4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[abwsco]

If they were nice and friendly as chicks have they stayed that way when the hormones have kicked in. Also, at what age did they first crow. Ta

[Jools]

Yes, if they're friendly as youngsters, they tend to stay that way, though they are protective of their harem when their hormones take hold.

 

Crowing? Six weeks. Yup, it does happen, but they do usually wait for a couple of months before waking everyone up at 3am.

[craftyhunnypie]

Yes mainly - they are as soppy as hell. They were all hatched by me & hand reared, plus handled every day.

The only nowty one is Spongebob, my frizzle cockerel. I had him at about 12 weeks old - he has always jumped at my hubbys & my feet. However, if my hubby picks him up, he goes soppy then.

 

I did have one that changed. He was a Cobar hatched by me. He was gorgeous & soppy. Then we went on holiday & he turned on my chicken sitter & would not have us either when we came home. He went to live on my sisters farm & was then adopted by my sisters friend, who have young children. The children fell in love with him & he is soppy again. That was ver very wierd.

 

Generally speaking though, they have all been little loves & one big love....my Partridge Cochin - who is huge - but adorable!

 

Emma.x

[Redwing]

I have had some very cute chicks that have turned in to reasonably agressive cockerels, the sort of thing where if you go to pick up a hen they get very defensive and its worse if you try to pick them up! so far it has not posed a problem as they have all gone in the pot anyway, I would expect a cockerel to be a little defensive but do not have the inclination to deal with a bird that flies at me and pecks me hard!

 

Stan - my Welsummer cockerel will be the daddy of the table chicks in the future so I need to keep him frendly so I have picked up on a tip that said to carry them around with you as you do jobs around the place and they soon realise they cant do what they like - it takes some practice but I must admit that Stan has become quieter since I have started this so its enough to make me keep going If he gets agressive he will be suceeded by one of his sons or one of the birds we are currently raising for the table

 

My two bantam cockerels are pretty good, one is a gent and the other selfish but neither are agressive, its a bit different with them though as they are so much smaller you can oretty much brush them off if they do come at you

 

The earliest one of mine has crowed at was 9 weeks but the majority have been 12 weeks plus, it took a while after that for the hormones to get really going though

[abwsco]

Thanks everyone They're still both soppy and either jumping on my knee for cuddles or even sitting at my feet to be stroked. They're 14 weeks old now with no crowing as yet. I think you can probably tell that we've got very attached to them.

[Gallina]

The two cockerels I had last year always remained darlings to me: real softies, and willing to be cuddled at any time.

 

But when the mating started in a confined space, it wasn't so nice for the girls, especially for one of them who was his special favourite.

 

Think about purchasing a saddle in advance, just in case -- I wish I had. I had imagined they would continue to be mummies' boys, but they were scarily virile.

[Daphne]

My boy was given to us of unknown age but I would guess 6-8 months in the Spring. He is huge but very soppy. He went mad with excitement when he saw the girls and turned into a rampant but very caring husband to them, whilst continuing to be a great big softy with us. He went into moult about 6 weeks ago, then the girls started. Now he can't stand them and isn't very keen on us either - he keeps his distance. I am hoping that the next breeding season sees a return to soppiness all round. I have always presumed that whoever brought him up did a very good job at handling him.

[Griffin]

I don't know what's going on with my biggest boys but none are crowing yet and they're 20 weeks old! Two Orps, two Dorkings and a Silkie and not a peep out of them. None have very red combs or big wattles and they seem content to be hen pecked by the hybrid ladies. Hopefully Boris will be as quiet as a church mouse forever because we want to keep him but the rest are for the table once they crow so I'm happy for them to be getting bigger all the time My Leghorns were crowing at 16 and 17 weeks respectively. We seem to be late starters here

[abwsco]

Griffin, I'm amazed yours aren't crowing yet at 20 weeks given what I'd read. Our next door neighbour did think he'd heard the boys trying to crow a few weeks ago but I had to point out that it was Mo our nutty CLB

[Daphne]

Don't forget orps are slower to mature. However, Griffin, I can assure you when they do start to crow you will need ear plugs

[craftyhunnypie]

My silkie cockerel ' Scooter' started crowing this morning. It's quite loud too. Just a uh uhhhhhhhh noise at the moment - not cock a doodle doo.

I got up for the loo at 5 ish this morning & thought I could hear an owl - it was him. He was 18 weeks on Tuesday just gone.

 

Emma.x

[henriette]

My Henri is about 18 months now. He is very big, very handsome and incredibly docile. I think he was about 3 months old when he arrived here and has always been very sweet.

[Chicken Shirl]

My Sir Minky has been with us from hatching and is loving and gentlemanly to his girls. He comes to us to be picked up and we walk around with him doing jobs one handed. He was crowing at about 12 weeks. He is very possessive of the girls though and if I want to do anything with them I put him in the veggie patch and close the door. They do peck hard

 

I am a cockerel lover Splendid fellows.

[abwsco]

So there might be hope for us then Dinner has already has a long sit and cuddle on my knee today then tucked his head under his wing for a snooze

[Chicken Shirl]

I hope "Dinner" is here to stay. What a great name! Got any piccies

 

Ours stopped jumping and flying up on shoulders and laps as he grew older. We have some lovely hard copy photo's though.

 

Enjoy! very precious time when they are small. Just like the children really.

[woffle]

George, our silkie cockerel has just turned 19 weeks and is as daft and friendly as he's always been. He's starting to try to boss his girls around but isn't crowing or treading yet.

 

He's turning into a real handsome chap - heaven knows what he's going to look like when he's fully mature.

 

 

 

he's trouble to photograph though as he never stays still...

[abwsco]

I hope "Dinner" is here to stay. What a great name! Got any piccies

 

Ours stopped jumping and flying up on shoulders and laps as he grew older. We have some lovely hard copy photo's though.

 

Enjoy! very precious time when they are small. Just like the children really.

 

Hi Shirl, there's some pics of him and Sunday in the hatching eggs part of the forum although they're out of date now. I need to take some more

[abwsco]

Woffle, George is going to be so handsome. I love his stripes

[Chicken Shirl]

Whow!!!!!!!!!!!! take a look at George

[Chicken Shirl]

I hope "Dinner" is here to stay. What a great name! Got any piccies

 

Ours stopped jumping and flying up on shoulders and laps as he grew older. We have some lovely hard copy photo's though.

 

Enjoy! very precious time when they are small. Just like the children really.

 

Hi Shirl, there's some pics of him and Sunday in the hatching eggs part of the forum although they're out of date now. I need to take some more

 

 

Thank's I'll take a peek later. Off to the gym for an hour.

[abwsco]

Thought I'd bump this with updates although I need to get some new pics. They're 17 weeks old on Tuesday and getting bigger but still not crowing. They're both still as soft as ever coming for cuddles whenever they can. Infact, yesterday as soon as I sat down Sunday came running across and jumped up straight onto my knee

[Griffin]

Boris is 22 weeks and still not crowing. I doubt he will any time soon, he's such a big baby. He's gaining weight and looks amazing. I am much loved by both him and Olive my Poland and the pair of them clamour for my attentions Olive sits on my shoulder or head while Boris is happy to be on my lap or in my arms

[Space Chick]

So are you renaming Sunday and Dinner Anne now you are hoping they won't be Sunday Dinner?

[abwsco]

Debs, I think it will be Homer and Bart following on with our Simpsons theme. Homer will be whoever crows first-lol

[Space Chick]

I like it Anne