[Anke]

Plums - until you are sure that your cockerel is not attacking your girls always be there when they go and feed the hens! I now have had two cockerels that had to go into the pot because they became very unpredictable and my girls (7 and 9) could not go into the pen on their own anymore. My current one (a lt sssx) is fine, and the one he replaced (a cuckoo maran) was excellent too but got a bit old. Not sure what makes them aggressive though.

But initially we had no cockerel, and feather pecking became a real problem. Once they had a man to look after them the girls behaved quite well... and now I also breed my own replacements. If you only have one crowing is not that much of a problem, as there is no-one to answer back!

[princesspiggy]

we had a beautiful lovely quiet gentle OEPF cockeral, he was getting beaten severely by our new ex factory hens (thats another story) they were all completely freerange, so i rehomed him for his own sake to a good home. his new owner gave him a hen for company and then after a few months she couldnt go in his pen without a dustbin lid for protection. completely different character to the one he showed us!

[Bright Raven]

I kept chickens for about 8 years before I decided to get a cockerel companion. I was very concerned about noise nuisance. When I moved to a village where everyone keeps boys I thought well why not?
My Jersey Giant "Big Blue" is the loudest and proudest of the lot!!!
He is a wonderful character, a real gentleman cockerel, after treading on the girls he even gives them a cigarette... well not quite but is is very concerned for their welfare and looks after them.
Big Blue rounds them up, shows them where the nice food is, eats last, crows at anything threatening, and makes lovely chatty noises.
He also contributes to the pot by fertilising the eggs.

I treasure my time for just watching him. He brings me a lot of pleasure.

[robert waddell]

Reminds me of dave lee travis many many years ago he was doing a sunday chart show and it took him half an hour to actually stop laughing he had a goose that fancied a duck and trod the poor bugger to death. It certainly tickled my ivory es

[Sylvia]

I have a white Cochin cockerel if interested. Also a Cuckoo Pekin bantam cockerel. Anyone interested?

[fifixx]

I have a Buff Orpington 8 mth old cockerel who is learning to crow - he's up to Cock-a-doodle - needs to learn the Doo still!  they are under my window at night and I love to hear the crowing through my dreams.....

[Hardfeather]

I've got 18 cocks and stags on the place at the moment, all in seperate accomodations. Thirteen of them are crowers...the others will be soon. However, my neighbours (the nearest about 1/4 of a mile away) are all country people born and bred. On a quiet day, they can be heard up to two miles or so from the house. Other days, depending on the wind strength and direction, you'd hardly know I've got them.

I hear them through the night and day because I am listening for them, but the rest of the family seem not to notice.

A cock is a good thing for a flock of laying hens, though, as it allows the hens to feel secure as they forage. The cock's nutritional needs are not so great as those of the hens, so he spends his time flapping his wings, parading about, crowing, and watching for danger.

Some of my game cocks have been known to put foxes to flight in defence of their flock, but others have lost their lives as a result of their devotion to their hens.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi,

  my girls have been without a cockerel for the first year or so of their lives and have got along fine with my confident little plymouth rock as head girl. I recently introduced a male for breeding purposes and its fair to say he's tollerated. Some of my girls might even go so far as to say that hes "ok" but he doesnt take charge. He tries but they refuse to tow the line.

infact at times they completely ignore him despite his attepts to keep them from harm and they just do their own thing. Perhaps this will change in spring when they realise what hes there for. I dont fancy his chances with my head girl though....poor lad


Buffy

[shetlandpaul]

make sure you pick carefully. some are evil little beggers. the larger breeds are pretty chilled out. there is no problem selling fertilised eggs to eat. it was a mess up in a small holding mag that got this idea started. they just as good to eat and if you think about it all the eggs before factory farming were probably fertile.

[northfifeduckling]

glad to hear that, Paul.  Thanks for putting it right, I remember it was an issue before on TAS 

[plumseverywhere]

will be collecting him xmas eve so that santa can deliver him into the coop (that will take some organising with peeping heads behind curtains     )   
one of my bluebelle's is very nasty at the moment and I am really hoping that he will take command, fingers crossed.
good to hear that abotu the eggs. my hubby is a bit funny about it (being a veggie) but seeing as he eats haribo's (jelly sweets packed with geletine) he can lump it lol!!

[shetlandpaul]

tell him he is a wimp. for pity ske its one cell.