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Author Topic: benefits of having a cockerel with your hens?  (Read 11944 times)

fiestyredhead331

  • Joined Sep 2012
  • NW Highlands
    • Facebook
Re: benefits of having a cockerel with your hens?
« Reply #15 on: July 09, 2013, 12:00:00 am »
I hate them, they are evil  :sofa:

We had one (briefly) and he was demonic, the chicks loved him, preening all day and following him around, until he started getting jiggy with it, he took clumps of feathers out and some of them were quite scared of him, as were myself and the kids. needless to say he is no longer with us  :hungry:

there was a sigh of relief all round when he was gone, so I would say if you want one get one but you don't really need one, I have 40+ hens and they manage fine without

keeper of goats, sheep, pigs, ducks, chickens, turkeys, dogs, cats, goldfish and children, just don't ask me which is the most work!

Alicenz

  • Joined Apr 2013
Re: benefits of having a cockerel with your hens?
« Reply #16 on: July 12, 2013, 10:32:37 am »
I love my roosters for all the above reasons, Simon my massive sweetest rooster I found dead one late aftenoon after he had raced back to the hen house to protect one of the hens that was broody from a ferret.  I was devastated, he died saving her. That was at Christmas time, and it happened in the light (summer here).  I replaced him with two brothers who have taken on the role together,  Teddy is boss though but very gentle. They came from  a place where there were too many roosters, and happily settled here with more space. And love to look after the girls. BUT then i found one injured on the road in town, and then four bantam (?) gourgeous little white and ginger and plum coloured silkie crosses who had been dumped in the forestry.  I saw them and went back at night and picked them up off the ground where they were helplss and huddled in two little bundles in the wet.  They would have lasted a week tops.  So now I have three geriatric hens and 6 roosters!!!! hmmm.  The four live together cuddled up together in their hutch at night, and the others are in 2 separate areas with their hens. Injured boy now better has his own hen. They are so sweet, and the boys call the other boys over when there is a tasty morsel.  No fighting probs as i have plenty space and good fences.  They sound fabulous and get me up and going in the morning , the best alarm clock!  some eggs would be nice though ;D

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: benefits of having a cockerel with your hens?
« Reply #17 on: July 13, 2013, 06:57:10 pm »
I have a fabulous Scots Grey boy-he's not hard on the girls, isn't aggressive, is huge and very entertaining-not that bright it has to be said. his crow is  fairly melodic (if loud-but other cocks I've had of different breeds sounded like someone was stepping on them and they crowed through the night, which this one doesn't), he's also very fertile!

northfifeduckling

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Fife
    • North Fife Blog
Re: benefits of having a cockerel with your hens?
« Reply #18 on: July 14, 2013, 11:54:42 am »
I am absolutely delighted with our boy and am dreading the day he might die. We got him as a "teen" as a pet chicken, so he was handled a lot when he was little. He is now so good with the ladies, looks after them, shows them food - he even showed me a worm once when I was sitting on the ground to fix something  :roflanim: . He never ever attacked a human. Compared to drakes (utter waste of space) he is as I said a delight to have around, never mind the noise! :chook: :&>

HelenVF

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: benefits of having a cockerel with your hens?
« Reply #19 on: July 15, 2013, 10:29:50 am »
We have 2 separate flocks and have a cockerel with each.  I find they just look after the hens.  When we didnt' have a cockerel, they would all go to the four winds, but since having a cockerel with each flock, they all stick together.  Quite funny watching them communicating with their girls! 

Helen

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
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Re: benefits of having a cockerel with your hens?
« Reply #20 on: July 15, 2013, 03:03:23 pm »
We've had cochin boys in the past that I adored, big fluffy gents! Now we have a bantam with hybrids, no feather damage but yesterday my 8 year old informed me that he chased her round a bush twice with his spurs out. He won't be doing that again  >:(
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

suziequeue

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Llanidloes; Powys
Re: benefits of having a cockerel with your hens?
« Reply #21 on: July 17, 2013, 07:48:55 am »
If she can bring herself to turn around and chase him back making a big hullabaloo, he soon runs away..... although difficult for an eight year old!


My grandmother's cockerels used to attack us when we were kids. It was really scary so I empathise with that.
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plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: benefits of having a cockerel with your hens?
« Reply #22 on: July 17, 2013, 08:23:29 am »
I did make her come back in there with me, armed with a plastic snow shovel  ;D  I'd hate for her to be too scared to go in there as she's loved egg collecting since she was a toddler. He's been fine since, could it just be a one off? She said he came at her with his spurs but (not that I doubt her word...) surely he'd have made contact as hes' a flighty little thing..I wonder if she's over exaggerated
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

 

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