What are Black Australorp roosters like?

[chickenwire]

we have many breeds and the australorp voted the best for nice respectful docile breed weve ever had. weve had a few roos and never an agressive one

 

[aveca]

Love the australorps, They are the freindly birds compared to some others.. Any rooster can turn protective and get you if he feels you are in some way threatening his hens, but if you understand that he is only being protective and thats his job then you can accept it.. australorps roosters will not hunt you down like some roosters who will go way out of thier way to get you..we have had some other breeds that will come clear across the farm just to beat you up..far away from a protective barrior that I would consider normal, we had one RIR rooster that chased and attacked golf carts people, tractors, anything that moved..we had other RIRs that were no where near that bad.. I have only ever had a problem with australorp roos when I needed to get too close to one of thier hens and the hen made a noise like she was threatened he punched me. Australorps roosters dont have the big daggers that some breeds have for spurs , all of ours have short blunt spurs , Its nice cause I dont have to twist them off to show., they dont tear up your hens , and you get a blunt punch not a saber stab. The rooster we have now has spurs that are about 3/4 in long and very blunt , its just the way they are for the most part. over all they are the easiest to work with I have had, but they say several other breeds are very docile as well.

 

[happyhensny]

Your positive comments make me feel great. We have 4 BA hens and decided to get 5 straight run chicks in Feb. Hoping for 1 happy, friendly Roo!

 

[Chickiemama1010]

I'm glad to hear this too. i have 6 ba roos and 6 hens right now. Well, theyre adolescents, not "roos" yet, only about 4mo old. I'm keeping one, and maybe 2. I have Elmer, b/c he was the only chick that got paste butt (elmer like the paste/glue) And Little red, the first one to show red comb, and the fact he was without a doubt male. Little red is smaller than the other 5 roos, but he is friendly. And he's already accepted his fate as a lesser roo it seems. Elmer is the biggest despite his rough start with his pasty butt. and just as tame and nice as can be. I think we have an understanding since he spent so much personal time with me getting his butt cleaned. I think my run is big enough, and they are allowed to free range a few times a week when the weather allows, plus I want to build a pvc tractor this summer to get them a chance to graze during the day safely, or be allowed in specific areas of the garden otherwise off limits. I woud like to keep them both as the other 4 are bound for freezer camp. I know there may be an issue with dominance with 2 roos and only 9 hens,but as I said, seems little red is OK being a sub-roo.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

This is nice report about your BA's. I enjoyed reading it. You might find that two roo's is a little hard on 6 hens. It seems I read somewhere that you need about 4 hens per roo. I claim no expertise on this so you might want to read up on and watch how the roos handle then hens. Good luck!

 

[lildinkem]

Quote:
The one I have is like a puppy dog. He will follow you every where. Very friendly curious variety. Should be a wonderful bird far as temperment. just like an Orpington

 

[Lynxmomma]

okay i just had a confirmation that one of my chicks is a rooster. its a Australorp. I have three Australorp girls.. Im hoping that he will be a nice rooster when he grows up. so Im wondering since hes still little should I handle him a little more ???? I mean he's nice now and friendly with my daughter..

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

Not sure if anyone is still checking this thread, so I will add a comment. I don't have much experience with adult roosters, but am guessing that more handling would be good. You could also try PM'ing posters on the thread that had good experience with BA roosters if they don't see the thread is reactivated and respond.

 

[Chickiemama1010]

Handle him frequently. Pick him up and carry him around just cuz you can. Aussies are know to be nice and docile, but any roo can be a problem if you let him. Heres a link to rooster behaviour and mentality. Think like a rooster and treat your rooster like he is in second command to you, Let him know you are the boss and by no means are you taking a backseat to him. In his mind, youre another rooster, his biggest competition for the hens attn. Also you bring the food. Roosters 9esp in free range situation) enjoy finding food and treats and calling the ladies over to them, even allowing the hens to pluck tidbits from his beak. Like a dinner date, chicken style. When you provide the food, sometimes he thinks youre the one dating the hens, and if he ever gets the inclination he has a chance to steal your girlfriend so to speak, watch out. Read this. It is invaluable info for anyone who intends to keep roos to adult age and wants to be able to use their broom to sweep, not to swat roosters every time they go to the coop. Trust me on this.......I have used my broom as a weapon. Used to travel with it if I was in the yard and the roo was out. That roo is gone, and my aussie roo while still pretty young, would not dream of challenging my role as alpha. He doesnt even try to eat if I am within 6 feet of him. he waits till I walk away. And thats the way it should be. I am the alpha roo, he is the lesser roo and he knows it. Read this....

http://shilala.homestead.com/roosters.html

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

Chickiemama1010 - Thank you. Wow. That was terrific. I really needed that info as I have a lot of little roo's growing up right now.