How to RAISE a good rooster.

[Mimi13]

Another thought occurs. I recently dispatched a beautiful Isbar rooster for an entirely different reason. He was fine with me. Not aggressive at all. He'd dance at me a little, but I'd just tell him I wasn't into him and he'd back off.
My issue with him was that he would NOT leave my Bantam hens alone, and he was really rough on the standard hens as well and ended up injuring one of them. The hen he injured was terrified of him. The Bantams were terrorized. I picked him up and carted him around a lot. Again, he was fine with me. He was a good rooster in many other ways, but I couldn't tolerate him mistreating and damaging my layer hens. They seem much more at ease without him around.
He died well, and tasted delicious.

The two cockerels I’m trying to “raise” right are a little rough with the girls and a bit unconventional, to say the least. I’m not sure when to say, “Okay, that’s enough!” I guess they’re trying to establish their ‘whatever’, but at the expense of my girls. When is enough? When blood is drawn? What about the emotional factor affecting the hens? I don’t want them to stop laying.

I have seen both boys have ahold of the hen’s feathers, at the same time, each trying to snag the win. Then there was the time when the more dominant cockerel knocked the lesser one off a hen and then climbed on himself (this scenario plays out all the time), only this particular time the lesser male then climbed on top of the dom. Hen/Roo/Roo!
What?!? What?!? Is this stuff normal?

I do have three hens that WILL NOT let either of the cockerels mate with them. Generally the boys always run from them, for their own safety, but if they do happen to sneak up on one and actually mount her, all three of these girls will put up a fight and dump the cockerel off...and then the brutal chase begins. Those are quite hilarious.

I hate it for the girl when they wind up chasing a her all over the yard. I do draw the line and stop any kind of aggressive behavior toward my older girls. My two BO’s are pretty good at holding their own, but my little Red Star winds up just hiding all day. When I’m outside and see it, I stop it. It breaks my heart.

I’m trying really hard to stand back and let nature take its course. I just hope nature doesn’t ruin my girls.

 

[BantyChooks]

All the things you read say just that: No eye contact; Don’t pay much attention to them. What in the world are you supposed to do? Stare into the sky and whistle while you walk? I feel like I have.

You're trying too hard. This is the part that is impossible to do 'naturally' simply by reading about it. It takes time and confidence. If you're scared, you're not going to be able to do it. Trust me, I know; when I was a knee high kid there were some nasty geese that lived next door and would come through the woods to our place. The very day I realized they couldn't hurt me is the day they stopped trying. Prior to that, I was their favourite target. Wish I could help you there, but I can't—sorry. It's a highly individualized approach.

I'm planning on making some films to document aggressive behaviours and responses to human interaction. I just need to find a mean rooster first. I've asked around a bit but nobody has one for sale.

 

[BantyChooks]

The two cockerels I’m trying to “raise” right are a little rough with the girls and a bit unconventional, to say the least. I’m not sure when to say, “Okay, that’s enough!” I guess they’re trying to establish their ‘whatever’, but at the expense of my girls. When is enough? When blood is drawn? What about the emotional factor affecting the hens? I don’t want them to stop laying.

I have seen both boys have ahold of the hen’s feathers, at the same time, each trying to snag the win. Then there was the time when the more dominant cockerel knocked the lesser one off a hen and then climbed on himself (this scenario plays out all the time), only this particular time the lesser male then climbed on top of the dom. Hen/Roo/Roo!
What?!? What?!? Is this stuff normal?

I do have three hens that WILL NOT let either of the cockerels mate with them. Generally the boys always run from them, for their own safety, but if they do happen to sneak up on one and actually mount her, all three of these girls will put up a fight and dump the cockerel off...and then the brutal chase begins. Those are quite hilarious.

I hate it for the girl when they wind up chasing a her all over the yard. I do draw the line and stop any kind of aggressive behavior toward my older girls. My two BO’s are pretty good at holding their own, but my little Red Star winds up just hiding all day. When I’m outside and see it, I stop it. It breaks my heart.

I’m trying really hard to stand back and let nature take its course. I just hope nature doesn’t ruin my girls.

That really doesn't sound normal to me. Hopefully they knock it off, and soon.

 

[Glitterchicks]

You're trying too hard. This is the part that is impossible to do 'naturally' simply by reading about it. It takes time and confidence. If you're scared, you're not going to be able to do it. Trust me, I know; when I was a knee high kid there were some nasty geese that lived next door. The very day I realized they couldn't hurt me is the day they stopped trying. Prior to that, I was their favourite target. Wish I could help you there, but I can't—sorry. It's a highly individualized approach.

I'm planning on making some films to document aggressive behaviours and responses to human interaction. I just need to find a mean rooster first. I've asked around a bit but nobody has one for sale.

I think I need to visit your farm and see you in action!

 

[BantyChooks]

I think I need to visit your farm and see you in action!

Only if you promise to take at least 5 cockerels back with you. I can't manage to sell or give the extras away most years.

 

[Glitterchicks]

Only if you promise to take at least 5 cockerels back with you. I can't manage to sell or give the extras away most years.

And risk that they peck out my eyeballs on the way home ?!
I may need to rethink this..

 

[BantyChooks]

And risk that they peck out my eyeballs on the way home ?!
I may need to rethink this..

