Lavenders_Blue Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 I was offered a cockerel yesterday. Well, not so much offered one as an acquaintance told me 'I've got 3 cockerels at the moment, and I'm going to have to cull two of them'. Now, I've got a bit of a hankering for a cockerel, but hubby has said and mainly due to the noise issue, but he's trying to talk me out of it by saying that because he's a bantam our big girls will beat him up. Would they? I mean, Bluebell is pretty hefty and if she sat on him by accident he could well get squashed to death but would they actually bully him? I'm really tempted to give him a go on the basis that if he does end up having to be culled because he's being beaten up or he's too noisy, then he's no worse off as that's what's currently facing him at the moment. Do you think hubby would even notice if I just sneaked him in? He wouldn't hardly take up any space... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 It all depends. Phillip is bullied by the ex-bats and the aracaunas even though they are more or less the same size. But astw has a bantam cockerel that gets on fine with his large fowl. More to the point, would the neighbours complain? We are lucky that our neighbours like him and astw lives in a relatively rural area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 I love my cockerel and was only saying this lunch time what a gent he is as he took various goodies from my hand and dropped them in front of chosen girlies with his little "try this, my Dear" noise. You obviously do not want your new boy to be bullied to death but if it is cull or chance, then I'd say chance should win out, providing you watch out for him in the early days. As for neighbours, I live in a very built up area now, and people are so busy with their trampolines, power tools and bikes I don't think anyone has noticed. Or perhpas his little, rather high pitched, unfinished bantam crow is not recognised as a cockerel's crow My reaction is that neighbours are entitled to complain and ask you to sort it out if it really bothers them but if they don't I won't pre-empt them One thing I have noticed is that a cockerel in the flock does somehow seem to increase the general interest from hubbies and male partners in the flock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted August 5, 2013 Author Share Posted August 5, 2013 I think hubby is worried about the neighbours, hence the unwillingness to agree. Our garden does have gardens surrounding us on all 3 sides but our neighbours on the left are fab and I don't think would care if we kept an elephant in the garden! They did have chooks until a few months ago, so I think they would be sympathetic. Neighbour on the other side moved into the area a few years ago and loves 'playing countryside' (as I call it ) She looks after our chooks when we go away so again I think is fairly amenable. Neighbour at the back is (a) deaf (b) pays loud records all day and a good part of the evening © used to live on a farm (d) loves to dispense (uninvited and unwanted) chicken keeping advice, so I don't really care what he thinks! I think he'd quite like to see a cockerel in the garden. There is actually a cockerel somewhere in the vicinity as I do hear him having a sing early in the mornings. I think our village is generally the sort where people expect rural noises. But obviously if anyone did complain, I'd be prepared to do the deed - no point in falling out with the neighbours over a cockerel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted August 5, 2013 Author Share Posted August 5, 2013 I meant to add, I think this chap is a Pekin or Pekin cross (can't remember what she said now) so could be a little more feisty and able to hold his own? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 astw (Andrew's ) feisty little one is a Pekin so he'd probably be ok. The cry of a cockerel carries a long way so it may not be your immediate neighbours to consider. But I agree if it's a case of the chop or you having him, I'd go for it. When Phillip goes to the coop in the sky, I'll definitely replace him as they do add something to a flock- and having trained neighbours I may as well exploit it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 When Phillip goes to the coop in the sky, I'll definitely replace him as they do add something to a flock- and having trained neighbours I may as well exploit it! Me too, I'll replace Dill when he goes to the great hen emporium in the sky (he's 7 now) and if it's a Pekin you are considering I'd deffinitely go for it. I'm now waiting for pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lulabellx1 Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Ooh, yes! Pictures please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 I hatched a Lavender Pekin boy last year he wasn't bullied by my big girls despite top chook thinking she is a cockerel but I knew I would have to rehome him due to close neighbours even though there dogs yapp constantly and they are forever revving motorbikes they would without doubt have complained to EVH. And although I found him a great forever home I still miss him he was so tame and I loved his gentlemanly ways of looking after the ladies I would have kept him in a heartbeat. I hope one day soon to be able to move where having a cockerels wont be a problem. One thing someone will correct me if I am wrong if he can hear another cockerel he may crow more in competition though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Interesting situation L_B, and especially as I've recently re-homed a neighbour's cockerel to the farm at work...... A ne'er-do-well who lived behind us acquired some hens last year, then got a cockerel around Christmas time, I remember joking with the neighbours that it would be popular (NOT! ) come the summer when it started to crow very early..... we live in a street of Victorian terraced houses, with close gardens. The expected happened, and the wee lad (he turned out to be a pekin cross) became very unpopular with his piercing crow starting at 4am and going on all through the day. It could even be clearly heard in the park at the end of our street. The owner decided that he no longer wanted the chickens, disposed of his hens and let the cock loose it fell to me to stalk the bird through the gardens, net him and re-home him with the chooks at work. He is holding his own very well with the big girls there, manages to avoid the bigger boys, but falls off regularly when performing his 'maritals'. He doesn't get bullied but we are looking for some bantam hens to go with him in their own section of the paddock. He's called 'Rod' (as in Stewart) because he seems to like tall birds Soooo... he's unlikely to be picked on, but may well prove unpopular, when even the loveliest of neighbours can become frazzled with lack of sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted August 6, 2013 Author Share Posted August 6, 2013 Well, I did my best wheedling last night, but hubby remained unmoved and said no So I think I'll have to forget the idea for now. Shame, as I had a name picked out for him and everything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 What a shame I rather expect it was not the neighbours that your OH was concerned about but his own ears. I know my OH quotes 'the neighbours' when he means himself Truth is, it is not your location that matters, but the individuals. Get one who minds, and they won't suddenly stop minding just because there are cow pats around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted August 6, 2013 Author Share Posted August 6, 2013 What a shame I rather expect it was not the neighbours that your OH was concerned about but his own ears. I know my OH quotes 'the neighbours' when he means himself I'm sure you're right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
