World's only silent Roo?

[RowerRN]

Hi, today I went out to feed my 'girls' and I noticed that my favorite girl is no girl at all. Explains a lot. Always the last in the coop at sunset, chows down like a pig but hasn't given me a single egg, bottom of the pecking order, roosts alone and has always been the smallest, until now.

"He" is 7 months old, a copper black maran - and has never crowed. Perhaps this is why I never noticed he was a roo until today (Big red wattles, beautiful copper/rust mane and tail starting to develop)

About this rooster - he is a momma's boy, he comes running whenever I come out of the house, always lets me pick him up and stroke him. He is my absolute favorite chicken, but I live in the burbs and the girls are under the radar as it is.

Finally - he is missing one eye owing to a nasty respiratory infection he had months ago.

Since he is the only male, he only has one eye, and he is docile, sweet - - COULD IT BE that I have the only non-crowing rooster walking the face? Say it ain't so - it's too good to be true!! If that's the case, I'll keep him! He's wonderful.

Flock of 8 + 1: 2 reds, 3 blacks, 2 ameracaunas, 1 buff.

 

[mommissan]

Maybe we should start a club. My boy is going to be a year in April. He still peeps like a chick. He loves being cuddled. Enjoy your precious boy!

Mine:

 

[RowerRN]

Awesome!! Maybe I lucked out and can have my flock and renew it, too!

 

[mommissan]

As long as the girls let him mount them. My girls won't let him near them. I am "renting" some roosters (for fertile eggs) this spring in case. Those will get stewed eventually but my gentle roo gets to stay.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

I have one who was a sickly chick, I thought he'd die but he's still with us. He lives in the layer coop with my big crossbred roo. The little guy looks immature like mommissan's roo, no big red comb and hackles. The older roo ignores him and the hens do too as a rule so he seems to have found his place. He is the bottom of the pecking order though so I think the other chickens know he's 'not quite right'.

 

[RowerRN]

I think he doesn't quite know he's in charge yet. He is just now their size (or slightly larger) and I haven't seen him try to mount (well, just dawned on me that he was a roo). I think they've been giving him h-ll because he was always the smallest & youngest - I got him with the 2nd group of girls when he was 4 mos and the others were 6 - so he's always been the odd man out. He was so pretty I couldn't resist, and ofcourse I thought he was a girl...

 

[RowerRN]

Yes, he was sickly for a while too - I had to bring him in the house more than once and nurse him back to health. That's probably why he is so sweet. Anyhow since he is the only rooster and has no example or competition, maybe he won't crow! I've also read on other threads that sometimes when they are injured (one eye) they don't crow so as not to call attention to themselves.

 

[mommissan]

I have one who was a sickly chick, I thought he'd die but he's still with us. He lives in the layer coop with my big crossbred roo. The little guy looks immature like mommissan's roo, no big red comb and hackles. The older roo ignores him and the hens do too as a rule so he seems to have found his place. He is the bottom of the pecking order though so I think the other chickens know he's 'not quite right'.

I am a firm believer that chickens are not exempt from the same problems that we as people encounter with developmental disabilities. My roo has never been "quite right" either as you can see. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with a special boy.

 

[mothrhen]

Hi RowerRN! Greetings from outside Annapolis, MD! Have fun with your quiet roo. I have my fingers crossed for you and your boy. If he starts crowing, try having him caponized. That's supposed to quiet them down. I don't know for sure but, I'd like to see the theory tested.

 

[RowerRN]

Well, seems to work with cats! My kitty Puck is lazy, docile and the sweetest cat you'd ever want to meet! Sure doesn't act like any of the tomcats I knew when I was growing up.

He definitely looks like a boy - more every day! So hopefully he stays quiet. I live in Catonsville; I'm trying to get the Baltimore County law changed (Facebook group = Chicken Revolution, Charm City Chickens), but for now -- I have awesome neighbors... Urban chickens are the wave of the future - they provide food security, divert sold food waste, and they contribute to soil fertility!!!