How many roosters did you cull before getting a good one?

[TaylorGlade]

It is luck of the draw. I am not a big believer in training, or it is how you act. I have had good ones and rotten ones.

The secret to a getting a good rooster, is a sharp knife. You get rid of the rotten ones, and eventually are left with a good one. The Java would be on the list to go for me. Keep your fingers crossed on the one you cannot catch. He is giving you space and respect, a hopeful sign... but I am firmly convinced, it is the luck of the draw.

I do think older hens help. Mrs. Feathers is currently schooling two cockerels, I heard one crow today. They crowed when they got here, last week. She did some lessons in etiquette and they hasn't crowed til this morning.

If you want a nice rooster - ask around, often times people will have a very nice rooster, so nice he has not been culled yet.

Mrs K

Lessons in etiquette? Are they not supposed to crow?

 

[Mrs. K]

Crowing is about scaring off predators, announcing how wonderful he is, and showing dominance. They are suppose to crow. These had been raised up to 12 weeks with just flock mates, marched into my established flock, and swaggered like they were hot.

Mrs. Feathers was not buying it from a youngster, and immediately flew right at him, they tussled, and eventually she got him by the comb and led him around, looking a great deal like Mrs R, in 7th grade English teacher, dragging some kid by the ear. There is a proper etiquette in chicken society. A good rooster earns respect, earns the following of the hens by doing considerable more that just swaggering in and bullying his way.

They were in no way endangered, but they were put in their place. Hence the no crowing for a week. They are crowing now, they do fit well into the flock. They are not harassing the two young pullets that I have. They are roosting with the hens. Right now, they are not quite equal membership in the flock, giving way to the older girls. This is an advantage of a multi generational flock. The cockerel is not bigger than everyone else early on, and is taught some chicken manners to his elders, often times these roosters turn out.

However, I have two of these cockerels. I only plan on keeping one. One is a bit bolder than I like, we will see. Neither has started calling the hens to a treat...which is often a first good sign. We will see. I may keep one, but I may keep neither, one just has to wait until they grow up a bit.

There is no perfect way to raise a rooster, as in if you do this, then you get that. A lot depends on the rooster, and a lot are rotten roosters.

Mrs K

 

[Brittbee]

Sam, I lucked out with a rooster who is quiet and tame. I hatched him and have handled him daily, although he still has his reservations about humans (I think it's his breed and not upbringing). He is 17 weeks old, still has never crowed, and is an all around chill little dude. He's around children and never challenges the hens, myself, nor my 10 year old nephew. I cannot keep him where I live but intende to keep him until he crows. if you are looking for a good rooster he may be a winner. I am not sure how moving him could change that, but im sure if he was going to be aggressive he would have been by now.

I have a sanctuary lined up in the case I cannot find a home, but he's a beautiful splash ameraucana.

My opinion, I do think breed has a lot to do with it. All the ameraucana and ameraucana mixes I have are super docile and even skittish despite being loved and treated really good through their lives.

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

This past spring, we had to call our young rooster, because he started being aggressive with humans. We got some more spring chicks and two ended up being cockerels. one of the Cockerels we didn’t handle at all because I suspected he was a he from very early (he was our single broody hatched chick- mix of salmon faverolles and prairie bluebell) He’s nearly impossible to catch And doesn’t want to be anywhere near humans. He starting to attempt to court the ladies, but is still clumsy and ripping their feathers out. He is, however, only 16 weeks. The other Cockerel we bought as a pullet. So he was handled as we do all of our girls daily from the beginning. He was the most friendly chick out of the batch and is the first to run up and see what you brought him. He is a mottled Java. He’s now 18 weeks and is a beautiful, huge cockerel. He has absolutely no fear of humans. He’s definitely doing a great job keeping a watchful eye, and has started attacking the dog. Then today, I walked up to go past him, and he began to have a standoff with me. He backed off quickly, but I know that’s not a good sign. My youngest child is six, so I absolutely will not have a human aggressive rooster, and I am honestly a little worried about his behavior with the dog. My dog is super friendly with the chickens, and I don’t want that to change because he’s defending himself from a mean rooster. I’m gonna watch him a little longer, but unfortunately, I think he has to go. I’m still hopeful that my younger guy will grow up to be a good one because we have had a very hands off approach with him.

