Trading a rooster

[Mary Weber]

Hello everyone, as I said in my introductions I am new to homesteading and am still learning. One of my hens is actually a rooster, I am not sure how old, he was suppose to be a yr old, obviously he wasn't. I'm not sure if he was abused by the other roosters that were in his flock or if he is just young. He does not crow, has doubled in size since I got him and is tearing my hens backs up. Any info would be appreciated and if anyone is looking for a leghorn rooster I would love to trade him for one, a Buff Brahma or a Rhode Island Red, preferably one that is not mean as I have small grandchildren who are very active in helping me with the chickens. I would be interested in a Pullet ? ( baby) I am located in Camden, NY. I could travel a short distance to do the trading.

 

[Tookie]

You may want to post in your state thread.->
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ny-chicken-lover.231485/
Good luck!

 

[McChooky]

I wouldn't advise anyone new to keeping chickens to get a rooster if they're grandchildren take care of the chickens. After you have some experience raising chickens you could add one .Hopefully by then the grandchildren will be older.Rhode Island Reds are known to be one of the most aggressive roosters. They can put a childs eye out with their beaks or spurs.

 

[3KillerBs]

I wouldn't advise anyone new to keeping chickens to get a rooster if they're grandchildren take care of the chickens. After you have some experience raising chickens you could add one .Hopefully by then the grandchildren will be older.Rhode Island Reds are known to be one of the most aggressive roosters. They can put a childs eye out with their beaks or spurs.

I agree.

Young children and roosters are a bad combination.

I have good boys whom I can trust with my back turned, but I don't let my grandchildren inside the coop or the run. It's just not safe.

@Mrs. K has excellent advice in re: roosters.

 

[Mrs. K]

AArt often says, 'Roosters is where the romance of keeping chickens meets the reality of chickens.'

I too, am going to advise no roosters the first year. Inexperienced people vastly underestimate the violence of a rooster:

• Roosters can fight other roosters
• or attack pullets repeatedly, use them hard, sometimes to the point of death
• and attack people, generally starting with children (under 6 years of age, this will be in the head and face) women, and then even full grown men.

If you have difficulty culling a bird for a meal, re-home your rooster and don't get any more. There are a lot of theories on how to treat roosters, how to raise them with the idea of getting a perfect gentleman. I have had them for decades, and I have come to the realization that it is really just the luck of the draw, they are a crap shoot. But the one thing I do know, is wishing does not change them.

The way you get good roosters, is with a sharp knife, you do not keep anything that is aggressive for ANY REASON, not your toe nail polish, or your shoes, or you grabbed a hen.

You don't like seeing the backs of your hens looking rough, let this boy go. Let them heal up, and try again next spring. If you are mixing grandchildren and roosters, you need to be hyper-aware, things can go south in an instant.


Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

One of my hens is actually a rooster, I am not sure how old, he was suppose to be a yr old, obviously he wasn't. I'm not sure if he was abused by the other roosters that were in his flock or if he is just young. He does not crow, has doubled in size since I got him and is tearing my hens backs up. Any info would be appreciated

It sounds like he is an immature cockerel, certainly not a year old. The older roosters were probably keeping him in check or he just wasn't mature enough to behave that way. By him doubling in size I suspect he was very young. When cockerels go through puberty their hormones take over and tell them to dominate the flock. At that age mating behavior is about dominance, not fertilizing eggs. The one on the bottom is accepting the dominance of the one on top, either willingly or by force. Usually at that age it is by force. Which means it can be violent. As someone on here once said, watching immature chickens go through puberty is often not for the faint of heart. That's mostly about cockerels but immature pullets can sometimes get dramatic too.

You said he is tearing their backs up. What does that look like? It's not unusual for an occasional feather to come off during mating, no big deal. But if bare spots develop that can be dangerous. The hen can be cut by the claws he is standing on while he is on her back. That could be deadly because the other hens might peck at a wound, basically eat her alive. Usually it looks worse than it actually is but if they have bare spots you need to do something. Some people cut the sharp point of the claws off but others isolate the cockerel from the hens. If the entire feather is gone they should grow back fairly soon but if even a bit of the shaft is left the feather won't grow back until the molt.

