The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: ponylady on August 03, 2015, 06:31:43 am
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I'm planning to keep a cockerel from my hatch. Its an autosexing breed so I'll know as soon as they hatch who the makes are.
1. How do I decide which make to keep? Is "eeny meeny mine mo" a recognised decider? ;)
2. How do I bring him up to give us the best chance of a non aggressive cockerel?
I've hear say that lots of handling makes them aggressive.
I've also heard say that no handling makes then aggressive.
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We have 3 cockerels, 2 raised from hatch, 1 bought in. All 3 are bantams (2 pekins and 1 brahma) none are particularly aggressive but will 'see off' the dog if he goes too close to their hens.
All 3 have been handled very regularly and grown up around children.
I know there have been posts on here in the past that suggest some breeds may be more aggressive than others when it comes to cockerels? We have had two large cochin boys before - both of whom were softies.
In spring time when the boys were a bit more feisty towards myself and the children we made a habit of still picking them up, now they don't direct their aggression at us. Having said that we also are quite respectful with them and don't make sudden grabs ever or movements that will stress them
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It does depend on breed also as well as knowing how to behave around them. A breed to miss for cockerels is indeed the maran cockerels, I've had a really bad experience with them. when i read up on them on google ( from reliable sources) it said that maran cockerels are naturally more aggressive than other breeds. The one i had hid in a tree and when i walked under it he pounced and dug his spurs into me back. I finally managed to catch him and cut em off, he was quite quiet when I was cutting his spurs off, he never flinched. I did have to go in the garden armed with a broom though when he was around. I used to have a welsummer and a light Sussex cockerel, both were gentlemen and treated their hens well. It really depends on the breeds and handling, like with any animal.
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I've hatched and raised more than a dozen Copper Marans cockerels and only one has been aggressive. The two that I've kept with my hens have been extremely gentlemanly.
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Our cuckoo maran cockerels have been fine, an Ixworth one is a real gentleman whilst his son is aggressive. I would handle them a lot, if they're going to be the biting kind you'll know early on.
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My current Speckled Sussex cockerel is by far the nicest we've ever had. Some of the worst were Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons. All were rasied in the farmhouse for the first three weeks and treated exactly the same so it may well be down to individual character or the strain you happen to have. I've never bred from anything showing the least signs of aggression, though.
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I currently have 3 young Laced Wyandotte cockerels, all are crowing but none treading yet. They are from the same hatch and are handled every day. None of them are aggressive but one is clearly the "sharpest" and he's the top of the pecking (and crowing) order. One though is terribly soppy; he will come straight over for a stroke and will sit on my knee if Im sitting with the chickens.
So although I think handling is likely to help make your cockerel more friendly it will depend a lot on his individual personality.
But wont your boy be closely related to the hens you keep from that hatch? Wouldn't you prefer an unrelated cock?
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I want this boy to go in with a different group of unrelated girls
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I've never had a problem with Marans, all mine have been daft. RIR too, supposed to be nasty, mine is a soppy old fool. Worst I have had is a Leghorn who was replaced the night before last after 1 attack too many. Silly little plonker. I kept telling him. I suppose if I had to pick a breed that was consistantly non-aggressive I would say Light Sussex but that be just mine.
As to handling, we still have our first birds we ever hatched ourselves, 2 Copper Marans boys who were handled plenty on the way up. They are still daft now and can be picked up with ease for a stroke. Pecky can get a bit feisty when I bring a bag of feed up but it's just excitement getting the better his tiny mind and he's never actually had a go. So I don't think handling is a problem.
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The problem with my cockerels was that I bought em in and never hatched em meself :(
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I am hatching Cream Legbars with bright blue eggs.
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CLB's are alright. Nice, docile cockerels on the whole. Hens can be a bit skittish until they get older. It's the Leghorn in them. Lovely birds though. Good luck.
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So how do I choose which boy to keep?
Should I "eeny meeny mine mo" them on day one and dispatch the rest?
Or raise them for a week then choose?
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CLB's are alright. Nice, docile cockerels on the whole. Hens can be a bit skittish until they get older. It's the Leghorn in them. Lovely birds though. Good luck.
that's exactly my experience. The hens are so, so nervy. My Buff Sussex are completely laid back
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I've got a CLB hen, she's quite old now, I got her from Raystede. She was very skittish as a young hen. I guess that's why she went into rescue. I am glad to hear the boys are easier.
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So how do I choose which boy to keep?
Should I "eeny meeny mine mo" them on day one and dispatch the rest?
Or raise them for a week then choose?
Depends on how many you hatch. If there are only a few then I'd raise them all since they don't cost that much really, and then pick the best one once hormones have kicked in which can make a gentle bird a bit of a terror.
We had a CLB become aggressive yet after a few weeks on his own (next to but separated by mesh from the girls) he was reintroduced into their pen and had changed his ways.
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Maybe join the CLB facebook group and ask. CLB are tricky to breed right so you might want to raise a few to 12 weeks and see which is best. Tricky to pick the best at hatch I would assume.
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good point Stereo....there are an awful lot of CLBs out there but not a lot of really good ones
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You will know when the time comes Ponylady. Plenty of handling and if they don't take to that- gone. We have usually found that the poor little chap hiding in the corner frightened of the others is the best. Once released from persecution they 'come out' and become magnificent cocks, both in nature and colouring. Perhaps the others bully them out of jealousy?
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Probably because they're younger or smaller or even weaker than the rest.