Pullets? Roos?

[arazla]

Wow, what an amazing rooster. Long live King David!

 

[Ometra]

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.

I just finished reading all this to my husband and we decided to hang on to my #1 Wyandotte. I also read more on our concerns about eating fertilized eggs. I didn’t know they were no different than unfertilized. That was the first concern. I’m really encouraged!

 

[Ometra]

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.

King David is inspiring! We have another chick, a Marans, that I suspect is a rooster, but he isn’t friendly like my #1 Wyandotte. From day one he’d run at me with the “eye” until he decided I was ok. Have you had trouble with roosters that don’t get along?
Attached is a picture of that Marans chick.

 

[ThePhoebeFive]

I just finished reading all this to my husband and we decided to hang on to my #1 Wyandotte. I also read more on our concerns about eating fertilized eggs. I didn’t know they were no different than unfertilized. That was the first concern. I’m really encouraged!

I'm glad you decided to hang on to him. I too, am a fan of roosters, both for practical reasons and looks. The only thing with fertilized eggs is that you have to gather them within a day of having been layed because you don't want a chick to start forming, especially since Wyandottes have a tendency to go broody.

One reason I keep roosters is if you have a hen go broody and you decide you want to let her raise some chicks, you've got eggs right there that you can use.

King David is inspiring! We have another chick, a Marans, that I suspect is a rooster, but he isn’t friendly like my #1 Wyandotte. From day one he’d run at me with the “eye” until he decided I was ok. Have you had trouble with roosters that don’t get along?

Are they being raised together? If they are raised together there is a strong possibility of them getting along okay. During those "teenage" months they will fight because they are establishing who's head-roo. The thing you do need to consider is the number of hens you have. Ideally, 1 rooster needs 10 girls (if you have fewer than 10 girls, it's okay). I wouldn't keep two roosters if you have fewer than 20 girls. Personally, if the Marans roo isn't friendly, I wouldn't keep him either way.

 

[BastyPutt]

Wow, what an amazing rooster. Long live King David!

King David to the moon!

 

[Ometra]

I'm glad you decided to hang on to him. I too, am a fan of roosters, both for practical reasons and looks. The only thing with fertilized eggs is that you have to gather them within a day of having been layed because you don't want a chick to start forming, especially since Wyandottes have a tendency to go broody.

One reason I keep roosters is if you have a hen go broody and you decide you want to let her raise some chicks, you've got eggs right there that you can use.

Are they being raised together? If they are raised together there is a strong possibility of them getting along okay. During those "teenage" months they will fight because they are establishing who's head-roo. The thing you do need to consider is the number of hens you have. Ideally, 1 rooster needs 10 girls (if you have fewer than 10 girls, it's okay). I wouldn't keep two roosters if you have fewer than 20 girls. Personally, if the Marans roo isn't friendly, I wouldn't keep him either way.

We have 14 chicks in all and are just starting to figure out which are roosters. We had originally planned to rehome all roosters. But this Wyandotte is really sweet, which I understand it’s really that they are bold. But our one Marans isn’t sweet, just bold in a confrontational way. I sense he/she(?) will be giving me trouble by just being there.

 

[BastyPutt]

I just finished reading all this to my husband and we decided to hang on to my #1 Wyandotte. I also read more on our concerns about eating fertilized eggs. I didn’t know they were no different than unfertilized. That was the first concern. I’m really encouraged!

Oh this makes my soul happy. I am so excited for you.

There are a lot of ancient cultures that believe eating fertile eggs is beneficial for multiple different reasons. I can't seem to remember examples, but I remember reading about it once and found it interesting.

We have another chick, a Marans, that I suspect is a rooster, but he isn’t friendly like my #1 Wyandotte

So I refuse to group one specific breed of chicken into a behavioral category. However, I have had terrible luck Black Copper Maran roosters. They really do seem to be more mean. HOWEVER, what you have there is a French Copper Maran and that is going to be an incredible bird - beautiful.

Are they being raised together? If they are raised together there is a strong possibility of them getting along okay. During those "teenage" months they will fight because they are establishing who's head-roo. The thing you do need to consider is the number of hens you have. Ideally, 1 rooster needs 10 girls (if you have fewer than 10 girls, it's okay). I wouldn't keep two roosters if you have fewer than 20 girls. Personally, if the Marans roo isn't friendly, I wouldn't keep him either way.

