Why have a rooster? new Pg 10 video pg 13

[sabianshepherds]

Very cool story, I wish I could keep a big 'ole roo. I live in the city limits and am not allowed roosters, otherwise my boys would stay. I'm just too close to neighbors to even sneak one.

 

[ChickenAlgebra]

LH and Speckledhen, what do you think of roos who aren't perfect with young chicks? The big boys, I don't think they are mean + the girls wouldn't put up with that, but they aren't careful I guess. They tend to ignore them until they are feathered. Ok?

 

[LittlenRedHen782]

Thank you for this story it completely changes my mind about how to house my little 5 week old barred rock roo when he gets older. I guess it is time to go to another section to get help figuring out what to do next.

 

[Cetawin]

Algae, most roos are not that hot about having young ones around...some are really good but I think it is indifference until they are clearly a male and become a threat in the mind of the rooster. But those big ole feet and little chicks are not always good combos.

I would not get rid of a roo because of that honestly. If he is not people aggressive, good to the girls he would stay. I would just keep mom's with babies out of foot range from him.


In most wild animal cases, a male will only tolerate their own young, going so far s to kil all of the offspring that are not his....in some cases they just show indifference. So, sounds like he is a normal big footed boy. When the male babies start growing and become obviously male and perceived as a threat to his position...things could change rapidly.

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
If you have another roo, just give your BR boy some girls of his own and a separated space from the other roo and his girls. If there is no roo present, when he reaches breeding age, stick him in with the girls. Good luck to you.

 

[sassypants'mama]

Can you have more than one roo in the flock? This is why we are looking at keeping one of the ones that our broody hatched in March, but would love to keep em all if we can.

 

[ChickenAlgebra]

Quote:
That's pretty much what I've always figured. The banty Cochins who are breeders, they actually are VERY good with chicks until we get roos there. But I think it's the Cochin broody brain taking over, if the hens are all insane broody, the roos want to help out.

The big boys, well, oops, wasn't watching where my foot went that's attached to my 15 lb body, and a baby got smashed. Which is worse than outright killed, I could understand that in the animal world, but the chick gets horribly injured and we have to put it out of it's misery. Which is just always horrible.

So the big boys go play with the laying flock until the chicks are slightly bigger, and we do fine. Always figured since the roos are otherwise civil, well mannered boys who protect their hens with their lives if needed, refuse treats until the hens are full, and like/tolerate people, we were fine.

 

[speckledhen]

I've had three roosters I could trust with babies, my sweet old Hawkeye and his sons, Dutch and Zane, Barred Rocks. I would even put Hawkeye in a pen full of juveniles and he'd show them food and bop them gently on the head if they got out of line, just the best guy. Hawkeye is the yardstick by which all others are measured now, may he rest in peace. Isaac, I wouldn't trust with babies, though he's never really been in a pen with really small chicks. He did chase a 9 week old cockerel all over the coop once and I had to remove the kid. Suede, no idea. He's never been given the opportunity to be around small chicks, though I'd imagine he wouldn't hurt on purpose-if he stepped on one with his 5" feet, it would be thoroughly squashed, I'm sure.

 

[Serrin]

As near as I can tell, my #1 boy, Chief, is completely trustworthy with youngsters. I moved GeeGee and Goobey back in with the main flock when Goobey was still only about 7 weeks old. So far, "dad" has tolerated his boy quite well. Goobey is about 18 weeks old now and definitely showing signs of an amorous nature towards the girls. Chief hasn't really put the run on him yet, though he will put a foot on Goobey's back in a gentle warning that he doesn't like the kid's rough neck style! If Goobey acts respectful of the girls, nobody seems to have any kind of problem with it.

Goobey's sister, Charlotte, joined the flock when she was about 8 weeks of age and is now approaching 16 weeks. She has had a very good relationship with her daddy so far. But then, I chalk that up to her being a pullet and future mate to Chief. So, of course he's all A-OK with that idea!

My three other boys live in a separate section of the yard, fenced off from the main flock. There have been a number of occasions where either Goobey or Charlotte have accidentally gotten into their enclosure through a small gap under the fence line. Each time, CB went off like a fire alarm to let me know that one of the kids were where they shouldn't be. The whole time, not one of my boys harmed so much as a feather shaft on either of those kids. They're such sweet boys!

I truly believe that each and every one of my boys could be trusted to look after even smaller chicks. I can hardly wait for the day when I have both time and materials to build each of my lads their own coop and provide them with a small flock of girls of their own. I know they're going to be awesome fathers!

 

[ChickenAlgebra]

From about 5-6 weeks till they get obnoxious roo behavior starting, the big boys are fine with the chicks, they show them how to forage, good treats, good manners, everything. It's just the teeny tiny puff balls of downy fluff. I really don't think a hen would let them be too mean intentionally, but seeing as they've stepped on everything else, I don't think they'd notice a puff ball under their big feet, and a chick would be squished and squashed flatter than a broody pancake.

Or I'm just a big fat weenie and figure since the idiot laying flock roo settles down with the big boys in his flock, I'd rather let them live there until the chicks are slightly out of the squishy size.