Need Advice on Roosters

[msisco389]

I am a first time chicken owner! I have a flock of 12, 10 hens and 2 roosters. I need some opinions on the roosters from some experienced chicken owners!

Here is Pumpkin, 15 week old Red Ranger (dual purpose/meat) He is very large and laid back, he barely ever crows so he's very quiet. Up until last week he loved to cuddle, then suddenly started biting me when I go to pet him. Not going to lie he's pretty scary now, I don't trust him, but he won't go after you, he only bites when you are in his personal space. So if you mind your business, so does he. When it comes to the hens, he keeps to himself until one gets close enough to him and then all hell breaks loose. He grabs them viciously, they scream, he body slams them, pulls out feathers....the girls are terrified of him. He is separated from the girls now..... Doesn't mind being alone at all. Should I keep a coop just for him or should I re-home him? Just having a hard time thinking about someone eating something I raised..

Next is Penguin, 15 week old Black Australorp. He is the total opposite of the first rooster. He loves the girls, he constantly free ranges with them, gently clucking to them to tell them what to eat and where to lay down and when to run back to the coop. He does do his thing, but is more gentle about it and usually doesn't pull out feathers. He is very people aggressive, he's threatened to go after my feet a few times now, which I quickly dismiss but I'm worried about when people visit. I can sometimes catch him, once I have him he is fine in my arms but on the ground he is not good. He also blocks me from the hens when I am catching them. He also crows extremely loud, and ALL day! I live in a rural area but it's so loud I can hear him echo through the hills, my neighbors must hear him too. He is the dominant rooster, if they are out together, he tears Pumpkin apart. I separated him from the girls last night because I had thoughts on re-homing and he is very upset about being apart from them. Should I re-home him, keep him separate or put him back with the girls?

 

[junebuggena]

Pumpkins behavior towards the girls is typical teenage, hormone driven male behavior. He is trying to breed the girls without doing the courtship rituals. Roosters are not gentle when breeding, and until the girls get used to it and start submitting and holding still for him, it will not be pretty. Males will try to breed immature pullets if they are the only females available. I would rehome Penguin immediately with full disclosure about his aggression. Aggression tends to be inherited, so he would not be a good choice for anyone wanting to breed. Once Penguin is gone, Pumpkin may start acting just like him. I'd keep him as long as he was respectful towards people.

 

[msisco389]

Pumpkins behavior towards the girls is typical teenage, hormone driven male behavior. He is trying to breed the girls without doing the courtship rituals. Roosters are not gentle when breeding, and until the girls get used to it and start submitting and holding still for him, it will not be pretty. Males will try to breed immature pullets if they are the only females available. I would rehome Penguin immediately with full disclosure about his aggression. Aggression tends to be inherited, so he would not be a good choice for anyone wanting to breed. Once Penguin is gone, Pumpkin may start acting just like him. I'd keep him as long as he was respectful towards people.

Thank you for the advice! That's interesting about the teenage rooster thing. I was thinking it would only progressively get worse from here. If I do keep pumpkin, would it make sense to keep him separate until the girls are mature enough and let him back in? I don't really plan on hatching any eggs, I just want to do what makes the most sense and makes them the most comfortable.

 

[junebuggena]

If the girls are the same age as the boys, then the girls are only a few more weeks away from being close to laying. It's more a matter of the girls need to learn to hold still, and he needs to learn to give the girls a bit of warning before he jumps them so that they know to hold still. My boy is 20 weeks old and still hasn't figured out that he needs to do his rooster dance and then mount. He keeps doing it backwards. He just grabs and mounts and then dances after. Teenage boys are clueless.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would cull both roosters. They are not making you happy and they are not making the hens happy. In my opinion, they probably will both get worse. Neither of these boys are working out. A lot of roosters do not work out. As AArt says, this is when the romance meets reality. Your worry about someone else being attacked is valid.

If you really want a rooster, I would recommend getting rid of both of these roosters, and waiting until your hens are laying and finding a rooster that is near a year old. No one really likes to cull roosters, if they are nice, people do hesitate to do it, just in case they need him. Contact other local people that have chickens, and very often they will have an extra rooster, that has be allowed to live because he is so darn nice. That is who you want.

I don't handle my roosters, but I can. When I walk out to the coop/run, my rooster is the first bird to be aware of me, that is his job, to pay attention to the surroundings. When I am working in and around the coop, my rooster is often between me and the hens, and they look to him, however, he moves away from me and keeps about 4-5 feet between us, that is him giving me respect. He is the captain, I am the general. If you want pets, you might do better without a rooster, as then the hens look to you like a rooster.

Don't keep something because you feel you should keep it. Roosters have ruin the whole chicken experience for a lot of people.

Mrs K

 

[Folly's place]

x2! I really like to have roosters in my flock, but only the good ones! Yours aren't so nice; both should go elsewhere very soon. Either raise some chicks next spring, and see who's worth keeping, or find a polite boy that someone has available, as long as he comes from a healthy flock. Mary

 

[bobbi-j]

I agree with Mrs. K and Folly's Place. If you have no desire to hatch out chicks anyway, you really have no need of a rooster. Your pullets will be much happier and less stressed once they're gone. Re-home them, don't ask questions, and enjoy your hens.

 

[mamabearsin]

I was just outside checking on my chickens.While I was standing outside the run watching them, I noticed that a few of mt roos were acting quite aggressive. They were blocking the others from going back into the coop, and keeping a few of the hens basically blocked in the corner. I know that Roos can be aggressive, and I am not ready to get rid of any of them yet, as I have not decided which ones I want to keep for breeding and what not. I guess I just need some advice on what to do with the boys until I decide which ones I want to keep and all. Any advice or words of wisdom appreciated.

Oh and they are all 8 weeks old except the 6 RIR's they are approx 10 weeks old.

 

[keesmom]

Separate the males and put them in a bachelor pad.

 

[mamabearsin]

Separate the males and put them in a bachelor pad.

wont they fight each other? I mean i knew sooner or later I would have to keep them separate from the girls, but do i put them all in one place for now or each one in a separate place?

sorry so many questions, I am a first time chicken mommy and I am still learning what to do.