- Thread starter
- #11
- Jul 23, 2010
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Hey guys, thanks for all the great questions!
If there are a lot more, it may take me awhile to answer, but rest assured, I will! I'm just SO happy that you guys found my info useful!*does happy dance*
I've had this knowledge in my head for a while now, but never shared it with anyone over the internet: only by word of mouth. But, when I saw how many people have trouble with their roosters, I decided it was time to spill....
Anywho:
I've had this knowledge in my head for a while now, but never shared it with anyone over the internet: only by word of mouth. But, when I saw how many people have trouble with their roosters, I decided it was time to spill....
Anywho:
OK, I'm sold. How much to come tame my roo?
That depends - how much for a plane ticket?
I love a reason to go to Cali!
ParadiseFoundFarm:
YAY!
Glad I could help! Well.....I have a few 'excess' roosters in the orchard right now, doing 'grasshopper patrol', until I can find a good home for them....not for everyone, I'm sure, but a thought. organization managed to ban cockfighting in some states, now hopefully on to the others!
What a disgusting practice.... If it was me, I may STILL try to sell them, but make SURE that they were going to a good home.....no way I would sell them to cockfighters, but you never know with some people I guess. Totally up to you what you want to do with them though.
You'll have to see how they behave....right now, I have about five, that's right FIVE, extra roosters in with my hens! That's more than I've ever had, but it's only because they are so well behaved. Some I'll sell to good homes (two are going off in a few days) but some I'll keep because they're the funniest, sweetest roosters eva.
I would just see how yours turn out, then get rid of, separate, or sell the overly macho ones.
Totally normal that the lead, large rooster isn't being challenged by the other roosters though, and that they fight among themselves.
3rocksandme:
Welcome!
HAHA, oh those teen chicks....
Well, since he's only 5 weeks, you should have it very easy.
Can a 5 week old rooster have those emotions? One could argue: can any chicken? Most people who have chickens would probably say "YES!! Of course!" but really, who knows? I don't like to anthropomorphize too much, but I would say that yes, it certainly seems as if they can feel something at least very similar, or we can at least address their emotions, or whatever they are, like they were the same human emotions most of the time. Anyways, unless your rooster chick is super macho, as has already started showing off to the hens, he's not going to be humiliated. You should just feed him out of hand if you can, and touch him as much as you can: you don't even have to pick him up at all! Most of the time, I'll just touch the chicken on the beak, or cup their crop in my hand. You just want to show him that you're not a threat: that you're actually BENEFICIAL to be around. I wouldn't say that you should give him MORE attention than the hens....you can give him just as much, just make sure the hens stay tame too: roosters to copy and learn from other chickens, hens and pullets included. As he gets older, you can, to a certain extent, treat him like he was a growing human child: he'll get a bit ornery once he reaches the 'teen' stage, so you have to show him affection, but be firm with him. Don't let him peck you: if he does, pick him up, cup your hand over his head, and hold his neck down. You may want to pinch his beak just a tad too. If a rooster ever starts circling around me making a "chuck chuck choo" 'showoff-y" sound, I pick him up RIGHT away. He does that if he thinks he 'owns' you....is the boss of you, so you have to show him otherwise.
As for your kids: let them grow with him; have them handle him as much as possible and make sure they're not afraid of him at all. Show them how to catch him, how to hold him, not to hurt him, etc. Make sure he knows THEY are boss: never let him circle around him, like he does to other roosters, or to hens after he's mated/want's to mate with them. When he gets old enough that he could hurt them if he was mean, keep an eye on him and the kids: if the kid is small enough, he may see them as just another rooster, not his superior. If the child knows how to handle him and isn't afraid, it should work out, but he STILL could attack a small child, even if he attacks nobody else. I wouldn't recommend ever leaving a toddler by themselves with a potentially aggressive roosters, unless they are mini rooster wranglers! My niece, who's just a toddler, knows how to handle them, but they could still attack her.....they seem to see toddlers differently than people who are just a few years older.
