Stray Rooster

[Gazergirlstar]

Oh really? And she was like “nope!”

oh yea see how he opened his wing feathers and was walking around her and oh yea she said nope and he was a gentle man and accepted that lol i have a RIR who doesnt accept no for an answer lol

 

[KimbosKluckers]

oh yea see how he opened his wing feathers and was walking around her and oh yea she said nope and he was a gentle man and accepted that lol i have a RIR who doesnt accept no for an answer lol

Oh funny. I’m watching videos to try and get a sense of this. I keep thinking my girls aren’t happy. lol. I’ll keep trying small intervals. They come first to me but it’s getting cooler at night and he has no coop

 

[sourland]

that looks more like he was trying to start a mating dance lol

Yep, courting behavior - normal.

 

[NatJ]

it’s getting cooler at night and he has no coop

How cool? I don't see any snow or ice in the pictures.

I would probably worry more about predators than about the temperature.

If he can sleep in a spot that is sheltered from wind & rain/snow, I would expect him to be fine until temperatures are well below freezing.

 

[NatJ]

I know every bird has their own characteristics but can you give me an idea on the temperament of these? Are they known to be nice or flighty, aggressive? Just curious on what to expect. I’m going to try it but I’m not sure since I only have 5 girls. Also my girls are quite a bit older (someone said he looks young, does that matter?) Thanks.

Andalusians and Leghorns are both Mediterranean breeds, so they tend to have slender bodies and flight temperaments.

Suggestions for rooster/hen ratios usually say the roosters can cover more hens, as compared with roosters of heavier breeds. This does not guarantee that he will overmate a small number of hens, but it does suggest that he may mate more often than roosters of some other breeds.

I haven't heard of them being aggressive, at least not more than any other breed, but that may say more about what I've heard than about the actual breed.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

First meet. Is this normal? He did it twice.

Here’s the first time …looks like he initiated it? Please excuse my baby talk voice. Ha!

It looks like he's doing really good. If he was older and the hens had a rooster before, specifically, recently, then this probably would be going a little smoother, but for the situation at hand, this is normal. Notice the wing down? He's trying to court them and the hens aren't buying it (yet). Keep trying and I think they'll settle in eventually. Just remember, for a chicken it takes up to two weeks for adjustment, so you will have to give them time. Personally though, I do think they'd adjust faster if they had access to each other all the time. I've noticed things take longer when they don't.

 

[Strawberry74]

Maybe throw some extra yummy treats out next time you put them together so he can tidbit for them and call them over? That's a normal roo/hen interaction. He says come here ladies and look what I have for you. Just hope he doesn't use that as a sneak attack for mating A good rooster will always call his ladies and let them eat first.

 

[tlcmurphy]

Maybe throw some extra yummy treats out next time you put them together so he can tidbit for them and call them over? That's a normal roo/hen interaction. He says come here ladies and look what I have for you. Just hope he doesn't use that as a sneak attack for mating A good rooster will always call his ladies and let them eat first.

“I have made you MEALWORMS, come hither!”

 

[Strawberry74]

Maybe he is it’s about 20’ feet away so they can still see and hear each other. My girls used to be with the pig (we got them for him!) but then they started eating him alive, poor guy was constantly bleeding and he let them! So we moved them. But yeah if he’s a nuisance that’s a good idea. Rufus only uses the ball if I dab peanut butter or coconut oil on it. Lol. Which I should do, it’s been awhile. We also made the contraption below. Fill the bottles with treats and he has to turn them for it to fall out. It’s old now so excuse how junky it looks. So rescue pigs? Neat! View attachment 4238963

Oh that's really neat too! We have 4 rescue potbelly pigs but they can't live together because neither set gets along with each other so they live next door to each other and share a fence line. One set loves to root in the dirt and the other set would probably enjoy toys like that. Great ideas!

 

[KimbosKluckers]

How cool? I don't see any snow or ice in the pictures.

I would probably worry more about predators than about the temperature.

If he can sleep in a spot that is sheltered from wind & rain/snow, I would expect him to be fine until temperatures are well below freezing.

It’s only mid 30’s now but it does seem to bring more predators when it cools off. Last night he slept on a roof that’s over 6’ tall with a partial tree cover, double fenced though not impossible for predators.

Andalusians and Leghorns are both Mediterranean breeds, so they tend to have slender bodies and flight temperaments.

Suggestions for rooster/hen ratios usually say the roosters can cover more hens, as compared with roosters of heavier breeds. This does not guarantee that he will overmate a small number of hens, but it does suggest that he may mate more often than roosters of some other breeds.

I haven't heard of them being aggressive, at least not more than any other breed, but that may say more about what I've heard than about the actual breed.

Thanks for that information!

It looks like he's doing really good. If he was older and the hens had a rooster before, specifically, recently, then this probably would be going a little smoother, but for the situation at hand, this is normal. Notice the wing down? He's trying to court them and the hens aren't buying it (yet). Keep trying and I think they'll settle in eventually. Just remember, for a chicken it takes up to two weeks for adjustment, so you will have to give them time. Personally though, I do think they'd adjust faster if they had access to each other all the time. I've noticed things take longer when they don't.

I’m so glad you are all here telling me what to look for! Great to hear that it seems normal. Just hope no one tires of all my questions during this process. So about two weeks for the adjustment but let them together now? I guess that would speed things up. Now I need to find a way to get him into their run. They have a pop door to free range and I don’t think he will use that.