Rooster Question

[ClareScifi]

Would sedating a rooster to trim his spurs be dangerous? It could kill him; right? The sedation.

 

[ClareScifi]

Oh, that is wonderful news that it might not be necessary to trim his spurs, Centrarchid!

He's pretty good not to mate with the little Bantie, but if he attempted it with her sometime, his spurs might kill her; right? She is a silver-laced Sebright. I have seen him try to mate with her but not for a while. She squawks something awful, when he does, and so far there has been no evident damage to her. But I do worry. Maybe I should keep her apart from him once his spurs are mature? I'd sure hate to lose her or see her suffer. I'm sure spurs could hurt the big girls, too, but they can hold their own a bit better than the wee hen, I would think?

 

[centrarchid]

I do not sedate birds when handling. With respect to trimming spurs, the most stressful part for rooster is being restrained. I am not certain how well nerved the spurs are although when trimming is done I can see no evidence for discomfort when birds are released. If done properly with repsect to handling and actual cutting, bird will struggle very little and bleeding will be minimal. Practice handling rooster so he gets used to process. After a few "handlings" on successive days rooster will relax, and so will you. Whomever does actual cutting best not be squimish as that can result in job being poorly done or not completed.

 

[ClareScifi]

So an avian vet could most likely do the spur trimming if he were wearing thick gloves, without need of sedation?

 

[ClareScifi]

I am definitely squeamish. No way I could do it. But I'll bet my avian vet would be willing to do so, for a hefty amount. :>) It would be worth it to me to pay him whatever he wants, not to have to do this myself.

 

[centrarchid]

Find somebody local that shows chickens. They will likely be more able than vet at such since vet may not have any more experience than you beyond handling birds.

 

[ClareScifi]

One thing about it. Even if my rooster was as tame as all get out, I still could not trim his spurs. Way too squeamish here.

Yes, maybe someone in my local backyard chickens could trim his spurs. Where would I locate someone locally who shows chickens? Would they show them, say, at the State Fair? I've never heard of chicken shows here, but maybe we have them.

Are there rooster showers? Those would be ideal, I would think? Or are all roosters shown at rooster shows on the tamer side?

 

[centrarchid]

One thing about it. Even if my rooster was as tame as all get out, I still could not trim his spurs. Way too squeamish here.

Yes, maybe someone in my local backyard chickens could trim his spurs. Where would I locate someone locally who shows chickens? Would they show them, say, at the State Fair? I've never heard of chicken shows here, but maybe we have them.

Are there rooster showers? Those would be ideal, I would think? Or are all roosters shown at rooster shows on the tamer side?

State or county fair will more than likely have people showing poultry.

 

[ClareScifi]

Good to know, centarchid.

I'm kind of wondering whether my boy could be half Rhode Island Red? His father was supposedly a white leghorn.

Rhode Island Reds tend to be on the more aggressive side of roosters, don't they? However, I don't think he looks at all like a RIR. My best guess is that he's half Easter-Egger or Araucana. He's big and blonde like a Buff Orpington, but with silvery-blue wings and tail feathers.

Or do you think it is true that hand-raised roosters tend to be more aggressive? I've read a lot that suggests this. I do know that this hand-raised boy and his brother who wasn't hand-raised but was the Alpha Rooster, were both peckers. The Alpha Rooster was sweet and gentle until I separated him from the hens, as he was rather aggressive with them. Then he got mad at me and never forgave me, although he didn't try to peck me too much. Number 3 rooster on the totem pole never once chased or pecked me, even after I separated him from his hims, and he was by far the most aggressive of the three roosters with the hens, oddly enough. And he nearly killed my rooster, Baby, when they were both tiny chicks, almost pecking him to death. But he was gentle with people. So bizarre.

He is gone. The farmer I gave him to really liked his looks. I miss the 2 boys, but I knew 3 roosters would not be good, with only 4 hens.

 

[centrarchid]

Good to know, centarchid.

I'm kind of wondering whether my boy could be half Rhode Island Red? His father was supposedly a white leghorn.

Rhode Island Reds tend to be on the more aggressive side of roosters, don't they? However, I don't think he looks at all like a RIR. My best guess is that he's half Easter-Egger or Araucana. He's big and blonde like a Buff Orpington, but with silvery-blue wings and tail feathers.

Or do you think it is true that hand-raised roosters tend to be more aggressive? I've read a lot that suggests this. I do know that this hand-raised boy and his brother who wasn't hand-raised but was the Alpha Rooster, were both peckers. The Alpha Rooster was sweet and gentle until I separated him from the hens, as he was rather aggressive with them. Then he got mad at me and never forgave me, although he didn't try to peck me too much. Number 3 rooster on the totem pole never once chased or pecked me, even after I separated him from his hims, and he was by far the most aggressive of the three roosters with the hens, oddly enough. And he nearly killed my rooster, Baby, when they were both tiny chicks, almost pecking him to death. But he was gentle with people. So bizarre.

He is gone. The farmer I gave him to really liked his looks. I miss the 2 boys, but I knew 3 roosters would not be good, with only 4 hens.

Beyond raising a couple hundred RIR from chicks to Sunday dinner, I know very little about the breed or about phenotypes exhibited by hybrids of it.

Many breeds, particularly of hatchery origin seem a bit on the aggressive side. I suspect that aggressiveness is not an issue in production flocks used to produce hatching eggs but aggressive roosters sire more chicks. In free-range setting I can keep groups of roosters with reduced aggression if group size is larger not smaller. By group size I mean number of roosters. In our backyard and barnyard settings the smaller flock sizes enable setup of hierarchies that would normally bust up with roosters have more or less discrete territories. For some reason most domestic chickens no longer setup territories but they still fight as if they are trying to do so. Such fights usually only result in determining rank and likely result in more damage than fights over territories that wild roosters engage in.

The hand-raising it self is not problem in my opinion. I think it how we sometimes incorporate ourselves into the chickens social structure. THat is something I avoid. My efforts are such that birds do not see me as inferior, superior or a threat to their social status. I am simply the big cow passing through on a very regular basis that provides eats and can be a source of comfort or protection.

Agressiveness as related to humans, predators and other chickens I think are not related.