Raising a rooster

[Chickassan]

Yep thought mine was a girl till 7 months lol

I knew a little sooner than that a few weeks in actually but he was in such a small brood and he was already part of the flock routine I just let it be.

I was going to replace a rooster that had issues trying to mate birds that wern't even close to ready so I figured anything would be an improvement over him. I was correct.

 

[llombardo]

What do you mean about "indoor roosters"? Who would have a rooster without hens?

I do, for now at least. I originally got 4 girls, 2 turned out to be boys. They were together outside until they started challenging each other. I picked the one that I thought would not overmate and be best for the girls to stay out there and brought the other one in. I made the right choice and the boy in the house is happy, calm and doing well. He will eventually go outside once I have an area built for him that is safe and secure. Until then he enjoys the indoors, listens to the radio and roosts on his tree branch I have for him. He crows in the morning and is quiet for the most part the rest of the day.

 

[centrarchid]

When raising a rooster for some purpose, I generally raise more than one. There can be selection criteria where some are eliminated. It also provides backup for losses. With the American Dominiques, things like growth rate, type, feather quality, coloration, comb and disposition are considered. Disposition-wise, the only thing typically of concern is overt flightiness which often related to visual impairment or very low social standing owing to a health issue. With the American Game Chickens, they must be in good health and feather.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

That didn't seem to be the case with my adorable Kjell-Helge:

Kjell-Helge was actually hatched naturally, so he was not imprinted on humans or anything. I think three things made him this tame:

1) His mother abandoning her chicks at a mere 3,5 weeks of age. They had feathers and managed fine on their own in the hot summer by then, but they might have had a residual need for a parent that increased their propensity for bonding with other creatures.

2) Me picking them up every day for the first week to remove tics from their faces. I held him and his siblings for a good minute per day during this early impressionable phase.

3) And the biggest reason: Simple genetics. His mother was a red sex link, and we all know how tame they are. His father was an Araucana of a line that apparently often get "cuddly", according to his previous owner. Kjell-Helge was top-roo among his brothers, so I think he simply was so filled to the brim with testosterone that it made him virtually fearless.

Point 3 is proven by the fact that his two sisters were not tame at all!

Anyway, an interesting note here is how Kjell-Helge viewed being picked up. He seemed neither to mind it not enjoy it. He didn't run away from you, but he didn't jump up in your lap either. He didn't start to dance with us, give us food, attack us or mate with our shoes. He didn't squirm when petted, but he didn't lie down and close his eyes either. He simply stood and took it. Rather than sorting us humans as competing roosters, large hens or anything like that, he seemed to view us as a natural force that one just simply had to accept. He seemed to equate being picked up with being whisked away by a strong wind, or something; and just as you don't fight or mate with the wind, you don't fight or mate with the humans.

Important disclaimer: We sold Kjell-Helge when he was four moths or so. There's no telling how he would have started to behave a year down the line. Or four years down the line.

Takeaway points:
- The effects of cuddling seem to largely rely on genetics.
- Apart from genetics, handling at a very young age (week one) seems to be the most important if you want to make him tame.
- Cuddling doesn't necessarily cause identity confusion nor any other adverse effects in the rooster.
- Perhaps being raised naturally, by a hen, hinders aforementioned identity confusion, and identity confusion is only an issue with human-raised roosters.
- The aforementioned adverse effects might not show up until late in the rooster's life.
- Roosters seem more inclined to get cuddly than hens.

 

[centrarchid]

Here is part of process through which most of my pet roosters go through. Imprinting is not a complication as they are hen reared as part of a harem if not part of a greater flock.

I make an effort to call groups of bitties and juveniles off so I can work with them.

I also work to get birds to interact with others besides me.

Initially it is about food, but after a time they see I am real good feature that that helps you find food on your own. We go out rolling logs, flipping boards or hawking for some sort of insect hatch away from cover. Cover is not needed when I or dogs are present.

The entire time I work to train them on a set of signals. Eventually the chosen pets only will respond to their names and peel away from a social group to run or fly to me when called. I want the birds to fly to had when directed to do so as well.

 

[BugMunch]

What do you mean about "indoor roosters"? Who would have a rooster without hens?

I have a friend that got one of my cockerels, and he doesn't have any hens. He had a rooster growing up that would ride in his truck, and wanted another to train to do the same.

 

[BugMunch]

I hatched 3 chicks this year in my incubator, 1 pullet and 2 cockerels. One of the cockerels was born in bad shape(splayed leg and curled toes), couldn't stand, wouldn't keep his eyes open, and could barely peep. I researched on how to get him perked up, and spent 3 days around the clock care for him. He did imprint on me as his mama, but now that he is mature, he won't let me get to close to him during the day(I guess that would not impress the ladies), but at night when I am locking them up, he will hold his head down for his nightly neck rubs and back scratches. He shows no signs of aggression(knock on wood), and hopefully he stays a good boy.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

The entire time I work to train them on a set of signals. Eventually the chosen pets only will respond to their names and peel away from a social group to run or fly to me when called. I want the birds to fly to had when directed to do so as well.

That is very interesting, I've never had a chicken that responded to calling it by name. Since all of them tend to follow you all the time, I find it hard to single out one, as it were. Do you have any tips about that?

 

[centrarchid]

That is very interesting, I've never had a chicken that responded to calling it by name. Since all of them tend to follow you all the time, I find it hard to single out one, as it were. Do you have any tips about that?

I start by marking birds to be named. Colored permanent marker put on down of head works if chicks hard to tell apart. Then hang with them carrying some quality eats. When I want a bird to come over I say its name and feed only it. For a while others will come over but they eventually learn they get nothing. You can train them in up to groups of four with names. Names need to be simple. Most recent group of names I am using include the following: Tick, Turk, Took and Tack. Another group of two starts with the letter E.

You can also do it by combining them in a group and feeding under more controlled conditions. My favorite way involves bring them into house and placing the entire group in a dry water trough with hay to dig through. Once a chick figures out when to come, then I entice them to fly some distance from the trough.

My games train much faster than my American Dominiques so genetics is part of mix. This holds even when all raised by same hen at same time.

 

[roosterhavoc]

OH BOY HERE WE GO.