Fostering roosters! Me??

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Many of you may remember my stories of my accidental rooster Roopecca, one from my very first flock of 4. I never wanted roosters. Everyone thought he was a very lovable pullet till he crowed. By then I couldn’t give him up. Then his hormones kicked in and he became a pia. I tried... but ended up fixing him a bachelor pad. I didn’t like the way it didn’t have much sunshine and made plans to switch him into a smaller bachelor coop with a bigger run into sunshine.

And I never wanted roosters.

I’ve had other issues and this site has been my go to for answers. Tiny TSC coop, predator defense, and bully birds to name a few. My bully birds were rehomed BUT! Before I made the final decision to rehome them a young man on this site and in my state offered to give me, free, a small TSC coop to separate the bullies from the flock. It was such a generous offer and he refused any compensation that I promised to pay it forward somehow. That was our own @Brahma lover 5000.

About a week and a half - two weeks ago Brahma lover 5000 contacted me with apologies but in a desperate situation. He had a White Frizzle Cochin bantam cock with leakage over a Buff Brahma bantam hen. He looks like a Light Brahma bantam. His name is Henry. He is promised to a family but they won’t be ready for him till spring. Henry had begun to crow so Brahma’s family is afraid of getting in trouble. Well God’s timing is perfect. I’m was the middle of disassembling Roopeccas coop to move him into the smaller coop. After a conference with family members we decided it was exactly the answer to paying it forward! My biggest concern was Henry would be alone yet hear my flock, and my rooster, calling out. Poor lonely Henry. We devised a plan to set up the coop away from my flock so we could carry out proper bio security procedures. Coop parts and pieces were scrubbed, bleached, and dried in sunshine. It all took much longer than expected.

I never wanted roosters.

Meanwhile a very timid Brahma Lover 5000 contacted me again. Henry’s hatch mate, Albert, hasn’t crowed yet but should any day. Unfortunately he doesn’t have a promised family. Could I board him and if he’s more than I can handle I can invite him to my dinner table. Another family conference. Ok that solves the lonely Henry problem. If Albert turns out to be a sweet boy maybe he can join my girls after Henry goes to his forever home. If not he swims with the dumplings. Albert is a White Leghorn x Red Sex Link. A big boy! So last Sunday Brahma came up(bit more than an hour away) with the boys. We were assembling the coop as they arrived so I had time to show him around my flocks set up an try to introduce him to some suddenly shy chickens. It took a few hours to finish setting up but Brahma seemed satisfied his baby boys were in good hands.

Did I mention I never wanted roosters?

But tell me. Who could say no to these handsome boys?

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Of course 3 days later (yesterday) this happened.

Chicken math is a disease.

The family and I get quite a kick out of these two. I’m hoping Albert (isn’t he handsome?) continues to be a sweetheart. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get courageous and allow some hatching?

Cockerels?

This could be the learning experience I need to get me over the fear of processing birds.

I am having way too much fun!

Thank you so much Cryss! I really appreciate you boarding Henry and Albert for the winter! It was a pleasure to meet you and your family Cryss! I’m just happy I was able to help you when you needed a coop and I had the spare lying around and I didn’t have plans for it. I’m happy you were able to put it to good use.

@Brahma Chicken5000 is very nice. He also had some gorgeous birds. Are you only temporarily keeping these boys? I enjoy roosters. They add some flash, and behavioral interest to a flock.

Thank you Lisa! I absolutely love having cockerels in my flock. The flock dynamics are so different and the boys are just stunning.

I’m hoping he’s nice. I’ve already got a mean one with unbelievable spurs!

Those spurs were like 3 inches long!

 

[Cryss]

How about an update?

Quick background.
@Brahma Chicken5000 couldn’t keep Henry because he started crowing so I am fostering. Meanwhile his mom started worrying about Albert who had not yet crowed but was bound to sooner or later. I agreed to bring Albert in with Henry to keep him company while he was in quarantine style fostering. In spring Brahma Chicken5000 will deliver Henry to a friend that is preparing to take Henry. At that point I can keep Albert or invite him to dinner. I already had an aggressive rooster, Roopecca in a bachelor pad. So.......?

To start the update, BC5G (like the nickname I just came up with?) , well his mom, must be happy cuz this happened one week later.

Albert got much better at crowing! The coop had been set up in a bit of a hurry so I had to make some interesting adjustments. Meanwhile the boys and I started getting better acquainted.

Albert starts figuring out my routine and waits for me at the appointed time. These boys are so handsome!

Sadly, three weeks in my Roopecca died quite peacefully in his sleep. We had just built him an enlarged run within the main run with his bachelor coop. I cleaned out and scrubbed his coop and left it empty and open for another week. Then it just made sense to move the boys into the bachelor pad where there was a heated waterer. Yay! No more lugging unfrozen water! We waited till the dark of night to move them into the bachelor coop. Next morning we opened the pop door and, well, this...

I sent that video to BC5G. He encouraged me to let the boys out to mingle with the ladies. I’ve successfully introduced pullets using no touch introduction so this seemed counterproductive. He convinced me that since I had no roosters it wasn’t the same, and since they were both cockerels being introduced the ladies would be teaching them manners. I actually FaceTimedBC5G so he could watch and advise. After we hung up I recorded this.

That night the boys followed the ladies off to their boudoir. No muss. No fuss. It’s a family.
since then the ladies have been teaching them to be gentlemen. Henry is a fast learner. Albert has learned to dance but he’s definitely the alpha.

These boys have never attacked me...yet. We shall see come spring. If Albert continues to respect me I may just use that bachelor pad as a broodies nursery.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

If you make it past April and May and that hormonal surge you should be okay, hopefully. They are looking great.

 

[Cryss]

If you make it past April and May and that hormonal surge you should be okay, hopefully. They are looking great.

April and May? I always just figured once spring hit the hormones would kick in and be a problem till molt season!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It does depends on the rooster. Usually they mellow a bit when it starts to get hot here after June. The summer solstice is on June 20, so light will begin to decrease after that, which tends to decrease hormones too. Your rooster mileage may vary though.

 

[Cryss]

Well here’s hoping! I really like Albert and I’m really hopeful I can have a positive experience raising him. My only rooster experience was blood drawing Roopecca. I’m trying really hard to not get attached to itty bitty Henry but he’s just so stinking cute!