The Rooster Thread!

[Hybridchucks]

 

[MommaHen2Many]

Since this is the rooster thread, I though you all might be able to assist. I have always had Roosters with my flock -thats about two years. Obviously still learning....
Currently I have 10 hens, 1 barred rock rooster that is just now one year old. "rocky" had injured his leg while out free ranging with the ladies, and had aquired a bad limp. Thinking I might need a backup roo....I saw a striking roo on Craigslist that just started crowing that they couldn't keep. He had been hand raised as one of two chickens in their little flock. I brought him home & slowly introduced him to the flock. He was a VERY friendly bird, I think he was about 12 weeks old at the time. He would go for walks on the property with us. He would sit in our lap....etc (I the things I read now--not to do with rooster) His breed is a Dixie Pioneer/ Dixie rainbow per the great experts here on BYC. So our lives have been great up until the last couple of weeks. He is now biting, he bit my 8 yr old daughter, and has bit me at least 3 times. He is approx 6 months old now. I would love to be able to "train him out" of this, but am unsure what to do. I briefly saw an posting her on BYC about training your roo the other day, but cant seem to find it now. oh, he also does the "dance" for people...not just chickens...is that a pecking order thing...like he thinks we are below him? I have noticed lots of flapping of wings and he follows me up from the chicken coop to our house and crows by the front door. I need him to know I am not a chicken! I also read, no more feeding him snacks from my hand. My kids would love to keep him, but I told them if he continues to "un-trustworthy", ie. I cant turn my back on him, then I wont be keeping him! its too dangerous. thanks for the help!

 

[azkc]

I posted this on another thread about someone concerned with having more than one rooster. Maybe it will be of assistance to someone here.

The one thing you have to watch out for is that if a bird gets a cut in the comb which is very bloody, that will not be life-threatening in the conventional sense, but it will trigger an attack response in some birds who just flip out when they see a lot of blood.

Thank you Caesar. This is an awesome post.

Sadly my best rooster (Cream Legbar) died from being pecked in the comb by hens while on the roost. I found him in the morning still clinging to the roost with his head still down, still dripping blood. But it was too late for him. The blood loss was too great.
I have 4 of his sons who are 16 weeks old and 4 that are 9 weeks. I am going to keep them in rooster flock and hope they turn out just as calm their daddy.

Other than that I have 3 roos. A black Jersey Giant, a Cream Legbar/Specked Sussex mix & a silkie:each with their own flock. Plus 5 Jersey Giant cockerels, 1 Bielefelder cockerel & 2 bantam Cochin cockerels.

 

[Bluechick2u]

Since this is the rooster thread, I though you all might be able to assist. I have always had Roosters with my flock -thats about two years. Obviously still learning....
Currently I have 10 hens, 1 barred rock rooster that is just now one year old. "rocky" had injured his leg while out free ranging with the ladies, and had aquired a bad limp. Thinking I might need a backup roo....I saw a striking roo on Craigslist that just started crowing that they couldn't keep. He had been hand raised as one of two chickens in their little flock. I brought him home & slowly introduced him to the flock. He was a VERY friendly bird, I think he was about 12 weeks old at the time. He would go for walks on the property with us. He would sit in our lap....etc (I the things I read now--not to do with rooster) His breed is a Dixie Pioneer/ Dixie rainbow per the great experts here on BYC. So our lives have been great up until the last couple of weeks. He is now biting, he bit my 8 yr old daughter, and has bit me at least 3 times. He is approx 6 months old now. I would love to be able to "train him out" of this, but am unsure what to do. I briefly saw an posting her on BYC about training your roo the other day, but cant seem to find it now. oh, he also does the "dance" for people...not just chickens...is that a pecking order thing...like he thinks we are below him? I have noticed lots of flapping of wings and he follows me up from the chicken coop to our house and crows by the front door. I need him to know I am not a chicken! I also read, no more feeding him snacks from my hand. My kids would love to keep him, but I told them if he continues to "un-trustworthy", ie. I cant turn my back on him, then I wont be keeping him! its too dangerous. thanks for the help!

Try putting him in his own enclosure or coop for a few months, until he's through puberty, many cockerels can be real butts during this period but not all of them stay that way, and maybe try carying him around under your arm while you're out in the yard, but don't let him run free until he's through puberty. He might turn out to be a good rooster, you'll never know until he calms down.

 

[CindyNC]

Hi - I don't own any chickens but this rooster escaped (or was set free) from the home of a neighbor several houses down from us. I believe he's a Cubalaya. Through the grapevine, I heard the owner won 2 roosters in a poker game and they didn't get along. He said if somebody caught him and returned him, he would "take care of him." He wanders between 3 houses, and the lady next door likes him since he eats the bugs and fertilizes her flower beds. Should I put out food or water for him? If so, what type of food? Thank you.

 

[Valhalla Acres]

I've had severl roos. My favorite roo, ended up putting himself in between a hen and a coon. When we heard them fighting we went outside and let the dogs loose. We lost our roo that day but the dogs conered the coon. The rooster had put a couple gashes on the coons face. The coon did not get away in the end.

 

[KeliD]

Have you considered starting a rooster flock for the extra roos? https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rooster-flocks.1174877/

Wow, I didn't know it was possible to keep males without making them mean - especially if there are girls around. Thanks for the info!

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Hi - I don't own any chickens but this rooster escaped (or was set free) from the home of a neighbor several houses down from us. I believe he's a Cubalaya. Through the grapevine, I heard the owner won 2 roosters in a poker game and they didn't get along. He said if somebody caught him and returned him, he would "take care of him." He wanders between 3 houses, and the lady next door likes him since he eats the bugs and fertilizes her flower beds. Should I put out food or water for him? If so, what type of food? Thank you.

If you think he needs food, then you can feed him grower feed, flock raiser, or all flock. I'm pretty sure you can find most of these online or at a feed store.

 

[MommaHen2Many]

Try putting him in his own enclosure or coop for a few months, until he's through puberty, many cockerels can be real butts during this period but not all of them stay that way, and maybe try carying him around under your arm while you're out in the yard, but don't let him run free until he's through puberty. He might turn out to be a good rooster, you'll never know until he calms down.

Great idea, I just remodeled the inside of my coop so I could have three seperate enclosures. Simply for things like this...and baby chicks. He will go into one. I wondered if it was just the rebellious teenager thing....thanks for the advice.

 

[MommaHen2Many]

I've had severl roos. My favorite roo, ended up putting himself in between a hen and a coon. When we heard them fighting we went outside and let the dogs loose. We lost our roo that day but the dogs conered the coon. The rooster had put a couple gashes on the coons face. The coon did not get away in the end.

What a great Roo! He did his job well. And awesome dogs too.