Responding to Marcy's inquiry about her Delaware cockerel. Off topic for just a moment.
Marcy~ I looked at your link. I really see nothing wrong with him.....his comb is not terrible, missing a point and having a small heavy twist or slight thumb mark is not a huge issue......his attitude is though.
How long has he been isolated?
Also.....he is at that age where he is nothing but one large hormone and not having any pullet to say....excerise his natural talents with may irritate him a bit more, so with out, it does not surprise me that they try and get away with flogging or some sort of aggresiveness at this age. So often folks are quick to cull young cockerels at this age because they believe it to be pure aggressiveness. If it is continued behavior that does not stop and they do it at everything and everyone....then yes it is aggressiveness and should be dealt with, if it is a one time thing or perhaps a 2x thing it very well could be hormones.
This is the age that I like to work with cockerels best..when they are froggy and feel like they have to jump. Riiiib-bit........riiiiib-bit little froggy.Taunting the chicken, not you...LOL
If I have a boy like this.......this is when they are forced to trust me. If they don't get past their 'tudes here at this stage in the game, they are dinner. If they try jumping or flogging me 1 time they get the special humiliation treatment from me for about 2 weeks. If they feel so obliged to try jumping or flogging again they signed their own execution orders.
I am happy to say that I have only ever had 2 cockerels that ever got froggy with me.......one of them did not reform....the other is still living a happy healthy Welsummer lovin' life and will be 2.5 years old now. The lady that took him has her children in an out of the coops and chicken area and he has never tried a thing with her or the kids, or anyone. I carried this rooster around in a baby snuggie for 2 weeks as a portion of his humiliation treatment. Awe, the poor wittle baby! LOL!
I house excess cockerels together away from any of my breeding pens....away from everything for that matter. When I go down to do chores I pick a different cockerel each time I go in (unless one in particular needs the most attention then I work on him) and I pick him up and carry him around with me until I am done with chores. I talk to them like they are babies and stroke their heads, necks and bodies and lightly rub their combs and wattles. I get them used to me doing everything to them including a trip to "the attitude adjustment block" where I lay them down so they get a textile experience...."just because we feel it and touch it does not mean we should buy it"....is usually what I say to them. LOL!
Please understand that I am not saying all cockerels are going though hormonal changes and that is the blame.....some of them are just plain meanies and need to be dealt with. What I am saying is just don't be to quick to judge him if all it will take to calm him down again is a pullet or some behavior training.
Hi Pink, that you so much for your long and thoughtful reply. It isn't so off-topic, that information can be for any breed. I totally lose track of days, weeks, months...The Delaware started off in a big grow-out pen, then I had to do some rearranging, I moved him and a Blue Copper Marans of the same age into the 4'x4' condo pen, they were doing well together for a while, then the Marans started beating up on the Delaware, bloodied his comb pretty bad, so I had to separate them. The Marans was the one I posted pics of that had the copper color in his wing bay, he has since found freezer camp. I forget how long the Delaware has been by himself, and after the Marans left, I moved him back into that original pen, I am going to hazard a guess, 3 or 4 weeks.
I haven't had the time to really work with any of my birds. It is also very hot here right now, but I could try carrying the Delaware around like you say, maybe work with him inside out of the heat. I have so many birds right now, it is very hard--no, make that impossible, for me to give each individual attention. But it is getting better--I have 14 Black Copper and 2 Blue Copper Marans in holding cages as I type, wanting to be butchered while I take a calorie and caffeine break. I decided not to add the Delaware to the group
OK--break time over--got to get to those birds before the temp hits 100!
