I Am Her Rooster

[3KillerBs]

Cordon, the new layer, has, like all my flock, been reluctant to be touched all her life. Now, under the influence of her new hormones, she's running up to me and squatting at my feet almost the moment I walk into the pen. Not just a little dip, but a full, flat-down, tail-up squat.

I'm rewarding her submission with a firm petting on the back and she's doing the fluffy shake thing when I let go.

I am her rooster.

When I have added an actual rooster to the flock next year I will need to figure out how to tell which eggs are hers because she's my #1 candidate for female flock-founder.

 

[DobieLover]

You're a Chickolo!
Why are you waiting to add a rooster? She's obviously ready for a man in her life and you want one.

 

[nuthatched]

As long as you don't start getting up a 5 am to crow on the roof....
Lol., my run is where our raised garden used to be so I have to step up into it.
When my chickens were young, they'd run over to me but instantly squat when I tried to step over the side.
"Move biddies, move, MOVE. Not squat! Move!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I had a gal who had a strong squat reflex like that. Poor gal couldn't help herself. She could be 20 feet away from me, and if I dropped something or made a racket, she'd squat. I actually had a rooster though!

 

[3KillerBs]

You're a Chickolo!
Why are you waiting to add a rooster? She's obviously ready for a man in her life and you want one.

Because I'm already slightly over-stocked for the size of the temporary facilities with 5 chickens in 16 square feet.

Because we're STILL not in the house that we should have been in by the first of September and haven't built the permanent facility.

Because I can't brood chicks right now due to lack of facilities.

Because I have read a great deal of good advice here about getting better-tempered roosters by raising them in a multi-generational flock so I figured the best way to go about this is to order some straight-run of the breeds I'm most likely to want as half my flock's genetics then pick the one who turns out best.

Which isn't necessarily to say that I'd turn down a good rooster of the sort I wanted if he was handed to me today (preferably along with a cattle panel to make another temporary facility out of though I *could* cobble something together out of pallets if I had to).

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Because I have read a great deal of good advice here about getting better-tempered roosters by raising them in a multi-generational flock so I figured the best way to go about this is to order some straight-run of the breeds I'm most likely to want as half my flock's genetics then pick the one who turns out best.

This is such a good point. I raised a rooster from a hatchery at the same time that one of my hens hatched some chicks and one turned out to be a rooster. The rooster raised by the hen is 100% the ideal rooster. Well mannered to his ladies, giving them the choicest treats, all the good things. The one raised by me... well he's flogged me like five times already and the flock doesn't like him either. I actually feel kinda bad for the dude. I'd make him dinner but I want his babies. He's a blue copper maran. I am hoping that when he's put with his own harem, he will calm down.

 

[3KillerBs]

This is such a good point. I raised a rooster from a hatchery at the same time that one of my hens hatched some chicks and one turned out to be a rooster. The rooster raised by the hen is 100% the ideal rooster. Well mannered to his ladies, giving them the choicest treats, all the good things. The one raised by me... well he's flogged me like five times already and the flock doesn't like him either. I actually feel kinda bad for the dude. I'd make him dinner but I want his babies. He's a blue copper maran. I am hoping that when he's put with his own harem, he will calm down.

These will be hatchery chicks, but I'll try to get them integrated into the flock ASAP so that the hens can teach them manners.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

These will be hatchery chicks, but I'll try to get them integrated into the flock ASAP so that the hens can teach them manners.

I think my biggest mistake was as a chick, the cockerel would run over to me which I thought was adorable so I'd pick him up and put him in my lap. He'd usually let me pet him, sometimes even lay on my lap. I didn't know I was teaching him that he could do whatever he wanted to me. I should have ignored him entirely.

 

[3KillerBs]

When I first got my in-town flock the order from Ideal included the 5 Red Boys -- my packing peanuts. Vinnie, was a charming and personable fellow who always begged for attention. He probably would have been a monster if he hadn't gone to freezer camp once they were old enough to be annoying.

Marion, the Light Brahma who had been thought to be Rosemary, had also been tolerant of handling, though not demanding like Vinnie. As he matured he became standoffish, showing me respect. He was a good rooster, though put a lot of wear on the non-Brahma hens who didn't have the same thickness of feathering.

I love Brahmas, but their traits of slow growth, moderate egg-laying, and broodiness are not necessarily what I want for half my flock genetics. I'm thinking I'll try my luck with Blue Australorps since I like Cordon and Teriyaki so much, Delawares because I liked the Delawares from the in-town flock so much, French Marans (cuckoo or black), and/or White Legbars -- depending on availability and which hatcheries I'm ordering from.

I figure that I can keep the best 1-2, sell the good ones, and eat the duds/extras. My overall plan for next year is to order more chicks than I need then sell some of the extras as chicks and some as pullets to help offset costs. Selling two pullets for $15 each this year almost fully offset the initial cost of the flock and hatchery chicks cost less than farm store chicks.

 

[Abriana]

I think my biggest mistake was as a chick, the cockerel would run over to me which I thought was adorable so I'd pick him up and put him in my lap. He'd usually let me pet him, sometimes even lay on my lap. I didn't know I was teaching him that he could do whatever he wanted to me. I should have ignored him entirely.

I snuggled my rooster Napoleon (rest in peace) ALL THE TIME. I’d do work with him tucked into the front of my jacket. He grew up to be extremely aggressive, but so good with the ladies. Seriously, he was amazing. It took nearly two years after he’d become an adult for me to muster up enough bravery to confront him head in and take charge—after that all was cool. He needed a reminder sometimes but overall things were good. I loved him so much, I miss him a lot!