Rooster Chat

[Stephine]

I bought buckets so that I could make more feeders, and currently there are two stations around the corner from each other.... We had planned a larger run that could be divided easily, but the ground froze, and winter moved in before we could complete the run. I added an addition onto the hens 8x8 coop so I could have the rooster flock. It is an 8x10 coop, and the run is as large as I could make with garden fencing, but they want nothing to do with the snow. The covered/tarp area is open to the outdoors, but blocking wind/weather. The covered/sheltered area is tarps on the run frame. but they have access to a garden fence outdoor area. It has been a colder winter then I can remember with sub zero weather lasting over a week. They didn't leave the coop. I am thinking I will put my little boy in a crate just to give him a break, and see if I can separate the wyndotte crosses from the faverolles. If I can make peace until spring I can give them a more permanent divided run. They currently all roost together at night too, but can move the roosts around. They wyndotte x cochins are deff. bigger than my faverolles. The only one bigger is the straight cochin (their father). I feel bad because the cochin, and the two original faverolles were a happy little flock that inspired keeping these other boys. The wyndottes are punks. I do not believe in just killing for convenience, and think I can figure out how to divide them up... the winter is half over. Everyone was tested for worms in the fall so I know that is negative. I noticed Mites most recently while doing butt checks, and was gonna run to tsc today or tomorrow to treat the birds, and coop. I don't think this is the primary issue though since we live in the woods, and I'm diligent about treating/catching mites when they rear their ugly little heads! I normally wouldn't have even added the straw to the run because i'm paranoid about mites, but thought the boredom/winter was gonna get someone injured.

Yeah, that is not enough space even if you didn’t have a mixed breed roo flock. In a climate where it can get too cold for them to use their pen you‘ll just have to calculate that in. If it was me I would separate the wyandotte mixes from the others permanently or give them away if you can’t have another coop and run for them. I couldn’t eat my own roos either , but I don’t mind if somebody else does (the mean guys, not the nice roosters)...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Ok Rooster friends, I have a behavior question! I started with 3 rooster. They got along great. Chicks hatched this past summer produced 9 more boys. A number of reasons led us to dividing our coop, and trying a rooster flock. They have all been raised together, and seemed to be going fine. Now it is winter, and it has been too cold for them to go outside of the coop (although they always have the option, and an area that is covered). ; the thought was to give them time, and if they got along great, if there is a trouble maker we could deal with it on a more individual basis instead of just killing, and maybe culling a good boy, and keeping a "bad egg". We really treat them like pets, and I think they are super interesting. I noticed they seemed to keep re establishing the pecking order on the same few boys... I hung cabbage, made popcorn garland for the holidays, added straw... in between making sure there is enough food, and breaking ice from buckets....It seems like 2 of my 3 original roosters have fallen to the bottom of the pecking order, and one of the two is being over mated like a hen. Yesterday I noticed he is getting a bald spot, and seemed exhausted. I don't know if they are letting him even get enough food! So do I separate him into a dog crate today so he gets a break? My flock is made of 1 blue Cochin. 5 Faverolles; 1 Faverolles X Gold laced wyndotte; and 5 Gold Laced Wyndottes X Cohin. The GLW X Cochins seem to be the bullies. All the faverolles seem to be the bottom of the flock. We are a vegetarian family so I would consider re homing them (finding rooster adoptions hasn't been easy)? But for immediate purposes do I separate them? I just want the flock to obviously be safe.... Rooster guidance is appreciated. Ask me questions I'll try to answer. I spend a good amount of time with them. With the exception of the wyndottes everyone is sweet, but starting to act paranoid/not wanting to roost/and regular comb injuries...

I find roosters do better in bonded pairs or as singles fenced next to each other. You are probably keeping too many together. I would try separating some out, especially the more meek.

With the approach of spring hormones will start raging and you may see more problems. Be ready to separate if any fighting starts. Confined roosters can't escape, so often the loser will end up ganged up on by rest of the roosters. That outcome isn't a pleasant one.

