Roo question.

[mergja]

Hello,

Turns out i have 2 roos, one late to mature cockerel (8 months, buff orp) and other one is 1,5 + y/old , and im thinking about putting the older one down and letting the younger one take over. And i am wondering if the behavior of the younger cockerel will change to a more aggressive behavior , can anyone shed some light this ?
Picture of the young cockerel:

 

[Flock Master64]

It's hard to tell, if you don't scare or pick the hens when your cockerels around he shouldn't become aggressive. That's what I heard but I'm not sure if its true.

 

[mergja]

Thanks for the reply

 

[shortgrass]

Well, he will become the dominant roo, so in a sense, yes he will become more aggressive. But that's what you want, kinda

I'll elaborate. You want a roo that will protect his flock from danger, be it a hawk in the sky or the neighborhood tomcat. What you don't want is aggression towards YOU. it depends on how you've reared him up to this point, how he will behave. If he's been gentlecand docile from the beginning, he should still be somewhat docile to you, but he will need to be reinforced and trained to stay that way. For instance, when he runs to peck at your feet when your feeding, just gently push him aside with your foot. Don't get out of his way, make HIM move for YOU. little things like that keep him in check and let him know that YOU are actually the flock master, not him.

He may get a little more aggressive with the hens, too, as far as mating goes. He will have them all to himself and may get a little rough on their feathers for a bit, but should calm down in time

All that said, he's a handsome boy They're like a dog, needing trained and then reinforced constantly. Can't let them forget who the boss is

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

The advice @shortgrass gave is excellent.

What I wonder is, if the older boy is doing his job, why do you wish to replace him? For me personally, I would prefer not to breed those the are slow to mature and show their gender late because it isn't a trait I want passed to my chicks. The sooner I can sex them, the better. At 1.5 years old he is still young and likely functional. Sometimes when you cull the flock head it creates havoc among the ladies. Your older one is less likely to over mate the hens I think as the young guys have more raging hormones and haven't yet learned manners. Does your older one call the ladies for treats, mate, and keep a general eye out for them?

If you have enough girls, roosters can get along. It just extra crowing. But it depends on your space and size of your flock.

Good luck!

 

[mergja]

Thanks for the great advise.

Reason why im thinking about culling the older one is that he has started to act more like a hen rather than a rooster, not calling for treats and showing less intrest in the hens( this may be because the days have shortened and egg production has lower a bit) and i dont have enough hens for 2 roos.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I wonder if the girls quit giving it up when they slow down? My cockerels seem to peck the ones who don't mate.

Is the younger one attempting to mate yet? I would hesitate to cull before knowing if the younger one will step up. They all grow up differently and definitely not all well. I would probably wait to cull until over mating was a "real" concern or has been semi verified. Because your older guy might not be as raging as the hormonal teenager, it might not be that big of an issue and give you a better chance to see if the cockerel will act right. Some just can't hit their target.

 

[junebuggena]

Thanks for the great advise.

Reason why im thinking about culling the older one is that he has started to act more like a hen rather than a rooster, not calling for treats and showing less intrest in the hens( this may be because the days have shortened and egg production has lower a bit) and i dont have enough hens for 2 roos.

His behavior is likely linked to the time of year. Just like a hen's ability to lay eggs depends on the amount of daylight, a rooster's fertility is also affected. It's also molting season, and even if he just does a partial molt, he won't be in the mood to do his usual rooster things. The first spring for a mature male is usually when you get to see just how aggressive he will be. The hens production ramps up, and hormones start raging. I've had roosters that were perfect gentlemen suddenly turn into aggressive idiots once spring comes along.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

His behavior is likely linked to the time of year. Just like a hen's ability to lay eggs depends on the amount of daylight, a rooster's fertility is also affected. It's also molting season, and even if he just does a partial molt, he won't be in the mood to do his usual rooster things. The first spring for a mature male is usually when you get to see just how aggressive he will be. The hens production ramps up, and hormones start raging. I've had roosters that were perfect gentlemen suddenly turn into aggressive idiots once spring comes along.

Thank you for this insight. This is my first year with roosters, and boy is it a learning experience!

 

[shortgrass]

His behavior is likely linked to the time of year. Just like a hen's ability to lay eggs depends on the amount of daylight, a rooster's fertility is also affected. It's also molting season, and even if he just does a partial molt, he won't be in the mood to do his usual rooster things. The first spring for a mature male is usually when you get to see just how aggressive he will be. The hens production ramps up, and hormones start raging. I've had roosters that were perfect gentlemen suddenly turn into aggressive idiots once spring comes along.

X2

Spring is the crazy time lol. I had a beautiful blue Andalusian that was my little lap roo; he was so calm and sweet, didn't over breed, got along well with my other 2 roos, no trouble at all. But the second spring I had him, he had all the hens bare, was attacking anything that came close, and crowing ALL day. He finally got shipped off the farm when he jumped on my 6 year olds back when she bent over to pick up a hen. He wasn't dangerous, YET, but he showed too much potential. Shipped him to my aunt, who had 8 hens and no roos, and he calmed right back down. Never once has he given her any grief, and is an excellent guardian and gentleman to her hens.

Ahhhhh, spring will bring out the worst in them, if its going to happen