Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

I personally have a zero tolerance for aggression in roosters. One day some visitors to my farm were shocked when, after a Swedish Flower cockerel flogged me twice while I was collecting eggs, I promptly wrung his neck. Those genetics I do not need. Truly it is often a matter of luck, although in general RIR roos that I have been around seem to be more aggressive. I have not yet had nor heard of an Arkansas Blue rooster being aggressive to people, but there are not a lot of them around.

Haha!! Reminds of the scene in the Cold Mountain movie......
"I despise a floggin' rooster.....let's put him in a pot"

 

[jasonvanorder]

I personally have a zero tolerance for aggression in roosters. One day some visitors to my farm were shocked when, after a Swedish Flower cockerel flogged me twice while I was collecting eggs, I promptly wrung his neck. Those genetics I do not need. Truly it is often a matter of luck, although in general RIR roos that I have been around seem to be more aggressive. I have not yet had nor heard of an Arkansas Blue rooster being aggressive to people, but there are not a lot of them around.

And yet I want to get a RIR roo. I think they are beautiful. And Im stubborn and like a challenge

 

[wcbpolish]

I have 9 or 10 roosters and a tom turkey (hard to keep track) in my flock and no mean ones, though if I snag a hen and she squawks I have several roosters giving the "gwock gwock gwock" call and watching me closely from 6-10 feet away. Those are good boys.

I have a nasty son-of-gun tom turkey who is NOT staying on the farm after this season.

If anyone is looking for turkey hatching eggs (heritage mixed colors) I have more than I can use right now. Have 15 on hand and getting 4-5 a day. Macomb County.

I'm sort of in the market for a Narraganset or dark colored heritage tom turkey... although at this point I may as well wait until the end of breeding season rather than mess with the flock dynamics. Our turkeys have not started laying yet - do you have lights on yours?

 

[WalnutHill]

I have a nasty son-of-gun tom turkey who is NOT staying on the farm after this season.

I'm sort of in the market for a Narraganset or dark colored heritage tom turkey... although at this point I may as well wait until the end of breeding season rather than mess with the flock dynamics. Our turkeys have not started laying yet - do you have lights on yours?

No lights, but the coops are fabric hoop buildings so they get every minute of natural light. I just sold my lovely, SWEET Oregon Gray tom and don't have any spares, but I will have plenty this fall if you want to pick one out around August.

 

[trailrider330]

How do you flocks get nice roosters? We tried a BO cockerel that we got with the pullets and he was super nice to people but then was too rough with the girls and scalped one like right around the time they started to lay. Right now have an accidental silkie cockerel we got with the same batch of pullets and he's good with the ladies, protective, but tries to attack my kids and me. I know I can try to train him but I just don't have time with a puppy to also train. Is that the only route to gettgin a good one in the future? Or do people just keep sending them to freezer camp till they get a good one? I'm just thinking what's best to do next time. I've also considered just gettgin an older one from someone else that has already proven ok with people. I realize our rooster is attacking us cause he's being protective but with little kids around it's just not ok.

I agree with what Mary @Folly's place added.

Some breeds tend to have better behaved roos than others, some of that is genetics, but there is also a component related to how they are raised. I have had my best luck with Barnevelder, Iowa Blue, Swedish Flower Hen, Ameraucana and Easter Egger Roos, and my worst luck with RIRs and Barred Rocks. Part of that may also have been due to the fact that my mean roos were some of the first roos I had, and now that I know I can't coddle them, my newer ones behave much better.

I never treat cockerels/roosters like a pet (no treats, no petting, only handling them for general health checks, etc.). I am the boss and they need to see me as such. I walk through them on a regular basis and expect them to move out of the way, I do not allow them to mount hens in my presence, and I do not tolerate them approaching me or "dancing" around me like they would a hen. If I sense these or any other challenging behaviors, they are corrected. I have young children so any true act of aggression (charging or making contact) is not tolerated.

When it comes to getting roosters to be gentlemen with the ladies, I like to have my cockerels spend time with some of my older hens who are not afraid to put them in their place and teach them the proper way to treat a lady. Making sure that you have enough hens (around 10) for every rooster will also help avoid certain hens getting too much "attention" from any rooster.

 

[robyn8]

Thanks for all the rooster advice! Right now our chickens do not free range and it's too cold for my kids (5 and 8 years old) to want to go out to the coop anyways. But come spring I predict our silkie boy will not be kept. I'm gettgin more pullets this spring so I will probably wait till they are older and then maybe try a mature rooster. I really want one when I free range because we have tons of hawks. Our silkie boy did actually warn the ladies if a hawk the one week I tried free ranging so at least he's good in that respect. But I don't want my kids or their friends having to watch out for him while playing in the yard.

 

[Folly's place]

When he's stalking you or your children, he's not watching out for his flock! Useless! Dumb! And dangerous! I may have a nice white Chantecler cock to go; he's great, although I don't have any small children to test him on here. Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Maybe a show bred RIR cock would have a better temperament? I have no idea, but maybe? If you will be raising his chicks, try to find out about SQ egg production first, though. The hatchery birds are more like 'production reds' than traditional RIRs. Mary

 

[bigmrg74]

Went for a walk today and had to walk right past this swan today. It parked itself right in front of the bridge and it wasn't moving, just giving me the eyeball. I stopped about 12 feet away from it for a minute to talk at it and see if it wanted to move. Just sat there daring me to come near it. walked by it as far away as I could. Didn't move other than its head to keep its eyeballs on me.

 

[robyn8]

When he's stalking you or your children, he's not watching out for his flock!  Useless!  Dumb!  And dangerous!  I may have a nice white Chantecler cock to go;  he's great, although I don't have any small children to test him on here.  Mary

Very true Mary! So far he's not really stalking us so much as going after us if we get near. I do think he has to go but I'm dragging my heels. When it gets warm again and I try free ranging again I'm sure I'll be ready to say good bye. I might be interested in your extra boy! My kids are old enough to understand to leave a rooster alone but when the rooster goes after them while they are just trying to collect eggs it's not cool.