 

[Diannastarr]

Thank you!! These are my three original boys, and the two faverolle roos who are currently getting picked on I think i messed up their flock when I let the punk wyndottes into their happy little flock. If I can get them safe until spring I can figure out smaller boy groups which seemed to work better. Maybe ABE + Faverolles, and the wyndotte x cochins together? I know figuring out rooster dynamics seems crazy to some people but they are living beings in my care, and it seems like the least I can do when there are so many roosters out there who arn't even given a chance! They are Awesome birds!

yes exactly THEY ARE living beings in our care & i believe you will find a way , you will be able to read them & help to remedy the situation, because its a good thing..! just see how you can set up each group or pair that wont battle & will get along better, but 3 roos is not a good deal i found that out when i put the Delaware roo in with the RIR & the NHR roos i put them into the giant pen on the same day together they were all the same age but wile i was in with them , the 2 RED roos chased the DEL roo around so not to let that continue into some thing much worse, the Delaware roo went in with the with the BR roo both tough guys & raised together , so i was hoping they were equals and would not really battle & it was good for a few months then they got into it & that was the end , they both are in separate pens now , the BR was relentless and had the DEL roo cornered & down , so that was it..!!! & i jumped into it and got the DEL roo out to safety..!some times we just have to figure out a better way for every one so the task at hand is just to TRY until you WIN for the good ...!!! always for the good of all concerned..!! & get the ones together that get along the best , thats what i tried to do & did, and i told them ok boys no fighting or ill be back...lol.. & i think they do understand on a few levels..! but at least we tried..!!! so since those early days before they all were a year old my boys are fine bright & shiny & happy little guys , no fights and they are happy being together and good friends thank goodness for that.. !!

 

[Diannastarr]

That is a handsome roo!

 

[Diannastarr]

he is even more handsome now at almost 5 years old

 

[Diannastarr]

my blue show quality aussie roo BIG BLUE is even more handsome now at almost 5 years old View attachment 1232016

NEXT is my beautiful show quality splash australorp roo that i just lost because layer feed has to much calcium in it and causes kidney damage in roos , i didnt know about the calcium damage until i found him dead,so sadly big bird is gone .

 

[Diannastarr]

THANKS

 

[Diannastarr]

I find roosters do better in bonded pairs or as singles fenced next to each other. You are probably keeping too many together. I would try separating some out, especially the more meek.

With the approach of spring hormones will start raging and you may see more problems. Be ready to separate if any fighting starts. Confined roosters can't escape, so often the loser will end up ganged up on by rest of the roosters. That outcome isn't a pleasant one.

EXCELLENT ADVICE...!!!!!

 

[Stephine]

Just coming to gush about my roo...
After two “failed” roosters, cockerels, really, that I got in my first ever batch of chicks, I now finally have a really good rooster.
I told the story of my first two here before, somewhere, just a recap:
I had ordered a male Welsummer chick and among the remaining 14 female chicks it eventually turned out I had a Buff Brahma cockerel, too. The Welsummer was all roo, developed much earlier than the Brahma and so became head of the flock at 4 months old. He was a bit of a brute with the girls, never titbided, never danced, but he was young and gorgeous and I thought things would get better. Then he started attacking me out if the blue and after trying to straighten him out for months and months I gave him up to a feed store (they rehome to a home or a stewpot, who knows).
So the Brahma became head roo (he had been completely content as part of the flock before, until the last couple of weeks) and the hens wouldn’t have it. They did not accept his lead and very few would let him mate with them. Things improved a tad over the next few weeks, but he was struggling so much staying on top of the hens when mating (he was huge them, especially the RIR and BRs) that in no time all my hens were bare backed. Too hot for saddles, plus they really didn’t like him. Bummer. Gave up this nice respectful clumsy roo to a good home with a hopefully more accepting flock that was free roaming all day - giving him stuff to do besides climbing the girls all day....
I knew I wanted another roo for my flock but was wary of getting another one that wouldn’t work out eventually. So I ordered 3 SFHs - after reading that the males are never human aggressive - 2 females and a male. I lost one female on the first day and ended up raising just those other two. Put them in a separate pen in the coop once they were old enough to be without heat and kept them there until they were 16 weeks. Quick integration (new hen had the roo as her best buddy and roo could stand up for himself and her, so it went really quite well), and all but one hen (former top hen and I believe maybe the one that started crowing after I introduced the cockerel) happy. That one hen fought the roo and eventually lost and the roo hated her and chased her away at any opportunity. Poor hen spent months mostly hiding in the nest boxes. I put up some blockades and made more hiding spots but it was not great (of course my favorite hen, so I didn’t want to give her away, either).
Finally after maybe 6 months I had them all free ranging one day and went to call them back to their pen. All went in but the roo - ??? I sent the dog to help and he stirred up my favorite hen, still out, too. Then we git to watch the roo expertly herd that hen into the pen: just the right amount of pressure, very calm, patient. She went in, he followed and they were reconciled from that day on. The oddest thing! Did he finally realize that she really was part of his flock?
Anyway, he turned out to be a great rooster. Sweet with the ladies, always gives them treats, calls them, guards them, doesn’t not mate excessively, does not destroy their feathers, takes no for an answer, is respectful of people (and this one was handled a lot as a youngster because I had to move them between pens twice a day, though not cuddled or played with) and gorgeous too. He even has a great crow! (My Brahma sounded like an old car horn)
So the gamble worked. I highly recommend a Swedish Flowerhen rooster!

