How do y'all manage to not get attached to your roosters? TELL ME YOUR SECRETS!

[Annalyse]

My rooster was causing some aggression and everyone was telling me to rehome him but was too attached because it raised him as a chick and so I worked it through with him and now everyone comes to my house just to see him because he's so pretty, funny and just will keep you busy all day. But I'm attached to all my chickens and count to make sure I have all 7 morning and night.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Well, part of him being nice probably has to do with him sleeping in my bed when he was a chick, lol. I had gotten a bunch of cornish x, and my little guy, and he was so small the heat lamp wouldn't reach him. My other ones I pretty much just ignore (except for my silkie roo, hes a good boy too)- if you pretend they aren't there, they don't do anything (in my experience). I do have one that has been getting on my nerves, though. He's taken to liking my favorite hen, and shes the only one hes ever mated with. Any time he sees me petting or feeding her by hand, he'll wait till I leave the coop and go jump on her. Every time. Whenever he does it, I run over and "peck" him with my fingers, or just shove him off her, then chase him out of the coop. Works for me, and I haven't ever had any problems with cockerels or roosters.

Thank you!

 

[Xouie]

Welllll.... we do get attached here. And it will probably seem wrong or weird to folks, but we do it because our boys are destined for the cookpot.
They all get food names (Buffalo, Taco, Curry, etc). We also openly discuss with our 12-year-old that all creatures have a job to do: the cockerels provide meat, the pullets provide eggs, we provide food, shelter, and love. They get lots of cuddles and treats. After all, these little guys are giving us something so awesome they deserve to be pampered! On butchering day, we have calm birds, and we feel we’ve given them the best we could.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

My rooster was causing some aggression and everyone was telling me to rehome him but was too attached because it raised him as a chick and so I worked it through with him and now everyone comes to my house just to see him because he's so pretty, funny and just will keep you busy all day. But I'm attached to all my chickens and count to make sure I have all 7 morning and night.

I do the same, I love all my birds. I count to make sure I have them all, all day. Even when they have been in the run all day so they couldn't have gone anywhere.

I had the same problem with the rooster I ended up keeping, I loved them all, but we had barely any hens so I had a theory that he was being aggressive because of too many roosters, so sadly I had to rehome a bunch. He even began biting me. Now that I've gotten rids of the rest I miss them so much but I don't regret the decision of keeping the one I did. I has all the best qualities you can get in a rooster and now loves to cuddle!

 

[corriemartin]

This is my first time with chickens, and we started out with 20. It's hard to get attached when you have 20. Also, don't name them. (Okay, we've inadvertently given two of them names, but I'd still be hard put to identify them). I agree with the earlier poster--in my view, they're livestock, not pets. We have them to eat pests, produce manure, make eggs, and, when the time comes, produce meat.

I'm fond of them, and I was really upset when a neighborhood dog killed five of them, but they're not like my dog with whom I have a personal relationship.

I'm even fonder of the ducks, but didn't name them either, for the same reasons. And I spend an awful lot of time watching all of their antics, and love that the chickens come running whenever they see me. But they're still just chickens.

 

[Allthefloofs]

Ours are exclusively pets so we get very attached. We had to rehome the roos we have gotten, fortunately it was only two of them. It is always hard, but I feel like if they go to a home where they can be roosters and crow and mate and do that freely, then we have done the best we can for them. At one point we had a small flock, just three, and in two months over the summer two favorite chickens died, it was very difficult and the kids still occasionally are sad, but I explain that is how life is and we will probably outlive our chickens, cats, dogs, etc. but we shouldn't stop loving something out of fear that it will die, we should love the pets we have as much as we possibly can because our time with them is a gift and we should celebrate that gift. We miss our Cluck Skywalker and our Hen Solo dearly, and we would never reuse their names or anything, but we have graduated to talking about and laughing about their best moments now, and it always makes us laugh and smile. We have a larger flock now, and we love to watch their antics, each one is special and now the kids know that they will be sad when they die, but they will end up with wonderful memories.

 

[corriemartin]

ALL of these chickens, no matter how brief their lives, are having absolutely fantastic lives. What more could an animal wish for?

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Ours are exclusively pets so we get very attached. We had to rehome the roos we have gotten, fortunately it was only two of them. It is always hard, but I feel like if they go to a home where they can be roosters and crow and mate and do that freely, then we have done the best we can for them. At one point we had a small flock, just three, and in two months over the summer two favorite chickens died, it was very difficult and the kids still occasionally are sad, but I explain that is how life is and we will probably outlive our chickens, cats, dogs, etc. but we shouldn't stop loving something out of fear that it will die, we should love the pets we have as much as we possibly can because our time with them is a gift and we should celebrate that gift. We miss our Cluck Skywalker and our Hen Solo dearly, and we would never reuse their names or anything, but we have graduated to talking about and laughing about their best moments now, and it always makes us laugh and smile. We have a larger flock now, and we love to watch their antics, each one is special and now the kids know that they will be sad when they die, but they will end up with wonderful memories.

We started with five. For me they are pets with benefits. I will never eat my chickens and if they stop laying I will let them live out their lives naturally unless they are in pain. We ended up with mostly roo's so it was hard to rehome so many. I miss them every day. I haven't gotten to the point of just laughing about the good times with them, but I am getting there. I am getting there. Something about your post just made me smile, I think it's because you love your birds like I love mine. Thank You.

 

[Allthefloofs]

We started with five. For me they are pets with benefits. I will never eat my chickens and if they stop laying I will let them live out their lives naturally unless they are in pain. We ended up with mostly roo's so it was hard to rehome so many. I miss them every day. I haven't gotten to the point of just laughing about the good times with them, but I am getting there. I am getting there. Something about your post just made me smile, I think it's because you love your birds like I love mine. Thank You.

I am the same. I couldn't and wouldn't eat my girls. I don't really think people who do are weird or anything, but they are very bonded to me in particular and I am very bonded to them. I still eat chicken, but my ladies are living their best lives and will do so until they pass away naturally. I am sorry you had so many to part with, that must have been very difficult! We are hatching some tolbunt polish right now and I have been giving myself the rooster rehoming pep talk. I know I won't be able to stop caring about them, but I feel like if I have the idea that the boys have to find new homes from the outset it might be a tiny bit easier. Thanks for sharing, it is always really nice to hear that other people love their girls the way we do!

 

[Annalyse]

I do the same, I love all my birds. I count to make sure I have them all, all day. Even when they have been in the run all day so they couldn't have gone anywhere.

I had the same problem with the rooster I ended up keeping, I loved them all, but we had barely any hens so I had a theory that he was being aggressive because of too many roosters, so sadly I had to rehome a bunch. He even began biting me. Now that I've gotten rids of the rest I miss them so much but I don't regret the decision of keeping the one I did. I has all the best qualities you can get in a rooster and now loves to cuddle!

Lol mine is "aggressive" at night bc I touch his girls and touch him. He hates getting lived and attention but we all know he loves it at the same time haha. He loved my dad. He would always perch on his arm and hang with him but no he gets a tiny bit mean but not hurting anyone. He crows alllll day until I come out/he has to see me.