has never done this when I am in the run. Or, should I make some sort of noise and hit the side of the coop? I liked the original post and his suggestions are how I try to deal with ours. I think we have a good rooster ... just wanted advise. Just re-reading the original post, did my rooster think I was squatting for him when I hunched down outside the cage to feed them little treats through the screen? That certainly never occurred to me! Guess from now on I will always go into the run, or not give them treats through the screen. So, was my behavior the problem? Sometimes when I have done this, he takes the treat and calls the hens and gives it to one of them, it is really cute to watch; but I don't want to be the one causing the problem.

Once I took one of his hens and isolated her in the garage for a while to care for her because another hen had pecked a bunch of her feathers. When I put her back in with the others Reggie started chasing her, wanting to mate. She ran to avoid him and thoroughly surprised me by jumping out the partially opened door right into my lap! Reggie came over wanting his hen and I pushed him away a couple of times. He did not try to attack me. I closed the run door and carried her to the "people door" of the coop and put her in there. By the time I was done locking up, she had already ran out of the coop and back into the run and was standing right beside Reggie, and everything was calm again. He did not try to mate her then.

I am not afraid of my rooster, though I do keep a eye on him when I am in the run. It irritates me when people advise to kill him (did they even read all of this post?) Can't we have a learning experience together with better suggestions than that? Sorry if that offended anyone as that was not my intent. I am just trying to learn. Thanks for advise.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Do not walk away....he is challenging you...They do that to impress other Roosters
And to impress hens....or try to anyway...usually it's the most Dominant rooster that gets the girl...looks, dancing, size, none of that seems to matter....it's his position in the pecking order that she's interested in.

They don't do that to impress roosters,they do it to challenge or dominate over them.

 

[5 Bird Bob]

I've been keeping my rooster tame by treating him along with the hens (hand feeding them mealworms). I also cut the toe off a small sock,put it as low as possible on his neck, and his crowing is much quieter.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

That is appropriate for his age.

I say any rooster could make a good rooster.It depends on what your looking for in a rooster.And each rooster is gonna come with it's own personality.

 

[the poppster]

They don't do that to impress roosters,they do it to challenge or dominate over them.

ah...that seems to be what I said...Dominate is the Key Word...I don't allow Dancing from any of my Roosters...and eliminate any human or overly chicken aggressive cocks or Roos...in my 20 years of experience...once aggressive...always aggressive...it's in their genes....and if they seem to have tamed down...They are only waiting to find your weaknesses...it is rare for a rooster to not try to make his way to the top of the pecking order...even the "Sweetest" rooster when given the chance will go for it. Nature's way I guess. In the wild, that's how they survive.

 

[the poppster]

So if I am outside the run when this happens, should I go into the cage and walk toward him?  He has never done this when I am in the run.  Or, should I make some sort of noise and hit the side of the coop?  I liked the original post and his suggestions are how I try to deal with ours. I think we have a good rooster ... just wanted advise.  Just re-reading the original post, did my rooster think I was squatting for him when I hunched down outside the cage to feed them little treats through the screen?  That certainly never occurred to me!  Guess from now on I will always go into the run, or not give them treats through the screen.  So, was my behavior the problem?  Sometimes when I have done this, he takes the treat and calls the hens and gives it to one of them, it is really cute to watch; but I don't want to be the one causing the problem.

Once I took one of his hens and isolated her in the garage for a while to care for her because another hen had pecked a bunch of her feathers.  When I put her back in with the others Reggie started chasing her, wanting to mate.  She ran to avoid him and thoroughly surprised me by jumping out the partially opened door right into my lap!  Reggie came over wanting his hen and I pushed him away a couple of times.  He did not try to attack me.  I closed the run door and carried her to the "people door" of the coop and put her in there.  By the time I was done locking up, she had already ran out of the coop and back into the run and was standing right beside Reggie, and everything was calm again.  He did not try to mate her then.

I am not afraid of my rooster, though I do keep a eye on him when I am in the run.  It irritates me when people advise to kill him (did they even read all of this post?)  Can't we have a learning experience together with better suggestions than that?  Sorry if that offended anyone as that was not my intent.  I am just trying to learn.  Thanks for advise.

you are doing just fine. It's not that exacting. If he dances at you just ignore him if you aren't in the pen.