I LIKE my Rooster

[Crooked Chicken]

I'm terrible, this hormonal stage is the most I've ever held Negan. I had to handle him alot when he was a chick because he always had a funky butt when his rear got straight I stopped handling him.I honestly thought that would nip any tidbitting or unsavory behavior in the bud...wrong! Now I'm having to handle him and it just feels like I'm squashing his manliness. I do try not to snatch him up in front of the hens, save him a bit of indignity.

No, I don't think you're terrible. Honestly, my opinion is that the hens won't notice and it won't affect his dignity. I'm new to chickens, but not pets in general. I go get mine and pick them up in a crowd... it hasn't affected their own internal pecking order or manly hormones in the least. I have noticed though, that the pullets/hens don't care for being handled as much as they are getting closer to egg-laying age.

 

[Elyrian1]

I have noticed though, that the pullets/hens don't care for being handled as much as they are getting closer to egg-laying age.

I found that was true of my Wyandottes and EEs, extremely true to the point where now I have to play catch with all but one of them. The Buff Orps not so much. They like attention.

Carrying my rooster around didn't slow down the frisky business in the least. Him getting pecked in the face by the older hens did that. They'll teach him to mind his manners eventually. I've never seen him tidbit, but I don't spend as much time out there at the moment. It's been too darn hot, or raining, or I've been at work, or I've been on the other side of the privacy fence trying to fox proof the darn thing. Moving into fall I have preparations to make in the side yard for next year's garden so I'll get more observation time. I imagine if I see that I'll probably laugh my butt off and disturb his concentration.

 

[Chickassan]

Eh, I've had other roosters but I've gotten them when they were already a few months old so they came factory with a healthy respect for personal space. Negan I hatched so he's comfortable with me a little bit too comfortable. I'm having to learn how to deal with a totally different situation than I'm used to. I'm in it for the long haul, I hatched him so I got to deal with him. He's my chicken son. Plus at the end of it when he stops drinking his own kool-aid he's supposed to be an awesome rooster. I've just got to keep up the routine until he's not nuttier than a squirrel turd.

 

[radiomary]

I have had roosters throughout my 30-odd years of chicken keeping. Usually by accident but I kind of like keeping them around. They warn the chickens of danger, will willingly die to protect them and find treats for them. I have found the best way to curb aggression is to just leave them alone. Don't try and be friends, nip bad behavior in the bud (which doesn't have to be physical- just chasing them is fine).. I kinda tell them, you are the floor manager and I wont tell you how to do your job, but just remember, I am the CEO and if I let you go, if might not be good for you!

 

[GardenTillers44]

We spend a lot of time around the flock tending to the garden and cleaning the grounds. Our chickens are our partners in the garden: we give them the best life we know how and they provide eggs, fertilizer, tilling service and companionship. We sit in the chicken yard in the late afternoon with some treats and conversation with the flock. So they gather around and are friendly, occasionally squatting or rubbing for a scratch on the back or under the wings. We don't go out of our way to cuddle them, but want them tame enough that we can pick them up for health checks without a freakout. So far the roos have been very tolerant of us and enjoy the blueberry treats along with the rest. We'll see how that holds up since the roos are only 6 months old at this point.

Todays drama: Six of our hens are 2-3 yr olds and Big Red, a Barred Plymouth Rock, is the undisputed ruler of the roost and her lieutenant, Lacey is a Silver-laced Wyandotte. They keep the roos in line and protect the other girls if the roos get a little too frisky. This morning the big orpington roo tried to mount the SLW...big mistake! The SLW pulled a slick move and rolled out from under, pinned the roo against the fence while Big Red took a piece of his red ear flap off. They ran him back behind the coop and Big Red came back, found the piece she bit off and ate it. Tough girl! It will be interesting to see if one of the roos ever gets the best of her. Meanwhile the orp sulked behind the run most of the morning. I'll check him tonight at treat time to see if he needs any TLC on the peck. All in a days life of a chicken.

 

[GardenTillers44]

Crooked Chicken: "I have noticed though, that the pullets/hens don't care for being handled as much as they are getting closer to egg-laying age."

Our flock got "more friendly" or more tolerant of us as they became layers, maybe due the amount of time we have spent with them. As I mentioned, we don't go out of our way to handle them, but are around them several hours a day and talk to them constantly (Living alone in the country will do that ).
As I read these posts and other threads, I realize there are a lot of successful variations to living with chickens. The personalities of the chickens and the humans, breeds, habitat and a variety of other factors come into play. It's great that we can all share our methods, experiences, successes and failures to help us find our own way to chicken nirvana. Once again, thank you BYC for being here!