It sounds like you are dealing with mature hens. While some hens may squat for anything in spurs (or spur nubs) many want the future father of their chicks to behave like a respectable rooster. Most mature roosters can do that. But few immature cockerels can act in a way to favorably impress the hens. So they resist him. Some mature hens beat the crap out of an immature cockerel but many just try to run from him. So he chases and forces them. If you can get through this phase he will probably mature into a decent rooster but many people can't get through this phase. It's often not easy to watch.

Some people like a cockerel raised with mature hens, they want the hens to "school" the cockerel, thinking that makes him more respectful to the hens when he matures. But that's only when the hens are beating him up. If he stands up to them and dominates them by force that's horrible.

This behavior (force mating the hens) doesn't tell you how he will behave around humans but he is hopped up on hormones so isn't really settled. A cockerel or rooster's instincts are to protect the flock. If someone is chasing or handling the girls he might get defensive. Or he might see them as a rival for his girls' affection. Some people have kids around the flock without an issue, I was gathering eggs and taking care of chickens when I was 8 or 9, but kids don't always act calm around chickens, especially young kids. They run and play which can startle them and may even chase them. They are kids, not adults. And their eyes especially are at a level where claws, spurs, or the beak can do a lot of damage. You need to be careful with kids around any male, cockerel or mature rooster.

Why do you want a rooster, what are your goals with one? The only reason you need a rooster with your flock is if you want fertile eggs. Anything else is not a need but a personal preference. Nothing wrong with personal preferences, I have a few of my own. I always suggest you keep as few roosters as you can and still meet your goals. For many people that number is zero. There are a lot of people that have a flock without a rooster and are very happy.

and if anyone is looking for a leghorn rooster I would love to trade him for one, a Buff Brahma or a Rhode Island Red, preferably one that is not mean as I have small grandchildren who are very active in helping me with the chickens. I would be interested in a Pullet ? ( baby) I am located in Camden, NY. I could travel a short distance to do the trading.

If you decide you want a rooster but not that cockerel I strongly suggest you get a mature one. They are usually a lot easier to integrate and have calmed down, the hormones are no longer in control. Mature hens usually accept them without any real drama.

As far as getting rid of him, getting another chicken (male or female) trading him, selling him, or buying one you have several options. As somebody said, get on your state thread and chat with your neighbors. Somebody might be able to help. You can chat with the people at the feed store, they may know someone that can help or may have a bulletin board where you can post a notice. Go to the Buy, Sell, Trade portion of this forum and start a thread there, putting your location in the title to attract the attention of the people you want. Some people use Craigslist.

The technical definition of a pullet is a female chicken less than a year old, like a cockerel is a male less than a year old. I don't find those very helpful when talking about behaviors. My pullets often start acting like mature hens about the time they start to lay. There is nothing that clearcut with the cockerels. When they actually mature enough to act like a mature rooster instead of hormonal teenage can be any time from 5 months to over a year.

 

[Mary Weber]

It sounds like he is an immature cockerel, certainly not a year old. The older roosters were probably keeping him in check or he just wasn't mature enough to behave that way. By him doubling in size I suspect he was very young. When cockerels go through puberty their hormones take over and tell them to dominate the flock. At that age mating behavior is about dominance, not fertilizing eggs. The one on the bottom is accepting the dominance of the one on top, either willingly or by force. Usually at that age it is by force. Which means it can be violent. As someone on here once said, watching immature chickens go through puberty is often not for the faint of heart. That's mostly about cockerels but immature pullets can sometimes get dramatic too.

You said he is tearing their backs up. What does that look like? It's not unusual for an occasional feather to come off during mating, no big deal. But if bare spots develop that can be dangerous. The hen can be cut by the claws he is standing on while he is on her back. That could be deadly because the other hens might peck at a wound, basically eat her alive. Usually it looks worse than it actually is but if they have bare spots you need to do something. Some people cut the sharp point of the claws off but others isolate the cockerel from the hens. If the entire feather is gone they should grow back fairly soon but if even a bit of the shaft is left the feather won't grow back until the molt.

