Getting a rooster back into "the mood" ?

[Illia]

Okay, so this is a new thing for me. . .


I've got a gorgeous and might I add too valuable to just be sitting around Ameraucana cockerel who I'd love to see start crowing and mating again, but I've run into a dilemma. . .

I got him as a shipped bird months ago, and when he arrived, he was in good health. But, as the fate of all my boys go - He eventually had to join ranks with the other boys in my "bachelor pad." As normal, he was mostly submissive but occasionally tried winning fights other birds would start. So, after some culling of problematic and useless roosters, the fights stopped. But, by the time the problems stopped, he kept himself indoors all day, and eventually lost a lot of weight, got a pale comb, and didn't crow anymore. So, I put him in with all my hens, since it was winter and mix-breeding didn't really matter. After a couple weeks, he got much better. He was crowing and mating with the girls.

But, now that spring is around, I have to put him back into the bachelor pad. No one is bullying him anymore, but he's no longer crowing, he's kinda thin again, and he's not showing any interest in breeding or dominance at all.

Now, I don't have a miraculous extra coop/run to put him in and let him grow up to be a man, the best I can do is a doghouse and a small run made of scrap fencing

for the moment, but my question is, how can I get his "manhood" back in gear? I really would love to see him crow and mate again within at most 2 weeks, but so far no progress.

Could changing his diet work? More protein? Is it just the lack of lighting? Or do I truly need to isolate him from the boys for weeks again? I'm sure that's the main ticket, but I'd like a method that works permanently. I'd rather put him back in the bachelor pad to see him dominant and starting a couple fights than submissive and fleeing from everyone, to be honest. Because then I at least know I can work with the fight problems and still get fertile eggs from him.


Also, running loose in the lawn sadly isn't an option.

I've already got a Shamo stag running loose, and the lawn is his territory, there's no safe zone for another rooster when a Shamo is around.

 

[Katy]

Other than letting him have some girls of his own on a permanent basis I don't have any suggestions for you. From what you said he was fine when you let him in with the girls....correct? He may never become a dominant roo as long as you keep in with the boys......what's he got to get excited about if he's penned with a bunch of other bachelor birds?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've never had that problem so I can't help based on experience. I'll throw out a few comments to maybe get the conversation started.

How old is he? The older they get, the less active they are. Is he past his prime? In commercial operations they take out the older roosters and add younger roosters to th ebreeding population. the younger ones are more active plus the competition seems to invigorate the older ones that are left.

I sincerely doubt protein is your problem. I can't imagine you not giving them enough. It may be in the bachelor pen that some of the more dominant roosters are keeping him from eating. That won't be solved by upping the protein content in the bachelor pad. Maybe add a couple of feeding stations? Don't forget he needs water too. That would explain him getting thinner.

From a bit of reading on diet for breeders, they do not need extra protein for fertility. I've seen that on here a few times but the studies do not support extra protein as a benefit. I'm going by memory and sometimes my memory is not the best, but I'm pretty sure about that. Something that may help is certain vitamins and minerals. The large commercial operations feed their mating birds a special feed with vitamins and minerals added, not extra protein. Of course, this is for fertility, not vitality. Fertility does not seem to be your issue, vitality does.

Good luck! This might be simple or really hard.

 

[sourland]

I doubt that it is in his personality to be a dominant rooster which may speak well for the temperment of any sons he may sire. I would give him his own pen regardless of how small it might be. It sounds like he just can not step up to the competition.

 

[Illia]

Certainly not past his prime. He's about 8 months old, maybe less.

I've been devising separate feeding areas for a while now, as yes, some do bully others out of eating, so I usually offer 4 or more areas for them to eat at.

As to answer to Katy - The rest of the boys in there are always ready to go, they're pretty dominant but get along with each other, so whenever I'm around they always know that means food or that I have a hen or two for someone. So, yes, his big problem would be that he's in the bachelor pad, but introducing him to girls like I do the rest of the boys doesn't help much, as he actually cowers from them.


I'll see about what I can do with making him his own area for a while. Hopefully the weather clears up sometime soon too.

 

[Katy]

It sounds like you may just have to give him his own girls that he gets used to if you want to use him as a breeder. I've never been one for rotating my roos in with different girls....if I understand it that's basically what you're doing? He's also really very young....he may get more dominant as he ages, or he may never change.

 

[Judy]

So maybe he isn't even at his prime yet. I recall reading of one who would mate but did not produce fertile eggs till 1.5 years or so.

I wonder how he would do if penned with 1 or 2 nice, submissive, gentle hens. I know you don't have a pen to try this in.... maybe it would be worthwhile to come up with one, at least when it gets warmer out.

Just a thought.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
No, no rotating here, I use the same girls with the same boys, they just only meet each other about once a week.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
No, no rotating here, I use the same girls with the same boys, they just only meet each other about once a week.

That is a type of rotation even if it's the same girls meeting the same roo they still don't have an everyday routine with each other. He may just not have the personality for that kind of a system. When I get my breeding pens set up I don't very often swap out roos...unless someone gets hurt or isn't throwing the type of chicks I'm happy with.....when I do or when I introduce some new pullets to the group it always takes a while for them to get their pecking order figured out.

 

[cat1994]

I had this same problem with my lil roo. I bought him with the intention of him being my king roo (I only have one roo at all times if I can help it). But the man I bought him from kept him in a pen with 10 other really big roos. Anyways when he got home and met all the ladies, every thing was great. But he would not crow, show off, talk nice, or breed the ladies at all! I just waited a few weeks and finally he begain to act like a real roo. Now he is great and the ladies are happy too.