welsumer roo behavior

[Turkeyrun]

Thanks to those who have looked at the pics of two of my welsumer and are confirming that one of them is a roo. I had hoped for all four welsumers to be pullets but it seems we have two roos. They are eight weeks old.

Now to decide what to do next. Of course there is the option to wait and see how things go. There are a total of 17 chickens if ouy flock, two will be roos. I have lots of questions, advice is welcome.

1.Are the roos likely to fight?

2.Do roos really help protect a free range flock? We will let them out on weekends and nice evenings when we are home from work.

3.What is the general temperament of Welsumer roos? Will they get aggressive or attack? They already seem a bit more aggressive then the others.

4.How are they with the ladies? I really don't want the ladies to have their feathers pulled out during over eager amorous advances.

5.Is this something I should address with the hatchery? I did pay for pullets. How accurate can one expect sexing to be?

I am tempted to get rid of them now . . .but maybe I should give them a chance. I am in western PA. Let me know if you are interested in an addition to your flock . . .

 

[CMV]

Quote:
I hope this helped. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I got a surprise male in my sexed pullets this year. I'm keeping him for now, but he is rapidly running out of chances. He has flogged me twice in the past, and yesterday went after my daughter. One more attack and he's going to end up in the pot!

 

[lauralou]

Turkeyrun, I'm sorry you got roos when you ordered pullets! It happens.

I think CMV is right on the money with her answers to you. I'll see if I can add something.

There is no doubt in my mind that roosters protect a free range flock. They are more vigilant than hens, generally speaking. They stay on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary and warn the girls when they see something.

I've had a lot of Welsummer roos, from 3 different breeders. The vast majority of them have been sold before they reached maturity. I did keep 2 to adulthood. They were from different lines, and were penned separately. Their "personalities" were as different as night and day. The one was very shy of people. He never showed the first hint of aggression toward us. However, he was extremely hard on his girls. Their feathers were in a state of complete disarray. To the point that I'm delighted to see them molt. The other started out as the friendliest roo ever, and turned into a manfighter. I accept a lot of the blame for this. I never demanded his respect. Everything was kissie-kissie, lovey-lovey. I thought he was the most wondrous, many-splendoured chicken on earth, and we both suffered the consequences of that stupid mistake. On the plus side, his hens didn't have a feather out of place. So, yeah, agreeing with CMV here, it depends on the roo. The genetic predisposition for aggression, as well as the treatment he receives from his humans. I do think I made a mistake by babying him too much.

Both of those boys went to the big chicken coop in the sky.

So, the decision to keep them or get rid of them. A very personal decision. They have good points, they have bad points. They can be an asset to the flock, or a menace to your health and safety.

I think small children should be factored into the equation, and a truthful assessment of what you are and are not willing to do if things go sour. I'm lucky in that I have a husband who styles himself as "the final solution".

 

[Happy Chooks]

My rooster is a welsummer. He's currently sharing his space with a younger rooster that he was not raised with. He is very tolerant of the other rooster, but still lets him know that he's top chicken. He does wing dance the younger rooster and occasionally chases him, but no major fighting.

My welsummer rooster, Moose, absolutely protects the hens. He sees the hawks before I do. He is always on the lookout for threats. He treats his ladies well, and he's gentle with them in mating. (unlike the younger roo) I never have to worry about turning my back on him, he's never challenged me. He'll take treats from my hands, then give them to the hens. He's always the first one out of the coop in the morning, looking after the hens while they are eating.

He's very mellow and sweet, although he's not the cuddly type.

Hatchery sexing is only about 90% accurate.