Randy cockerel causing us problems!

Lotus-eater

Yes LIR's is right, he may well be top dog of the flock, but you have to be above that, you have to be top dog, it sounds like you are doing it right, he's afraid of you and you want to keep it like that.

As LIR's says, if you get one, they will fight and it's something I had forgotten, they might well discuss who is top of the flock and then come to an arrangement, where both stay, but one is subservient to the other. So you might be left with 2 useless mouths to feed
It depends on the breed btw and the cockerels inbuilt attitude.

cootambear

Mojisola wrote: »

Our cockerel has a favourite hen and we've had to equip her with a poultry saddle like these - http://poultrykeeper.com/chickens/frequently-asked-questions/poultry-saddles.html

kinky

anyone oh here wear one? :rotfl:

paddy's_mum

Sunday lunch and roast potatoes come to mind....

Mojisola

Lotus-eater wrote: »

As LIR's says, if you get one, they will fight and it's something I had forgotten, they might well discuss who is top of the flock and then come to an arrangement, where both stay, but one is subservient to the other. So you might be left with 2 useless mouths to feed
It depends on the breed btw and the cockerels inbuilt attitude.

We had two cockerels from the same hatching who behaved like this - they had a good relationship and didn't fight but shared the hens between them.

Another problem with you getting a cockerel is that the two of them will have a crowing competition every morning. Our cockerel crows a few times every morning and then goes quiet because he doesn't get challenged by any others. A nearby house has brought a cockerel in to run with their free-range hens a couple of times (I think the fox despatches them quite quickly) and the two cockerels can keep up competitive crowing for a long time every morning before one of them backs down.

paddy's_mum

So much easier, and cheaper, to find a good, free-range poultry farm or smallholding in your own area and buy top class eggs from them.

Been there, done that, tended the hatcher or broodies for 21 days, reared the sex-linked poults, dispatched the unhealthy and now glad to leave that to someone else!

NB Love poultry, just tired of rats, ownerless dogs, (lovely and misunderstood!) foxes.....

laxeylady

Thanks to all of you for your replies. We have just learned to live with our randy visitor - he really is a very handsome chap and protects the ladies as predicted. We have suffered a tragedy this weekend that I would like to ask about - going to post a new thread.