Rooster Chat

[oldhenlikesdogs]

A rooster never knows who are his chicks and who's are someone else's. That's why a rooster should never attack chick. Age can have something to do with it. Most rooster will start to see chicks older than 8-10 weeks as intruders and may potentially attack them. Younger chicks should be seen as someone's offspring, whether theirs a broody with or I'm integrating ones I've brooded. If they are young enough they should be accepted and looked after. If your rooster is attacking chicks I probably wouldn't keep him or breed from him.

Is your rooster young? Young roosters don't always know what they are doing and are sometimes making bad decisions based on hormones.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

he's about a year and 2 onths.He really has laid off own are chicks we bought,now I just wanna know wht he'll do to his own.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

he's about a year and 2 onths.He really has laid off own are chicks we bought,now I just wanna know wht he'll do to his own.

I guess you'll see. The mother hen should defend her chicks from everyone. I keep my broody and her chicks penned for 1-2 weeks before I start letting them into the flock and I return them to their pen at night for another few weeks to give the chicks a chance to get strong and to keep everyone safe.

 

[hellbender]

We put an older cock- bird in with a flock of cockerels to keep the peace. If the younger birds begin to get too rowdy, the cock will do no more than stop the action before any serious damage can be done.

All cockerels that are to be kept should have their own quarters by the time they are 10 to 12 months old or at least that's what has generally worked for us. The young males that aren't considered 'keepers' have long been eliminated or caponized by this age.

J.

 

[cowboysgirlfrnd]

Well, I went out to put everybody away for the night. My blue rooster had rounded up all the pullets and made sure they were in and there was no sign of my red roo. I checked everywhere that he might have hidden for the night, as we have a lot of cosy corners full of hay and spots to roost, but he was nowhere to be found. This morning I saw him hiding in a ventilation hole that leads under the barn floor and I'm guessing that's where he has gone - under the floorboards. I have no idea how deep that crawlspace is or if he would be able to get out again, and I'm a bit sad as he was a gentle little thing and I rather liked him (British - love an underdog), but he might have ended himself...

I'm loath to admit it, but the blue roo has been decently behaved today and is showing signs of being a useful member of the flock, just as I was planning how best to eat him. If the welsummer is gone, I guess I'm stuck with him.

Or eat him anyway and have no roos...

 

[microchick]

cowboysgirlfriend, rooster wars are not fun, trust me, I know.

I would try to find some way to coax that boy out of the crawl space if you can. Maybe a special treat that he likes. You sure don't want him to die down there.

Just to show how 'nutz' roosters can be. I made the mistake of going into the coop two days ago wearing a pair of pink slide sandals. Usually a no no but frankly, I was tired, needed to gather eggs and forgot to change shoes. Chester freaked when he saw them. He pecked them, hitting my toes naturally (and making me dance) growled and then went postal. I held him off with my ice cream pail and finally got close enough to him that I clouted him a good one and told him to stop it NOW! Luckily that was all it took because he immediately snapped out of it and walked away as if saying to himself "oh, it's you. Okay, but ditch the pink sandals next time or it isn't going to be pretty!."

I was just glad that I hadn't gathered the eggs yet because that stinker trashed the pail.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

That's sad.My roosters son got exiled and could only stay in one part of the yard.I forgot to let hi out in the morning and found him dead....

 

[newhamplover]

newhamplover, I know the feeling of finding out you have too many roosters, that's really bad odds on your hatch. You have a really nice looking coop.

Thank you for the complement on the coop. We built it 2 years ago. I still like 1 more coat of paint on the outside & the fence & to build the gates. I love the shelf for the roost as it is very easy to clean everyday & they rarely poop in the floor, so clean time is 5 to 10 minutes a day. The picket fence serves no purpose except that I just always wanted the white picket fence.

I can't believe my 2 girls gave me 5 roos. I tell them everyday....how could you do that to me. We have a friend who wants 2 of them so 3 more to go. It is so hard to think of my lovely 7 running around the yard only being 2.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

Pink sandals!!! LOL!

My dad cannot seem to get it in his head that when he comes to visit he should probably not wear red. But I swear, the man's closet must look like it belongs to Santa Claus because the last 4 times he's come here he's only had red shirts! My poor rooster, Nero, is like a bull with a toreador. He's terrified but launches an attack anyway!

Luckily, this means he just acts tough at a distance, which ends up being pretty funny as this fluffy faced white angry thing stomps, kicks, glares and growls but if you move toward him, he screams and high tails it, leaving a tiny, chicken shaped dust cloud.

 

[cowboysgirlfrnd]

Thank you for the complement on the coop. We built it 2 years ago. I still like 1 more coat of paint on the outside & the fence & to build the gates. I love the shelf for the roost as it is very easy to clean everyday & they rarely poop in the floor, so clean time is 5 to 10 minutes a day. The picket fence serves no purpose except that I just always wanted the white picket fence.

I can't believe my 2 girls gave me 5 roos. I tell them everyday....how could you do that to me. We have a friend who wants 2 of them so 3 more to go. It is so hard to think of my lovely 7 running around the yard only being 2.

Your coop is so pretty!! Mine is an old shed from the 1920s that has so much potential to be pretty if only it wasn't patched together with baling twine and odd scraps of board. I've been meaning to give it a paint job at least, but it feels like a futile exercise at the moment.

I peeked under the barn today to see if my welsummer roo was down there, and indeed he was. The blue rooster has been keeping a close watch on the way in and out down there, so I think he has him pretty well beaten back. I threw out some goodies to distract the blue one and then put down some scratch grains, feed and water at the opposite end of the vents for the red roo. He came and ate what was within reach while he stayed under cover. There are plenty of slugs and spiders down there for him to eat, I imagine, and it was lovely and cool compared to the rest of the farm, so I didn't feel too bad for him - other than he is obviously hiding out feeling sorry for himself. Not sure if I should lure him out and grab him so he can live somewhere safer and more normal, or just keep supplying him with the essentials and leave him there.