Tell me about your experience with finding a great rooster. I’ve done so much reading, and I now know that we created a monster (twice) by handling them as chicks.

Great roosters are made.

Your roo is challenging you. Catch him, mount him. Have you kids mount him. The aggression towards you will stop.

AFTER you've. Mounted him, give it a few days, train him as to what you dislike as far as behavior. Get a spray bottle that is pretty powerful. When he shows aggression to the dog, blast him. Don't be nice about it. Talk to him. Make sure he learns the meaning of the word 'No!', 'I said No!', and any other phrase you say that means 'quit doing that'.

Some rooster take only a few times, my Ayam Cemani took over a week, but now I can say 'Lance! ...What are you doing?' And he will stop whatever he's doing and walk away.

I have 7 roosters.

 

[TaylorGlade]

Crowing is about scaring off predators, announcing how wonderful he is, and showing dominance. They are suppose to crow. These had been raised up to 12 weeks with just flock mates, marched into my established flock, and swaggered like they were hot.

Mrs. Feathers was not buying it from a youngster, and immediately flew right at him, they tussled, and eventually she got him by the comb and led him around, looking a great deal like Mrs R, in 7th grade English teacher, dragging some kid by the ear. There is a proper etiquette in chicken society. A good rooster earns respect, earns the following of the hens by doing considerable more that just swaggering in and bullying his way.

They were in no way endangered, but they were put in their place. Hence the no crowing for a week. They are crowing now, they do fit well into the flock. They are not harassing the two young pullets that I have. They are roosting with the hens. Right now, they are not quite equal membership in the flock, giving way to the older girls. This is an advantage of a multi generational flock. The cockerel is not bigger than everyone else early on, and is taught some chicken manners to his elders, often times these roosters turn out.

However, I have two of these cockerels. I only plan on keeping one. One is a bit bolder than I like, we will see. Neither has started calling the hens to a treat...which is often a first good sign. We will see. I may keep one, but I may keep neither, one just has to wait until they grow up a bit.

There is no perfect way to raise a rooster, as in if you do this, then you get that. A lot depends on the rooster, and a lot are rotten roosters.

Mrs K

Thank you. This really makes me wish we could have found a way to keep prince. He did all those things. However, the lady just left and took all the boys. It may be my imagination, but the three girls that are left seem despondent. They are usually very active and chatty, but don't seem to be now and won't let me near them. I know it's for the best, though.

 

[McChooky]

All of my first three roosters (from a group of straight run bantams) were handled a lot. One was super skittish, one was polite and easy to handle, and one was aggressive to people. I didn’t cull any of them.

I've read most game and bantams are more people oriented than standards but never raised any. My dad had some bantams once that flogged my brothers so he got rid of them.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

My most aggressive was an ameraucana he use to flog me etc then i took his hens away he lives alone now and I can pick him up etc no problem...really dont even need him anymore but all his offspring was aggressive aswell culled them all prolly wont breed him again but hes to old to eat now to so. I have a chocolate wyandotte who also lives alone but he will court me never has attacked me.his size ripped a hens sides thats why he lives alone,Then my younger males live with my blrw male hes not aggressive but his ladies need a break so he can live with the younger males for now. My drake lives alone and so do my male quails because none of them will stay off the females and they are torn and missing feathers. Prolly wont keep males with females anymore imma just grab a hen let male mount said hen then separate her when needed.

 

[drangle]

This is my first round keeping chickens. I had something like 9 males in my order of 30 chicks.

All of them were aggressive to some degree except 1.

 

[McChooky]

Thank you. This really makes me wish we could have found a way to keep prince. He did all those things. However, the lady just left and took all the boys. It may be my imagination, but the three girls that are left seem despondent. They are usually very active and chatty, but don't seem to be now and won't let me near them. I know it's for the best though.

When everyone in the family participates in training their roosters to submit they'll only challenge strangers .This is acceptable to people who live in rural areas with few visitors who can't handle themselves around a rooster but they can attack visitors when free ranged in a community

 

[New Prepper]

What an eye-opener! This is my first time with chickens There are 2 that will come up and try to peck on me when I went out to watch them and try to learn about them. They are young and have not even started to crow yet if they are cocks. they could not hurt me, so I just ignored them.
I keep a bottle of half vinegar and half water. I used it on my young pup to teach him where the property line was.
Should I use it on the 2 that come to peck on me?