Roosters: The Good The Bad & The Ugly

[MsSilkie]

Hi this is my first post. Have been an avid forum reader for 18 months since we got our two lovely Isa Brown girls.
4 months ago I took a chance and brought an unsexed Silkie ? Cross chick.... Well turned out to be a Rooster. But by the time we figured this out he was much loved.

Butter sits on my lap everyday for hugs and preening, he is a sweet natured funny little fellow.
He had a terrible time with the girls in the beginning but after the most amazing ninja style battle with head chook Nuggets he now tries to have his manly rights with them on a regular basis. Not sure of the success rate as they are twice his size and he falls off most of the time. It's quite funny to watch ... Poor guy.

The only con is the 5 am crowing... We live in suburbia and I am waiting for the neighbours to complain.

My plan is to put him in a cat box in the dark shed over night and see if we can delay the moring chorus until at least 7 am...

 

[ChicknBaron]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Glad you decided to jump in MsSilkie!!! and see, i knew there was such a thing!!! i've learned alot of things off this forum and one is that there are definitely breeds of roosters more "prone" to becoming docile. It's all in how you raise them. i think pretty much any rooster has the potential to be docile if you raise them right. i didn't spend enough time with my roo turned out to be a nasty one. but in the end it just depends

 

[MsSilkie]

Smiles and thanks for the welcome... It's so true that it comes down to the nature of the rooster and the time spent with them.. Butter lived in our bathroom while a chick and I sat and gave cuddles everyday. now he is a big boy he remembers the TLC.

I must have spent hours looking at poo pictures when we first got the girls.. I was poo obsessed... Not something you can discuss with non fowl owners.. I know I tried,,,much to my friends horror...

 

[milo1108]

I must have spent hours looking at poo pictures when we first got the girls.. I was poo obsessed... Not something you can discuss with non fowl owners.. I know I tried,,,much to my friends horror...

I think that also applies to babies when you first have them.

 

[RedDrgn]

I will respectfully disagree, strongly disagree!

I spend a lot of time with my cockerels building trust with them. I have 5 adult roosters on the property right now and have no problems with any of them. Two of these boys are over 2 years old. Genetics and Environment come into play. Some breeds are just more likely to be respectful and trusting of their owners. However, a good rooster can be turned bad if not handled and trained correctly.

x2
I can verify what Math Ace has stated. She was kind enough to let me have Thor for my roosterless flock at that time. I have NEVER seen such a calm and trusting rooster as Thor! He easily let me pick him up at will without a struggle or whimper.
I can also verify that Chickenzoo has several roosters much the same.

Actually, you both supported my point; no docile roo breed.

Genetics, environment, and handling together play a much bigger roll than any of them do independently and they don't all come together (because of the human factor) to form a particular breed that consistently puts out docile roosters from all sources (e.g. breeders and hatcheries). Some breeds from certain breeders/hatcheries do tend to produce mild roos more often than others, but still no guarantees. A person acquiring a specific breed of roo from a breeder who selects for mild dispositions and interacts with their stock appropriately is going to have much better odds of having mild roos than the same breed from hatchery stocks or a breeder who doesn't care about their bird's attitudes. Most roos don't settle into their personalities until they are beyond their puberty months and well established in their flocks; generally a year (give or take a few months).

 

[ChicknBaron]

So basically, we can all agree to disagree, because its all in how they're raised... (i still think some breeds are more apt to be docile then others)

 

[RedDrgn]

So basically, we can all agree to disagree, because its all in how they're raised... (i still think some breeds are more apt to be docile then others)

...unless you get one of those few demon spawn birds that seem to live/breath evil.

 

[math ace]

So basically, we can all agree to disagree, because its all in how they're raised... (i still think some breeds are more apt to be docile then others)

X 2..... I raised over 30 cockerels last year. Very rarely did a gentle sweet 20 week old cockerel turn into a jerk rooster. Never did I have a timid 20 week old cockerel turn into a bold and sassy rooster. I absolutely attest to being able to identify jerks and sweeties without waiting until they are a year old. I have hatched only one nasty marans cockerel. We named him soup pot and that is where he ended up. He was nasty from the beginning and refused to be gentled. It has never happened again... That would be one out of over 50 cockerels that I have hatched in the last couple of years ...

I hatched a lot of delaware cockerels too. Not as many as the marans, but still a lot, Once again, never hatched a nasty rooster. With my breeds, Delaware, Marans, and Speckled Sussex culling decisions can not be made early. The birds need to pass through the last juvie molt before final decisions can be made. Cockerels are kept on my property until around 20 weeks before I START deciding who is staying and who is going. I continue making culling decisions as the birds grow and type can be evaluated. Paull Masson didn't believe in "selling a wine before its time" and I don't believe in culling a cockerel before its time.

If you read about birds, their personalities are described. ABSOLUTELY, there are no ABSOLUTES...For example, Leghorns are suppose to be flighty, but it is possible to get one that is not. Ameraucanas are suppose to be great broodies, but it is possible to get one that is not. Rhode Island Reds are suppose to be great egg layers, but it is possible to get one that is not....
GENERALLY SPEAKING... Delawares are going to make some awesome friendly roosters.

I

 

[math ace]

...unless you get one of those few demon spawn birds that seem to live/breath evil.

Out of curiosity, meaning no disrespect, how many roosters do you have?

I only ask because your signature line says a 6 bird flock and they are described as all hens and one rooster.

After the above quote, I am wondering when you experienced the "demon spawn birds that seem to live / breath evil"?

Let me stress, I am not TROLLING or trying to start anything... I am just Peacefully trying to get a handle on what you are using as the foundation of your beliefs...Is it from a personal experience or something you read?

I, also, don't want to offend the original poster by taking this off topic.

I will state for the record, getting birds from a hatchery is more of a gamble than from a breeder. If you want to make sure, hedge your bets, that you get a docile rooster from chick to maturity, then talking to a breeder about the personality of their own stock is important. I will give reddrgn this.... some breeds can go either way. Take marans for example, some folks have had issues with the personalities of their birds and others like me have had no issues. The one bird I had that was nasty I refused to breed or sell... He made great chicken and dumplings : ) They are suppose to be good natured birds, BUT there have been some unscrupulous breeders and the result has been some birds with nasty attitudes. THINK PUPPY MILL and you will get what I am saying

 

[ChicknBaron]

...unless you get one of those few demon spawn birds that seem to live/breath evil.

Yep... had one... not fun... at all...