They're very good boys. I'll even give you a full refund for every eyeball they remove.

 

[Mimi13]

You're trying too hard. This is the part that is impossible to do 'naturally' simply by reading about it. It takes time and confidence. If you're scared, you're not going to be able to do it. Trust me, I know; when I was a knee high kid there were some nasty geese that lived next door and would come through the woods to our place. The very day I realized they couldn't hurt me is the day they stopped trying. Prior to that, I was their favourite target. Wish I could help you there, but I can't—sorry. It's a highly individualized approach.

I'm planning on making some films to document aggressive behaviours and responses to human interaction. I just need to find a mean rooster first. I've asked around a bit but nobody has one for sale.

Like I said a few posts ago, I’m approaching “this time around” a lot differently than with my past cockerels.

With my first cockerels, (I had 5 and yep, only wanted 2, but that’s chickens for you) I think I tried this strict regimen of no touch, no look, 5’ away, walk through, etc. You know, all the things you read from the experts. Well, it didn’t seem to work for not just one, but all five. Really, I had no clue any of them had it in for me until one day I noticed I was being followed. That is eerie and a bit unnerving. That particular one only went as far as to bite my foot, but his real aggression was toward the pullets and my favorite cockerel.

Same song, different verse, again and again and again.

My favorite was my Welsummer. He had never shown anything toward me until he outright attacked me from behind one morning. Maybe he just didn’t like that view. Anyway, he continued to stalk not only me, but my entire family. He shared his wrath on my DH, DS and me. After several months of looking over my shoulder and around every bush, I finally put him in his own 10 x 15 pen, thinking he would mellow some as he aged. I would let him out to range with the girls every now and then.

I noticed one day he was completely lame and couldn’t even stand much less walk. I thought he had probably sprained his leg jumping from his roost. I got him and put him in my little hospital/broody coop so he couldn’t move much and gave him several doses of Metacam. I had no problems at all...until the Day Four dose. Down on my knees, I leaned in and reached for him and he nailed me on my knuckles. He took a hunk of flesh with that bite. Needless to say he got no more medicine. He was kept completely in his pen after that, which I personally think only made him meaner. I finally butchered him a couple of weeks ago.

The two I’m “trying out” now, I hatched myself and was very close to them as chicks. I have taken a different approach in dealing with them and so far it is working out well. Really and truly, I treat them just like my girls, except I no longer let them sit in my lap. They are now both 16 weeks old. And I do scold them when I’m near them and they are being too rough on the hens. Both of them do come around me, just like the girls, but they are much quicker to move out of my way than the girls are.

My fingers are crossed for these two.

 

[BantyChooks]

Like I said a few posts ago, I’m approaching “this time around” a lot differently than with my past cockerels.

With my first cockerels, (I had 5 and yep, only wanted 2, but that’s chickens for you) I think I tried this strict regimen of no touch, no look, 5’ away, walk through, etc. You know, all the things you read from the experts. Well, it didn’t seem to work for not just one, but all five. Really, I had no clue any of them had it in for me until one day I noticed I was being followed. That is eerie and a bit unnerving. That particular one only went as far as to bite my foot, but his real aggression was toward the pullets and my favorite cockerel.

Same song, different verse, again and again and again.

My favorite was my Welsummer. He had never shown anything toward me until he outright attacked me from behind one morning. Maybe he just didn’t like that view. Anyway, he continued to stalk not only me, but my entire family. He shared his wrath on my DH, DS and me. After several months of looking over my shoulder and around every bush, I finally put him in his own 10 x 15 pen, thinking he would mellow some as he aged. I would let him out to range with the girls every now and then.

I noticed one day he was completely lame and couldn’t even stand much less walk. I thought he had probably sprained his leg jumping from his roost. I got him and put him in my little hospital/broody coop so he couldn’t move much and gave him several doses of Metacam. I had no problems at all...until the Day Four dose. Down on my knees, I leaned in and reached for him and he nailed me on my knuckles. He took a hunk of flesh with that bite. Needless to say he got no more medicine. He was kept completely in his pen after that, which I personally think only made him meaner. I finally butchered him a couple of weeks ago.

The two I’m “trying out” now, I hatched myself and was very close to them as chicks. I have taken a different approach in dealing with them and so far it is working out well. Really and truly, I treat them just like my girls, except I no longer let them sit in my lap. They are now both 16 weeks old. And I do scold them when I’m near them and they are being too rough on the hens. Both of them do come around me, just like the girls, but they are much quicker to move out of my way than the girls are.

My fingers are crossed for these two.

Mine too!

 

[Mimi13]

That really doesn't sound normal to me. Hopefully they knock it off, and soon.

I am taking one day at a time. During the day they are perfect gentlemen. As best I can tell, only early in the morning and before going to roost is when the hormones are raging. I have noticed both of them really taking the young pullets (almost at POL) under their wing, so to speak. Today I saw both of them showing a pullet where a good nesting spot would be and I snapped a picture of one of them.

It was cute and sweet, only they need to be showing them the nest boxes in the coop. I think I’m gonna have to keep them kept up later than normal for a few weeks to make sure everyone is laying where they should. There you have it, men, thinking they know best. Just kidding!