 

[GardenTillers44]

King George earned his keep this morning. We got up early to take advantage of the cool morning and let the chickens out at first light, while we tended the garden. The girls were spread out over the yard foraging and KG was being a rooster and letting all the other neighboring roos know he was still on post. All of a sudden he got quiet and let out a quick succession of little barks and the hens bolted for the covered run while he stood guard at the run gate. We followed his gaze and up on the hillside was a Barred owl tucked up in the branches of a pine tree. Maybe not quite the worry of a Great Horned owl, which we also have around, but great to see him playing the protector...one of the reasons we have a roo. I'll make sure he gets an extra blueberry or two come treat time.

 

[awarmrainyday]

I have six roosters, and now with my new group of growing chicks I believe I have eight, in my quite large flock and I love each and every one of them. I'm not afraid to turn my back on any of them or let young children visit and play with the chickens. My top rooster is an enormous Red Ranger (Big Roo) who was never destined for the freezer to begin with. He started out as a mean cockerel who liked to attack my legs and leave nasty bruises. I didn't run from him, I didn't run at him, and I didn't kick at him. When he would try to attack I would grab him and hold him, sometimes like a baby, until he would calm down. And then I'd sit and hold him and rub his back for awhile. After about two weeks he stopped flogging and shortly after I couldn't keep him off my lap because he discovered he liked getting petted and giving big rooster hugs. Now he is my big baby. All of my roosters have responded positively to this sort of treatment. I do have a banty rooster named Clyde who is wonderful with me and rides around on my shoulder but he likes to flog my step kids when they enter the run because he sees them as intruders. One of my other roosters would usually intercept and just run him off. One day Clyde accidentally flogged me instead of my stepdaughter when we were standing side by side and Big Roo saw it and came to my assistance and attempted to attack Clyde. Normally all of my roosters get along and respect each others space and hens, because they know if they don't I'm coming for them and they get a time out in the rooster jail. I shooed Big Roo away and calmed Clyde down and thought all was well. That was my mistake. Big Roo holds a grudge apparently. The next morning when I was doing my chicken chores I noticed Clyde hiding in the coop... Big Roo had pecked his eye out. Big Roo was quite proud of himself and looked very confused that I was fussing over Clyde. I spent two weeks helping Clyde heal with Big Roo following after me looking very hurt of me not appreciating his gift of revenge. But now all is well, Clyde is blind in one eye but is an extremely well behaved boy with everyone now. That was extremely long winded, but basically if you can work past the teenage raging hormone cockerel stage and treat them with a lot of love an affection you will have a wonderful addition to your flock.

 

[igorsMistress]

@GardenTillers44 what a great story, thank you for sharing. I'd give him a couple extra blueberries too.

Ironically I heard from a neighbor we saw at the market that there are two cats that love to hunt the doves that eat from her feeders, and the hawk that lives in the big tree a few houses over does too. Makes sense that they've been leaving my chickens alone...doves and pigeons are easier pickins compared to facing the big boy in the back yard.

 

[FlyWheel]

My last four roosters were all mean. It started when one of the unsexed chicks I got turned out to be male. The roo I already had was aloof but never bothered me, that is until 'newroo' started to feel his hormones and got mean, picking fights both with me and my older roo. I was able to rehome him, but my formerly good rooster started getting mean.

This kept up for the next three roosters (all unintentionally acquired) One resulting in a fight over my PR hen Ol'Red when the younger rooster tried to mate with her. (he too was friendly before this happened) that squabble resulted in her side being nearly ripped open. She healed up OK but here feathers still grow funny on that side and she has none at all under her left wing. He started getting mean.

I tried all the 'cures' I heard here, from humiliation to ignoring him to the proverbial gamecock field goal technique. Nothing seemed to work. I was trying to re-home the last one when the problem fortunately solved itself. I had just fed the chickens and gone into their coop to refill the fermenting cask with more feed when I heard this feeble half-a-crow. When I went back outside Chaz was lying on his side, having died mid crow.

Most of my roosters have been well behaved up to this. Is bad behavior a learned trait? All four of them overlapped, meaning one grew up in the presence of another. I have no rooster now, because I don't need one. I have enough hens and anything that is tough enough to get into their run/coop is easily going to be strong enough to overcome a rooster. But I am planning on fencing in a larger area connected to it where I can periodically let them out and 'free range'. This area will not have the blanket protection their current run does, it's mainly to keep them from wandering into the dog's area. so I am thinking of getting another rooster for some flock protection and I'm hoping that without any bad influences I can raise him to be a good boy.