Welsummer Rooster or not to Rooster?

[CluckyLady]

My chicks are now 12 weeks old. I have 2 Australorp hens, 2 Welsummer hens and 2 Welsummer Roosters. These are my first chickens EVER and my question is: should I keep one of the roosters or should I sell both? I am not sure that I am confident with a rooster if is decides to have a go at me. I hear a lot of stories of roosters 'turning' and attacking their humans. At the moment they are fine with me but one of them has started to crow and it does crow when I come into the henhouse. The lady who sold me the chicks adviced me not to pick the roosters up once I knew they were rooster and not to cuddle them. I have not done that. She also said that her lines are pretty calm but I'm just not sure what to do. I definitely will sell one of them but should I sell both? I am especially keen to hear from people who have Welsummers as I am guessing that different breeds have different temperaments?

 

[3riverschick]

My chicks are now 12 weeks old. I have 2 Australorp hens, 2 Welsummer hens and 2 Welsummer Roosters. These are my first chickens EVER and my question is: should I keep one of the roosters or should I sell both? I am not sure that I am confident with a rooster if is decides to have a go at me. I hear a lot of stories of roosters 'turning' and attacking their humans. At the moment they are fine with me but one of them has started to crow and it does crow when I come into the henhouse. The lady who sold me the chicks adviced me not to pick the roosters up once I knew they were rooster and not to cuddle them. I have not done that. She also said that her lines are pretty calm but I'm just not sure what to do. I definitely will sell one of them but should I sell both? I am especially keen to hear from people who have Welsummers as I am guessing that different breeds have different temperaments?

You only need one boy. Check out the Welsummer thread. Send some pics of both boys and let some well-established Welsummer breeders help you pick the best boy for your girls. Send pics of your girls to the list too.
As far as the boys. Nonsense. Of course you can make friends with them. Hold them. Pick them up. Try offering treats. Buy some black oil sunflower seeds. (BOSS) Enter the run and make soft clucking to the chickens. "Here chick, chick, chick" works too.Then throw the BOSS on the ground. Make sure they see you throw it on the ground so they associate it with you. The BOSS is great for feathers, especially the rooster's feathers. Will make them strong and shiny. Your rooster will have a great time showing his girls the treats "he"! found for them,LOL.
Did you know you can clicker train a chicken? There's a lady in Wash. State who perfected it and uses the techniques to teach dog trainers how to associate with animals before they start training dogs...or to improve their skills. She sells a DVD set of videos on how to clicker train chickens.. Try this in the poultry yard without the girls, not the coop, where he feels he must guard his girls. If you need to clean the coop, let him into the yard so he won't feel defensive beng in the coop while you are too.
Karen

 

[CluckyLady]

Thanks for all that info 3riverchick. I had heard about the clicker training before. I train dogs (agility/obedience) and often use clickers so I am fairly well up with how to use them and may have a bit of a play with the rooster. I taught a friend to clicker train and he used it on a camel with success

Actually both roosters eat out of my hand - they'll walk over my feet if I stand still. I have done a lot of socialising, I just don't pick them up but I don't pick the hens up either. Me being a bit scared of roosters is silly if you knew that I have Belgian Shepherd, 2 in tact boys

I just don't like agression. I will put up photos over the next day or so. They are pet quality tho. Also, I am in Australia and we've noticed before that our birds look slightly different from yours. Anyway - photos pending.

 

[pinkchick]

Definitely TO rooster! Welsummer roosters are wonderful!

I agree with Karen (3rivers).....you can still make friends with the rooster, it will just take a little time and you can get him to be a good friend to you. I had one Wellie rooster that thought he had to tell me where the treats were and do the wing dance side step at me like I was one of his girls, silly chickens. LOL!
I bred Welsummers for almost 4 years and only had onIy rooster ever think he could cross the line with me. The rest were as calm and friendly, not lovely dovey friendly like lap chickens...but knew that if I came in or tried to pick them up or do what ever I had to do with them or around them, it was ok.
I handle my birds from day one and I don't stop. Each night when I go out to lock the chickens up I always grab a rooster or hen off the roost and hold them, pet them and carry them around with me while I finish up chores.

Oh and definitely post photos of them over on the Welsummer thread.....tons of great folks there that will help you select a rooster to keep.

 

[CluckyLady]

Please remember, these are not show birds - they are pets

Rooster1 has curled toes which don't seem to bother him.

R2= Rooster 2 R1= Rooster 1 Pullets, i'm never sure who's who, they are so similar

R2



R1


R1


R2


R2


R1


Pullet


Pullet


Pullet