Time to cull some roosters

[sillygrilla]

A little background: My first little flock of chickens is now 18 weeks old. I got straight-run buff orpingtons (10) and black jersey giants (5) and a mystery chick who turned out to be a beautiful but very mean lakenvelder rooster. I think 8 are roosters and 8 hens. Mr. Mystery Chick is a big bully to the others and has attacked me (drew blood) on several occasions, and a friend as well, so he has to go. One of my giant roos has also started to get mean, and most of the other chickens are scared to be around these two. I plan to keep one rooster and 3 hens over the winter, keeping only ones with gentle temperaments to raise up the next generation.

Mr. Mystery will be gone next weekend. My question is, should I get rid of the giant who is staring to get mean at the same time, or observe how things play out after Mystery is gone? Is it possible that this giant will calm down once Mystery is out of the picture, or will he continue to get mean? Any advice is helpful - I want to have a peaceful coop where everyone gets along.

Thanks!!!

 

[sourland]

If the Jersey Giant is being aggressive to you, I would get rid of him also. If he is trying to breed the hens, he is only being a rooster.

 

[sillygrilla]

He's mean to other roosters too. Chases them away from food and pulls out their feathers. He is not aggressive towards me.

 

[sourland]

He's mean to other roosters too. Chases them away from food and pulls out their feathers. He is not aggressive towards me.

That's all normal rooster behavior - someone has to be the boss in chicken society. The pecking order can be rough - sort of like 'mean girls in high school'.

 

[sillygrilla]

That's good to know. Thank you.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! First, eliminate any cockrels who are becoming human aggressive. They will taste great, either for you or for someone else. Then consider what your plans are for your new flock. I would keep more pullets if you are going to keep a cockrel, because he will be a problem for the girls if there are too few. I'd keep all ten pullets, and maybe one cockrel. I would cull soon, and keep two males, planning to keep the favorite one this fall. Or only keep one cockrel now, realizing that if something happens to him, you are out for the year. Orphingtons grow at a different rate than Jersey Giants, and have different cull points for breeding. Read up on them first before picking the cockrel(s) you plan to keep, then breed either breeds, not crosses. Mary

 

[Percheron chick]

I wouldn't plan on crossing large fowl with giant fowl.

 

[Folly's place]

That's my point also. These two breeds were developed with different goals, and crossing them doesn't make sense to me. Talking to experts in both breeds would be helpful; otherwise, just don't do it. Mary

 

[sillygrilla]

Wow, you folks are so helpful! It hadn't occurred to me that there would be too few hens for one rooster. I will rethink my plan. Extra eggs would be a definite plus if I kept more hens.

My plan for the next couple of years is to just raise them for meat - maybe 15 or so per year at first. I wouldn't keep crosses to breed, but they would still be fine to eat, wouldn't they? Or is there a physical or character trait issue with crossing them that would show up in the first generation?

 

[Percheron chick]

The first problem is fertility. Common problem in bantam and large fowl mixed flocks. The bantam rooster can't get the job done on a large hen while a large rooster will squash a bantam hen and have trouble balancing and staying on her. Same problem when you combine large and giant.