Rooster Tales and Questions

[big brown horse]

Though I have had chickens all my life, we never kept roosters around. My mom hated everything about them, their crowing and all that "brown chicken brown cow" stuff...it was just easier to sneak a handful of feed store chicks (or farmer bought fertile eggs) under a broody hen in her opinion.

So naturally I grew up and never kept roosters around either. Like mother like daughter.

Last summer I bought 10 straight run Ameraucana chicks. I kept a rooster and 2 hens and sold the rest. I have a total of 6 hens and one rooster now. I also just got 2 new chicks. A pullet and a cockerel, (French copper marans).

Anyway, I love the rooster, he is a dandy. I named him Tex.

He is still young and not all of the hens respect him yet, however I have been noticing a few things about him.

*Sometimes he sounds out some kind of warning and all the hens run under a bush and hover for a while. Is this what everyone is talking about when they say they "protect" the hens?

*When a hen is about to lay her first egg of the season, he gets very concerned about her and hangs around near the nest with her. He also makes all kinds of racket too. Is this behavior going to go away when the hen becomes more regular in her egg laying?

*What other ways do roosters "protect" the hens? Do I really need one to protect my free ranging hens?

*Last question, by adding another rooster to the flock, what can I expect to change? (They will be seperated, so no fighting.) Will he crow more or less, etc.?


Anyone have any rooster tales or questions? Feel free to add.

 

[peachykeen]

One thing I find adorable about my rooster is he will make the cutest cooing noise to call a hen over to a tasty scrap of food. He barely ever eats anything for himself, he just keeps cooing to his hens. Sometimes they pay attention to him, sometimes they don't. At least he is trying.

My older hens don't give a crap about him. They ignore him completely, in fact, one of the older girls squats down when I come in and assumes the position. It's pretty gross. She can't seem to take no as an answer. Can hens be lesbians?

 

[big brown horse]

Who knows?? Anything is possible I guess.


My mother saw that "hey here is some yummy food for you" cooing as him just wanting her to bend over.


Peechykeen, welcome to the forum!

 

[big brown horse]

Oh, by the way, please tell me your rooster's names! I love to hear what folks have named their roosters...and describe them.

Tex is a Wheaten Ameraucana, big black beard and a long black tail that he pays special attention to. He has a lovely red cape looking thing too. He is big and loud, that is why I named him Tex.

 

[meriruka]

I have 5 roos.
There is Dwayne (big blue Orpington) & Bill (tiny Old English Game Bantam & meanest thing on feet.) They are in the same pen w/ hens.
I've got Spike (fluffy white Silkie) in a different pen w/ hens.
Then ther are Sancho & Quixote, two Buff Orps who roam the property (and attack all male visitors - never females)

Good roos spend a lot more time looking up & make that sound you are hearing when something flies over to get the hens to hide.

They usually have crow-offs at least twice a day, I don't know what sets it off or who actually wins.

Dwain chases Bill, but Bill can fly some so doesn't get caught. Spike squares off w/ Sancho through the run fence but will flee if I let the bantams out to freerange & Sancho shows up.

Sancho & Quixote rarely fight and it's usually just neck feather ruffling and staring contests when they do. I can't let Dwayne near the Buff boys because they instantly throw down with extereme prejudice.

Tiny Bill is the only one I've seen who went after a dog to defend the hens. Spike took off & left his girls to their fate.

 

[peachykeen]

Oh, by the way, please tell me your rooster's names! I love to hear what folks have named their roosters...and describe them.

Tex is a Wheaten Ameraucana, big black beard and a long black tail that he pays special attention to. He has a lovely red cape looking thing too. He is big and loud, that is why I named him Tex.

Thanks for the welcome.

His name is Rick James because quite frankly, he is a pimp. He is the most handsome, snazziest rooster I have ever seen in my life. The way he struts... he is just the coolest. I don't have any pics on this comp (I'm at work, working reallllllllly hard as you can see) but I'll upload one later, I love showing him off.

I like the name Tex, I had a dog named Tex years ago.

 

[big brown horse]

Meriruka, those are great names. I don't think I'm up for a "crow off" Funny stories too. Thank you!

Peachykeen, does Rick James happen to be a bantam roo??

Yes to all, please post a photo of your roo if you can.

I will take a photo of Tex too. Tex is not pimpy, although I would love to have a pimp living here. Tex is more of a "kid brother"-sweet, type of roo. I can imagine him holding hands with the girls and getting his heart broken easily.

 

[big brown horse]

One quick question that I forgot to ask earlier:

*Fertility. How long will a chicken's eggs remain fertile after being seperated from a roo? Say I want to remove one hen from one roo to be bred by another...should there be a "cooling off" period?

 

[meriruka]

A week at least for the fertile eggs to all come out. I usually wait two to be sure.

 

[big brown horse]

Ok, thanks!