Your very first chickens?

[fluffycrow]

My first male was also a jerk! Is it a universal experience ?

 

[TwoCrows]

My first male was also a jerk! Is it a universal experience ?

It's meant to be this way....a poultry hazing so to speak.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

My first male was also a jerk! Is it a universal experience ?

I believe a lot of first-time chicken owners end up with mean roosters simply because they are not experienced enough to know how to handle them appropriately! I am lucky to have not had a mean rooster for my first chicken experience . . . since then, I have had many cockerels and roosters, and I have five currently. One of them is my main rooster Phoenix, who is my favorite in his personality, even though he is quite the weird one. We purchased him so he could fertilize the hen's eggs in case we wanted to hatch our own, but that didn't work as he turned out to not know how to breed!

 

[klb25]

My first chickens were three adult RIR three year ago. I wanted to step gently into keeping chickens and didn't want to accidentally kill chicks or something. They were ornery birds!

 

[5Australorpasaures]

I was exposed to chickens as far back as I can remember. Grandmom had Rhode Island Reds exclusively and lots of them. Always helped her with various chores, more like drafted, from chick care to processing. Her management was matter a fact with no emotion. To this day pure RIRs still have a place in the nostalgic caverns of my mind. My management of chickens is the same as Grandmom but with some softer edges Like now my DW takes care of the majority of processing. The older I become the softer my heart.

 

[Party_Chicken]

My first male was also a jerk! Is it a universal experience ?

My first roo gave me as scar on my hand from when he bit me. It’s safe to say that was the final straw with him.

 

[fluffycrow]

I believe a lot of first-time chicken owners end up with mean roosters simply because they are not experienced enough to know how to handle them appropriately! I am lucky to have not had a mean rooster for my first chicken experience . . . since then, I have had many cockerels and roosters, and I have five currently. One of them is my main rooster Phoenix, who is my favorite in his personality, even though he is quite the weird one. We purchased him so he could fertilize the hen's eggs in case we wanted to hatch our own, but that didn't work as he turned out to not know how to breed!

I'm not sure I agree with this completely. I do believe that genetics play a role. The way I see it, every male (except maybe gamefowl) could attack. As long as the rooster's end goal is to further his genes, and thus protect his ladies, at any time he could perceive us (humans) as a threat. I honestly haven't found and solid do's and don'ts that apply across the board when keeping males

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

I'm not sure I agree with this completely. I do believe that genetics play a role. The way I see it, every male (except maybe gamefowl) could attack. As long as the rooster's end goal is to further his genes, and thus protect his ladies, at any time he could perceive us (humans) as a threat. I honestly haven't found and solid do's and don'ts that apply across the board when keeping males

Genetics is definitely a big part of it－I would never breed an aggressive male and hatch out his eggs just to be safe. I believe aggressive males should be culled anyways, in order to not spread aggressiveness to any other roosters.

 

[fluffycrow]

Genetics is definitely a big part of it－I would never breed an aggressive male and hatch out his eggs just to be safe. I believe aggressive males should be culled anyways, in order to not spread aggressiveness to any other roosters.

I follow the belief that if you are privileged enough, and want to, or can access someone who could keep an aggressive male (with full disclosure), you can keep an aggressive male around. But maybe not in a breeding program. As for the second thing you said, it's an interesting observation. I can't make any statements, as I've raised two males together only once, and neither were aggressive