Picking a Rooster

[Bert96746]

When i first got chickens I ended up with a buff orpington cockerel and he was a major meanie! They were free range on 2.5 acres and he would go out of his way to find us and try to attack us I got rid of him and now I have two 3ish week old cockerels. One is acting exactly how meanie did when he was a baby and the other is a true gentleman. We shall see how it goes once they get older.

 

[Folly's place]

The really bad boys can start pretty young!
Mary

 

[Severne]

No Buff Orp. RIR or Jersey giant or Egyptian fayoumi.

 

[Mrs. K]

HOW old are your children? Will their play area be in the same place? Children, inexperience, and roosters are not a good combination. If your children are under 6 years of age, I strongly recommend no rooster. Roosters have ruined the whole chicken hobby for a lot of kids. Kids under six tend to take the attack in the head. Roosters tend to attack children first. Inexperience people do not always pick up on the cues that the rooster is becoming aggressive.

You do need a run. Roosters can be a good detriment to predators, but they do not develop as a flock master until they are a year old. You are going to loose a lot of chickens to predators over time depending on your area. Once a predator finds you, they will come back. Once you get hit, you need to go into lock down for several days, so the predator moves on.

I would suggest, not keeping a rooster raised with flock mates. This bird will outgrow the pullets, and become sexually interested long before the pullets, and often times becomes a bully. They are very brave, and people tend to assume that means the rooster likes them. Then the darling becomes the nightmare. Chicken society, is based on pecking order and fear. The rooster is the top bird, and will use fear to keep that spot. Some will attack people trying to establish this.

What you want is a rooster raised in a multi-generational flock that is about 1 year old, that has been so nice, that he escaped being culled by experienced chicken people. Ask at the feed store, poultry club, find some people in your area. This bird will have experience with free ranging in your area, with your predators. This will be a much better rooster than a specific breed of roosters.

The rooster should be the first bird that sees you as you approach the set up. He should move so that he keeps 4-5 feet away from you. He should not circle behind you, and his ladies will always be a bit behind him. You feed him, he calls the ladies.

Not all roosters are good roosters.

Mrs K

 

[sealer39]

If your luck is like mine you’ll probably end up with a cockerel since you ordered 15 chicks. If you do, raise that one and see how he works out. You have to be careful with roosters and kids. The cockerels when young can seem friendly until their hormones kick in and then can turn mean quick. Kids always want to pick up chickens which puts the chickens beak at eye level with the kid.