# Rooster Questions



## BootedBantam

If you read my introductory, you can see the rooster chose me. I never liked anything with a beak to come close to me, but this rooster has made me love him. He came to me all beat up and missing a lot of feathers. His personality is friendly. He greets me at the front door every morning, loves sitting and having coffee with me in the morning, and following me around when I am gardening. He nests on up my front porch in a corner, but has free roam of fenced in front yard. Question: What should I be feeding him? I give him a bird seed mix and black sunflower seeds. I also give him leftovers or scraps from garden. Question: His friendly attitude is kinda changing. He has been acting funny. Getting real close to me as if he wants to be on my lap. I open my arms and try to invite him up, but then he starts acting like he's gonna peck me. I walk away or go in the house when he acts like this to show him I don't like it. Um, is he gonna peck my eye out?


----------



## adorson

Is he doing his rooster dance near you? They put their one wing down and do this little dance. It could be he is claiming you as he would one of his hens.? Is he the only chicken you have right now? Maybe getting a girl or two will settle him down a bit???


----------



## BootedBantam

His wings are up and he gets crazy eyes!! I think he smells my fear. He usually starts by putting his head down, as if he wants me rub his head. I used to be able to pet his comb for a bit, don't know what's going on?


----------



## earlyt89

I have heard feeding wild bird seed is bad for them. Or it just doesn't have the necessary nutrients. If he's free ranging I would just feed him scratch mixed with the black oil sunflower seed. He might be trying to claim you if there aren't any hens around. Don't let him near your face if you have a concern. My cousin got pecked in the eye by a very friendly hen that was just curious


----------



## BootedBantam

No other hens..but getting ready to get some laying females. Recycyle re-use coop in construction. Not sure which breed to get for him or how many? I will have eight nesting boxes in coop. And not to be funny, but planning to put on some sunglasses and heavy gloves and teach this rooster who's boss!! Can I spank him, tell him no, and maybe throw him in the coop?


----------



## earlyt89

A rooster can handle 8 hens easily. Doesn't matter which breeds. They aren't picky. U could try "bonding". Where u hold the rooster in your arms. His head between your elbow and ribs with his tail feathers pointing out in front and hold him for as long as you can for a few weeks. Hold him tight enough where he can't move and tuck his wings down where he can't flap. If you hit or slap him it will dogface the opposite effect by making him more aggressive.


----------



## BootedBantam

Thank you very much for responding!! Promise not to hit him!! I will try to hold him, wish I could video tape it, because this is going to be interesting. I have Never held a chicken. So, just walk up grab legs from behind and tuck under my arm? I hope the chicken Gods are with me today!!


----------



## BootedBantam

*coop in progress*

This is the bottom half. I am working on a door and building house on top.


----------



## earlyt89

When I grab roosters I reach over them and widen my hands around their wings and hold the body then quickly tuck him up next to u. Or u can hold him in one hand if u hold up under his breast and lean him on his side. This is for a calmer rooster









Like you see me here holding him under the breast


----------



## BootedBantam

Next Question: Does anyone know much about booted bantams? It took me a while to find out his breed, but the booted feathers gave it away. His feathers are finally growing back on his tail also, can't wait to see if they get long and back to where he should be. Also, any chance I am wrong about the breed?


----------



## Energyvet

It seems to me he's just getting healthy again and what you're seeing is normal Roo behavior. My Roo used to be aggressive when I came near his hen. I would just put my foot up and he would bounce around that. If there was no hen, he was sweet as can be. So he was just protective as he should have been about his hen and his home. It was the situation. I think you need to establish that you are in charge and thus is your home and yard, but getting him some hens will likely straighten him out. My guess is that he is with you because he challenged another Roo and was chased off. He needs to set up his own kingdom do to speak. Ok. There's my chicken behavioral psychology for you.


