Good for Nothin Rooster!

[Erika Shumway]

cert

As noted by other posters... even a large fowl cock may only be a sacrifice instead of your hen and no TRUE protection.

My boys call warning calls all the time. The hens rarely listen because of so many times crying wolf.

No, most roosters WON'T fight to the death with others. Each is an individual. I keep a stag pen. Have had up to 14 cockerels in there, though now one rooster and 4 cockerels. They get along for the most part with some scuffles. But most know their place in the order of things. My head rooster a Marans (known fighting breed) allows new boys into the pen. And even breaks up fights sometimes. That's why he is still here. He has only looked at me cross eyed once, where i gave him a little chase and no issues.

My first "rooster" experience though, I was so thrilled with the handsome fellow who wanted to hang out on my lap! Until hormones kicked in and he tried to grab a hen off of my lap. Then one day I felt something brush the back of leg. And turned around to see him standing there all innocent like and thought I must be hallucinating. Then another day I felt something brush the back of my leg, but I'm no fool and gave him a little chase. It got to where he would attack when my back was turned, charge me at the fence, and stock me but pretend to do busy work when I looked his way. It continued for a while because this was my Swedish Flower breeder boy of choice. I was after all ALMOST in love with him. I am not afraid of roosters (or dogs) and in no way did I present myself as weaker. After months of him crowing AT ME obsessively when he saw me, I had enough. I thought we were building trust early on that he would know I wouldn't harm him and that I wasn't a threat. It kind of worked out that way, as he certainly was not afraid of me. Off to freezer camp he went and I swear that was the best Ditto noodle soup I ever had. The saying "the meaner the roo the sweeter the stew" totally held true for me. My only regret was not doing it sooner. I almost couldn't stand to hear my other boys crow without taking it personal for a good month or so afterwards, which is part of the joy of owning boys. I never coddled another boy and never had that problem again YET. I'm happy to say that I am indeed back to enjoying my boys. And the really good ones that dance for the ladies and call them to treats plus take no for answer sometimes are especially handsome and favored.

But one factor is... what age are you calling a rooster? Their protective hormones don't kick in until a certain age.

How old are your ladies? And how do you know it was your cat? I never consider cats a threat to full sized hens, but chicks is a different story. Just because it isn't common though doesn't mean it isn't possible.

Glad you didn't lose any birds!

On roost when I go in for treatments or whatever, the boys very often try to duck and hide. It's dark and they don't know it's me. I could be any predator, it didn't matter they are cowards, also known as CHICKEN. Besides a rooster will never be a match for most of the predators we have here, even IF they try. But they would get credit for trying and I have seen some who have successfully fought of predators for others. My boys are kept for breeding, not protection.. since as noted many aren't good at it anyways.

Hope he still becomes a nice bird for you and your flock.

As noted by other posters... even a large fowl cock may only be a sacrifice instead of your hen and no TRUE protection.

My boys call warning calls all the time. The hens rarely listen because of so many times crying wolf.

No, most roosters WON'T fight to the death with others. Each is an individual. I keep a stag pen. Have had up to 14 cockerels in there, though now one rooster and 4 cockerels. They get along for the most part with some scuffles. But most know their place in the order of things. My head rooster a Marans (known fighting breed) allows new boys into the pen. And even breaks up fights sometimes. That's why he is still here. He has only looked at me cross eyed once, where i gave him a little chase and no issues.

My first "rooster" experience though, I was so thrilled with the handsome fellow who wanted to hang out on my lap! Until hormones kicked in and he tried to grab a hen off of my lap. Then one day I felt something brush the back of leg. And turned around to see him standing there all innocent like and thought I must be hallucinating. Then another day I felt something brush the back of my leg, but I'm no fool and gave him a little chase. It got to where he would attack when my back was turned, charge me at the fence, and stock me but pretend to do busy work when I looked his way. It continued for a while because this was my Swedish Flower breeder boy of choice. I was after all ALMOST in love with him. I am not afraid of roosters (or dogs) and in no way did I present myself as weaker. After months of him crowing AT ME obsessively when he saw me, I had enough. I thought we were building trust early on that he would know I wouldn't harm him and that I wasn't a threat. It kind of worked out that way, as he certainly was not afraid of me. Off to freezer camp he went and I swear that was the best Ditto noodle soup I ever had. The saying "the meaner the roo the sweeter the stew" totally held true for me. My only regret was not doing it sooner. I almost couldn't stand to hear my other boys crow without taking it personal for a good month or so afterwards, which is part of the joy of owning boys. I never coddled another boy and never had that problem again YET. I'm happy to say that I am indeed back to enjoying my boys. And the really good ones that dance for the ladies and call them to treats plus take no for answer sometimes are especially handsome and favored.