Well, hope that helped....let me know if you can, and if you have more to ask, go for it!
buckabucka/Robin:
Well, glad you decided to join the party!
Sounds like your chickens aren't very afraid of you, but, obviously, not tame. It seems to me that most chickens simply regard humans as some huge beasts that they can find food around, but can still be very dangerous...lol. Like I said, if you want tame chickens, you usually have to show them that you're not dangerous to them (although even tame chickens will - usually - run a little to avoid our big monster feet), and that they actually benefit from being around you. Yeah, that does mean bribing them.
Although it depends on the chicken: many will just enjoy your company afterwards, treat or no. It's not essential, but it's much easier and quick to tame them with some bribes, even if you just feed them regular food, then "eat" with them.
You could sneak up on him...although it would be basically impossible lol. Even if you just chase him a bit, corner him, and catch him, it usually will help to tame him, although it's like taking three steps forward and two steps back.....not the best thing to rely on. So yeah, "training" him to come to you is best. It'll take some time, but that way you can tame the hens at the same time. Also, when he's in the coop, while he can still see a bit, just stand near him. Not near enough for him to fly away....then, once he's calm, go a bit closer, then closer.....this is assuming, of course, that he and your hens are shy enough that they won't even let you near them without fleeing. Once you're close enough to him just stand there for a while....There's something I haven't mentioned yet, but I think it is important, even though it may seem stupid. I think just the way you feel portrays a lot to any animal.....even if you're standing stock still, but are super tense inside, they can usually sense it. Maybe it's the energy you're releasing, or maybe you're giving off some cues that you don't even notice....it's an interesting thing, because prey animals can actually KNOW, SENSE when wolves are just walking by, not hunting......
Anyways, touch him, hold him there, pet him.....just try to make him comfortable, and remain calm yourself. If you're not calm, then he probably won't be either. And experiment! I'd love to know if someone has a different way of taming animals....although there don't seem to be too many variables.....I'm sure you'll figure it out; just have fun with it!
Yes, a rooster will show hens food, and save it for them....he seems to be, in a way, getting them to actually 'like' him, or at least getting them to follow him, so he can pass on his genes.....
But trust me, it's TOTALLY normal that a 4-month-old rooster, even a YEAR old rooster, doesn't do this yet! It depends to some extent on the rooster, but it is something they learn. My old, amazing black star rooster, who just passed away, was a bit of a bad boy when he was young....he didn't care too much about the hens: he just chased them alot. As he got older though, not only did he save so much food for them that he didn't eat that much himself, but he actually seemed to protect them, and, dare I say it, CARE for them! When a hawk came and got one of the hens, he was traumatized....probably more than he would have been if he was older. Oh how I miss him....I have a young Easter Egger rooster now, who's quite a character, and a gentleman (for a rooster). He's about a year old and just learning to really save food for hens.....It's hilarious, because his favorite hen (yes, it's actually been proven that roosters do have favs!) is a turkin! The other roosters don't like her much....seem to think she's too ugly, but he's crazy about her!
Ah, listen to me ramble on....
Anyways, don't worry about it: he'll learn!
Hope that helped.
chicknerd:
Whoohoo!
Thanks.
Glad to hear that....I used to think pretty much all rooster were mean, when I was younger, but now, when I go out and my uber-tame giant Australorp roosters come up to me, and I pick them up, I wonder how I could have ever thought such a thing lol.
ParadiseFoundFarm:
YAY!
You'll have to see how they behave....right now, I have about five, that's right FIVE, extra roosters in with my hens! That's more than I've ever had, but it's only because they are so well behaved. Some I'll sell to good homes (two are going off in a few days) but some I'll keep because they're the funniest, sweetest roosters eva.
Totally normal that the lead, large rooster isn't being challenged by the other roosters though, and that they fight among themselves.
3rocksandme:
Welcome!
Well, since he's only 5 weeks, you should have it very easy.
