Need Advice on Roosters

[msisco389]

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. 

Thank you everyone for your advice!! I know what I have to do, now I just need to get the guts to do it!

 

[Folly's place]

My current batch of 30 chicks are eleven weeks old, and the cockrels have been sparring for several weeks now. Unless you have serious game birds (and you don't) They won't actually be injuring each other, at least if they have plenty of space. Mine have a good sized coop, and free range on the farm during the day. A couple have started crowing, and it's very funny. I too am keeping the group until they are about sixteen weeks of age, to begin to sort out possible keepers. I will then cull down to a few, and see how they grow out, especially mindful of behavior. Only polite boys get to live here! Mary

 

[bobbi-j]

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.

If you put them all together in one pen with no females present, they are less likely to fight, as there is no reason to fight. I have kept over a dozen cockerels in a grow-out pen with the pullets free ranging all around the pen and had no problems with fighting. They had to be locked up, though, because as they matured, the poor girls had no rest. There were so many hormonal cockerels chasing them around they couldn't eat, drink, dustbathe, anything. Every time they quit moving, one or two would be after them. This didn't last long. A day or two before I separated them. There is nothing wrong with asking questions. We all were first timers once.

 

[dekel18042]

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.

Roosters, together without hens, should get along.

 

[Free Feather]

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?

They are just learning how to be roosters. I would wait until everyone is mature and watch how they interact with one another before making any decisions. Their behavior sounds perfectly normal.

 

[bobbi-j]

They are just learning how to be roosters. I would wait until everyone is mature and watch how they interact with one another before making any decisions. Their behavior sounds perfectly normal.

To a point, yes, but the one sounds especially aggressive with the hens and is showing the first signs of human aggression. The second one is already human aggressive. This is "perfectly normal" behavior for aggressive roosters. I have had roosters for years. The ones that start out that way tend to continue to be aggressive. My last 3 roosters have been perfect gentlemen. They stay out of my way when I'm out with the chickens, they aren't overly rough on the hens when breeding. There is no way I'd keep either of these two roosters once they are of a good butchering age. I'd process them myself, but OP might be more comfortable giving them away. (With full disclosure of the aggression, of course.)

 

[mamabearsin]

thanks a bunch, gonna have to have the hubby start on a bachelor pen for them, as well as the breeding pen. I appreciate the help. I really love my chickens and I dont wanna have to get rid of any just yet. they are still kinda young, and I know that they are still growing and learning. Just like i am with them.

 

[beegirl4]

I really didn't like my roo until I realized how good he was for the girls (too late I might add). He always showed them food, and warned them of hawks and predators. He was great with them (it took a LONG time- he was rough and clueless too). He was not good with my kids or dog at all. I realized later that he was most likely being teased and tormented by a fox which is how he met his demise. He was very protective of the hens and although I don't miss him being an *** to us, I do miss him.

 

[msisco389]

Just an update on my situation, I believe I came to a decision, at least for now.
After a few days of the two boys in a bachelor pad separated from the hens and each other. Pumpkin the red rooster seems to be doing okay, he's not with the girls which he doesn't seem to mind and without being with Penguin his nerves have calmed isn't as defensive when I go to pet him. My husband even got some lap time in which he seemed to enjoy. Could it just be that he was all worked up over Penguin chasing him and beating him up all the time?

Penguin on the other hand has gone completely crazy I am sure of it. He paces back and forth crowing and crowing in his coop. If you come within 50 feet of his coop the growling/ hissing starts, he violently scratches the ground and flaps his wings clapping them together really loud. And if you get really close to the fence he pecks at it trying to get you. There's probably a name for all this stuff he's doing but being a newbie I only know how the describe it. I think he made the decision pretty easy for me. The girls will miss him for sure, when they free range they all huddle around his coop while he coos to them but he's got to go!

So for now my plan is to immediately re-home Penguin and keep Pumpkin at least a little longer to see if things work out.

 

[Mrs. K]

I rather hate to rain on your parade, but just so you are aware. A chicken sits on another chicken when breeding or when showing dominance. If the chicken sits quietly and takes it, it is agreeing to be submissive.

So the rooster that is comfortable enough to sit in your lap as a chick, is losing all fear of you. In the chicken world fear and respect are closely related. Which seems so counter intuitive. We don't want puppies or kittens to be afraid of us. And if you are nice to them, they are nice to you for the rest of their lives. Sometimes this is not true with roosters.

Just so you are aware, but enjoy while you can.

Mrs K