The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Mrs. K]

Should my first flock have a cockerel?

I would recommend that you do pullets or hens for a year first. There is a learning curve to chickens, and roosters in my opinion take experience. If you take on a rooster, I think you need to recognize that it might not work out. This page is full of "the darling turned into the nightmare" posts. So you need to be prepared to cull the rooster.

But the main reason I believe in waiting a year, is the dynamics of the flock. A rooster chick or chicks raised with just flock mates, quickly becomes much bigger than the girls. Combine this with excess testosterone, and no bigger birds, often times this rooster will become very aggressive. Many recommend that the people walk through the rooster, or act like an adult rooster and school the young cockerel, but really people do not live in their coops/ runs, and the rest of the time, the roosters are bullying the smaller, sexually immature pullets.

There are many aspects to this hobby, and one does not need to do them all at once, pick a project a year. If you wait a year, and add chicks to the flock, that rooster chick will learn respect because he will be living with birds that are much bigger than him, and they will get their bluff in. He is not the most aggressive bird, because there are older birds to thump some manners into him. Growing up in a multi-generational flock, in my opinion, produces the best chance of a good rooster.

So, I would say, wait till next year.
Mrs K

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
It's amazing how much it takes. I've thought of trying it here too, just never have learned how to tap. Maybe next year.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: @Mrs. K and
@TheGreatPapyrus


I totally agree - good advice from Mrs. K.
I would wait until you have some experience and LOTS OF SPACE in case you need to pen the boy separately sometime. And you could totally have a flock without ever having a rooster - especially if your coop space is small.

(It's not pleasant for girls to be in a small coop with a boy during the winter when there's nowhere to get away - or nowhere to put him in a separate pen.)

It is certainly more peaceful for the girls without a boy around. And you'll likely enjoy your flock more this first time. Then you can decide a year or 2 down the road if you want to try keeping a boy.

My 2 Cents.

 

[h2oratt]

@Mrs. K
and
@TheGreatPapyrus



I totally agree - good advice from Mrs. K.
I would wait until you have some experience and LOTS OF SPACE in case you need to pen the boy separately sometime.  And you could totally have a flock without ever having a rooster - especially if your coop space is small. 

(It's not pleasant for girls to be in a small coop with a boy during the winter when there's nowhere to get away - or nowhere to put him in a separate pen.)

It is certainly more peaceful for the girls without a boy around.  And you'll likely enjoy your flock more this first time.  Then you can decide a year or 2 down the road if you want to try keeping a boy.

My 2 Cents. 

M

My boys are totally obnoxious, over breeding my poor hens. They are getting a time out pen. No one wants them either so we just have to process them and eat them.

 

[JanetMarie]

I would suggest that if hens are used to not having a rooster around, do not add one, especially a cockerel. Learned that mistake by experience. It's better to add an older rooster, who of course has a good disposition, to younger hens.

A good rooster also will if added to pullets, wait for the pullets to mature before mating them.

ETA: Agree with the others, have a separate area for the rooster if he is not gentlemanly with the hens, that is large enough for him to live happily. Some roosters need time to mature, especially cockerels.

 

[JanetMarie]

This is my good boy, who grew up with his flock of four hens. (There were other girls and boys growing up with them also). He has been alone with them from 5- 6 months old, and always has been docile, and never went through the hormonal obnoxious cockerel stage. He is buff Orpington mix.

 

[lazy gardener]

A hawk has been harassing my flock. Thankfully, the run is covered, so they are safe, though he would be able to squeeze in in a couple of places if he was persistent. Jack (my avatar roo) is earning his keep. He sounds the alarm, and stands watch until all of the girls have jumped through the pop door into their coop before he follows them. Such a good boy!

 

[GreatBreeder]

Sounds amazing. I hear your concern on Roos getting a silkie roo, very docile. But I kind of think I want a leader-y breed. American Game Bantams are small, but I hear they have a personality. What's your take on the breeds? Also I'm buying an older roo

 

[mlowen]

It's amazing how much it takes.  I've thought of trying it here too, just never have learned how to tap.  Maybe next year.

I tapped one of my maples, this year. Don't know if I'll boil it down for syrup...too much moisture to do it indoors and I don't have a gas grill to do it outside. The sap makes lovely coffee, though. Just use it instead of water.

 

[JanetMarie]

I tapped one of my maples, this year. Don't know if I'll boil it down for syrup...too much moisture to do it indoors and I don't have a gas grill to do it outside. The sap makes lovely coffee, though. Just use it instead of water.

We use a large iron kettle outside over a fire pit, and it takes all morning and afternoon, adding more sap as needed as it boils down. Then transfer to a different pot and bring in the house to finish, which takes less than 1/2 hour. The raw sap has good health benefits.