 

[Diannastarr]

Just coming to gush about my roo...
After two “failed” roosters, cockerels, really, that I got in my first ever batch of chicks, I now finally have a really good rooster.
I told the story of my first two here before, somewhere, just a recap:
I had ordered a male Welsummer chick and among the remaining 14 female chicks it eventually turned out I had a Buff Brahma cockerel, too. The Welsummer was all roo, developed much earlier than the Brahma and so became head of the flock at 4 months old. He was a bit of a brute with the girls, never titbided, never danced, but he was young and gorgeous and I thought things would get better. Then he started attacking me out if the blue and after trying to straighten him out for months and months I gave him up to a feed store (they rehome to a home or a stewpot, who knows).
So the Brahma became head roo (he had been completely content as part of the flock before, until the last couple of weeks) and the hens wouldn’t have it. They did not accept his lead and very few would let him mate with them. Things improved a tad over the next few weeks, but he was struggling so much staying on top of the hens when mating (he was huge them, especially the RIR and BRs) that in no time all my hens were bare backed. Too hot for saddles, plus they really didn’t like him. Bummer. Gave up this nice respectful clumsy roo to a good home with a hopefully more accepting flock that was free roaming all day - giving him stuff to do besides climbing the girls all day....
I knew I wanted another roo for my flock but was wary of getting another one that wouldn’t work out eventually. So I ordered 3 SFHs - after reading that the males are never human aggressive - 2 females and a male. I lost one female on the first day and ended up raising just those other two. Put them in a separate pen in the coop once they were old enough to be without heat and kept them there until they were 16 weeks. Quick integration (new hen had the roo as her best buddy and roo could stand up for himself and her, so it went really quite well), and all but one hen (former top hen and I believe maybe the one that started crowing after I introduced the cockerel) happy. That one hen fought the roo and eventually lost and the roo hated her and chased her away at any opportunity. Poor hen spent months mostly hiding in the nest boxes. I put up some blockades and made more hiding spots but it was not great (of course my favorite hen, so I didn’t want to give her away, either).
Finally after maybe 6 months I had them all free ranging one day and went to call them back to their pen. All went in but the roo - ??? I sent the dog to help and he stirred up my favorite hen, still out, too. Then we git to watch the roo expertly herd that hen into the pen: just the right amount of pressure, very calm, patient. She went in, he followed and they were reconciled from that day on. The oddest thing! Did he finally realize that she really was part of his flock?
Anyway, he turned out to be a great rooster. Sweet with the ladies, always gives them treats, calls them, guards them, doesn’t not mate excessively, does not destroy their feathers, takes no for an answer, is respectful of people (and this one was handled a lot as a youngster because I had to move them between pens twice a day, though not cuddled or played with) and gorgeous too. He even has a great crow! (My Brahma sounded like an old car horn)
So the gamble worked. I highly recommend a Swedish Flowerhen rooster!

thank you for your info , your roo sounds really great...!! and I bet he is very pretty ..!!! send pics of him and his girls, we would love to see them...!!!