Raising a Rooster as Part of Your Backyard Flock: Discussion Thread

[ChickenLover200]

Hi, everyone!

So, to start out, I will explain a little. I wrote this article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/raising-roosters-as-a-part-of-your-backyard-flock titled, "Raising Roosters as a Part of Your Backyard Flock".
If you haven't seen it yet, click the above provided link. A brief summary is below:

In the article, read about...
~ rooster myths,
~wrongful behavior
~proper rooster behavior
~correction of wrongful behavior

I have raised 5 roosters total as pets so far. Even though roosters are NOT required to get eggs from your hens, once you have one, you'll want another. There's nothing like the sound of a rooster crowing to know you're at home.

Anyways, if you have any questions about my article, my methods, or just want to chat about roosters, post here! I LOVE pictures, too!

 

[ChickenLover200]

Thanks for the great article!  

This is our first flock and we ended up with a rooster.  Our chickens are not yet mature but hopefully it will be 10 hens & 1 rooster.  He is an 14 week old EE.  When we walk out to the run, he always tries to position himself between us & the hens.  He also seems agitated when I pick up and pet a hen.  He doesn't like to be picked up but will jump on the roost in the run to be petted and he will sit/rest on the roost while I am petting him.  Am watching carefully because I don't want my children or anyone attacked but with no experience, I am concerned that I will confuse aggressive behavior with affectionate.  

As roosters mature, do they crow louder?  Currently at 14 weeks, we can hear clearly outdoors but don't hear him in the house.  He does not have a shrill crow (like my sis's roosters).  

Itsounds like he's just protective of his girls, which is good, to a certain extent. It really depends on how the rooster views you. I had a rooster who was protective of his girls and he already hated me to begin with, so me touching his girls was a major sin and he'd try to attack me. My best rooster was protective of his girls also, but he learned to trust me and only if the girls squealed orsomething when I picked them up would he cackle and act strange. Basically, it all depends on his trusting you or anyone else handling the girls. If he doesn't trust you or someone else, naturally he'd be more protective of his girls. Sometimes to earn his trust, you just have to sit near where they are foraging for a while. Let him come to you.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Thanks for the great article!

This is our first flock and we ended up with a rooster. Our chickens are not yet mature but hopefully it will be 10 hens & 1 rooster. He is an 14 week old EE. When we walk out to the run, he always tries to position himself between us & the hens. He also seems agitated when I pick up and pet a hen. He doesn't like to be picked up but will jump on the roost in the run to be petted and he will sit/rest on the roost while I am petting him. Am watching carefully because I don't want my children or anyone attacked but with no experience, I am concerned that I will confuse aggressive behavior with affectionate.

As roosters mature, do they crow louder? Currently at 14 weeks, we can hear clearly outdoors but don't hear him in the house. He does not have a shrill crow (like my sis's roosters).

Some do some do not.Some roosters start off with very "Crappy" crows and as they get better at crowing,it gets a better sound.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

I try not to push my roosters off,because by doing this can make them even worse roosters,or make them aggressive.

 

[ChickenLover200]

Oh I have at least 20 something hens....

That should be plenty hens then.

I purchased 10 pullets, 5 Buffs and 5 Americanas. One was unexpedically was a rooster,one of the Americanas. That was ok I figured, because the one in 9 rule was perfect. They are 14 weeks old today and "Black Jack" the Rooster just wont leave the hens alone and has started even attacking them after they go in for the night. what should I do or is there nothing I can do about nature's course except putting him in the crock pot?

As he gets older, he might "calm" down a bit, but if not, there's really nothing you can do.

I try not to push my roosters off,because by doing this can make them even worse roosters,or make them aggressive.

X2. When you see the rooster "doing his thing", by all means, ignore him! Don't acknowledge his actions. Don't kick or brush him off the hen, just ignore.

 

[varidgerunner]

In my experience human aggression is very much genetic.

I have lots of "roosters". I usually have one hen per cock bird. Many times I drop a hen in a pen and let her get bred and then pick her up and take her back to her pen. My cock birds are like big friendly kittens. I can handle them and let children handle them, I can take them to agro-tourism events and they will set on my lap while busloads of screaming children descend upon them, and they don't try to fly away. Even without prior handling. Human aggressive birds are all but unheard of in the breeds that I work with. At the same time, they are extremely intra-male aggressive, as they are game chickens. Due to their heritage, they have been raised for many, many generations culled for showing signs of human aggression, to allow for the handling and conditioning, and daily care and interaction that went into these birds. Many of these tasks were carried out by small children, in some cultures. Therefore, these birds have a very laid back attitude toward their human handlers, even if those handlers are small children.

Contrasted to the meat, egg, and fluffy feather breeds, the production/exhibition breeds might have very little human interaction. A rooster in a breeding pen with plenty of hens and little handling may never show signs of human aggression that are carried and passed genetically. Some might be bred to and culled before ever reaching a mature enough state to become "mean". Still others will have this behavior excused if production or exhibition goals are met. So if you are working with the more standard breeds, you are faced with a genetic crap shoot, no matter what you do, but you can certainly bring things to a head quicker by certain actions.

 

[MissionOhana]

I've got my first flock of egg layers. I orginally ordered 10 pullets. One didn't survive shipment, another died shortly after arrival and now at 3 1/2 weeks old I'm almost positive one is a rooster. Do you think it'll be ok with a rooster in the flock if there's only 7 hens? Hopefully all the rest are pullets! But I have a coop with a run and a large yard I plan to have them free range some during the day while I'm out in the yard with them. I like the idea of a rooster that will likely protect my hens from my cat and a few little neighborhood dogs and any wild chickens since we have a ton here on Kauai. I'm hoping he's nice cause I have a toddler and if he's aggressive he will def end up in the crock pot. But just wondering if 7 hens will be enough for the one Roo?

 

[Woytgirl]

My last roo was not 6 months yet when we gave him away but he was always nice. Iwill try your techniques with my next rooster.

 

[orchardflock]

Agreed. I like my chickens, and I like my little Ebony rooster, but if he attacks my kids or hurts me, he's going.

 

[salsss]

Yes. People prize a rooster who is gentle with his girls. I have one who is friendly to me, but the girls' feathers!!!!....at least 5 of them have all of their big feathers pulled out near the tail, and one has a bald spot on her head. Is it time for him to go? I have a little cockerel in my new chicks this year....I was thinking of putting him in "jail"..the little red coop on the other side of the yard.

Some girls hang out with him but he chases and pecks one of the others, and it seems he's bullying her.