As for your kids: let them grow with him; have them handle him as much as possible and make sure they're not afraid of him at all. Show them how to catch him, how to hold him, not to hurt him, etc. Make sure he knows THEY are boss: never let him circle around him, like he does to other roosters, or to hens after he's mated/want's to mate with them. When he gets old enough that he could hurt them if he was mean, keep an eye on him and the kids: if the kid is small enough, he may see them as just another rooster, not his superior. If the child knows how to handle him and isn't afraid, it should work out, but he STILL could attack a small child, even if he attacks nobody else. I wouldn't recommend ever leaving a toddler by themselves with a potentially aggressive roosters, unless they are mini rooster wranglers! My niece, who's just a toddler, knows how to handle them, but they could still attack her.....they seem to see toddlers differently than people who are just a few years older.
Well, hope that helped....let me know if you can, and if you have more to ask, go for it!
buckabucka/Robin:
Well, glad you decided to join the party!
Sounds like your chickens aren't very afraid of you, but, obviously, not tame. It seems to me that most chickens simply regard humans as some huge beasts that they can find food around, but can still be very dangerous...lol. Like I said, if you want tame chickens, you usually have to show them that you're not dangerous to them (although even tame chickens will - usually - run a little to avoid our big monster feet), and that they actually benefit from being around you. Yeah, that does mean bribing them.
You could sneak up on him...although it would be basically impossible lol. Even if you just chase him a bit, corner him, and catch him, it usually will help to tame him, although it's like taking three steps forward and two steps back.....not the best thing to rely on. So yeah, "training" him to come to you is best. It'll take some time, but that way you can tame the hens at the same time. Also, when he's in the coop, while he can still see a bit, just stand near him. Not near enough for him to fly away....then, once he's calm, go a bit closer, then closer.....this is assuming, of course, that he and your hens are shy enough that they won't even let you near them without fleeing. Once you're close enough to him just stand there for a while....There's something I haven't mentioned yet, but I think it is important, even though it may seem stupid. I think just the way you feel portrays a lot to any animal.....even if you're standing stock still, but are super tense inside, they can usually sense it. Maybe it's the energy you're releasing, or maybe you're giving off some cues that you don't even notice....it's an interesting thing, because prey animals can actually KNOW, SENSE when wolves are just walking by, not hunting......
Anyways, touch him, hold him there, pet him.....just try to make him comfortable, and remain calm yourself. If you're not calm, then he probably won't be either. And experiment! I'd love to know if someone has a different way of taming animals....although there don't seem to be too many variables.....I'm sure you'll figure it out; just have fun with it!
Yes, a rooster will show hens food, and save it for them....he seems to be, in a way, getting them to actually 'like' him, or at least getting them to follow him, so he can pass on his genes.....
But trust me, it's TOTALLY normal that a 4-month-old rooster, even a YEAR old rooster, doesn't do this yet! It depends to some extent on the rooster, but it is something they learn. My old, amazing black star rooster, who just passed away, was a bit of a bad boy when he was young....he didn't care too much about the hens: he just chased them alot. As he got older though, not only did he save so much food for them that he didn't eat that much himself, but he actually seemed to protect them, and, dare I say it, CARE for them! When a hawk came and got one of the hens, he was traumatized....probably more than he would have been if he was older. Oh how I miss him....I have a young Easter Egger rooster now, who's quite a character, and a gentleman (for a rooster). He's about a year old and just learning to really save food for hens.....It's hilarious, because his favorite hen (yes, it's actually been proven that roosters do have favs!) is a turkin! The other roosters don't like her much....seem to think she's too ugly, but he's crazy about her!
Anyways, don't worry about it: he'll learn!
Hope that helped.
chicknerd:
Whoohoo!
Glad to hear that....I used to think pretty much all rooster were mean, when I was younger, but now, when I go out and my uber-tame giant Australorp roosters come up to me, and I pick them up, I wonder how I could have ever thought such a thing lol.
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