NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! please help

[cafarmgirl]

There is nothing wrong with planning ahead and thinking about what you will do with him if you decided not to keep him. I don't keep aggressive roo's either. By this I mean roo's that are so rough on the hens that they draw blood or cause other injury, or roo's who just never learn to behave around me. I won't spend all my time at the barn looking behind me in case of attack. A good roo will go about his business and leave me my space. But I don't expect them to be friendly pets either.

Just think of him in terms of raising him like a chicken like Jak2002003 said. Don't coddle him or expect him to be a loving pet. Some people will tell you they have a rooster like that but I think those are rare. Just raise him as a chicken first, treat him decent but expect him to do the same. I don't antagonize my roo or try to start things with him, we just leave each other alone. If he starts something I finish it. That is done simply by keeping him off me with my rake for starters and then moving him out of my space. When he was younger and the hormones were running hot there were a few times I had to run his rooster butt around the pasture a couple times to get my point across. I never hit or kick my roos but it doesn't take long for the point to sink in.

It's worth the effort spent, my current roo is now a good roo to his hens and decent enough with me. Most days he'll even come to the fence and take a piece of bread from me, I'll settle for that!

 

[jallny]

Thanks, out of everyone aschenfire, sumi, and cafarmgirl helped the most!! im feelin better about my roo. thanks guys for all your help!!!

 

[NovaAman]

Hi... Don't try and tame him. I had 9 rooster. Yes, I said had. I did not rehome 6 of them. I am eating them. I do not have a problem eating them. I feel better eating my birds than giving them away to someone else for a free meal. But again, we are talking 9 roosters.

My main man Mr. Fluffers, he is a wonderful roo. Treats his ladies well, defended them as best he could from the young cockerels coming into maturity and making my girls lives hell. Roger, my other main man, he is a vicious little tiny snip of a thing. He survived a scalping from a hawk, and ever since, thinks he is an 8 pound rooster instead of a 3 pound fluff ball silkie. He also defended his girls, and the young pullets. I did not coddle, nor do I coddle any of the roos except Roger. Only cuz he is little. He was not very tolerant of being picked up at first, but now, he'll let me pick him up, and he'll sit on my shoulder while I walk around, crowing in my ear. They are there to protect, keep the peace, fertilize the eggs. I can touch them when they are on the roost. I can walk through my yard with out threat of attack. I walk with a purpose, and they get out of MY way. BUT I do not threaten the girls at all, or make my roos feel like I am being a threat to them. I decided to keep on cockerel out of the 7 excess, so thats why I have 3 left. My son asked me to keep him. But I also have 30 hens, so there are plenty of girls to go around.

Yes, it looks awful, and the pullets put up such a fuss when the young boys grab them by the neck. They will get it down, you'll see him start to cluck at them when he finds a particularly yummy treat, he'll drop a wing and do a dance around them... Just give it time. Dogs are just as bad... Horses too... They are animals, not humans. It is a different process, but much the same. They have to learn it. The girls will lose some feathers, but they aren't hurt. I bet you can see that yourself if you take a step back. They fuss and squawk and holler, and as soon as the cockerel lets go, they go back to being food driven. They will also learn to move a lot faster than the cockerel, and then its funny as heck to watch them run like hell is on their heels, with the cockerel chasing them, and not catching them... now you know where the saying... "c... tease" comes from.

You will know if you have a problem with the cockerels if head damage starts to be done. Instead of grabbing by the neck, they grab the girls by the comb repeatedly and don't quit no matter the fight that gets put up. I have had those happen, and they went to freezer camp also. I gave them a chance first... to see if maybe it was just learning, but when it continued and my girls were getting injured, they had to go. You can tell. If they start to challenge you, or attack when your back is turned, they have to go. Do not fall for the "OH carry him around upside down in front of his girls." If the roo attacks you, and you put a stop to it, it does not mean that he won't go after others. That kinda thing won't happen for a while yet though. Closer to a year. Mr. Fluffers is 3. He has never attacked me or my kids. If he ever did, He'd be dog food. Too old and tough for me to eat. But anyway... If he turns into an attack roo, but is a good protector, and you want to keep him anyway, keep him locked up while you do your chicken chores, and keep your kids away from him, or any one else. Cuz you can get him to stop attacking you, but you won't be necessarily able to stop him from attacking your kids, or other people who come in your yard. There is never really a reason to put up with a rotten rooster.

I think, if you respect that he is a rooster, and keep that in mind with your dealings with him... you won't have a problem.

Just remember, it is annoying now, while he is learning, but believe me when I say, by the end of his first year, he'll have those hens following him every where he goes. It just takes time.

 

[NovaAman]

Oh yeah, chasing a rooster around with your arms out and not stopping till he gets it, works well too. I had to do that to the neighbors roo. He came out of his coop and flogged me, and yes, I had to kick him off of me, but as soon as I got him off of me, I chased him around the coop like 3 times, and I also yelled "AAAAAHAAAAAHAAAAAA!" at him the whole time I was doing it, until he ran in the trees. I have not had a problem with that rooster since. LOL.

 

[jallny]

again i didnt plan to coddle him, i just want respect. and i will not be eating him, no matter what the reason!!

 

[NovaAman]

So, what kind of cockerel is he?

 

[jallny]

tetra tint. i can upload a pic in a minute

 

[jallny]

In this one you can see how different he is from the pullets

 

[NovaAman]

He is very pretty. Just give his hormones a chance to balance out. Besides, you will know when the girls are getting close to laying when they start letting him mount them with out so much fight. Like I said, always walk with a purpose, but never threatening towards his girls.

I can hand feed both my roosters. My little cockerel, he know's I am boss. I actually have them all trained to come for treats when I whistle. Its great.

This is the one I kept from the 7 extra
He is a silkie faverolle cross.

 

[jallny]

he is very pretty