----------



## BootedBantam

Love all the advice! He is getting healthy, you can see it. There are other roosters in my neighborhood, they all talk and take turns cockadoodling in the morning. Nobody claimed him, and now I am known as the chicken lady on my block. It stinks I don't know his background or age. I did have one neighbor, old man, tell me he is a fighting rooster. I wonder if he was his, hmmm. Either way, love him and trying to educate myself on chickens. Going to get that door on coop and look for local birds first.


----------



## Energyvet

Look forward to watching you all grow. Chickens bring lots of smiles!


----------



## BootedBantam

I had my man hold the chicken first, showed him the thread. He was hard to catch, but once in his arm, he fell asleep! I will try tomorrow, guess I'm chiken lol


----------



## earlyt89

That's bonding!!!!!!! Idk about Cochins or booted bantams. But that's goo he fell asleep. Hes comfortable


----------



## BootedBantam

Yes it was. He held him for like 10 minutes and walked around the yard with him. Told him to start doing it everyday. The rooster seems to like him better, but I will try again!! thank you!!


----------



## Energyvet

Remember birds need to expand their chest in order to breath. Just hold his chest with enough room to allow them to expand. I've seen lots of birds pass out from lack of oxygen because someone (who was supposedly trained) was holding too tight. Glad you are making progress. He is a beautiful Roo.


----------



## BootedBantam

He was holding tight at first but while he was walking aroung with him, he let go with one arm, holding him with just one arm, and he said he could feel the rooster calming down. The neighbors were watching us try to chase him. All I could think of was the movie "rocky" you know the scene where rocky has to catch the chicken. It wasn't until I started chanted the rocky theme, my man swooped down and grabbed him. Thank you to all my new chicken friends. It's my turn today, so I am going to sit outside with him a lot today, then wait for my man to get home, and then it's my turn. Unless for some reason I work up the courage and seize my moment today...


----------



## BootedBantam

While he was holding him, we checked out his feet and body to see if he had mites or anything else? Saw nothing, but he was a little stinky. He has a dusting box outside and makes little nests in the dirt. He looks like he is making love to the dirt lol Question: How can I get him to smell better or is that asking too much?


----------



## Energyvet

You could bathe him. Johnson's baby shampoo is lovely. I like the lavender one. I didn't want to imply you did anything wrong. It was just for future reference for poults, chicks etc.


----------



## BootedBantam

No offense taken 
I'm the one who will be holding tooo tight lol Very good info!
Not sure on the bathing thing, can I sprinkle lavender in his dust box or him? Is that okay to do?


----------



## Energyvet

Lots of people wash their chickens all the time. It's not a weird thing. Much easier than dogs. I wouldn't put anything in he dust bath.


----------



## BootedBantam

Okay, just hung up phone with a lady with huge chicken farm, trying to get hens. We start talking and she tells me if I am getting the hens for my rooster then he is going to fertilize the eggs and I will end up having my own babies...ummm wasn't prepared for that!! (more reading and more money) I am plan to visit her farm next week. She told me to bring a pic of my roo and she will find him the perfect mate. 

I have no idea what to do when that happens, assuming momma bird will take care of most of it, but now I will need heat lamp!! Anything else I need to know?? 

Can I give roo, hens, and babies all same food?? I know the hens get special laying food, Holy chicken poop, getting overwhelmed!!!


----------



## earlyt89

If you collect eggs everyday an refrigerate them then I wouldn't be worried about them being fertile. It will take you a while to find a hen that will brood after being moved to another area anyway. All my adult chickens eat the same food. Layer pellets, scratch, oyster shell, black oil sunflower seed.


----------



## earlyt89

My seperated gamecocks don't get the layer pellets but the roosters that are with the hens do fine with it


----------



## BootedBantam

Thank you...Oysters shells? Do you grind them or buy them, and why? Have to make run to the feed store here, D&B, love them, for the layer food, he gets scraps from the garden, and organic black sunflower seeds, plus he free ranges.


