*Buff Orpington Thread!*

[RoosterLew]

I have a question for the experienced keepers of BO roosters. We are new to keeping chickens and have a small flock of 1 BO rooster, Leo and 3 BO hens, Penny, Peanut, and Daisy and they are all precious. Up until a few days ago our rooster (he is 14 weeks old) used to hop up on my lap and nap every afternoon. Whenever I would go into the run he would run to greet me and whine until I petted him. Now, he is no longer jumping into my lap or asking to be petted. He is not aggressive at all, he has just all of the sudden become disinterested in interacting with me. I am chalking this up him being a randy little teenage chicken as all he does is try to mount the girls and right now they are having none of it so he seems frustrated. After reading some posts on another rooster thread warning against petting and loving on your roosters I am concerned maybe that I have done him a disservice by being affectionate with him. What are your thoughts on how to interact with BO roosters? Have you ever had one turn on you? Thanks so much for the advice, I want to interact with him in the way that it would be best for him.

I have read that if you let them become "too" freindly, they will attempt to control you like they do their hens.
However, I have known Orp Roos that were much less in charge than the hens...kinda like people that way? LOL
I have heard some of the greatest poultry keepers say your making a mistake treating chickens as pets; "They are Live stock!"
I have heard & read alot....I think its all poultry poo!!

Enjoy your chickens how you enjoy them!
You cannot make a a bird with a sweet disposition mean, you cannot make a mean spirited one nice! You can train them not to attack you - but you cannot train disposition!
I think the best way to interact with him is whatever works for you and him!! That may change with time. As long as he is not a danger to you or anyone else or the other birds, let him be who he is! We just got rid of a big beautiful Buff boy because he just simply attacked the hens when mating - BIg guys like him can kill hens!!

The only thing I will always tell someone is; "Chickens are not people, they are animals!" Animals live in a much more basic world than we do. You should always be in charge of them.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

Thanks for your reply RoosterLew and reassuring me that being sweet to our sweet dispositioned rooster will not make him mean. That whole concept seemed counter intuitive to me but since I am a newbie at raising chickens I thought I had better ask. I will take your advice and relax and let him do his thing. After all, since his hormones are raging right now, taking naps in my lap are the last thing on his little rooster mind!

 

[speckledhen]

Temperament is genetic. They pretty much inherit it most of the time, though nothing is 100% with roosters. So, handling a young male will not change who he is, only make who he is show itself sooner. If he's really comfortable around you and is genetically prone to human aggression, he will be very comfortable in trying to challenge you when the hormones kick in. My own personal theory from experience over the years is that human aggressive roosters are also less intelligent, overall. I'd rather propagate intelligent stock myself, LOL.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

Thanks for the reply Speckledhen. Leo really is a sweetie (he is smart as well) and has not done anything that I would interpret as challenging me even now with his hormones raging. As a matter of fact, I was just out there in the run with them a few minutes ago and I pulled up my stool next to him while he was roosting. I began to stroke his back and he closed his eyes and took a little mini nap, so I guess we are good. I hate to sound alarmist but that thread I read in the main forum about rooster behavior really freaked me out since I have so little experience. I have only been a chicken momma for 14 weeks so I am still worrying over every little thing. I really need to relax!

 

[jewelzbird]

Can they stay broody forever? LOL Mine hasn't had an egg in a month and we keep kicking her out to the run. I don't have a "broody breaker" so I just keep putting her out for the day like it or not. She handles it okay because she is such a sweet girl, but as soon as she can she goes into the coop...and did I mention NO EGGS!!!?!! Sigh. How long will this go on? forever?

 

[DoubleMM]

Is this my good side?

 

[WendyF]

Is this my good side?

Y-E-S!

 

[3goodeggs]

Can they stay broody forever? LOL Mine hasn't had an egg in a month and we keep kicking her out to the run. I don't have a "broody breaker" so I just keep putting her out for the day like it or not. She handles it okay because she is such a sweet girl, but as soon as she can she goes into the coop...and did I mention NO EGGS!!!?!! Sigh. How long will this go on? forever?

It seems like it! They are determined.
Be sure she gets food and water when she is out. Make her walk a bit. I have had some waste away to nothing but feathers and bone.

I will bring them scratch even in the summer, I figure they need the high calorie food if that is all the food they will bother to eat.
Sometimes you have to carry them to the water and dip their beaks in. It is like they forget how to chicken.

 

[3goodeggs]

Thanks for the reply Speckledhen. Leo really is a sweetie (he is smart as well) and has not done anything that I would interpret as challenging me even now with his hormones raging. As a matter of fact, I was just out there in the run with them a few minutes ago and I pulled up my stool next to him while he was roosting. I began to stroke his back and he closed his eyes and took a little mini nap, so I guess we are good. I hate to sound alarmist but that thread I read in the main forum about rooster behavior really freaked me out since I have so little experience. I have only been a chicken momma for 14 weeks so I am still worrying over every little thing. I really need to relax!

My roster was a sweetie.
I had read the same thread when we got him, and I too was a bit alarmist.

It is good to be prepared, and not allow bad behavior to sneak in.
But enjoy him -and just as you'd rear your children or raise your dogs, keep that vigilant eye on them so they don't hang out with the wrong crowd and pick up undesirable traits.
Keep him away from fast cars and .... well I guess 'seedy places', 'chicks' and things are okay for a rooster.

 

[buffalobillh]

My dozen buff pullets are finally here!