BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[ronott1]

Has anyone experienced a cockerel crowing and picking fights at only 5wks old?

He is a DC and picking fights with 10 wk old's who are not yet crowing or misbehaving. He's even messing with the 8wk old turkeys (who will likely kill him if he doesn't cool his jets).

If he is going to turn into a walking nightmare I'd just as soon cull him now and feed him to the cats. He is just barely pinking up and about the size and density of a soft ball.

Is this some kind of hyper testosterone thing?

The Moderator happy chooks posted a video of a chick "crowing" at a day old.

Some breeds do that more than others. I have had some of the leghorn x araucana start crowing before 5 weeks old. It is very odd to hear too.

I have not had problems with them fighting until closer to 12 weeks or so.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Has anyone experienced a cockerel crowing and picking fights at only 5wks old?

He is a DC and picking fights with 10 wk old's who are not yet crowing or misbehaving. He's even messing with the 8wk old turkeys (who will likely kill him if he doesn't cool his jets).

If he is going to turn into a walking nightmare I'd just as soon cull him now and feed him to the cats. He is just barely pinking up and about the size and density of a soft ball.

Is this some kind of hyper testosterone thing?

I had a dark cornish chick that was nasty right from hatching. There was nothing but shrill cheeping from the chicks, I didn't know what was wrong, then I saw that the stinker was attacking the other chicks all the time- running at them and landing into groups of them feet first, and pecking and trying to pick fights. He was culled at three weeks. All was peaceful after that. the rest of the cornish chicks grew up just fine.

 

[DesertChic]

Has anyone experienced a cockerel crowing and picking fights at only 5wks old?

He is a DC and picking fights with 10 wk old's who are not yet crowing or misbehaving. He's even messing with the 8wk old turkeys (who will likely kill him if he doesn't cool his jets).

If he is going to turn into a walking nightmare I'd just as soon cull him now and feed him to the cats. He is just barely pinking up and about the size and density of a soft ball.

Is this some kind of hyper testosterone thing?

I've had a few cockerels start crowing as young as 3 weeks old, but have only had a few that started acting out that way when so young. Only one of them ever grew to be a problem and was eventually invited to dinner. The other two eventually got their butts kicked by larger birds and calmed down, but it took several fights for them to learn their place.

 

[Beekissed]

My WR cockerels just don't crow much at all but when they do they are around 5-6 mo. and even older...but they go way out in the woods to do it, never around the main flock. Around here nobody much crows except the big guy...and he don't crow much either except real early mornings and in the thick of mating season(early spring).

It would drive me mad to have a breed that crows incessantly...that's like a dog that barks all the time. Just not worth it.

 

[Mini Meat]

The Moderator happy chooks posted a video of a chick "crowing" at a day old.

Some breeds do that more than others. I have had some of the leghorn x araucana start crowing before 5 weeks old. It is very odd to hear too.

I have not had problems with them fighting until closer to 12 weeks or so.

Well then I guess he is not a complete freak. Just a little "cocky" lol.

I had a dark cornish chick that was nasty right from hatching. There was nothing but shrill cheeping from the chicks, I didn't know what was wrong, then I saw that the stinker was attacking the other chicks all the time- running at them and landing into groups of them feet first, and pecking and trying to pick fights. He was culled at three weeks. All was peaceful after that. the rest of the cornish chicks grew up just fine.

The majority of MY DC cocks have proven to be nasty and loud. The hens are fine very aloof but I don't have them for pets. I am culling all my adult males soon and seeing if any come up from the young one with better temperaments. If not I may just use the hens to cross breed and not have any pure breed DC's.

I've had a few cockerels start crowing as young as 3 weeks old, but have only had a few that started acting out that way when so young. Only one of them ever grew to be a problem and was eventually invited to dinner. The other two eventually got their butts kicked by larger birds and calmed down, but it took several fights for them to learn their place.

I hope he gets put in his place. The turkeys don't put up with nonsense. They don't start fights but don't seem play at sparing like cockerels do. I was going to put the turkeys with the pullets when I separate the sexes but I think I'll leave them to school the cockerels.