But one factor is... what age are you calling a rooster? Their protective hormones don't kick in until a certain age.

How old are your ladies? And how do you know it was your cat? I never consider cats a threat to full sized hens, but chicks is a different story. Just because it isn't common though doesn't mean it isn't possible.

Glad you didn't lose any birds!

On roost when I go in for treatments or whatever, the boys very often try to duck and hide. It's dark and they don't know it's me. I could be any predator, it didn't matter they are cowards, also known as CHICKEN. Besides a rooster will never be a match for most of the predators we have here, even IF they try. But they would get credit for trying and I have seen some who have successfully fought of predators for others. My boys are kept for breeding, not protection.. since as noted many aren't good at it anyways.

Hope he still becomes a nice bird for you and your flock.

I am 100% certain it was a cat and 99% certain it was My cat because of the minimal damagee that was done, just some torn out feathers and minor scratches around the combs of two hens. I figured if it was a fox or dog or ermine or predator bird they'd be dead or severely injured. I have witnessed my cat stalk them through the summer like a lion in the grass and even bluff charge, where she'll charge, but run off before "going in for the kill". When I was around to see this, I would go out wildly flailing and yelling and hissing to scare her off. And there were plenty of times she'd be innocently hanging around while they were out grazing she didn't even notice them, they didn't care about her and I thought we had all come to an understanding and this was over a 6 month period and she has had hundreds of opportunities and never did anything. The chickens, including rooster are all about 8-9 months old.
As far as any aggression from my rooster was once, I was holding my barred rock, which she hates, and Bob, my Roo, I guess didn't like it either and was crowing from the run and watching us intently. I just ignored him but when I let her down, he can charging out of the run and basically attacked Her and chased her around and wouldn't allow her back in the run. This was the same barred rock who kicked his butt the day she met him. But he seemed so pissed it was funny. So I took his pompous little butt outta the run, because he weat back in there, leaving her out by herself and soI brought her back in. I brought him back in, set him down and stood near them to make sure he was nice. he tried to do his silly little angry shuffle and I just stomped my feet back at him and he gave up and got over it. Even though I hold and love on him, I think he knows who's boss. The way I look at it, if he ever tries to come at me, hahahaha I'd like to see him try. I'm much bigger tougher and I have a high tolerance for pain. But if he were to touch my kids, he would have hell to pay and he would probably be too damaged to end up as edible..

 

[EggSighted4Life]

But if he were to touch my kids, he would have hell to pay and he would probably be too damaged to end up as edible..

Even then... if your kids are smaller all it takes is a single flogging to blind a child. Might be too late.

Hopefully it will never come to that, but chickens aren't completely stupid... they WILL go after smaller targets first, as they are less threatening.

Did you take measures to keep your kitty and chooks apart since it does sound like you are pretty sure, and with probable cause? This is the first time I've seen a probable domestic cat attack on full size chickens. But it doesn't quite surprise me. I mean a little sure, but I see crazier stuff related to chicken keeping all the time. And what people say doesn't happen, does. Only 2 rules I haven't seen broken yet... roosters don't lay eggs, and hens don't grow pointy saddle feathers.

His attack toward her was probably saying hey you better not cheat on me again. Roosters seem to need to put the hens in check sometimes.

Holding a boy and loving on him against his will is not quite the same thing as letting them hang out on your lap and coddling them. See in the first instance, they KNOW you are in control. In the second instance they think THEY are in control. At least that's how MY brain sees it different. I try to learn something new everyday.

I'm sure glad your birds are all OK! Many don't have such a good out come. Thank you for sharing, now I know it may not be common but it DOES happen.

Agree with others who say keeping a boy is only good for two reasons, personal choice and fertilized eggs. At 9 months old he is still learning to mind his P's and Q's... so he could still become a little more protective, which could be good or bad if it get's directed towards your family. Since he hasn't caused much issue yet, hopefully he will continue to mature into a nice rooster for your guys! And you just know that your original expectation might not be his role in life. Doesn't make him a bad boy.