Thinking about adding a cockerel

[drdoct]

I got my first chickens in May last year, 6 buff orpington pullets from TSC. My original plan was to wait until spring this year to get a cockerel, but I wasn't expecting my chickens to turn out like they did and I don't want to destroy a good thing. On another site, I keep seeing pictures of lovely-looking cockerels that people are trying to rehome within driving distance of me, so roosters have been on my mind a lot lately.

My girls are so friendly that I get mobbed and have to pay the "hug toll" whenever I go into the run. They love being carried around with me when I do chicken chores and enjoy brief trips into the house. I don't have to chase any of them to grab them; they come to me and I can call some of them by name. One of them, Dimple, is tiny - half the weight of my others currently. Dimple lays eggs every now and then but does interesting mixes of the squat and rooster dance when she's happy to see me. Very rarely, she will also do a little wing-drop dance for a couple of my other girls when she thinks I'm not watching. Because Dimple is showing zero signs of growing more, I'm only considering bantam breeds for a roo.

These things have really been bugging me though:

• Are my girls going to ditch me and no longer want their hugs if I get them a man?
• If they don't dump me, how much do I risk having a rooster that wants to fight me when I go to pick up one of his ladies?
• Would Dimple risk getting beaten up for doing her Dimple-dance?
• With a lengthy quarantine, would I still be running any major disease risks?

I'm not expecting a rooster to be huggy at all. However, if a rooster would risk thrashing Dimple or causing my hens suddenly decide they want nothing to do with me, then I will just keep my flock as-is and try to quit looking at rooster ads.

Your hens will change for sure. Our cockerel runs the hens all day long. He squawks at them for getting too close to us. He squawks at them for everything though. We still have 2 that love to sit on my wife's lap and get petted.

They also LOVE what I call 'Apple time'. Around an hour before they go to roost, I give them treats. They see me and come running their fluffy butts. It's so cute. But Mr Rooster wishes they wouldn't come over. He will reluctantly come over and won't eat hardly any treats. Usually if I give him one, he will drop it and squawk for them to get it.

I suggest dicing up some apples or even better... some lunchmeat and call them to come and have your 'private' time with them. If the cockerel doesn't like it... then too bad. If he attacks you, attack him back. Cockerels are pains but they can also be fun to watch and good for the flock. My girls don't fight at all because the cockerel keeps them in line. Half the time I'm glad he's there and the other half he's just annoying.

 

[DonyaQuick]

Well...here we go. I had plans. They didn't stick, not entirely anyway. I had been looking exclusively at smaller roosters, but then I did not expect to find what may be the sweetest most gentle rooster on the planet. He asks for attention by resting his head on my hand or arm and he is very careful with his feet. If I put my hands on his sides like I'm going to lift him up he just leans into it and relaxes - no squirming or trying to run off, just calm. He tidbits and announces his food and treats, wanting to share it even though no one is around to take him up on the offer. I'm trying to do the spare room quarantine method with a tarp and my tractor thing set up inside. I also have a separate set of clothes for interacting with him for the time being.