Gladys or Glenn?

[LadyJane8]

This is my dear Cornish Rock, Gladys...or so we've dubbed the chick. We have had our chicks for 18 days, though I would assume Glad is 20 or 21? Of course they are different breeds, but Glad has obvious comb and wattle development where my ISAs and Amberlinks, all pullets, do not. Clearly the jumbo size of this beaut is due to being a meat bird.

Who would like to venture a guess as to the actual gender of my friend?? I'm leaning toward roo, but not giving up hope that I could still have a hen.

It ain't over till the fat chicken crows!!

 

[nchls school]

Glenn.

 

[MaratManor]

Glenn.

X2

 

[BeachMomma]

X3 for Glenn

Early combs and wattles are sure signs of a male, especially if they're pinkish already.

 

[ChickenLover200]

X3 for Glenn

Early combs and wattles are sure signs of a male, especially if they're pinkish already.

X4

 

[LadyJane8]

We've decided against Glenn and have gone with "Glad the Inhaler" for our fella! He certainly isn't starving!!

As this is our first time with chickens, we are going to give Glad a try and see how he does once the brood head outside and in the coop. We hadn't wanted to keep a rooster, but we've grown fond of our husky boy and neither my husband or I could handle the "deed" ourselves. If in a few weeks/months time we don't think he's a fit for our little operation, I will attempt to "re-home" him.

And while "re-homing" is likely to mean something completely different, and rightly so by nature of what type of bird he is, it makes me feel better...

 

[BeachMomma]

Cockerels get quite hormonal around 4 months, that's when they enter "teenage" phase. If you consistently handle him as he's growing it'll make a big difference in my opinion.

Here's what I normally post for members needing help with rooster behavior. Someone shared the link at the very bottom of my quote to me when our guy was 2 wks, he's now a yr old and still mild mannered for me because I knew what to do and how to handle his behavior as he grew up.

There are many methods of dealing with a rooster, death should not be the first answer.

If you are afraid of your rooster, rehome him. If you're not, here's a few things to try out.
First, make sure you're wearing a jacket or long sleeve shirt and get a pair of work gloves and a dust pan. If he comes toward you, shoo him away the dust pan and if he doesn't back away then be ready because he sees you as one of his ladies and not the boss. Grab him and push him down and tap the back of his head behind his comb. Keep him down at least 30 seconds or more. Do NOT let him get up, 'peck' him each time he tries to lift his head. Once he leaves his head down for a few seconds then let him up. If he doesn't back away, grab and repeat. You may need to do this a few times over the course of a week or 2. He'll start to lower his head when he sees you to concede you're the top boss. This method worked wonders on our rooster and he's a big ole gentleman now haha. I keep the dust pan at the coop/run so it's there if needed. My children have all been taught to have their work gloves on and use the dustpan if necessary. They know how to hold him down and do the tap behind his comb but they haven't had to yet.

Some people try the holding trick, where you pick em up and hold him under your arm for 10-15 minutes each time but this did not work for ours since he's been handled a lot. He just thought of it as a free ride.

Also, do not let him mate the girls if you're in the run or standing near it. Shoo him off them. If you're bringing treats, let the girls eat first. That shows him you're providing goodies for "his" girls just like he would. There's a reason behind rooster behavior and if you learn to see the signs it will help you in the future. Even this is still not a guarantee because there are just really mean roos out there that def need to be killed.

Hope this helps you out

Edit:
This thread is WONDERFUL at explaining roo behavior and tips, like I mentioned above.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/keeping-a-rooster

 

[junebuggena]

We've decided against Glenn and have gone with "Glad the Inhaler" for our fella! He certainly isn't starving!!

As this is our first time with chickens, we are going to give Glad a try and see how he does once the brood head outside and in the coop. We hadn't wanted to keep a rooster, but we've grown fond of our husky boy and neither my husband or I could handle the "deed" ourselves. If in a few weeks/months time we don't think he's a fit for our little operation, I will attempt to "re-home" him.

And while "re-homing" is likely to mean something completely different, and rightly so by nature of what type of bird he is, it makes me feel better...

If you plan on keeping him past 10 weeks old, you're going to need to limit his feed to control the growth rate. Starting now, remove the feed entirely during the nighttime hours. In two weeks, start rationed feedings 3 times a day. By 6 weeks, he should be down to 2 feedings a day. This feed rationing needs to be maintained for the rest of his life. And you'll need to encourage him to move around. Put the food and water as far from the 'warm' zone as possible, and take them outside for 'field trips' as much as you can. Another issue is that due to their huge size, (if he lives long enough) he may be too big to breed the pullets without injuring them.

 

[drumstick diva]

agree