I LIKE my Rooster

[igorsMistress]

I think I did, but I can't remember. I did enter him for Chicken of the Month (August) and for the 2018 BYC calendar.

I voted for him twice. He is a pretty boy!

 

[The Moonshiner]

It's a rooster thing. I am in charge, he is subordinate to me. Those are MY girls. Subordinate roosters don't mate when the master is there, unless it's a challenge for authority.

So what do you think will happen if you let them mate in front of you?

 

[igorsMistress]

I'll get fertilized eggs

 

[The Moonshiner]

I'll get fertilized eggs

I was serious. If i let my roosters bred in front of me what will happen? They will think I'm below them all? What will that cause? How will they treat me?
I've never stopped them and I don't have a problem with them. Or is it that I'm not seeing the problem?

 

[The Moonshiner]

if you stand like a tree and let him try spurring you (protective clothing required!) and then scoop him up and hold/cuddle him until he relaxes,

So when he goes to flog me in the legs and has spurs flying I scoop him up and cuddle?

Na that doesn't sound too fun. Sounds like a lot of scratches.
About like stacking bobcats.

 

[GardenTillers44]

We started a second flock in March and ended up with 2 cockerels and 14 pullets. All of our past experience is with heritage layers, so I've been following this and other roo related threads to get an idea what to expect. They are all about 18 weeks now and the Sussex and Orpington cockerels are beautiful, and huge compared to some of the smaller breeds we have in the flock. The Jubilee Orpington is starting to act the part with a weak crow and a watchful eye on the girls. He is the last in to the roost at night after making sure all is secure. So far the two roos are getting along fine with the JO definitely the alpha. Also no aggressiveness (yet) to my wife or I while we are tending to the flock and doing maintenance, just a watchful eye. We let our chickens be chickens and find their behavior fascinating. We enjoy their eggs and appreciate the help with the garden. We don't handle them much, just during random health checks every week, but they follow us around everywhere knowing our every move could produce a tasty morsel.

Should we be concerned about the size differential between the large breed roos and the smaller Welsummers and Ameraucanas? We can move the smaller breeds in with the other layer flock and let the roos have run of the other Sussex and Orps if need be. Thanks for all the great input to this thread.

 

[Steve J]

I think you will just have to watch them and see what happens. Because in my experience, chickens do not always act the way you think they will. I've read that certain breeds will tend to be docile and some will be flighty, prone to escape and so on. But, then when I have those breeds they mostly never conform to what I've read. For instance I just got red sex link hens, I read they like to escape. Mine don't at all. They're very docile and get along together better than my mixed breed chickens ever did. So, IMO you're going to have to deal with bullies as they develop the negative behavior.

 

[igorsMistress]

I was serious. If i let my roosters bred in front of me what will happen? They will think I'm below them all? What will that cause? How will they treat me?
I've never stopped them and I don't have a problem with them. Or is it that I'm not seeing the problem?

@The Moonshiner I'm really sorry, I was grumpy last night.

Roosters are territorial so it's like he's saying this is mine, that's mine, etc. Not letting him mate shows him that he's subordinate. It's mental war, you treat a rooster the way he would treat one if he was in charge.

 

[igorsMistress]

@GardenTillers44 I agree with @Steve J that you have to see what happens, but reading about the possibilities gives you a mental list so you hopefully feel prepared.

Emmett is a big boy, and one of my girls is small compared to the others. He hasn't hurt anyone, but some are clumsier than others. It might take a few tries, some feathers might be lost, but keep an eye on your girls and adjust if you feel the need.

Emmett is not a difficult roo, and I've met plenty that were never a problem. But the guys who are? Those are who you hear about because people/pets can get serious injuries. The good boys get lumped in with the bad and then no one wants a rooster. Or the owner doesn't know how to handle that walking bag of raging hormones and it's the roosters fault.

Good luck and please keep us updated on how things are going for you and your flock.

 

[The Moonshiner]

With all these threads popping up about nasty roosters it got me thinking.
My thoughts on bad roosters.... Get rid of them period.

I have a bit of experience with raising roosters. Went and counted yesterday and over 1 year old roosters we have 47. 39 are free range with our layer flock which is our yard where we are most of the day.
Thinking back about the last 3 years we've had 3 roosters that had to go. I didn't raise any of them.
I'm hearing so many stories it has me wondering why there is getting to be so many nasty roosters. I raise about 50 cockerels to adulthood a year. And most end up out in our yard most of that first year. I haven't had any problems and I don't really do anything at least on purpose to raise them right. I see my birds as livestock being kept as pets. Not as pets with all the hugs and cuddles. With as many as we have its what most would call hands off raising.
Only time I really handle them is for checking for issues, changing bands and moving them up the brooder boxes. They get moved about once a week then a month or so in grow out pen then into the yard.
I was taught when young not to harass the roosters. That means no chasing them around, kicking them or hitting with sticks etc. Or knocking them off when they breed. Never entered my mind to do that. That has to be harassing.
I don't think about how or where I move etc. I guess when you don't face the problem you dont think about it much.. I guess one thing i do is break up fights some times.
Mostly i go around doing my thing and they do theirs. I read about how typical men move different then women but I have a wife and two kids that are hands on and in the middle of them all the time too.
I have to admit the not letting them breed sounds odd to me. I get what it is supposed to do but not sure I agree it does or I might see it would cause issues. When i asked I was curious to see what the rooster would do or think. What his actions would be since I'm not doing it and not seeing any negative behaviors from them. I would think if someone stepped in and said no fun for you and no you will not breed then that would put me in a a bad mood and make me want to try a bit harder to take charge and fight to be on top so I can get to breeding.
Same with grabbing them up or pinning them down.
I'm trying to understand some of these theories.
What I'm not finding is what behaviors these roosters that aren't dominated all the time would show? Are they the ones that are the nasty roosters that run around attacking and flogging? I don't see that with mine and according to some I'm doing everything wrong in raising them.
Just trying to wrap my head around this dominate rooster ideas.