I got Golden Comets (I have 9 currently) specifically so I would NOT have a rooster. I don't want to constantly be watching my back & I don't want my girls' backs torn up! But, last week I put a rooster in with my hens... I let myself be talked into accepting a roo that lived in a town about 3 hours away... He had to go once he started crowing due the ordinances of the town in which he lived. His owner reached me via this forum (see my BYC if you're interested in his pic). He's about 18 weeks old now ...no spurs yet. Already, though, he's acting pretty aggressively with my adult & juvenile hens. In the early morning (I always let them out at 5AM) he's like a tasmanian devil... won't let the girls eat & sends 'em squawking & huddling into a corner. I have to grab him & pen him up separate just so they get a chance to eat in peace. Then, he's settles down pretty well & I let him out. He's pretty calm throughout the day, but he gets really aggressive again just before bedtime. Tonight, he's back to sleeping in a separate coop. I hope he settles down. I found this article:
http://shilala.homestead.com/roosters.html. I'm going to give this a go with him.... otherwise, he'll just be stuck living in a 3X10 tractor inside my larger pen for his life!
Sorry if this sounds rude (and it's not 100% directed at you) but didn't you know how roosters behaved before you got one? Most young roos chase in the morning and chase in the evening and hens will resist them until they establish dominance in the flock. All roos crow! All of them. Just like all hens cluck.
Did you quarantine the roo for 30 days before adding to your flock? If not you are risking a disease that may require you to cull all of your birds.
To every person out there considering a roo here are some facts.
1) Roos mate with hens. It's not pretty and it takes a while before everyone calms down. Some never calm down and end up needing to be culled from the flock.
2) All roos can be aggressive and territorial. That's their nature. Period. Some can be nice. Some can be tamed down. But nature is nature. If you want a roo to protect your flock then understand that he may protect against anyone including you and your kids.
3) All roos crow. (Both my roos are crowing now).
4) Roos and small children DO NOT mix.
5) Cuddling a roo as a baby seems to almost guarantee that you will raise a roo that will turn on you eventually. There are some exceptions.
6) If you get a roo and it doesn't work out either cull it (stockpot) or raise via a bachelor pen. Do not try to dump your aggressive animal on someone else. It's your problem to deal with.
I'm sure others with some experience can add onto my list. In fact I think it would make sense to create a 'ROO" sticky. To help folks do their research before they bring a roo home. Or before hatching or before buying straight run chicks.
Seriously just trying to help folks. It's distressing to continually read posts about someone getting injured and the poster was surprised that a roo could do that kind of damage.
