Pullets? Roos?

[Ometra]

Here are photos of my black laced gold Wyandottes. They are 6 weeks old today. The first one is my little sweetheart! (Please be a pullet!)
(I have just 3 chicks here. There’s 3 pictures of each)

 

[BastyPutt]

#1 - showing wattles and comb is more pronounced (which I am sure is the reason you are posting here ) - id say cockerel. He also has more distinctive hackle (neck) feathers

The rest look like pullets.

 

[Ometra]

#1 - showing wattles and comb is more pronounced (which I am sure is the reason you are posting here ) - id say cockerel. He also has more distinctive hackle (neck) feathers

The rest look like pullets.

I was afraid my sweet #1 might be a roo, but it might be a great ad to use when I rehome him… “sweetest roo ever needs a home.”
Thank you for your reply!

 

[BastyPutt]

I was afraid my sweet #1 might be a roo, but it might be a great ad to use when I rehome him… “sweetest roo ever needs a home.”
Thank you for your reply!

Is it a location issue that you can't have a rooster, or preference? I am a roosters advocate

 

[Ometra]

Is it a location issue that you can't have a rooster, or preference? I am a roosters advocate

It’s because we only want eggs. My husband is a vegetarian so we wouldn’t eat them, so we wouldn’t need or want fertilized eggs.

Is it a location issue that you can't have a rooster, or preference? I am a roosters advocate

what do you do as a rooster advocate?

 

[BastyPutt]

It’s because we only want eggs. My husband is a vegetarian so we wouldn’t eat them, so we wouldn’t need or want fertilized eggs.

what do you do as a rooster advocate?

I advocate for people to keep roosters who otherwise don't think they want them

 

[BastyPutt]

It’s because we only want eggs. My husband is a vegetarian so we wouldn’t eat them, so we wouldn’t need or want fertilized eggs.

what do you do as a rooster advocate?

There is just a lot of misconception of roosters and fertile eggs in the mainstream. I understand they aren't for everyone, but there are a ton of benefits to having them in a flock, both for the hens and for you as a keeper.

 

[Ometra]

I advocate for people to keep roosters who otherwise don't think they want them

Oh - exactly what I was thinking? I do like the idea of a rooster to watch over the flock.

 

[Ometra]

There is just a lot of misconception of roosters and fertile eggs in the mainstream. I understand they aren't for everyone, but there are a ton of benefits to having them in a flock, both for the hens and for you as a keeper.

What are some of the other benefits?

 

[BastyPutt]

What are some of the other benefits?

Here is what I have learned after having countless roosters. I am going to talk a bit about raising them, and then come full circle. As i said, I love roosters, so this will be long.

Roosters are obsessed with mating and social status. Some of them do these things respectfully, some don't. We have handled roosters continuously from the time their chicks and have had them turn out terrible toward their hens, and then we have had roosters hatched by broody hens with no affection from us at all, turn out to be some of the best, well mannered roosters ever. Ultimately, just like humans, there are some good and some bad. You don't ever really know what you are going to get - but if your cockerel is docile now, it is likely he will continue this.

No matter what the final outcome, a rooster is going to go through a short period, likened to a teenage boy going through puberty. They are going to be rambunctious and out of control - maybe a few months, or maybe they never change. This is where you come in.

Like any pack animal, there has to be a leader. YOU must establish yourself as the flock leader to the rooster. We don't have to do this anymore, because we always have a rooster in charge who we approve of. Naturally, he will keep the others in line. When a rooster views himself as god of the universe, is when you have problems.

But, when we did have to convince roosters we were in charge, prior to our "coop manager" we would do things like stare at them, slowly back them down - whatever you need to do to intimidate them, then give them treats. Continue to do this, until they eat out of your hand. This establishes you as the leader and also that they are dependent on you. I liken it to those sour patch kids commercials. We now have "assistant coop managers" who learn by example and know the rules for when the manager kicks the bucket or is overtaken in dominance by an assistant. (If that assistant is a bad apple, we cull and process him - rough but necessary to keep the peace)

So, if all this has gone well for you, and you have a keeper, here is what they will do for a flock.

1. A natural hierarchy - as mentioned, chickens are a pack animal. Naturally, the leader of a pack in most cases is a male - this is true for chickens. For the most part in free ranging chickens, a majority of the time you will see cliques stick together, usually 6 to 8 hens and one rooster. (say free ranging because with the space it is very easy to see the groups). When roosters aren't present, you will see hen scuffles a lot, and general leadership confusion. There is always one hen who people say is "the leader" but they really have no control over a flock, as a rooster does. so, a rooster gives a natural dynamic to the "family"

2. A hens sense of security - hens naturally feel more safe when they "belong" to a gentle rooster. Yes, the breeding does look very violent, but in most cases it isn't. You will visibly see this again as they stay close to the rooster in times of uncertainty. And it isn't because they "have to" - a hen can actually reject a roosters semen after the mating process if they are unhappy with the mate - it is because they feel safe. A hen under duress is more susceptible to disease, infection and can have a much worse lay rate if they are stressed.

3. General safety of the flock - of course, a rooster is a protector. Most of the time, when it comes to predators, even the largest, bravest rooster doesn't stand a chance against something like a fox. Aside from their spurs (which can be removed easily, and we recommend doing) they really don't have any "weapons". 9 times out of ten, a rooster is going to die protecting the flock if the predator engages. More likely, the rooster is going to put up a fight that the predator wasn't expecting and they will leave and regroup - you will see this with hawks and other flying predators. Even if the rooster is killed, the predator will drag him away and buy you sometime in keeping the rest of your flock safe.

And that brings me to why I love roosters. We (rightfully) praise police officers and first responders for charging head on into danger with reckless abandon - and this is EXACTLY - what a rooster will do. Being a father to 5 and a husband to a wonderful wife, I respect a roosters bravery in charging head on at a predator with the intent of saving his people. And like I said, we have had lots of roosters - and even the stubborn ones and the jerks will turn and take on whatever is coming without hesitation. Their stoicism and confidence are just something that I have come to admire and respect over the years.

We had a rooster named King David about 8 years ago. He was one of our first, was absolutely beautiful and was just a really cool animal. A neighbors dog with bad Intentions got into our chicken area. It was about 200 yards away and I started running when I heard all the sqwaking. As I was running, what I witnessed from king David was nothing short of spectacular. Within seconds, He jumped a fence, nabbed the dog by the nap and looked like a black cloud of chicken kung fu. He was able to hold the dog up enough to allow the hens to run and for me to get there. The whole thing lasted about 20 seconds, and it only took about 10 seconds for the dog to get David in his mouth and one shake of its head to kill him. When I finally got him from the dog, he looked like he was smiling. Like he knew what the deal was, knew his job and that he did it well that day. Ever since then is when I really just grew a huge love and respect for them - to the point where I will sit here for 30 minutes typing this out

The best thing is the main man rooster here at the moment, Avi, is a 3rd gen hatchling of David. So he lives on.