Observations on two roosters

[Buffychicken62]

Thank you, but they are a rag bag bunch. I will try and get some pictures today.View attachment 3601284View attachment 3601285

Omgosh they are beautiful!! I love the colors! Mine are just generic barnyards also but they needed a home and I’ve grown to love them. Coloring is a lot like yours.

 

[Mrs. K]

Kelly Holt - I think I would separate the cockerels from the pullets if you don't have any old biddies to give them some manners. They can be tough on pullets, and they can wear them out. I am not so sure, if that wildness, chase doesn't become a habit.

If you separate them until your pullets are laying it would be better for them. In my own flock, I have 4 chicks, 2 juvenile birds, and 5 mature hens. I see what looks like to me that the lowest of the 5 adult hens has been mated I think. But I am watching the juveniles pretty closely, and they are not being bothered at this time.

If they start getting harassed, I will pull the boys. I like a peaceful flock.

 

[Mrs. K]

Omgosh they are beautiful!! I love the colors! Mine are just generic barnyards also but they needed a home and I’ve grown to love them. Coloring is a lot like yours.

Thank you - for years I tried picking a breed, but really, I find I like a mixed flock best. These are very pretty boys - but for me there is more than being eye candy.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

Your observations are really interesting.

I also have two 11-week old cockerels (in addition to an almost 5 month old... and an 8 month old. The 5 month & 8 month are keepers and have their own flocks. The 8-month old roo free-ranges with the 11-week olds.

The two littles are with their flock mates which are 3 pullets. We weren't planning to have any more roosters, but of course we have become attached (me to the black one and the Hubs to the white one). We're just going to see how things pan out. As of now the black one (Kissy Face) is the more dominant. He's larger (or fluffier). He crowed at 3 weeks for the very first time, and has been crowing regularly for the past couple weeks. He's very brazen when it comes to the bigger chickens. He was a super friendly chick, but is growing more reserved and you can tell he's become mature and contemplating life.

The white cockerel, Citronella, doesn't really exhibit any boy behavior yet, except for occasionally sparring with Kissy Face. The two cockerels, and one brazen pullet in their flock are quite the terrorizers considering their age. They have their own coop/pen but free-range with the large flock. They have stood up to several of my mature hens, and they run off the 5 and 4 month old pullets. Citronella still seems very immature and still behaves like a friendly, happy-go-lucky "chick."

I've never had chicks this young that weren't submissive to mature hens, so I think we are going to have our hands full. I'm interested to see how your guys do.

 

[ChickStitch]

I am enjoying this thread

 

[pugmom94]

Texas, Its hot more than cold. I choose a couple of ways: 1st large single comb breed; 2nd how they crow, if I can stand hearing it; last if good protector and not aggressive to humans, had some great protectors who gave their life.

 

[Mystyrain]

Well, the pictures are a bit one sided. We are at the top of a crick, with brush. Thing is, coyotes can work up in the brush and pick off anything that gets away from the group. If we have cattle in the pasture, they tend to not hang around. Especially yearlings, yearlings just love to move.

So if they are in the brush, bushes and trees - coyotes and if they are up on top in the prairie hawks and eagles. It is tough country.

Mrs K

I have a healthy flock. I fenced in my property. I have a Golden Retriever and a Great Dane that chases any thing that gets in the yard. My neighbor has no fence and has had animals come in a try to kill every bird she had at once. Her dog is in a fenced in yard of its own. I have been lucky for a year now… I hope all continues that way. Good luck on with the rooster selection. Maybe add a Tom or Two…

 

[Mrs. K]

I wish you good luck. But beware the predators may not have found you, one can go long spells. Then disaster strikes, and they will be back.

 

[Mystyrain]

I wish you good luck. But beware the predators may not have found you, one can go long spells. Then disaster strikes, and they will be back.

I am counting my blessings for sure. They have eaten some of the neighbors birds in my yard before I fenced my place in and got the dogs. I’ve underwired the kennels as well that has stopped a couple of dig-ins. And yes, I do expect a hungry predator to find their way in and take out my flock everyday. It is an eat or be eaten world we live in. A bear shook my gates in a standoff with my dogs…I got lucky there too! .

 

[Mrs. K]

Well I watched quite a while this morning. Neither is tidbitting. Long Johns fluffed up at me once, which I don't like. Last time, I thought that No Hat might be coming into his own, but he is with the juveniles and on the perimeter again. He just acts like a juvenile, with no or little sexual energy.

Ridgerunner (I think) likes a earlier maturing rooster or hen. Something to consider. Right now, I am thinking if I had them both in a sack, the first one out would be as good as the last.

Mrs K