My WR cockerels just don't crow much at all but when they do they are around 5-6 mo. and even older...but they go way out in the woods to do it, never around the main flock. Around here nobody much crows except the big guy...and he don't crow much either except real early mornings and in the thick of mating season(early spring).

It would drive me mad to have a breed that crows incessantly...that's like a dog that barks all the time. Just not worth it.

I had never considered that there might be "yappy" breeds of chickens like their are dogs. Makes total sense though.

I got 5 white rocks from the feed store (hatchery stock) and 1 is a cockerel. It will be interesting to see if he is quiet like yours. He has a real nice shape to him but seems a bit small. If he has a good temperament I may have to hunt up some better stock. The pullets are very sweet.

 

[Beekissed]

If I didn't have that one BA hen still, I'd not even know I have chickens from the sound of them....she's louder than all of them put together. The WRs are a calm, docile and quiet breed, IME...not moochy and sweet like pet birds by any means, but they don't get too nervous about things and are easily handled when they aren't brooding a nest. Don't know what they would be like in a penned existence, but they are hard working out on range, so not much is heard from them except for when they lay an egg and even then most of them don't announce.

 

[DesertChic]

If I didn't have that one BA hen still, I'd not even know I have chickens from the sound of them....she's louder than all of them put together. The WRs are a calm, docile and quiet breed, IME...not moochy and sweet like pet birds by any means, but they don't get too nervous about things and are easily handled when they aren't brooding a nest. Don't know what they would be like in a penned existence, but they are hard working out on range, so not much is heard from them except for when they lay an egg and even then most of them don't announce.

I envy you that quiet. I have a lot of "singers" among my egg layers, and one of my older cockerels has taken to singing for his girls when they lay eggs, and he's LOUD. With so many other roosters around here I'm seriously thinking of culling him just so I can have some peace and quiet. I've lost track of how many times he's gotten the dogs barking or convinced me to rush outside to see what kind of predator must be attacking my flock. Nope! It's just Zazzle, trying to play opera singer.

 

[Beekissed]

You know what happened to the boy who cried "Wolf!".....could be Zazzle will cry "hawk" one too many times and no one will respond. Take care of your problem.

 

[cyborg]

Well, I'm getting ready to relocate to western Colorado, so I put out the word that I had about 150 chickens, free for the taking. Most people wanted laying hens only, naturally. Then another lady called, wanted hens only, as many as I had. I mentioned that I also had Cornish X at butcher weight. Both ladies showed up and cleaned me out. I still have about 15 roosters, but the second lady will be back tonight or tomorrow for the rest of them. Right now, we are negotiating for my pens, she wants them too!
And here I thought I would have to be processing chickens all weekend and next week!

 

[Mini Meat]

So far this year I have hatched out:

37 dc's (17 from 1 broody hatched clutch) at least 6 cockerels possibly up to 20

9 Bresse from hatching eggs Got 1 cockerel... He's a big, big boy. Bigger and heftier than DC's 2 weeks older.

5 Marans from hatching eggs Got 1 cockerel

15 OE's from hatching eggs Got 6 cockerels

8 RIR x Banty EE/ Serema Got 2 cockerels (from my daughters broody banty.)

4 Whole foods Hyline Got 2 cockerels and one I dropped a water bottle a day old so only one pullet

8 Bourbon red turkeys No idea on the sexes

From the feed store I picked up:

5 WR Got 1 cockerel

5 BA Got 0 cockerels

2 Langshans got 0 cockerels

For my meat project next year, I want to cross the Bresse, WR, Marans on my DC hens for fun and to see if anything nicks. As well as breeding pure breeds of all.

The rest will go into the layer flock Or freezer.

I hope I find a breed I love and can commit to. I like a lot about the DC's but not in love with the breed as a whole.
What I want to end up with is a thriving flock that produces well and works hard. I don't really have a preference as to breed, but would like to have only one flock once I find the "right" birds. If the "right" birds turn out to be meat mutts, that okay too.

If I wanted to do a fall hatch of some of these crosses, how young of a male bird could I use over a mature hen and still expect decent results?