Rooster Chat

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How would you suggest to remove spurs? My bantam EE is spurring my large EE in his head while doing the deed on his hens. No blood yet but I think it's time to disarm the lil stinker.

I personally just trim mine with a dog nail trimmer and some quick stop. There are other methods like twisting with pliers and hot potatoes, but I haven't tried any of those. A search of this site should find you some discussions about them. Those bantams sure are feisty.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Hubby said no more roosters, and no more hatching, so I tossed 2 eggs under hens the same day I gave away my rooster, 3 weeks later I have these 2 chicks.

 

[the poppster]

Probably not a good idea that you mention it. Wonder how one goes about it with large birds with spurs? Have a standard and bantam rooster I one flock who don't fight but I am adding a new male in a different flock soon for breeding stock. So how does one split up a bad fight between a pair of 8 lb or more birds? Anyone??

I've got a few big guys, usually things are pretty peaceful...if things get out of hand I will step in and grab the aggressor especially if his victim isn't really interested in fighting....and was more on the defensive...it gives the more submissive bird a chance to disappear. Also usually side tracks the aggressor. I just grab him and swoop him up into a good football hold, before he has a chance to react...takes a bit of practice and usually works best if you commit yourself to a successful capture. I've grabbed them by the tail base and scooped up with the other arm pinning the wings in one move...I've missed a few times...and had the rooster by the tail...they usually try to run from you....that keeps the feet busy for a few seconds...if all works out you don't get scratched and he doesn't loose any feathers. Then I carry him around for a while, giving him a chance to calm down. I will not let them go till they quit struggling and relax....or they will think that's the way to get away.

 

[cabinchicky]

Probably not a good idea that you mention it. Wonder how one goes about it with large birds with spurs? Have a standard and bantam rooster I one flock who don't fight but I am adding a new male in a different flock soon for breeding stock. So how does one split up a bad fight between a pair of 8 lb or more birds? Anyone??

I've got a few big guys, usually things are pretty peaceful...if things get out of hand I will step in and grab the aggressor especially if his victim isn't really interested in fighting....and was more on the defensive...it gives the more submissive bird a chance to disappear. Also usually side tracks the aggressor. I just grab him and swoop him up into a good football hold, before he has a chance to react...takes a bit of practice and usually works best if you commit yourself to a successful capture. I've grabbed them by the tail base and scooped up with the other arm pinning the wings in one move...I've missed a few times...and had the rooster by the tail...they usually try to run from you....that keeps the feet busy for a few seconds...if all works out you don't get scratched and he doesn't loose any feathers. Then I carry him around for a while, giving him a chance to calm down. I will not let them go till they quit struggling and relax....or they will think that's the way to get away.

Thank you.

 

[microchick]

I'm so proud of one of my young cockerels that was hatched this past Feb. Primo is half Buff O half Welsummer and has been a picture perfect rooster so far. Oh, he's had his moments where he has been carried around in the walk of shame for roosters but he finally got it through his head that if he wanted to stay in with the hens as Lieutenant to the Alpha Rooster, he was going to have to behave himself.

Tonight I was out in the pen giving the flock a treat of left over pancakes from breakfast and a slice of bread. The chicks from an April hatch are just starting to interact with the main flock and come out for treats. For the most part they are faster than they are competitive so I was having fun watching them dart about sometimes squeezing through a knot of hens trying to grab a piece of bread. I have a little LO/BO cross pullet who is just a doll. I call her Dusti and at the moment she resembles a feathered soft ball more than she does a pullet. Try as she might, she couldn't grab a piece of bread for herself. Primo was standing by me and I gave him a piece of bread. To my surprise, he turned around and gently laid the offering in front of little Dusti, talking to her the way roosters do when they want to impress a girl. He towers over her at this point in time. She is only 9 weeks old. Yet he patiently picked the bread up and laid it down a couple of times in front of her, chattering gently to her. Instead of squeaking and running she accepted his offering and gobbled it down. They learn young.

I wanted to hug that rooster. For all their aggravation, bad manners and border line psychotic behavior there are moments where I'm really glad I have more of them than I can use in my flock and this was one of them. My roosters are tolerant and gentle with the youngsters, especially the pullets. With that thought in mind I told Dusti that the day would come when he was going to remember giving her that bread and when that day came, she better run for her life!

