Realistic Expectations for a Rooster

[hollandhens24]

I currently have a Whiting True Blue rooster who is a year and a half old. This is my first time having a rooster and he was ordered from a hatchery and raised in the flock under five mature hens. I was under the impression that raising a rooster with older hens might improve his manners. He will be a chicken tender in the next two weeks due to bad behavior. He is cowardly, constantly sneaking up behind me, attempting to trap me in the chicken coop, has jumped and gotten my friend’s toddler in the back while they were chicken sitting, and I have noticed he's not particularly nice to my hens. He will often peck them, seemingly out of the blue, and will jump at some of the hens while they are feeding, I am assuming just to assert his dominance? The hens will sometimes try to get away from him when he attempts to mate and I have seen him mount and then not successfully mate. I have hatched chicks from him, but I have also had multiple clear or presumably infertile eggs from the same chickens that I have hatched eggs from. The hen to rooster ratio is only 8 to 1, so I would imagine he should have no trouble managing, though I haven’t seen any signs of over-mating like missing feathers. Additionally, I watched the other day as a hawk landed on a post 15 feet from my flock, and the rooster did nothing, the hens did nothing, everyone froze. I would have at least expected him to usher them to safety under a vehicle (within 5 feet of the flock) or the porch? One of my hens was actually attacked by a hawk for the first time in 2 years of free ranging (separate occasion), which had not happened prior to having a rooster. I have read that his focus on non threats like humans detracts from focusing on actual threats. Are my expectations for the rooster unrealistic or is he falling short of what a good roo should do?

Follow up question: I chose for my first rooster to be a WTB because I wanted the production factor, fun factor of the blue egg gene, not too large, and supposedly excellent for free ranging. What other roosters are worth looking into that aren’t too large, have higher production genetics, and are capable free rangers. My hen numbers are increasing as well, as I currently have pullets to add to the flock. Egg color isn’t of import, but “fun” is always appreciated. If you made it this far… thank you!

 

[The Moonshiner]

Not unrealistic. Sounds like that rooster is next to worthless and clearly a risk to humans.
I think many people expect too much as far as a rooster protecting the flock but sounds like you're aware that just giving a signal to the girls to take cover is more the norm and he didn't even do that.
The being aggressive definitely isn't something to put up with so I think you've given him every chance and he's failed on all levels.
Minus the egg color I'm a big fan of Leghorns. Sounds like a good fit. They're not a big breed. Hardly anything can compare in production and they manage well free ranging. Especially a Brown Leghorn.
If you want colored eggs there's always Legbars. They're pretty close to matching the qualities of a Leghorn.
PS. Name your next rooster Moony. That might make all the difference.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

No one can tell you what breed will give you a great rooster, simply because every bird is an individual. In other words, it's pretty much a craps shoot. You just have to keep trying until you get a good one. Your current rooster will make a good soup but that's about it. Check FB and Craig's List for ads for good roosters that people are trying to find good homes for because they love them but can't keep them. There are good roosters out there. You just have to find them. Good luck!

 

[hollandhens24]

Not unrealistic. Sounds like that rooster is next to worthless and clearly a risk to humans.
I think many people expect too much as far as a rooster protecting the flock but sounds like you're aware that just giving a signal to the girls to take cover is more the norm and he didn't even do that.
The being aggressive definitely isn't something to put up with so I think you've given him every chance and he's failed on all levels.
Minus the egg color I'm a big fan of Leghorns. Sounds like a good fit. They're not a big breed. Hardly anything can compare in production and they manage well free ranging. Especially a Brown Leghorn.
If you want colored eggs there's always Legbars. They're pretty close to matching the qualities of a Leghorn.
PS. Name your next rooster Moony. That might make all the difference.

Thank you for your insight! I'll add Moony to the name list.

 

[C Siena]

@BigBlueHen53 is correct. We had 2 cockerels our first year and I wondered which one to keep and which to cook. I watched for days and made my decision. Both were Buckeyes and I made the correct decision! He is everything I think I could want in a roo. Gives calls, warns, watches, gives tidbits, doesn't attack us or hens but keeps them in line.
Now enter our second roo, a RIR. He is not like the other; docile, doesn't warn and rarely gives tidbits to the hens. Then again, if he tried to be dominate, the Buckeye 1 yr older, would put him in place. I've read RIR roos can be aggressive. His being more docile is possibly due to he was introduced to the other at 5 months old with 7 hens. The other roo already was the leader of the first flock and both now.
On a good note, they do not fight so we can keep both.

I also give treats a few times a day. Anything, they don't care, treats from mom's pockets. I have fed them all by hand since hatched and sat in the coop/run with them, giving food.

If you lived close to S Ohio, I would give you a couple of 2 month old cockerels. BTW, in what area (country) do you live?

 

[nuthatched]

PS. Name your next rooster Moony. That might make all the difference

Thank you for your insight! I'll add Moony to the name list.

 

[hollandhens24]

@BigBlueHen53 is correct. We had 2 cockerels our first year and I wondered which one to keep and which to cook. I watched for days and made my decision. Both were Buckeyes and I made the correct decision! He is everything I think I could want in a roo. Gives calls, warns, watches, gives tidbits, doesn't attack us or hens but keeps them in line.
Now enter our second roo, a RIR. He is not like the other; docile, doesn't warn and rarely gives tidbits to the hens. Then again, if he tried to be dominate, the Buckeye 1 yr older, would put him in place. I've read RIR roos can be aggressive. His being more docile is possibly due to he was introduced to the other at 5 months old with 7 hens. The other roo already was the leader of the first flock and both now.
On a good note, they do not fight so we can keep both.

I also give treats a few times a day. Anything, they don't care, treats from mom's pockets. I have fed them all by hand since hatched and sat in the coop/run with them, giving food.

If you lived close to S Ohio, I would give you a couple of 2 month old cockerels. BTW, in what area (country) do you live?

I definitely can't explain where his human aggression came from because I leave my chickens to their business and don't handle them as chicks. Many of my hens like to be included in whatever I have going on, but they decided this on their own rather than as a result of hand fed treats, petting, or holding. I'm in Idaho, so quite a jaunt from Ohio. I do have a young cockerel who is 3 months, but is the son of my jerk rooster, so I am considering doing away with both of them. I am not sure if the aggression will reemerge if I keep the younger roo to take his father's place.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

am not sure if the aggression will reemerge if I keep the younger roo to take his father's place.

Aggression can be genetic, so it's possible.

 

[hollandhens24]

Aggression can be genetic, so it's possible.

We are moving in the near future and will be taking the hens with us. Not sure if this is a question that can even really be answered, but will having a rooster around, even if it's the younger one, offer some reassurance to the hens as they adjust to a new environment? Or, if he's just as worthless as his father, is it best to start fresh with a new rooster at the new location?

 

[microchick]

Getting a good Roo is a bit of a crap shoot. My first were Buff Orpingtons usually mild mannered birds. 1 was, the other 2, mean as snakes and to make matters worse one day one of them came at me while I was in the run and the nice one put himself between me and the bad boy and put him in his place. No brainer as to which one I kept.

From that point on my rules concerning roosters was set in concrete. If they show human aggression, or violence with the hens or other roosters, they are off to freezer camp. I don't want those genes passed on.

It's tough to deal with but one of those unpleasant decisions you get to make when you keep chickens.