Newbie rooster info source

[Patchgirl]

Hey there. It looks like I ended up with a rooster even though I ordered all females. But I really like the little guy and am considering keeping him. I don’t know anything about keeping roosters.....I have so many questions. Can you guys point me in the right direction to a post or link that’ll help me out?

 

[Mrs. K]

• You need a plan B, in case the rooster chick does not work out.
• We all know they are darling ... until they are not, and become the nightmare
• Being raised together has little influence on any chicken behavior
• How a rooster chick is acting today is no indication how they will act tomorrow
• A lot of rooster chicks become aggressive
  • to pullets
  • to other roosters
  • to people
• There really is no way of raising roosters that will guarantee a great rooster...

Things that help:

• A lot of space, more than 4 ft squared for the coop, more than 10 feet squared for the run
• Older and bigger birds
• Not making him a pet, rooster chicks are not like puppies, where as when they are small, and you treat them good, they will treat you good.
• A long handled fish net, and a dog crate to separate a rooster chick if needed.

Inexperienced people tend to make excuses for their roosters behavior, they want this to work. Sometimes it does, but sometimes it doesn't. Things to watch for:

• Approaching you, jumping up on something to be as tall as you are
• excessive crowing when you come into the set up
• flapping his wings at you, puffing up trying to look bigger
• giving you the stink eye
• sneaking behind you, and running at you, even if not quite attacking, the attack is coming

Inexperienced people often vastly underestimate the violence of a rooster attack until they are in it. If you have small children under the age of 6 years of age, they tend to be attacked first, and can take it in the face. Children, then women, then men is the order of most rooster attacks.

After reading this, you might think I am anti-rooster, and I am not. I love having a good rooster in my flock, it is just not every rooster is a good rooster, a lot of them are not. The longer I am in this game, the more I think it is more random chance, than anything people do, but I do think roosters are best with experienced people.

Do have a plan B set up, have a plan with what to do with him, if you can't live with him. Can you cull him? A lot of people can't, and if so, you need a plan C.

Mrs K

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Many recommend that you feed flock raiser, grower, or all flock feed instead of layer since the excess calcium can cause problems for non-laying birds (like roosters) in the long term. Oyster shells in a separate container will be great for actively laying hens.

 

[Vickischics]

• You need a plan B, in case the rooster chick does not work out.
• We all know they are darling ... until they are not, and become the nightmare
• Being raised together has little influence on any chicken behavior
• How a rooster chick is acting today is no indication how they will act tomorrow
• A lot of rooster chicks become aggressive
  • to pullets
  • to other roosters
  • to people
• There really is no way of raising roosters that will guarantee a great rooster...

Things that help:

• A lot of space, more than 4 ft squared for the coop, more than 10 feet squared for the run
• Older and bigger birds
• Not making him a pet, rooster chicks are not like puppies, where as when they are small, and you treat them good, they will treat you good.
• A long handled fish net, and a dog crate to separate a rooster chick if needed.

Inexperienced people tend to make excuses for their roosters behavior, they want this to work. Sometimes it does, but sometimes it doesn't. Things to watch for:

• Approaching you, jumping up on something to be as tall as you are
• excessive crowing when you come into the set up
• flapping his wings at you, puffing up trying to look bigger
• giving you the stink eye
• sneaking behind you, and running at you, even if not quite attacking, the attack is coming

Inexperienced people often vastly underestimate the violence of a rooster attack until they are in it. If you have small children under the age of 6 years of age, they tend to be attacked first, and can take it in the face. Children, then women, then men is the order of most rooster attacks.

After reading this, you might think I am anti-rooster, and I am not. I love having a good rooster in my flock, it is just not every rooster is a good rooster, a lot of them are not. The longer I am in this game, the more I think it is more random chance, than anything people do, but I do think roosters are best with experienced people.

Do have a plan B set up, have a plan with what to do with him, if you can't live with him. Can you cull him? A lot of people can't, and if so, you need a plan C.

Mrs K

I loved your honest information.
I have polish chicks almost 8 weeks now and think I might have 3-4 cockerels. I have plan B in place. Culling. I decided that will be the plan because I don't want any Cockerels and my neighbor had one and I watched it attack her kids. 3 & 5 at the time. It was God awful. Then the next one came along and did the same thing. So...I helped her cull both of them. When a child is involved, I have zero tolerance for that kind of cockerel behavior. Plus, the kids play in my yard with my GSD.
My Polish girls are outside of my bedroom window. They are secure in a coop and run. So having a loud mouth outside of my window is not going to work. Esp when I work nights and sleep all day. Lol
It's Plan B for me and any Polish Cockerels. Not taking any chances with the neighbors kids, my dog or me.