 

[gimmie birdies]

You spend time with them.

 

[microchick]

You spend time with them.

Yes, probably not as much as a lot of folks do, But once mom is done with the little ones, I try to get them used to me being around, handling them, giving them treats, etc. The little boys learn that if they peck me, even as fledglings they are going to wind up flipped on their backs in the palm of my hand until the pecking stops. Once they are around 4 months old I'm strictly hands off with the boys. I may hand them treats but they do not get handled unless they are sick, injured or are stretching the limits of their rooster behavior. They are not pets. True, I do have favorites. I think we all do when it comes to our birds.

At the moment I'm having to spend a more time around the coop and run as we are renovating an old shed into a bigger living quarters for the flock. The joy of old sheds is that the more you do to them, the more you find you have to do to them. Today I was outside, sweating blood while rebuilding a wall so we can proceed with metal siding. Because I was outside, I got to hear 6 month old Junior (son of Red, the Buff O rooster that died last month, and the mirror image of his dad) crow for the first time. It was pathetic. Probably the worst first crow I've ever heard a rooster make but I was giggling like a school girl at him and was thrilled that I had gotten to witness it.

Usually I see the flock in the morning, handing out bread as I turn them out into the run for the day, then around 2 when I check water and usually about a half an hour when I turn the coop bedding, do water and food and give them a general check over to make sure nobody is sick or injured. If I wasn't retired I wouldn't have this pleasure. Also the coop and run are conveniently located so we walk by it frequently during the day so they get tossed treats. If we don't have treats to give them there is a row of little faces giving us the stink eye lined up at the fence. We have been know to make a special trip back to the house to grab something to give them as a treat.

They train us quickly.

Are they livestock? No not precisely but they do live on a farm and I have grown too attached to them for them to be considered livestock. Are they spoiled? You bet. Am I enjoying spoiling them? Yep.

 

[newhamplover]

I haven't been on here to write anything in awhile. It seems this summer has been too busy. Yesterday my last 3 boys went to their new home & it hurt so bad. I had hatched 7 & got 5 boys. Two went to good homes a month ago & I finally found a good home for the other 3. It seems so quiet here this morning. The 2 girls seem very relaxed this morning. They are beautiful boys & I was so attached to them I could have just cried. It was so hard to see them go but I couldn't have 4 roos & 4 hens. But what I am writing about really amazed me last night. My original 3 went up last night as they always do. After they go up they never come back out. The young ones would go up a lot later. My husband & I were sitting out in the lawn chairs watching the 2 girls, discussing the boys leaving, & just relaxing. Some 20 minutes later Harry came out to get the girls. We couldn't believe it. He knew the boys were gone & now he would see over the girls. They followed him to the chicken house & he went around it while they went in & then he went back in. We were so amazed. He knew their protectors were gone so now it was his job.

Harry is the most wonderful roo. He is so sweet & protective. Never one time has he pecked at one of the babies. And as the 5 roos got bigger there were times he really should have. I hope his 5 boys turn out to be the kind of guy he is. We couldn't believe what he did last night. I love him so much.

 

[gimmie birdies]

My hubby and neighbor man joined forces to make me get rid of roos. I hatched our a bunch, and have a lady coming to get them today 6 weeks old.

This guy was my fav. thought, blue isbar, and Lavender orpington mix. I will have to get another pic before he goes.

 

[salsss]

So...as a first time rooster owner (4 month old Cream Legbar) I have been watching his behavior--he has been fine so far...

He mounted two of my free ranging hens right in front of me. Is that something I should let go? Ignore? Stop? I'm hands off with the beautiful little guy...the hens don't seem to mind him and he keeps watch over them while free ranging.

I really want to keep him and want to do the right things that remind him I'm the one in charge if needed...

So far he keeps out of my way in the pen, but seems more reluctant do do so, moves more slowly than he used to.

I often take my laptop out to the yard while they are out, getting some work done while watching them. Lots of predators here. I do notice that when Henry is out with the girls, they stay closer. Once in a while he loses them and I call them in closer. I prefer to have them in sight.