picking a rooster

[LarryPQ]

Sadly Sweetcheeks died last week, but here is Cinnabun, an up & coming lap roo

and my head roo Patchwork. Patch is too cool to be held, but he is soooooo sweet to his girls. He never gets any treats because he drops them for the ladies.

 

[my3jsons]

That settles it. Fat Head goes! He always steals the treats from the girls.
I'm sorry about Sweetcheeks.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Ooooh, Patchwork!

What a splendid and handsome rooster! I've not ever seen one with that coloring.

And OP, it could be that your roo bit you because he misinterpreted your gesture, when you reached over to pet him he may have thought it was a threat and acted defensively. As long as he doesn't initiate aggressive behavior (pecking, biting, spurring, flogging) with no provocation, I wouldn't tag him as a bad-mannered rooster.

I don't know how much chickens appreciate being petted. It feels nice to us, and some birds will tolerate it better than others, but I don't know if they really enjoy the feeling. Maybe it feels like a giant tongue smoothing down their feathers in preparation for eating? When I am holding a chicken that likes to be held I will scratch behind its neck instead of petting its feathers, they seem to like that better.

Besides a mannerly disposition, I also prefer a rooster that is generous towards his hens and will call them over with a buk-buk-buk when he spies a tasty treat, instead of gobbling it up for himself. That, and a rooster who does a nice wing dance to woo his ladies.

Let us know who stays & who goes!

 

[iajewel]

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I have around 13 or 15 roosters all in the same pen. They NEVER fight.

 

[embkm]

At 10 weeks, I would give them more time. My current roo was a greedy pig when it came to food and treats, until he turned about 6 months old. Then he became a charmer with his ladies and hasn't kept a treat since.