I couldn't say this better myself. The roosters will work it out, who is the boss. Then the other one will generally respect the top dog. Where we see infighting is from roosters 3 and down. So you'll have an alpha and a beta, then everyone below that is chopped liver. Those in the cheap seats will usually scuffle often.

In terms of the hen numbers, that is pretty accurate. We have 50 hens here and 4 roosters - 10 or so of those hens are old and are no longer paired up

We have Avi who is the king now, but we had Honey as leader previously. Honey is around 6 years old and Avi 1.5 years. A month or so ago, we noticed that Avi was demonstrating that he was now in charge. We didn't see anything happen, but it was obvious that he established himself over Honey. Many had tried during Honeys 4 year reign, but failed. It honestly is sad to see, but we understand why - Avi is a huge, very regal rooster with a monster crow.

Once they get older, a great measure of character is when you throw treats in, what the rooster does. Honey always lets them eat first. Avi kind of does, but he is still young.

Anyways another long post

 

[Ometra]

Oh this makes my soul happy. I am so excited for you.

There are a lot of ancient cultures that believe eating fertile eggs is beneficial for multiple different reasons. I can't seem to remember examples, but I remember reading about it once and found it interesting.


So I refuse to group one specific breed of chicken into a behavioral category. However, I have had terrible luck Black Copper Maran roosters. They really do seem to be more mean. HOWEVER, what you have there is a French Copper Maran and that is going to be an incredible bird - beautiful.


I couldn't say this better myself. The roosters will work it out, who is the boss. Then the other one will generally respect the top dog. Where we see infighting is from roosters 3 and down. So you'll have an alpha and a beta, then everyone below that is chopped liver. Those in the cheap seats will usually scuffle often.

In terms of the hen numbers, that is pretty accurate. We have 50 hens here and 4 roosters - 10 or so of those hens are old and are no longer paired up

We have Avi who is the king now, but we had Honey as leader previously. Honey is around 6 years old and Avi 1.5 years. A month or so ago, we noticed that Avi was demonstrating that he was now in charge. We didn't see anything happen, but it was obvious that he established himself over Honey. Many had tried during Honeys 4 year reign, but failed. It honestly is sad to see, but we understand why - Avi is a huge, very regal rooster with a monster crow.

Once they get older, a great measure of character is when you throw treats in, what the rooster does. Honey always lets them eat first. Avi kind of does, but he is still young.

Anyways another long post

It’s really great knowing I won’t have to rehome my Wyandotte boy! What you said about the character of a rooster is something I’ve observed on a YouTube channel that’s a 24-hour live feed of a flock in NJ. More addicting than a soap opera. The rooster is named Bandit and it’s absolutely amazing to see his compassion and caring for his hens. I’ve taken screen recordings of some of his touching moments - one being when he was waiting for Lil to get back in the coop. When she made it back he brought popcorn to her. (The owner has a popcorn feeder that viewers can actually feed to them!). Here’s my screen recording.

 

[BastyPutt]

It’s really great knowing I won’t have to rehome my Wyandotte boy! What you said about the character of a rooster is something I’ve observed on a YouTube channel that’s a 24-hour live feed of a flock in NJ. More addicting than a soap opera. The rooster is named Bandit and it’s absolutely amazing to see his compassion and caring for his hens. I’ve taken screen recordings of some of his touching moments - one being when he was waiting for Lil to get back in the coop. When she made it back he brought popcorn to her. (The owner has a popcorn feeder that viewers can actually feed to them!). Here’s my screen recording.

Yes! This is exactly what I am talking about.

Either way, the chicken ecosystem is something that goes under appreciated or is overlooked often. I find myself wandering out there and just sitting and watching them.

I am very excited for you! Love to hear how it goes and happy to lend some knowledge if you need it.

 

[Ometra]

Yes! This is exactly what I am talking about.

Either way, the chicken ecosystem is something that goes under appreciated or is overlooked often. I find myself wandering out there and just sitting and watching them.

I am very excited for you! Love to hear how it goes and happy to lend some knowledge if you need it.

No doubt I will. I wanted to keep that little roo all along!