Why have a rooster? new Pg 10 video pg 13

[Aimless Farmer]

Hate to be redundant, but what a great story! You should write books about your animals.

You painted a picture of all the reasons I've always wanted to keep a rooster for my hens. Our first roo was 5 months old when we adopted him from a neighbor with small kids. Elvis was the BEST, until he was around 2 years old, then he started coming after me and being too rough with our girls (hens, not children). We (my dh) finally wrung his neck, but he had earned a spot in our pet cemetary. I still miss the GOOD Elvis.

Our new roo' just turned a year this past April, and Onslow is our "Rootard". I raised him from a day-old. Chose him over his brother to keep. He came of age amid some serious preditor pressure. Foxes, when he was a cockerel still safe in the nursery coop, and marauding hawks last fall, when he was finally "in charge". I theorize that he has PTSD. When things around the property get too stressfull for him (predators, tree removal, strangers in the yard), he flies over the electronet fence and runs! When I come into the yard, he attacks relentlessly, and I will shove him away with my boot. This can be repeated to the point of exhaustion if I don't catch him and hang him upside down. Once he came back at me repeatedly until his comb and wattles started turning blue! Although he will bring the girls to treats that he finds in the yard himself, if I bring out treats, he won't let them enjoy them, and actively tries to shoo them away from it, sometimes beaning them on the head for emphasis. When they come running to the fence to greet me, he gets his petticoats all in a twist. Apparently, instead of being their Mother Hen, sole provider of sustinance, I am the Evil Queen. *sigh*

Now that school is over, I know what needs to be done... We've lost so many chickens (1/2 our flock) this past year due to preditors, it seems counterproductive to dispatch of one myself, and leave the girls with no protector, but I know he's no asset. It's gotten to the point that he's NOT better than NO rooster. Last night I opened the side roof of the coop to have a last count and check on everyone, and he actually flew at my face! He attacks when I collect eggs if he's in the coop, and if he's not in, he'll go in to try. *sigh*

I want a GOOD rooster. I had one for almost 2 years, so I have the memories of the pride I felt. Until Elvis snapped, he was the only chicken I could pick up and carry around for kids to pet.

I love my Easter Eggers, but is it just these roo's? Anyone have any nice EE roosters? Anyone have an extra Russian Orloff rooster? Another breed that fascinates me...

 

[hepster]

hmmm : reminds me of a few marines i know

is he ,,what you call a blue jersey giant?

i got one that looks like him , and when the puppy chases the chickens he comes after her and spanks her ,

sure is funny to see the puppy sleeping with the chickens

 

[pinkyglory123]

i have a nice EE rooster. He does watch over his girls. He does make sure all are in the coop before retires for the night. He is alert and upset by the sounds of protest from the pullets being picked up. We have lost pullets with him on watch but it could be that he realizes when it is hopeless. He is a nice rooster. He retains a permanent limp from an attack from a predator. He is not exceedingly rough=or gentle with his girls. He is gentle with the tiniest of chicks. He is a keeper.

 

[Cetawin]

fourqrotes, please do not take offense...but that rooster needs to be shot. He is human aggressive, mean to his girls and not worth the time or energy to kick. Not to mention, kicking, hitting, and etc. will only make him worse. But...no rooster is worth breathing if he pecks his girls or pecks a helpless girl. Get rid of him and get a good boy.

A good rooster should take care of his girls, not be mean to them and his humans should be able to pick him up or his girls and have him behave himself. Unhderstand one thing...you may be bent over one day and get a spur in the face...he cannot be trusted and is dangerous....not to mention your dog could lose an eye easily too.

 

[Cetawin]

Well Lancelot is a Blue Orpington....a big boy. I have yet to have one of mine attack me.

Aimless Farmer...you are playing with fire...he could seriously injure you. Off with his head. I will not rehome a mean rooster, why make him someone else's problem?

 

[Aimless Farmer]

I'd never rehome him. I had a neighbor who had a few city guys drive by as he was dealing with his ornery rooster. They stopped and offered him $50 buck for him! He wrung his neck that night, fearing they'd come back to steal him for cock fights.

He will be dispatched shortly. I'm just trying to get up the nerve... He makes me feel like such a failure, in all honesty, though I know this is baloney.

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:

No it is the roo that fails us. They are raised with love, affection, all the proper care they could ask for and a safe place to live and then they turn out to be a butthead. I have been very blessed and it has not happened to me yet (knock on wood) but I have seen it happen....Speckledhen's sweet boy Dutch a BR roo just one day at almost 2 years old, turned on her. It was sad and it broke her heart.

I agree with you, I would remove their head before I allowed someone to abuse them and torture them with cock fighting.

 

[Irish Luck]

OK, you convinced me. My rooster, Colonel, is a PAIN IN THE BUTT!!! I do have a similar story with domestic dogs. I was cleaning the chicken coop one day and as I was taking out the poop I accidentally left the door opened to the pen. I was at the manure pile and I hear my 3 dogs, a huge lab, a pit bull and a monstrously large Great Pyrranhees barking hysterically. I think OMG the chickens!!! I run back to the pen to see the Colonel standing at the wide open gate and the 3 dogs barking furiously at him, but not daring to go past him. He prevented what could have been a disaster!!!

Question: The Colonel is very aggressive to me. When he was young I could pet him and get on the ground and let him walk around me, no problem. As soon as he became an adult he started attacking me. He actually hit me so hard, he knocked me down once. How do I negotiate a cease fire with him? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!!

I hope Lancelot got and extra nice handful of potato skins (my rooster's favorite treat) Talk about falling on your sword.

 

[Rathbone]

Just to butt in briefly - each of my roosters seemed to go through a mean stage as they "entered manhood". and then it passed. Is your rooster still a big teenager Irish Luck? Maybe this will pass. But if he doesn't get over it in a week - I wouldn't keep him.

 

[lauramalicksmith]

Coyotes are an unfortunate and common occurrence on and around our property. We just lost our 9 year old peacock a week ago to one. And the roosters really don't do anything to help prevent anything happening to the chickens when they are free roaming on the property. At night they are penned, and right now the snakes our the enemy. We've caught about 30 snakes since May.

With that said, we have about 12 roosters out of our 30+ chickens. For the most part the roosters do get along with the occasional fight or chase. I for one really love to hear the different crows and I can tell who's crowing by the tone. But we are out in the country on 12 acres. You can hear them crow up to about a half mile away, but it is a common sound out here. I cannot see having one in the city. Most cities will allow hens, but no roosters and I can understand why. While the crowing would not bother me, it can be an annoyance.

Without our roosters, we could not hatch our own chicks. Life would be sad without them as they're beautiful to look at and have great personalities. I've only had issues with two of our banty roos. They will attack me in the pens and one will chase me in the yard. My legs bear the scars.

So when I hear people say that you shouldn't have more than one rooster, we are proof that that is really not true.