Large breed rooster dangerous to smaller hens?

[StinkyAcres]

One of my new Brahma chicks turned out to be a cockerel. I'm trying to decide if I can/should keep him or not. Most of my current hens are Easter Eggers and I'm guessing they weigh about 3 to 4 pounds. I was told the father of my Brahma chicks is 15 pounds! Is it just too dangerous to keep them together?

 

[artbykarenehaley]

For the sake of the hens, I'd keep him with some bigger girls. Is this a thinly veiled excuse to get more chickens? maybe. Muahaha!

Jokes aside, if you want to keep a cockerel who will grow that large, that's the safest option.

 

[StinkyAcres]

For the sake of the hens, I'd keep him with some bigger girls. Is this a thinly veiled excuse to get more chickens? maybe. Muahaha!

Jokes aside, if you want to keep a cockerel who will grow that large, that's the safest option.

Haha! I didn't really want a rooster, so I won't be replacing him if I do end up getting rid of him. I also don't currently have a safe place to separate the Brahmas from the smaller ones. It's just that Brahma roos are known to be docile and I think they're so beautiful, so I would feel bad getting rid of him. Ah, well..

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think you are on the right track. When they mate the hen gets onto the ground so the rooster's weight passes into the ground through her body instead of just her legs. That way she can support a fairly heavy rooster. Still, that's a lot of weight difference. Since you didn't want the boy anyway the safest and most logical thing to do is get rid of him, not your girls. Even if you get some more larger girls he will still want to mate these.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I think you are on the right track. When they mate the hen gets onto the ground so the rooster's weight passes into the ground through her body instead of just her legs. That way she can support a fairly heavy rooster. Still, that's a lot of weight difference. Since you didn't want the boy anyway the safest and most logical thing to do is get rid of him, not your girls. Even if you get some more larger girls he will still want to mate these.

Thank you. I was afraid of that. The little guy is already challenging the hens for the top of the pecking order. He's only 8 weeks old. What age is a good time to rehome him?

 

[Ridgerunner]

As soon as you decide that is what you want to do. That way you don't grow more attached and you are not spending money on feeding him.

 

[Sussex19]

I've got a big Orpington x Sussex, and the hen who can handle him the best, is my very small for the breed speckled Sussex. She's only about half the size that she should be, but there's no problem with it.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I had a brahma rooster I got rid of because he was heavy. but he was a nice boy, so I felt bad about it. I recently got rid of my last 3 roosters because I don't need more roosters this year, and I am too busy to deal with roosters. One was a mottled hudon, (pretty but no personality), one was a blond hackled phoenix, not overly cuddle-y but followed me every where, and one dark egg layer roo. I tried to find them homes first but no takers. The meat will get used.