Roosters Pros and Cons

[PrairieChickens]

He's remarkably similar to my roo General Tso, who I figure to be a black sexlink mix of some kind. If there was rhode island used to make the black sexlink, I could see a connection there. Maybe your boy is a rhode island/black australorp mix?



Sounds like your boy has a good temperament. If he was rotten, he'd be circling you with his head held low to the ground. If he stands there and just watches you calmly from a distance, he's like "Yeah, I recognize that you're not a threat or competition, but we're not buddies or anything." lol

 

[seawillow2014]

I h

...

I am pro-rooster all the way. But in your case you really should not get a rooster, because you only have 4 hens. The proper ratio is 1 rooster to about 10 hens. The rooster can basically over-mate the hens and it puts a lot of stress on them and can even cause injury. 

 

[RezChamp]

Dogs are my biggest problem around here. I know a trained dog could keep others away but 12gauge shells don't eat. I only scare them the first two times then the third they get a firm warning with a low shot.....fourth is the final. Haven't even seen a coon yet.

Yup yup.

Americano Blue .........and to other chicken people or for that matter anybody

Not only do I raise chickens, I also raise ducks, geese, turkeys, pheasants, guinea fowl, rabbits, doves and pigeons.
An Appaloosa stallion as well as a Shetland stallion also share the grounds around here.
On top of all that I have 14 huskys, 4 racers(husky'ish') and a Shep/Sibe . Yup, I mush.

I also am not a "fan" of killing animals and there are precious few that I know(&/or know of) that have as much TRUE respect for "animals" as I do.
That being said I hunt & fish to feed & clothe myself and my family and feed my dogs.

There are 2 ways I love to see animals.
#1 is ........observing them interacting naturally wether it's calving season, weaning season, just coexisting with other species or in rutting season, or whatever they do any time of year, even watching predators in action.
#2 is ........seared then simmered in onions & gravy served with fresh vegetables & mashed potatoes from my garden.
Everything in between #1 & #2 are but necessary actions for my life. "Romancifications" have to be assigned their own time and place.

 

[RezChamp]

if a roo gets close to me I pic him up. He knows the only reason to come near me is to be picked up. if he doesn't want to be picked up he stays away. when he does get picked up he gets cuddled. which he likes.

Wow. Cool. Didn't think of that. What a nice way to deal with rooster aggression towards humans.
Yup yup. Gonna check that 1 out.
Thanks

 

[gimmie birdies]

you must show no fear.

 

[Devon07]

LOL....that is a nice looking roo for sure. How old is he? He looks to be older and fully matured. Hope mine takes that whole look. I dont know anything about the sex link I keep hearing about.....all I ever wanted was an egg.

 

[PoultryQueen101]

I have 2 roos, an ameraucana and a silkie, with 10 hens. 2 of them are the silkies hens, and the ameraucana has 5 of them, yet he still tries to breed our 2 silkie hens. He even has the other 3 hens to himself if he wants them! The silkie roos original mate was way overbred and overbred by the ameraucana too, shes missing feathers everywhere and they are so slow growing back.

If you have more tjan one rooster, make sure they each know their place and who owns what hens.

All in all I have 8 adult cockerels or roos, but most of them are paired. The old english got frostbite and lost the ends of his toes, he has two hens and because he has no nails, his hens only have a few missing neck feathers. Our ameraucana has 5 supposed hens, but he really tries for the silkies and I think he overbred our maran. (We no longer hatch silkie eggs unless accident xD) max the silkie is sweet and only breeds his hens unless the ameraucana roo isnt around. Uor white polish has one hen and eggs are fertile, but there is no evidence of breeding. The cochins are a pair but they are still young. The wcb has 3 hens, but favors one mostly, but he only breeds here and there. We have another silkie roo with a old english hen, he breeds her, but he only ruffles her feathers becauseshe slips away. We have a golden sebright roo, but he lives alone.

I love roosters for some mysterical reason. I escpecially love how they crow and how they treat their hens. I had two ameraucana roos that I raised and they still thought I was their mom, but we couldnt handle more cages.

 

[gimmie birdies]

to the right is a young roo I have. this is the dad blue splash frizzle

The mom looks like a Deleware, lays green eggs.

 

[TinyBirds]

can't even imagine things without our roosters. they are soooo cute with the girls (especially once past their teenage phase not knowing what the ladies like yet). I would miss the crowing terribly, and seeing them scratch up the ground for the hens (their bigger size makes them better diggers for tasty bugs), and so so many stories about them over the years. we had one rooster that would talk constantly to the hens and could convince 3 hens to fit into a single nest box with him at the same time! then we've had hens call after laying an egg and had the roosters all come running to her to escort her back across the hawk prone area (no trees) back to the forested area. (without even a single attempt to mate her during the escort) - what sweet boys! can you imagine a human society without men? no thank you! the roosters can have more interesting and often sweeter personalities than many of the hens. it will make you appreciate human men more too, to watch another species so closely and appreciate the amazing qualities of the boys. if you get a rooster than attacks humans (1 in 100 or so in our experience, usually around the time they get their hormones), definitely kill it for dinner. try a few breeds also if possible to find your favorite rooster. some favorites of ours for roosters are blue laced red wyandottes, silkies, cochin bantams, australorp,

 

[Devon07]

Well said!