Naked Neck/Turken Thread

[DesertChic]

I certainly agree that hens can be absolutely precious and sweet - and certainly easier to cuddle. (Just look at Sweetie and Puppy!!!!) I think the thing for me is that each of the 8 boys I have were CHOSEN and explicitly valued, with a decision that they were worth keeping. 8 cockerels/roosters is a lot for an urban neighborhood - no restriction on roosters, no complaints from neighbors (yet), but it's not like I'm in the country and can keep as many as I want, and I live with my fingers crossed all the time. Each one has to be explicitly valued, and there has to be a good reason he's here. The hens are really sweet, for sure, but for correct ratios of males to females, in my current flock, NO pullets get culled unless grossly abnormal/deformed/diseased. (I can always exclude them from actual breeding.) Boys need to be special to be kept, vs. the boys resting in the freezer...

- Ant Farm

I literally six roosters/cockerels that will follow me around and bed to be picked up, and then snuggle sweetly in my arms, close their eyes and sleep. And if I set down, at least one and as many as three of them will jump up onto my lap and settle in, some pushing themselves as hard as possible against my chest and resting their heads on my shoulder while I pet them. Seriously, how do I cull a bird like that? And several of these guys aren't birds I'm planning to breed for various reasons. I just can't part with them because of their amazing personalities, and because I'm pretty sure my husband and son would stop speaking to me. THEY love those guys too!

So....I have six roosters as pets, only one of which I have definite breeding plans for, and then at least eight other breeding roosters I'm rotating through the pens. It can get pretty noisy around here in the morning.

 

[DesertChic]

Hmm, trying to think if there was any overall trend in favoring one over the other.. think for me it's more even, or rather I can think of about as many favored roosters as hens..

My top favorite chicken was my first NN, McMurray- guess where she came from, ha. She followed me around all the time, waited on the back porch for me in the mornings, was the first chicken that let me pick up and pet despite zero attempt at taming or handling. This will come across as silly to others but I truly got sad on the day she died of old age.

Now that thinking about it some more, it does seem that mostly it is the roosters that get the attention, greeting me first and telling the hens to come over. Hard to miss them, while some of the hens are 'easy' to miss. Interesting question.

Absolutely nothing silly about feeling love for another living creature, especially one that you had such an awesome relationship with. Having a heart is a good thing. I've balled my eyes out over the loss of two hens I'd been extremely attached to, one that died of heat stroke and another that developed a brain tumor and had to be put down to end her suffering. Heck, I've cried over a few birds that I butchered because even though I'd selected them for cull, I still liked the birds themselves for their personalities.

My husband laughs as he watches a flock of 70+ chickens all come running to me at one time, all either seeking affection or treats, or both. One of my roosters will run across the yard to me, follow me around incessantly while crowing, and practically trip me by circling my legs like a cat until I finally pick him up. As soon as he's in my arms his entire body goes slack and he tucks his head in the crook of my arm while I stroke his back. When I finally try to set him back down I have to encourage him to actually stand on his feet as he's so relaxed that he's more like a rag doll than a chicken. I have absolutely no use for this boy in my breeding programs and he's a bit of a nuisance to the girls, but I absolutely adore him. Right now I'm trying to re-home to someone who wants a friendly rooster that won't attack anyone.

Here he is, standing on a roost I built for them and begging me to pick him up instead of photograph him.

 

[chickengr]

I have always loved roos.

I rehomed my avatar roo because I don't have many girls and he went to the bigger place with 4 hens very near my home. he didn't crow a lot in the morning as I have other 6 roos younger than him but first morning in the new home with no other roo around he crowed 11 times, lol. luckily his new folks are excited about that.

 

[Beer can]

The males ARE the prettier one's in the bird world ;-)

My two naked neck cockerels tend to challenge me on occasion, they back off fairly quick and I hope it doesn't continue.
I had a welsummer rooster a few yrs ago that had to be culled, at around 2yrs old he went from calm to a unpredictable man killer.
I've been spoiled this last couple yrs with my jersey giant rooster, absolute calmnest friendliest bird I've ever had, nicer than any of the hens I've had through the yrs also.
The day he gets replaced with a new breeder will be a hard one.

 

[Cynthia12]

My latest little one..I have a barred rock cockerel out there. He is only 2 months old. Looking good. Have to hope he won't crow much. Not sure about a collar on one of these. Can't have roosters, but had been able to keep one here and there, because they don't usually crow a lot in the beginning, the the little stinks find out they like to crow, collar or no collar.

Hoping this one is a girl.



She's so cute. Will hop up to my voice when I talk to her..yes her, and then, when I
do pick her up and put her in face to talk to her..she closes her eyes, I guess she thinks
I can't see her if she does. Pretty cute though how she comes running to the end of
the brooder when I start talking to her.
Man those legs are long too! Need a good name going along with how long they are.

 

[BayNatives]

Man those legs are long too! Need a good name going along with how long they are.

Pippy.

 

[Cynthia12]

I like that!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I literally six roosters/cockerels that will follow me around and bed to be picked up, and then snuggle sweetly in my arms, close their eyes and sleep. And if I set down, at least one and as many as three of them will jump up onto my lap and settle in, some pushing themselves as hard as possible against my chest and resting their heads on my shoulder while I pet them. Seriously, how do I cull a bird like that? And several of these guys aren't birds I'm planning to breed for various reasons. I just can't part with them because of their amazing personalities, and because I'm pretty sure my husband and son would stop speaking to me. THEY love those guys too!

So....I have six roosters as pets, only one of which I have definite breeding plans for, and then at least eight other breeding roosters I'm rotating through the pens. It can get pretty noisy around here in the morning.

Oh, no way could I cull boys like that. Awwwwwww......

My latest little one..I have a barred rock cockerel out there. He is only 2 months old. Looking good. Have to hope he won't crow much. Not sure about a collar on one of these. Can't have roosters, but had been able to keep one here and there, because they don't usually crow a lot in the beginning, the the little stinks find out they like to crow, collar or no collar.

Hoping this one is a girl.



She's so cute. Will hop up to my voice when I talk to her..yes her, and then, when I
do pick her up and put her in face to talk to her..she closes her eyes, I guess she thinks
I can't see her if she does. Pretty cute though how she comes running to the end of
the brooder when I start talking to her.
Man those legs are long too! Need a good name going along with how long they are.

So cute! A few of my NNs were like that in the brooder - Puppy and Sweetie included (they were the first named!) I miss babies - can't wait for spring!

Quote: Perfect!!!!!

- Ant Farm

 

[Poultrybonkers]

My naked neck chicks from a nn mother and a blrw father

 

[DesertChic]

My naked neck chicks from a nn mother and a blrw father

Ooooohhh! Nice combo! I can't wait to see how they feather out!