I was just browsing your thread while taking a break and noticed that someone mentioned a nasty rooster. I just figured all roosters are nasty, as I'm a very new chicken keeper and I only have one rooster. I've never even looked a rooster in the eye before I moved here. Anyway, my rooster is a nasty thing--it attacks everyone, and DH has to herd it into the coop in the evening with a metal rake or he'll get pecked (hard)! I thought of getting rid of him because we're in the city and 1. it's illegal and 2. we don't want chicks (too late, but no more chicks for us...). Actually, I lie, I love the chicks, and would love to raise more, but the bylaws say no no no. The question--are some roosters easy to get along with. The neighbours love our roosters crowing (not too loud, he's a bantam) and no one would otherwise know we even have one, but I'm growing intolerant of his aggressiveness. I worry about little children. Thanks for any comments.
My First Egg!
I know dutch bantam roosters have been compared to "snapping turtles", but I think a lot of roos are quite nice and protect their ladies without terrrorizing everyone else. But it is in a roos nature to be aggressive when necessary and I don't think nature would ever select against it--so there are some very aggressive roos out there and the big ones can do real damage--especially to small children. I have read that because little children are close to the ground the roos will go for their eyes and children have (rarely) been blinded. Not likely, but I wouldn't keep an aggressive roo--and especially not around children or small animals. That being said--I don't really blame the roo--he's just doing what he's programmed to do.
gge, i owuld htink a child would be more of a threat, since they can see it so much better, and, yep they would go for the face and get the eyes perhaps.
OEG roos are usually very nice tempered, amke great pets. he could have been mishandled, or it could be genetic. so be sure and handle you rchicks a lot so they get used to you. the rooster would make a nice small dish, or chicken noodle soup. and you likely have 1-3 roos in those chicks to take his place. should be crowing in 5 months or so...
tf
I think I will get rid of the rooster then. I'll advertise in our local and say that he's not entirely nice. I can't imagine the old owners being unkind to him, but they did keep all of the chickens in their pens most if not all of the time. Maybe the rooster didn't know how to take freedom. I wouldn't mind cooking him up actually, but I'm a city girl and I wouldn't know where to begin. I'd probably end up with a mood disorder or something. I don't think I'll take the chance. We will make a point of handling the chicks. It's great fun to play with them.
Maggie, sometimes it doesn't matter how much you handle them. My last roo was handled alot and got it in his head one day that I was trying to steal his girls. He constantly flogged me and my eldest child. He made great chicken 'n dumplings!
if you cant tame him get rid of him any nasty roosters i get i give to my friend and he keeps them he dosent mind nasty ones i do
josh
Some of my roos are working their way towards Camp Freeze rapidly. We noticed that they had divided the hens between themselves and if I'm holding one the roo will come over and peck at my legs with a hey you put her down look! Clearly we are about to come to a parting of the ways soon! Mine were hatched 5/5/08. How soon will they be big enough to make a decent meal?
MollyD
molly how many roos do you have together maybe they just get narky because there are lots of them kept together
Molly, I'm not sure what age but I pick them up and feel around a bit and picture them with no feathers and in my roasting pan or boiling pot! Yes, really. : ) Now my DH just looks at them and decides it's time......shhhh, I think my way works better. He has been a bit wrong using the eye balling method and we have ended up with too small birds. What kind are your roos?
I hope you don't have to go the Camp Freeze route if that's not what you are wanting to do.
Christy
i have never culled a chicken and i dont intend to some people do it be cause they might have a crooked toe or somthing but who are we to decide wether they should liv or did because of a little problem thats just my view me and my brother hve this argument all the time because he eats his.
but different people have different methods is wat i say
That's what I say too Lucky.......to each their own. I try not to judge someone for what choices they make and I hope no one judges me for mine. Doesn't always work out that way, but then most things don't ALWAYS do anything.......if that makes any sense.
I personally don't cull for a crooked toe or other small infraction, but other people might because they are showing their birds, maybe only want the best or maybe think the problem is genetic and don't want to pass on the 'problem'. For us, the crooked toed chickens or turkey do pretty well and adjust. We have even had one or two that have gotten broken legs from one incident or another....they too have adjusted to their problem. Eventually, they either lay eggs or are butchered. That is just how we do it.
The only reason we do cull chicks is if there is something clearly wrong with it and we don't know how to fix it or it is too late and they are in pain. I personally think that to stand by and watch a poor chick suffer until it dies is horrible. Until last week my DH always took care of the suffering about to die ones.......then he wasn't home and I had a tough choice to make. I hadn't been able to stomach doing it before, but I told myself that if I was a big enough woman to have and hatch chicks, then I needed to be big enough to do the right thing for the chick as well. I was not easy.
Sorry this is so long..........though of course about anyone that has seen my posts know by now that I just never seem to run out of words! : )
Christy
oh i dont judge any one for doing it it is wat they belive or the way they were brought up and i have never actualy culled but i have taken it to the vet who said there was no other option and she gased it but other than that i have done nothin
josh
I'm in your camp, Josh! Did the same with one of my chicks. I do eat chicken, but I'm not going to eat one of MY chickens. Not logical, just don't want to.....:0).
