Making Sure Your Rooster Knows You Are Top Dog

[laughingdog]

Best longest working and kindest ways are: walking round with it in arms on its back and talk at and pet. Takes fire outta them.. Or you can do and grab by comb with mouth n bite down till it stops screaming n struggling. I did both n one rooster seeing me do to other ornary ones, bows to me. rest as they weren't good protectors or providers for hens n chicks, where this one kills or chases as far as can anything threatening his family that's also woman of house (poor ups guywas mauled by him leading chooks n scovy ducks).

 

[Magfree]

When my rooster misbehaves I put him in the brood hen compartment over nite. Isolation is a great aditude adjustment tool.

 

[simplestupid]

I have five roosters and all that I have done is to come at them if they show any aggression towards me. I also pick them up once in awhile and pet them. I believe this works because when my wife tries to collect eggs from under a hen the rooster will flog her. If I go in with her to collect eggs or the rooster is getting ready to attack and I walk in the nesting area the rooster stops and goes about his business. Be dominant to your flock! They will respect you and you will be safer and also be able to more easily tend to your flock.

 

[blucoondawg]

My first rooster is coming of age.  I have read a fair bit on ensuring your rooster does not become aggressive to you.  These include:

1.   Pushing your rooster off a hen when he tries to mate in your presence.
2.   Chasing your rooster when he starts to crow in your presence.
3.   Walking through your rooster rather than around.
4.   Chasing the rooster when he drops a wing and is sideways(?) to you.
5.   Not tolerating any type of aggression towards you.

Other responses to the above can include:

1.  Holding the rooster's wings and carrying him around.
2.  Holding the rooster against the ground for a period of time, and specifically until he relaxes at least.
3.  Holding the rooster by his legs and holding him upside down. (should be used sparingly and only for a short period of time)

Any other thoughts?

As well, is there a risk that your rooster may start to see you as a threat when you do these things, especially pushing him off when he is trying to mate?  In other words, can these responses turn a rooster aggressive where he might not have been inclined to be aggressive to you?

I guess I don't see the point in doing any of that to your roosters simply because they are "coming of age". I have easily had 50 or more roosters in the past 3 years between layers I incubated and rangers and pioneers I've ordered for meat as well as a few straight run batches of layers, I generally keep 2 with my flock and butcher the rest each year, and I have not had 1 rooster show aggression towards a human ever, I would not recommend doing this stuff to a rooster who is doing nothing to provoke you, he very well may get perturbed and start being human aggressive.

 

[trudyg]

So, reading this has got me wondering. I have 2 hens and 14 chicks, 12 weeks old or so. Some I know are cockerels, some I think are and some I think are pullets (probably 6 pullets and 8 cockerels). As the boys come of age, they'll try to mate the hens-- so do I separate out the boys to protect the girls? The female chicks won't be ready for that and probably won't attract attention, but my 2 poor hens! I"ve read that you should pen up the males as soon as you know which they are until they age a bit. those of you who have had chickens for years, what suggestions do you have for me? I got them for meat and, hopefully, to hatch eggs, but I don't want to hurt any of the ladies. I can separate the girls from the boys as I determine which is which, is that my best course of action?

 

[izziebean]

Once they start crowing, I would start separating them out. I actually was selling mine. They have the adolescent stage so for some cockerels it's like raging hormones. That doesn't necessarily mean they will start mating right away. Mine were a bit more aggressive with others. They'll start trying to take over the flock. Please realize that in a flock, there is a pecking order. You take the roo out and then later try to put him back, they might attack him pretty hard. You'll have to slowly reintroduce him. It won't be like a new one, but you can't just toss him in with the others.. especially if you have straight run and there are several roosters. Also, keep in mind, that once you separate them, the pecking order will change. It's weird because it might not be in the way that you think. A hen might take the opportunity to move up a little.

My straight run experience was 20 roos of 24 baby chicks. Only 4 hens. So.. your experience may be very different.

Also, mine did not start mating right away after crowing. But! once they did start mating, some are really bad at it. They have to jump on the backs of the girls. If the girls are small, then they may miss or fly off the other side. In the process though, the girls might get their feathers torn out around their neck. Once they can successfully land on the back, then the feathers on the back will start coming out if you have too many roosters for the number of hens that you have.

The boys were much more interested in taking over than mating.. but my hens weren't laying. I don't know if that makes a difference?

 

[blucoondawg]

I've never separated them. In my experience they chased and fought mostly with each other, the young hens seemed to fend for themselves quite well. The older hens should be fine too, hopefully they will put the young roosters in their place. I just try to be sure they are butchered or gone wherever they're going before too long, they will eventually make pests of themselves

 

[chickmomma03]

Quote: I'm not extremely experienced with cockerels, but here's my experience. I bought 8 chicks in my first batch 1 turned out to be a cockerel, but he was/is EXTREMELY sweet. He has not been separated from the batch (they are 7mos 1wk now). My second batch of chicks (I was waiting for ameraucanas, which turned out to be EE) I bought 6 chicks, 1 turned out to be a cockerel, not only a cockerel, a MEAN little bugger. He ALSO turned out to be a RIR instead (somehow he ended up in the "ameraucana" bin). He would jump on the other 5, pull on them, he was just downright MEAN. I got rid of him, he went right back to the store I got him from. He was NOT mean to me, but he was mean to the chicks. When I tried to introduce to the rest of the group he had the nerve to challenge my other cockerel who was HUGE compared to him (this 2nd little dude wanted NOTHING more than to fight). By the time I figured out he was a cockerel (and his breed), thanks to help online, the decision was made that he had to go. The rest stayed and have been integrated into the flock and are doing well (they are 6mos old)

My main concern in your batch is the ratio of cockerels to pullets/hens you have (when they reach maturity). I'm not exactly sure what I would do, but I know I wouldn't keep all of them in with the hens/pullets. Maybe pick the calmest of the batch and keep that one in (i.e. the "favorite")? My main concerns aside from potential fighting between the males is over-mating. BUT, that's just basing on what I have read the ratios should be etc.

I bought sexed pullets, so I think my ratio of only ending up with 2 out of 14 chicks wasn't bad. One of my little pullets died at 3wks old (some type of neurological issue, she never was right from the minute she was brought home), and then I took the other cockerel back to the store, which left me with 10 pullets and 1 cockerel. I plan to add a few more in, but probably not until spring. I won't be keeping any other cockerels I might end up with.

 

[trudyg]

The plan when I got them was for meat, but if some are girls and I can get some eggs to hatch, then I'd keep them. the plan right now is to cull them as they get to be a pain; if they behave, then they can stay until they get to good size.

 

[chickmomma03]

omgosh, how embarrassing! I meant out of 13 chicks, I got 8 the first time, and what was suppose to be the last 5 ameraucanas the 2nd time. Doh! Sorry, a LOT going on right now dealing with well issues for the past 3+ weeks now! I can't think straight lol