When to re-home?

[WallyBirdie]

I am curious as how you reformed a "grumpy" roo and what you define as grumpy as well please?

I had a young cockerel that matured much too fast. He was excessively mounting the pullets and plucking feathers and biting necks. He quickly went from sweet and easy to handle- to being obsessive over his girls to the point where he got mad when I approached to feed and water them. He ruffled his feathers and fluffed up, strutted and paced, and even bit me once. He didn't draw blood but I wanted to stop the behavior as soon as possible.

He's beautiful. And I wanted to keep him. So I worked with him. I sought advice (most people told me to eat him- but I don't eat any poultry; a few people offered helpful suggestions that I incorporated). I watched over the birds and intervened when he got too rough with the girls.

I picked him up and held him several times a day- he wasn't happy. In fact, I jokingly said: "It's time to embarrass you in front of all the girls", then I'd pick him up and hold him til he settled. I carried him around and put him down / picked him up at random intervals (outside the run and away from the girls but still within sight).

He was put back with the girls and given treats while being monitored. And if bad behavior persisted, he spent a few hours in chicken jail.

I kept at it for a while. Took days, maybe longer, but he is now very easy to handle, and he very seldom upsets the girls.
I still pick him up and carry him around, sit and pet him, then let him rejoin the others. I do this to remind him that I'm boss and he has his girls because I allow it.

The initial problem stemmed from three main points (as far as I know/understand).
Instinct.
Hormones.
And, my mistake for spoiling him a bit too much- to the point where he became a bully who wanted his own way.

I am not saying that my boy is perfect.
I am not saying that what I did will work for other cockerels/roosters.
But in my case, it has helped my boy to mellow out, and I am happy to be able to keep him.

I currently have 4 males. One is a large older roo and the other three are cockerels that are maturing.
They are all getting along. (It helps that I have plenty of pullets/hens and space.)

I now have an additional 2 pullets and 3 cockerels (all about a month old), and that is more than I was prepared for. They are not yet a problem, but I am working towards a solution for a harmonious future.

It's been a very hands-on year with my chickens, but it has also been very rewarding.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Pay close attention to your hens and pullets; they usually 'choose' the one that they like and trust. If, when a cockerel comes into sight of your hens and pullets and the girls start objecting or looking to get out of his sight, put him on your list of boys to cull. Your girls know which cockerel has THEIR best interests at heart, watch them and they'll tell you who they like. You don't NEED a rooster to get eggs, but you do need him if you want fertile eggs. A good rooster is well behaved if he pretty much avoids you and your pets. He should opt to keep several feet of space between humans or pets and himself. A hand-fed rooster has a higher likelihood to consider you HIS property and subject to the pecking order... this devolves into pokes and pecks to downright aggression and can be dangerous. When your boys get to the age they start playing dominance games... take care to always walk as if you'd walk right through them, not turning to the right nor left... force them out of your way to assert YOUR pecking order. A walking stick tapped with a thud on the ground a foot away from him as a training tool has been known to be effective. Don't hit him, but make him fully aware of your presence and be assertive.
As for your re-homed boys... I'd charge the going rate for meat at your local market to discourage people from trying to get a 'free' or 'cheap' meal from you, and I'd also word your advertisement in such a way that it's clear that you're looking for them to become an addition to someone's existing flock, or a pet. Sadly, You can't enforce the 'no eat him' rule, but a carefully worded ad and a friendly chat with the prospective new owner should give you the peace of mind that you at least tried to find him a long and happy life.

 

[WallyBirdie]

Pay close attention to your hens and pullets; they usually 'choose' the one that they like and trust. If, when a cockerel comes into sight of your hens and pullets and the girls start objecting or looking to get out of his sight, put him on your list of boys to cull. Your girls know which cockerel has THEIR best interests at heart, watch them and they'll tell you who they like. You don't NEED a rooster to get eggs, but you do need him if you want fertile eggs. A good rooster is well behaved if he pretty much avoids you and your pets. He should opt to keep several feet of space between humans or pets and himself. A hand-fed rooster has a higher likelihood to consider you HIS property and subject to the pecking order... this devolves into pokes and pecks to downright aggression and can be dangerous. When your boys get to the age they start playing dominance games... take care to always walk as if you'd walk right through them, not turning to the right nor left... force them out of your way to assert YOUR pecking order. A walking stick tapped with a thud on the ground a foot away from him as a training tool has been known to be effective. Don't hit him, but make him fully aware of your presence and be assertive.
As for your re-homed boys... I'd charge the going rate for meat at your local market to discourage people from trying to get a 'free' or 'cheap' meal from you, and I'd also word your advertisement in such a way that it's clear that you're looking for them to become an addition to someone's existing flock, or a pet. Sadly, You can't enforce the 'no eat him' rule, but a carefully worded ad and a friendly chat with the prospective new owner should give you the peace of mind that you at least tried to find him a long and happy life.

I have handled my cockerels and roos just fine, even with hormonal and bossy behavior. I understand the risks and have taken all into account.
My roos and cockerels are not yet a problem. I will not be subjecting them to the first person who slaps a hand out and says 'I'll take them.'

They do not currently need a new home. If their hormones don't kick in for a bit, I will be looking into an additional coop/run. I'll try my hand at having a young bachelor's pen.

If I end up needing to rehome my birds, I'll need to get rid of a maximum of 2, and I already know a person local who may be willing to take one- and they do not eat their own birds.