Any more eggs, Catscan?
i dont eat anything that has a name other than a tag number
We always planned to eat the roos anyway. We have about 12 roos most of them are New Hampshires. A couple of Buff Orpintons and some unknowns that might be white Marans.
Can't be lacking for space though! They've got a yard about 1/4 acre to roam in.
I know they feel real heavy when I lift them now. I'm really tempted to have Paul do one so we can see what's under all those feathers.
MollyD
My Marans roo is so big--even though he is less than two months I'm sure he would make a nice roast. But I'm still not going to eat him.
Yes, I have a third egg----best yet! Size a very nice medium, light tan and in the nest box. It was 112 here today so it is a miracle that she laid anything. Though I have a very shady yard and there is a breeze:0)
i got a double yolker today it will make a good omlet (yum)
josh
josh--I don't think all three of my eggs together would equal one double yolker!
Went out this morning--Egg four was a medium sized thin shelled egg that must have dropped out as the hen jumped from the roost to the ramp--it was smashed, but with the cellophane type of shell. For some reason I then looked in the nest box and there was another egg! It is the same light tan but small and rounder than any of the others. I think I may have a second chicken laying! I think the fourth egg was from the first layer and the fifth egg is another chicken--or maybe they are both from the same chicken--but all the other eggs have been more egg shaped.
Found a great source for "fake" nest eggs. While I was in the kitchen section of Target I found a metal mixing bowl with four beautiful brown eggs in it. Obviously not meant to be there. Took them to customer service and they finally figured out that were wooden. I asked if they sold them and they said yes look in the children's toy section. They have an area of pretend stoves and groceries etc. There was a little carton of 4 white wooden egg for about 5 dollars. They are perfect! You really can't tell they are not real. At first I was disappointed that they were out of brown ones, but now I think it is probably better--because the brown ones looked just like my other eggs and I might have kept bringing them in. I love my fake eggs!
awesome! maybe i should be putting my fakes back out, thanks for the remidcer...
wat are the fake eggs for??
to teach them WHERE to lay. at some point the eggs stop just "falling out" and they can tell when it's coming and go sit somewhere....
oh i didnt have that problem with my silkies they only just started and every egg so far has been in the nesting box
well, theya re smart girls!
well only ones layimg so far the other one should start soon so i might have to use your little trick tamara
not really, she should lay where the other eggs are, right? if you already have layers laying in the nest boxes, she will follow suit.
mine are all misbehaving right now, so i want to train the new girls right... getting 1-5 pullet eggs a day now!
way to go tamara i only get one every 2 days until the other one will start
i just have to beat the rats to them LOL
lol i use rat poison which i use away from the chicken coup towards the rats nest
My lovely fake eggs......:0) You really can't tell that they aren't real, they are the same size, weight and texture. Good thing mine are all brown eggs layers!
Catscan, do you have Bantams?and how many do you have?
I want to get some...doing research now.
Hi oneanjl! I have a mixed group right now. With my bantams I have 1 Silkie, 1 Golden Sebright and 5 Nankins. I would love to have Dutch bantams--they are supposed to be excellent layers--although the eggs are a bit small they aren't as small as most bantams. The main problem with bantams is they have the tendency to be excellent fliers. Not the Silkies of course. The Silkies are adorable and they do lay, but they are so broody you won't get many eggs.
I also have several (well about 10) unsexed Black Australorp/Jersey Giant crosses. The older ones, 10 weeks, are just starting to crow and hopefully I will soon know who is what sex-wise. They are very calm and quiet and should be excellent layers of large eggs. Also they don't fly once they get big.
If you decide to go for standard instead of bantams I would be glad to give you a couple BA/JGs.
Old English Game bantams might also be good layers--ask tf! she knows everything :0)
I think sis was saying to go with the bantams cause I live in the city.... althou we are headed for country in a few more years. lol! I can only have two hens in city (no roos allowed) so I figure whatever I get will be my 'learning curve' hens til I can get to the country and have lots more :o)
I would truly love to have a rooster....but that wont be happening here! lol! neighbors already complain about my teacup poodle who barks at the sirens! ugh!
It looks like i have lots of research to do ..... is there a good local place to buy chicks?
Actually, now that I think about it, there are a lot of bantam forms of other breeds--even Leghorns and Brahmas. You might be able to find a local breeder. Unfortunately they can be hard to find. The smallest number I know of that you can order from a hatchery without getting a box full of extra roos, is Meyers special small order. It costs more and the lowest number they send is 6 with one extra in case of loss. If you order pullets though you should be able to sell the extras easily through CraigsList.
Oh, just remembered, they usually won't sex bantams! So you would get straight run (mixed sex).
Right now most of the hatcheries are sold out for the season. But they will be up and running eventually. Here is the link for Meyers:
http://www.meyerhatchery.com/
This message was edited Jul 10, 2008 2:49 AM
only batams i have are my silkies
What about My Pet Chicken ? They sell small amounts http://www.mypetchicken.com/ They have some bantams listed
MollyD
My Pet Chicken will sex and the minimum amount is three. I have ordered from them before. They are really pricey and their sexing of the chicks is sub par. They are nice though and the chicks did arrive healthy.
dose my pet chicken have other places over sea's
no idea. Why don't you email them and ask? They've got a contact section on their web page.
MollyD