This is all really good advice. Thanks. My little roo seems to be a nice fella...so far. He does not like to be handled but he will sit down next to me and sleep. And he takes treats from my hand. I have 8 smaller chicks in the brooder and the freebie has bigger legs than the ones I know are female. So he may be a roo. I put a roost in front of the brooder so everybody can see and visit with each other. I hope this will make the process easier. I really would like more than one rooster.
Good for you for doing what needed doing. It's a very hard step- I'm still not used it. I've dispatched a couple of young roos for relentlessly harassing hens - one fixated on a single hen and chased her around at breakneck speed no matter what she did. I removed him for several days and when reintroduced he went right back to it.
Some will give roosters like that a chance (the ones that aren't people aggressive but are aggressive with the hens) to mature, house them separately and to let the hormones perhaps settle down, but after raising however many cockerels I've hatched- there are plenty of young cockerels who handle their transition from chick to adolescent to breeding age without being a menace to the flock. All but the 2 in my case to date. Both my problem cockerels were from the same line of hens, and I stopped hatching from that line for that reason.
When circumstances call for it, I've gone with a hatchet, small, light, and very easy to aim, and a board that has screws placed wide enough for the head. No matter the circumstances, even when it's a hen suffering end of life issues and it's the kindest thing - taking a life is never easy. I'm glad you took his welfare and experience being housed in a cage into account.
Sounds like you might end up with 2 roos after all! If I may offer further advice, once I know I've got a cockerel, I don't handle them unless absolutely necessary (injury), and I would also wean off the hand given treats. Not saying don't give treats- but I would offer them on the ground. Visiting is good, being nearby is good - but soon his job will be tending the girls.
Hands=food can go from a sweet interaction to something else that's hard to imagine when they're young and curious and friendly. Close proximity to people for us means one thing, but to the rooster, especially as his interest turns to hens, can morph into something else. This will sound extra stupid, I know - but from his perspective as a rooster - who would be picking out yummy things for him to eat and feeding them to him? Answer: his momma hen. And unfortunately once he's grown ... momma hen isn't off limits just because she raised him.
Too many report that the friendly little cuddly cockerel turned into something else. By setting the precedent of letting him be in your personal bubble (hand feeding and petting and picking up), the relationship is altered and he views your personal space (say, 4ft in all directions) as - HIS. 8 weeks is a good cut off point. It's good that he likes to be around.
I'll add in here that what we interpret as friendliness by a certain age can actually be the rooster asserting himself and testing boundaries. Setting the boundary now is important for you and for all others who enjoy your flock. This can be accomplished by feeding treats on the ground, at least an arm's length away - and letting him be. As tempting as it can be, don't crow back when he starts making noise, and don't let those who visit make crowing sounds at him. (pea sized roo brain, remember!)
The main point is to set the relationship of him becoming rooster who takes care of the flock, gives appropriate respectful space to you and all other people - and you - human that brings food, water, and treats (fed on the ground). It's relatively easy to achieve when you think of it as a business relationship. He's got his job- you respect his space and duties - he respects yours.
I'm around my flock frequently but I do a hands off approach with all roosters as soon as I know I've got one. If I need to handle any of the chickens, be they hens or roosters - (unless there's an urgent medical reason that requires immediate attention) I wait until they've gone to bed on the roost and pick them up from there so as to never create the dynamic of following the rooster - or having him feel like you're chasing his flock.