I was merely asking questions to be prepared for what-ifs.

 

[Futuregreenefarm]

I had a young cockerel that matured much too fast. He was excessively mounting the pullets and plucking feathers and biting necks. He quickly went from sweet and easy to handle- to being obsessive over his girls to the point where he got mad when I approached to feed and water them. He ruffled his feathers and fluffed up, strutted and paced, and even bit me once. He didn't draw blood but I wanted to stop the behavior as soon as possible.

He's beautiful. And I wanted to keep him. So I worked with him. I sought advice (most people told me to eat him- but I don't eat any poultry; a few people offered helpful suggestions that I incorporated). I watched over the birds and intervened when he got too rough with the girls.

I picked him up and held him several times a day- he wasn't happy. In fact, I jokingly said: "It's time to embarrass you in front of all the girls", then I'd pick him up and hold him til he settled. I carried him around and put him down / picked him up at random intervals (outside the run and away from the girls but still within sight).

He was put back with the girls and given treats while being monitored. And if bad behavior persisted, he spent a few hours in chicken jail.

I kept at it for a while. Took days, maybe longer, but he is now very easy to handle, and he very seldom upsets the girls.
I still pick him up and carry him around, sit and pet him, then let him rejoin the others. I do this to remind him that I'm boss and he has his girls because I allow it.

The initial problem stemmed from three main points (as far as I know/understand).
Instinct.
Hormones.
And, my mistake for spoiling him a bit too much- to the point where he became a bully who wanted his own way.

I am not saying that my boy is perfect.
I am not saying that what I did will work for other cockerels/roosters.
But in my case, it has helped my boy to mellow out, and I am happy to be able to keep him.

I currently have 4 males. One is a large older roo and the other three are cockerels that are maturing.
They are all getting along. (It helps that I have plenty of pullets/hens and space.)

I now have an additional 2 pullets and 3 cockerels (all about a month old), and that is more than I was prepared for. They are not yet a problem, but I am working towards a solution for a harmonious future.

It's been a very hands-on year with my chickens, but it has also been very rewarding.

Thank you for responding. I am glad it worked out for you.

 

[Criticalicious]

I felt the same way that you do about rehoming roosters, because I put so much time and effort into raising them and they are beautiful. But my first year, I started with 5 chicks, and 2 of the "girls" turned out to be boys and I knew 3:2 was a bad ratio. I offered the 2 extra boys on Craigs List for free with a stern message that they were not for eating, to good home only. And then when the guy came to pick them up, we chatted for almost an hour. Granted he may have later eaten them or sold them, but at least I felt good about where they were going to. He seemed to be much more experienced about chickens than I was.

This year chicken math got me and between getting day old chicks, an incubator and a broody, I added 14 chicks to my flock (8 boys, 6 girls of varying ages). I got a bigger coop for the girls.

Rehoming the extra roosters the second time was a little bit easier emotionally, again through Craigs List but I asked $5 each to good home only. I think because I asked for money it took 2 weeks (versus 2 hours) for someone to show up. He said he wanted all 5 boys I was offering but he ended up only taking 3 of them (two batches of chicks, they would have fought and he said he only had 8 pullets right now).

As of now, I have 4 boys growing out in a bachelor pad and behaving themselves. I am debating whether to post them on CL and if so, how many of them, and do I want to keep the baby roo that's growing up with the broody?

Although the chickens are my outdoor spoiled pets, at the end of the day, I remind myself that I have them for eggs and my enjoyment. I'd like to develop the breed (BCM) slowly over time as well, to maintain the standard. So if the roosters do not fulfill those requirements, then I should find someone else who may get more enjoyment or benefit out of them than I will. I'm in an area surrounded by farm land and farmers who could use quality roosters to grow their flocks.

 

[WallyBirdie]

I felt the same way that you do about rehoming roosters, because I put so much time and effort into raising them and they are beautiful. But my first year, I started with 5 chicks, and 2 of the "girls" turned out to be boys and I knew 3:2 was a bad ratio. I offered the 2 extra boys on Craigs List for free with a stern message that they were not for eating, to good home only. And then when the guy came to pick them up, we chatted for almost an hour. Granted he may have later eaten them or sold them, but at least I felt good about where they were going to. He seemed to be much more experienced about chickens than I was.

This year chicken math got me and between getting day old chicks, an incubator and a broody, I added 14 chicks to my flock (8 boys, 6 girls of varying ages). I got a bigger coop for the girls.

Rehoming the extra roosters the second time was a little bit easier emotionally, again through Craigs List but I asked $5 each to good home only. I think because I asked for money it took 2 weeks (versus 2 hours) for someone to show up. He said he wanted all 5 boys I was offering but he ended up only taking 3 of them (two batches of chicks, they would have fought and he said he only had 8 pullets right now).

As of now, I have 4 boys growing out in a bachelor pad and behaving themselves. I am debating whether to post them on CL and if so, how many of them, and do I want to keep the baby roo that's growing up with the broody?

Although the chickens are my outdoor spoiled pets, at the end of the day, I remind myself that I have them for eggs and my enjoyment. I'd like to develop the breed (BCM) slowly over time as well, to maintain the standard. So if the roosters do not fulfill those requirements, then I should find someone else who may get more enjoyment or benefit out of them than I will. I'm in an area surrounded by farm land and farmers who could use quality roosters to grow their flocks.

Thank you so much for sharing this.