Speaking of Roosters

[Marianne]

Okay, this idiot rooster we have now...granted he's young, got him as a chick in March.

BUT !! Tonight my husband did the chicken roundup, got them all back in their front yard and run. He started up the riding mower. A bit later, I go out with some oatmeal to hang with the hens, did the head count and was one short. Finally found the roo, in the coop, waaaay up in the corner and he flat would NOT come down.

When DH goes by the coop on the mower, the roo starts hollering and squawking like crazy and didn't stop until the mower was a fair distance away from the coop again. The hens were out in their yard just cheerfully pecking on oatmeal. The mower didn't bother them at all.

I don't know how well he's going to protect the hens, ya know?

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I have had lots of roos the past few years and never a mean one! If you count the chickens I had from the time I first got chickens (when I was 10), there would be dozens of roosters and only 3 mean ones. One was a BO, one was a white silkie (so he didn't do any harm, because he was very small) and one was a RIR and he was only sometimes rude. All the rest of the roosters I ever owned were very nice!

Congrats, but you are describing abnormal roosters, as a whole. I understand people not wanting to deal with roos, because they do come with risks. I just choose to have them because I need them for the side line business I do with hatching. I wouldn't keep more than I need, with the exception of maybe a spare, just in case of an accidental death. That would make for a flock that wouldn't be very profitable....feeding all those roos that aren't going to lay a single egg. I like a hatch with a good amt of roos because I can sell all the pullets and eat lots of gumbo for a while though. Honestly roos make me feel more SS as a whole. If I don't have them, I'm depending on hatcheries to give me young hens when mine are too old....you can't be self sustaining without a roo.

 

[Marianne]

Unless you barter for fertilized eggs (if you have a broody) or barter for chicks, maybe? I have decided not to keep my roo. Honestly I had such a bad experience with the last one and I'm already getting nervous when I'm outside....waiting for the attack from behind.
My SIL is going to deal with ours the next time he comes out here. I'm SS in a lot of other ways, and I choose to pass on that one.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I completely understand. And I guess we can't all be doing the same thing. Poultry is my main gig here though. I can sell a dozen eggs for $3.00 or I can put a dozen to incubate, hatch out about 10 of the 12 and sell them for $25.00, so what do I want? $3.00 or $25.00? And I do this for most of the year if the going is right.....not in the dead of winter, of course. Then I barter for seafood, venison, wild game, produce, etc....I'm not a lover of roosters exactly, but for my operation, I need one. Maybe when I'm old, I will not want to be bothered with all this and I'll just keep a few hens.

 

[savingdogs]

Up until last spring when I sold him, we had only one roo, Charlie, and he was great. Not particularly friendly to people but never mean, kinda shy unless someone was trying to hurt the hens. Very protective, very good to have around.

I sold him with some of my hens and bought a sexed cockerel (different breed) and I think this guy will be too SHY to be the roo. He is very very timid and everyone bullies him. He is a teenager now and the pullets his same age are much more relaxed and confident, he hangs out with some younger chicks I hatched out, that everyone picks on, and he hides a lot of the time. He is about three or four months old now, I'm not sure what to think.....One of the "pullets" I bought I think is a male and has more the personality I think will be necessary to be "The Roo".

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Yeah. I had to put one of my roos in jail a few months back and one of the hens got confused....totally confused apparently.