It sounds like you are dealing with mature hens. While some hens may squat for anything in spurs (or spur nubs) many want the future father of their chicks to behave like a respectable rooster. Most mature roosters can do that. But few immature cockerels can act in a way to favorably impress the hens. So they resist him. Some mature hens beat the crap out of an immature cockerel but many just try to run from him. So he chases and forces them. If you can get through this phase he will probably mature into a decent rooster but many people can't get through this phase. It's often not easy to watch.

Some people like a cockerel raised with mature hens, they want the hens to "school" the cockerel, thinking that makes him more respectful to the hens when he matures. But that's only when the hens are beating him up. If he stands up to them and dominates them by force that's horrible.

This behavior (force mating the hens) doesn't tell you how he will behave around humans but he is hopped up on hormones so isn't really settled. A cockerel or rooster's instincts are to protect the flock. If someone is chasing or handling the girls he might get defensive. Or he might see them as a rival for his girls' affection. Some people have kids around the flock without an issue, I was gathering eggs and taking care of chickens when I was 8 or 9, but kids don't always act calm around chickens, especially young kids. They run and play which can startle them and may even chase them. They are kids, not adults. And their eyes especially are at a level where claws, spurs, or the beak can do a lot of damage. You need to be careful with kids around any male, cockerel or mature rooster.

Why do you want a rooster, what are your goals with one? The only reason you need a rooster with your flock is if you want fertile eggs. Anything else is not a need but a personal preference. Nothing wrong with personal preferences, I have a few of my own. I always suggest you keep as few roosters as you can and still meet your goals. For many people that number is zero. There are a lot of people that have a flock without a rooster and are very happy.


If you decide you want a rooster but not that cockerel I strongly suggest you get a mature one. They are usually a lot easier to integrate and have calmed down, the hormones are no longer in control. Mature hens usually accept them without any real drama.

As far as getting rid of him, getting another chicken (male or female) trading him, selling him, or buying one you have several options. As somebody said, get on your state thread and chat with your neighbors. Somebody might be able to help. You can chat with the people at the feed store, they may know someone that can help or may have a bulletin board where you can post a notice. Go to the Buy, Sell, Trade portion of this forum and start a thread there, putting your location in the title to attract the attention of the people you want. Some people use Craigslist.

The technical definition of a pullet is a female chicken less than a year old, like a cockerel is a male less than a year old. I don't find those very helpful when talking about behaviors. My pullets often start acting like mature hens about the time they start to lay. There is nothing that clearcut with the cockerels. When they actually mature enough to act like a mature rooster instead of hormonal teenage can be any time from 5 months to over a year.

thank you for your insight. I believe he was very young when I received him or very abused by the other roosters. Either way he's not what I want, I want dual purpose chickens and he is not.
Yes I want a rooster to fertilize some eggs, for egg laying as well as meat. I want to stop buying chickens.

 

[Mary Weber]

AArt often says, 'Roosters is where the romance of keeping chickens meets the reality of chickens.'

I too, am going to advise no roosters the first year. Inexperienced people vastly underestimate the violence of a rooster:

• Roosters can fight other roosters
• or attack pullets repeatedly, use them hard, sometimes to the point of death
• and attack people, generally starting with children (under 6 years of age, this will be in the head and face) women, and then even full grown men.

If you have difficulty culling a bird for a meal, re-home your rooster and don't get any more. There are a lot of theories on how to treat roosters, how to raise them with the idea of getting a perfect gentleman. I have had them for decades, and I have come to the realization that it is really just the luck of the draw, they are a crap shoot. But the one thing I do know, is wishing does not change them.

The way you get good roosters, is with a sharp knife, you do not keep anything that is aggressive for ANY REASON, not your toe nail polish, or your shoes, or you grabbed a hen.

You don't like seeing the backs of your hens looking rough, let this boy go. Let them heal up, and try again next spring. If you are mixing grandchildren and roosters, you need to be hyper-aware, things can go south in an instant.


Mrs K

Good advice, Thank You

 

[Mary Weber]

I agree.

Young children and roosters are a bad combination.

I have good boys whom I can trust with my back turned, but I don't let my grandchildren inside the coop or the run. It's just not safe.

@Mrs. K has excellent advice in re: roosters.

Thank you, I will take notice of that.