----------



## piglett

BootedBantam said:


> Thank you...Oysters shells? Do you grind them or buy them, and why? Have to make run to the feed store here, D&B, love them, for the layer food, he gets scraps from the garden, and organic black sunflower seeds, plus he free ranges.


oyster shells come already ground up & they are added to layer feed once you get laying hens. roosters don't need oyster shells but they will eat some when they are eating the feed.

so how did it all turn out?

did your boy get his girls?

any pics of em?

thanks
piglett


----------



## shickenchit

I have seperate grit stations, on as need basis. They will use it when they need it, you'll be surprised how little they use of it. No sense in wasting it.


----------



## fuzziebutt

shickenchit said:


> I have seperate grit stations, on as need basis. They will use it when they need it, you'll be surprised how little they use of it. No sense in wasting it.


I had always heard that about oyster shell too. I know alot of folks that keep the oyster shell separate, and the gals get it as they need it.


----------



## Lady_Alia

I just toss a small handful in the feeders when I put their food in.


----------



## BootedBantam

I haven't used it yet. I give them crushed up eggs shells. 

Wow, Outlaw and I have come a long way. He has 5 hens now and we are very happy with out little gang. I have pics all over this forum lol. Here is most recent hanging with his girls..I got him one in every color!


----------



## Energyvet

Very very nice!


----------



## piglett

BootedBantam said:


> I haven't used it yet. I give them crushed up eggs shells.
> 
> Wow, Outlaw and I have come a long way. He has 5 hens now and we are very happy with out little gang. I have pics all over this forum lol. Here is most recent hanging with his girls..I got him one in every color!


i bet he is now a very happy camper


----------



## BootedBantam

Wow look who's back.. Yeah!! EV, Look at outlaws tail feathers in the pic. They finally grew back. 

Thank you Piglet, I love them. I have learned so much since his arrival on my doorstep. Thank you chickenland!!


----------



## Energyvet

Hi! Still recovering from Sandy but Outlaw is amazing! Making time for my life again. Lol


----------



## toybarons

Been reading all the wonderful posts. BootedBantam, you sure have one lucky roo to have a mom like you =) Love the pic of your boy with all those hens.

I raise and have many pet roosters from the time they were eggs. Even with daily handling, when the roo realizes he is a "roo" they can start acting up. If they drop their wing and strt dancing around you, it means they consider you their hen. I can also tell you that even when you give them hens, they can still consider you part of their flock and do the wing-thing. Only problem I have learned, the hard way, is you can't really perdict when a roo, even a tame one might lash out at you.

As someone else said, watch putting the bird too close to your face. All birds, not just chickens, are attracted to eyes. They just won't peck at your face cause they are mean, it's just what birds do. I would caution you about feet throwing though. Roos, even tame ones, may throw their feet at you if they think you are competion to their hens or if they think you are a threat to their hens. A roo that always challenges you by throwing his feet each time he sees you, is not a roo you may want to keep. A roo that is calm while you hold him can also be a terror with his feet. I know as I have one such bird. Melts in your arms but will whack my shins off if he can get at them [same roo is a really suck with my husband though. Won't throw his feet to daddy, just me.]


----------



## BootedBantam

Thank you for the kind words. Outlaw is a good rooster, he just likes to put me in check sometimes. He has scared me a few times, but I am learning to keep him in check, too. He is very gentle when held and he is very protective over his girls. He is also fast, gives me a good work out. He has come at me with his feet first, but I netted him and kept in the coop for a day and He has been an angel since. I have watched the girls nibble oatmeal off his waddle, did not have camera for that one, it was too cute. Here is a pic of him sharing his raisin with my littlest hen, Shakti, they are inseperable.


----------



## toybarons

Awwww!!!! So cute. I enjoy watching when a young cockerel gets his first groom from a hen. Polish hens when they groom a roo will pull and tug on the crest feathers. Most times, the poor cockerel just sits there frozen wondering what the heck the hen is doing to them. *hee hee* Chooks are wonderful!


----------



## patlet

shickenchit said:


> I have seperate grit stations, on as need basis. They will use it when they need it, you'll be surprised how little they use of it. No sense in wasting it.


We do the same. When they are just peedapeeps, we give them fine sand to eat and to bathe in. They love it!


----------

