Which Rooster should I keep?

[thirteenthcor]

I have a fully grown Black Copper Maran Rooster who is being very mean to some new arrival Buff Orpington pullets. I've had them for about a week and his behavior has gotten worse if anything. He's also crowing quite a lot, which started recently.

I have a Red Cockerel that's borderline rooster, probably in competition with the BCM, or soon to be.

I have a submissive Black (Australorp?) Cockerel who sits right under the Red in the "order".

The BCM is very noisy and harasses all the other chickens, chases them away from any food I lay down so he can eat first, and generally acts like a big wiener to every other chicken in the backyard with the exception of one little bantam.

The Red Cockerel is already honking a heck of a lot (I really can't deal with an overly noisy Rooster if I can help it) but is kind of nice to the other chickens (or at least not aggressive or mean; he's only a little larger than the Buff Orp pullets).

I originally got the BCM for protection, but I haven't had a predator problem in a few months, so I don't know if I really need him anymore considering how much of an a*hole he's being to all the other chickens in the Backyard.

Does anyone have any advice, suggestions? This is all new to me!

Thanks!

T.

 

[leadwolf1]

A rooster should never chase hens from the food..so, he would go.

Choose between the other two...the one that is the nicest rooster.

 

[thirteenthcor]

They are new hens to the flock though; he's only known them for about a week. Does this rule still stand?

The nicest one would be the black one, but only because he seems uninterested in the other chickens, not for any other reason.

Thanks

 

[leadwolf1]

No, it doesn't. He is establishing order back into his flock. I would give him a couple more weeks, up to a month to get his flock back together. Does he treat his old hens differently? Does he allow them to eat first?

 

[chickencoop789]

You should keep the nasty rooster for a couple of weeks. He is going to tell the newbies that he's the boss. He may get better after the pecking order is established. I wouldnt get rid of him now when he might get better.

 

[thirteenthcor]

Thanks for the advice guys.

It looks like he never really had old hens in his flock in the first place.

I started with a half-dozen straight-run + the BCM and I ended up losing four to predators and one to dry-pox within the first few weeks. I replaced these with a few more in a straight-run, and it turns out I ended up at the final tally of having one female bantam (I think), two cockerels, and the rooster. When I first started with chickens I didn't even know hens/roosters had a different "look" when they were young, so I ended up leaving the three males together with one female for a month and a half, this being the sum total of my "flock."

During this time they behaved themselves, so I never knew the difference. At this time they all seemed to eat communally. Only recently has he begun to drive the other birds away from feed, including the bantam +5 Buffs. However I DID catch him defending the Buffs FROM me this evening while I was mite dusting them. This seems promising.

I'm trying to run egg production, not meat, so I really only have the Rooster for Security against predators (which he's already done a good defense) and Hen Psych Health (I'm told having a Roo around can help with egg production?)

I have two other cockerels that I KNOW as my main rooster comes into his sexual maturity he's going to be a handful to deal with, beyond the crowing.

I don't -really- need roosters for my purposes, so does anyone think it wise to go ahead and relocate the two cockerels, and then feel out the head rooster for the next few weeks, then if it doesn't work out, relocate him? Or should I keep all three? The predator problem seems to have gone away, but that may actually be because I have a Chief ROOSEC security officer on the premises.

Thanks,

T.

 

[chickencoop789]

(I'm told having a Roo around can help with egg production?)

I have heard the opposite. The hens will lay more eggs without the rooster pestering them. Well, thats what I heard.

 

[leadwolf1]

My hens lay everyday and they have a rooster in with them...I don't think that the rooster matters either way.

 

[Missa Chickabee]

I know I'm a newbie, but from what I've gleaned from this site and others is: More than one roo: competetive crowing......and (IMO) one's going think he's a loser.

Everything becomes a pet to me. I think the days are coming when I have to get practical: ie not "make friends" with the roos so I can more readily give them away, sell them, or......digest them without emotional pain.

 

[Mrs. K]

it might be the lack of predator problem is your rooster. He is doing his job. Roosters are not real good at predator work until they are near 1 years old, so I think I would keep him.

IMO you have way too many roos. Someone has to go.

Adding and subtracting birds does disrupt things, and things are already disrupted, I would make changes right away, and the flock will settle sooner, rather than drag it out, letting them get used to the new hens, then disrupting it with getting rid of the extra roos.

My 2 cents - get rid of the other two now, and keep the Black Copper maran - I think that in 3 weeks you will have a nice balanced flock.

MrsK