 

[Patchgirl]

• You need a plan B, in case the rooster chick does not work out.
• We all know they are darling ... until they are not, and become the nightmare
• Being raised together has little influence on any chicken behavior
• How a rooster chick is acting today is no indication how they will act tomorrow
• A lot of rooster chicks become aggressive
  • to pullets
  • to other roosters
  • to people
• There really is no way of raising roosters that will guarantee a great rooster...

Things that help:

• A lot of space, more than 4 ft squared for the coop, more than 10 feet squared for the run
• Older and bigger birds
• Not making him a pet, rooster chicks are not like puppies, where as when they are small, and you treat them good, they will treat you good.
• A long handled fish net, and a dog crate to separate a rooster chick if needed.

Inexperienced people tend to make excuses for their roosters behavior, they want this to work. Sometimes it does, but sometimes it doesn't. Things to watch for:

• Approaching you, jumping up on something to be as tall as you are
• excessive crowing when you come into the set up
• flapping his wings at you, puffing up trying to look bigger
• giving you the stink eye
• sneaking behind you, and running at you, even if not quite attacking, the attack is coming

Inexperienced people often vastly underestimate the violence of a rooster attack until they are in it. If you have small children under the age of 6 years of age, they tend to be attacked first, and can take it in the face. Children, then women, then men is the order of most rooster attacks.

After reading this, you might think I am anti-rooster, and I am not. I love having a good rooster in my flock, it is just not every rooster is a good rooster, a lot of them are not. The longer I am in this game, the more I think it is more random chance, than anything people do, but I do think roosters are best with experienced people.

Do have a plan B set up, have a plan with what to do with him, if you can't live with him. Can you cull him? A lot of people can't, and if so, you need a plan C.

Mrs K

Thank you. I hear you. It saddens me because he is super sweet at this point.....just like one of the girls. lol. And we attached to him (her) already, assuming he was a she. Still, I'm not that much of a softy. My husband has harvested chickens and pigs, etc. I'll be cautious of the impending switch-a-roo attack and hubby can be part of plan B. Is there an age that is best for culling? I mean, if we're going to eat little Henry Penny? :-/

 

[Vickischics]

Thank you. I hear you. It saddens me because he is super sweet at this point.....just like one of the girls. lol. And we attached to him (her) already, assuming he was a she. Still, I'm not that much of a softy. My husband has harvested chickens and pigs, etc. I'll be cautious of the impending switch-a-roo attack and hubby can be part of plan B. Is there an age that is best for culling? I mean, if we're going to eat little Henry Penny? :-/

I like that name. Henry-Penny.
Me, I'm not going to eat my cockerels. Mainly because they are a Polish breed. The work involved in the prepping for a pigeon sized cockerel isn't worth all the work.
I don't know the answer to your question. I only helped my neighbor cull and they were pretty much full size birds.
The meat was tough as a rubber clam. Lol
I'd rather go to the store and buy a processed chicken. Lol
It's a lot of work processing one bird.

 

[Vickischics]

Thank you. I hear you. It saddens me because he is super sweet at this point.....just like one of the girls. lol. And we attached to him (her) already, assuming he was a she. Still, I'm not that much of a softy. My husband has harvested chickens and pigs, etc. I'll be cautious of the impending switch-a-roo attack and hubby can be part of plan B. Is there an age that is best for culling? I mean, if we're going to eat little

Im not laughing at your post, I'm only laughing because I love the name!!

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Inexperienced people tend to make excuses for their roosters behavior, they want this to work. Sometimes it does, but sometimes it doesn't. Things to watch for:

• Approaching you, jumping up on something to be as tall as you are
• excessive crowing when you come into the set up
• flapping his wings at you

I’ve had full grown roosters that showed these behaviors and weren’t aggressive, so they aren’t guarantees. However, I agree that a cockerel displaying any of this should definitely be watched carefully, especially if he shows the other behaviors such as charging and puffing himself up.

 

[aart]

Is there an age that is best for culling?

You can eat them at any age.
I usually slaughter cockerels at about 14 weeks, still tender enough for the grill for that crispy skinned deliciousness.
All carcasses are best when rested in the fridge for 2-3 days,
the older the bird the longer I rest the cleaned carcass.
Old hens get 5 days.