Roo Roo covered one of the girls right in front of me.

[saladin]

Quote:
True, although they tend to happen around the same time. Or the cock's breeding attempts start a little early for the pullets and they object. What does sound like eggs are approaching soon is that she willingly squatted for him. One experienced chicken keeper on here looks not for reddening combs and wattles but for the squat, to signal that eggs are coming soon.

I understand what you are saying but it doesn't hold up. An older hen will often squat even long after she has layed all her eggs. A younger pullet will often not willing squat the first time or two she is tread, but if the cock stays with her she'll learn and it can be several months before she lays her first egg.

 

[delfargo]

i agree with those who tell the roo "NOT ON MY WATCH!!!".
i had a very mean rooster for a while, and i believe not letting him have his way with the girls in front of me was one of the reasons he doesn't mess with me anymore. and plus, it's just plain RUDE.
i don't do it in front of them, ya know? so i expect the same common courtesy in return.
"get a room, rooster" is what i say.

 

[Royd]

Quote:
Maybe, we should start calling them roodsters.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
I sincerely hope you're joking....a rooster has no concept of being rude....only humans and apes know what being rude is!
Trying to keep a roo from doing what nature intended for him to do is what causes issues.

 

[saladin]

Katy is on the money for sure with this one. I'm hoping a couple of others are joking too. If not, they need to get out of poultry.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Don't quite see the point of not letting him breed his girls in front of you. I've never kept any of my guys from mating in front of me and haven't had a mean roo in years and years. They're just doing what comes naturally and to me it seems like when people try and keep their roos under their thumbs is when they start having trouble with them.

Ditto here. As far as I am concerned my roos know that my job is to bring them food and water and their job is to breed and look out for predators. I let them do their thing and they let me do mine.

Same here. These are farmyard animals, we can't expect the rules of human courtesy to apply to them. My roosters breed the hens in front of me. But they also realize I am Alpha or they are out of here.

 

[BooBear]

Hope the eggs come soon for you. I would not harrass the roo for doing his job. Guess everyone has their own ways,but that is just too silly to me.

 

[delfargo]

Quote:
I sincerely hope you're joking....a rooster has no concept of being rude....only humans and apes know what being rude is!
Trying to keep a roo from doing what nature intended for him to do is what causes issues.

hey now, what's with the "ape bashing"? i'll have you know, most of the apes i am associated with are actually very polite. they would never dream of "doing it" in front of me. well,,, except for that one time at the drive-in.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
I sincerely hope you're joking....a rooster has no concept of being rude....only humans and apes know what being rude is!
Trying to keep a roo from doing what nature intended for him to do is what causes issues.

hey now, what's with the "ape bashing"? i'll have you know, most of the apes i am associated with are actually very polite. they would never dream of "doing it" in front of me. well,,, except for that one time at the drive-in.

You're right.....I shouldn't have insulted the apes by comparing them to humans.

 

[gritsar]

When I see a pullet willingly squat for the cockerel (or me), instead of screaming blue bloody murder, THAT'S when I know the eggs will soon follow.

I had a hen that was red in the comb from age 10 weeks, after a pile-up incident where she got smothered and overheated. She didn't start laying until she was 24 weeks old. Comb color, or the lack thereof, means nothing to me. I watch for the squat.

BTW, I also don't allow mating in front of me. Raise your roos your way and I'll raise mine the way I see fit.