Unexpected Rooster Problems (Is he too nice?)

[PalmRoyal]

This is Leslie. He is a light Brahma cockrel that we rescued. We have had him for two months and when we rescued him, we were told that he was bought as a baby in March. So, it is estimated that he is 4-5 months old. My question is, is when will he show an interest in hens? I bought him a nice harem of hens, but he shows zero interest in them and prefers to hang out with the turkeys all day. He even chooses the turkeys over the chickens when they are all let out to free range. I've tried everything to get him to want to associate with the chickens, but nothing is working. Anyone else have an idea? Or will nature take its course and he will find out that he is, in fact, not a mini Royal Palm like he thinks he is (as you can see, completely ignoring the hens behind me and prefers the turkey kind)?

 

[troy4]

He may not be interested because they may bully or not let him mate.Soon he should get a attitude and beat them and make them let him mate.Just keep him with the hens have no access to the turkies.

 

[Peeps61]

I think he'll get more interested as he gets older. Brahmas are typically a nice, calm breed, so he may not be as assertive as some other rooster breeds. He'll be huge when he gets bigger, so I think the hens will get the idea when he gets interested!

 

[PalmRoyal]

How long do you think that it will take him to become interested in hens? Right now, he has not started to crow or anything. I have tried limiting access to the turkeys and making him stay with the hens, but they both avoid each other like aliens. He will stand at the gate waiting to be let outside to free range, walk beside the fencing wanting nothing to do with the chickens, or he will go under his "house" and wait.

 

[troy4]

Probably another 2 months or just month

 

[aart]

He's still young...I think brahmas are slow to mature.
Are there any other roosters around?

 

[Peeps61]

My rooster was an Ameracuana. He was probably a good 7 or 8 months old before I saw him mounting the hens on the lower end of the pecking order. The higher up hens would whip his butt if he tried. By one year, he was mounting all of them, and he was my only rooster. A predator took him in early June, so I am roosterless at the moment. Yours will get interested in another few months, I would think.

 

[PalmRoyal]

He's still young...I think brahmas are slow to mature.
Are there any other roosters around?

Yes. We have an Old English Game bantam that is very gentle. He crows, but does not mount the hens (they are all VERY large compared to him, but he does hang around them a lot and pays no attention to our Brahma male). The Old English Game Bantam is less than a pound and was said to be a year old (I think he is still under a year old). Right now, he is about the same size as our two week old Cornish Xs we have for 4-H, so still a very, very small bird.

 

[PalmRoyal]

My rooster was an Ameracuana. He was probably a good 7 or 8 months old before I saw him mounting the hens on the lower end of the pecking order. The higher up hens would whip his butt if he tried. By one year, he was mounting all of them, and he was my only rooster. A predator took him in early June, so I am roosterless at the moment. Yours will get interested in another few months, I would think.

Our most dominant female (I was told she was a Delaware, but I am thinking that she is a Brahma X) tries to intimidate him, however, he just tells her like it is and lives his life. Today, while laying down, the hen tried to come up to him to do whatever to him (he was sleeping and woke up) and did his little "get away" sound and she backed off pretty quickly and left him alone. He is the sweetest cockerel and lets a 2 and 4 year old mess with him constantly, so he is not really being mean and we have never seen him bully a hen, but everyone pretty much respects boundaries pretty well.

 

[Peeps61]

The Brahma is really pretty! I have two hens, and they are the sweetest chicks out of the bunch, with the friendly cochins following closely behind. Out of my grown hens, my RIR is the most friendly and talkative. I think they miss their rooster buddy.