Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: shamina on February 09, 2008, 19:47

Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: shamina on February 09, 2008, 19:47
Hi all I've been offered a cockrel it's described as a beautiful brahma! I'm not really up on them and I dont want to breed I just thought my 2 hens would like a bit of male company. I'd like to knoe if you guys think it's a good idea and what they eat and if they could room share with the ladies etc. I really like my chickens and just thought it might be nice to have a cockrel too. Many thanks
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: babe on February 09, 2008, 19:53
brahmas are lovely big cuddly chooks.

he'll eat the same as the girls and sleep in with the girls.

and then he will play piggy backs with the girls... lots.... and lots... and he may tire them out if theres only two, and they may also end up with bald backs, so a couple of chicken saddles may be a wise investment
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: Aunt Sally on February 09, 2008, 20:19
... and warn the neighbours  :shock:

COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOOOOO  :wink:
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: richyrich7 on February 09, 2008, 21:25
I'm not sure if the hens will thank you tho'  :lol:
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: Aunt Sally on February 09, 2008, 21:35
Doesn't Munty reccomend 1 cockerel to 12 hens  :!:
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: richyrich7 on February 09, 2008, 21:40
Quote from: "Aunt Sally"
Doesn't Munty reccomend 1 cockerel to 12 hens  :!:


Sounds familiar, I honestly think 1 cock : 2 hens is just gonna be to much for the hens, he's gonna be REALLY enthusiastic !
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: babe on February 09, 2008, 21:42
ive now got images of a big brahma boy with just two teeny sebrights.

he'll squish em to death  :roll:
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: shamina on February 09, 2008, 22:39
Wow I had no idea that they were quite that active! Does the age of the cockrel make a difference to it's sex drive? And can you really get saddles for hens? Thanks for the advice I might have to get some more chickens cos I do really love them even though with only 2 I cant set foot outside my back door without stepping in chicken poo. I really had no idea that they were like that, how rude! :oops:
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: naturesparadise on February 10, 2008, 05:49
here is some info about that breed

Quote
Blue Columbian Brahma - Breed description

Despite the hawkish looks these are the gentle giants of the poultry world and ours are huge!

Cock stands at 72cm (28") and weighs 5.5Kg (12lbs)
Hen is smaller at 51cm (20") and 4Kg (9lbs)

In keeping with this size the wingspan is large so they need space although they do not fly and rarely even run.
These are stately and docile birds, cocks are tolerent of others and hens are usually low down the pecking order in mixed flocks despite their angry looks & size.
Cocks don't crow often and they have a short deep crow.

Despite their stature, their eggs are a standard large fowl size, slightly rounded and tinted to mid brown in colour. They are late to come into lay at around 32 weeks and lay into the winter with cold weather rarely bothering them. They do go broody and make good mums but broodiness isn't a guaranteed trait.

They begin to show best at 2 years old.

Available; None left.
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: Midwife on February 10, 2008, 16:47
Hi Shamina. I have a cockerel called Clive who is a wonderful husband to my five pekin bantams. He calls them when he finds a tastey treat to eat, holding it up in his beak so they can all have a taste! He calls them into the coup at night and even perches with his wing over his favorite girlie. And best of all he does a little dance around each one every morning to greet them as they come out of the coup! :D He is so sweet. However he does make a racket from 7am onwards even when out of the run, (4am in the summer) I have great nieghbours who love him, but not everyone likes to hear  a cockerel  :?
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: Foxy on February 10, 2008, 16:48
I have quite a few cockerels, and I have a pair of pekin crosses running with a cockerel without any problems, in fact its lovely to watch the three of them roaming the garden, Romeo thats his name chattering away to his girls and feeding them!! :lol:
Brahmas I dont think are particulary active - I have a huge cochin cockerel  very similar breed who although keen is a bit slow!!. Watch out for the noise -some are quite vocal -and thats not just the morning either! and make sure if you choose to keep a cockerel that the spurs are kept short.
I would also question why they are getting rid of him? Some cockerels can be a bit agressive-although Brahmas arent known for their agression.
If hes been handled lots that will make him quite tame anyhow.
Good luck! :lol:
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: shamina on February 10, 2008, 20:57
Thanks to everyone for your replies and advice. Natures paradise swung it for me and I just couldn't resist him. They were getting rid of him because they already had one and they only recently got him he's only 9 months old and the older cockerel was bullying him. I went to fetch him at lunchtime and he's really beautiful and huge. He was really nervous to start but after mealtime he had seemed to relax a little with the help of connie who had her feathers ruffled a bit. I'm going to wait and see how things are once he's settled in and if he's too much for the ladies then I'll get some more hens I think. He seemed very nervous which is understandable but he hasn't been nasty he's been roaming all day and went to bed without any problems which was lucky as he's so fast I'd never catch him. The chickens just duck when you go to pick them up but he scarpered when I went in the garden for a start but he did seem to relax a little and I'm really pleased with him thank you :D
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: babe on February 10, 2008, 21:30
shamina, when you say the chooks duck when you go near them.. do you mean that they squat down??

if so they think you're a fella and they are saying 'hop on big boy'  :wink:
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: mdueal on February 10, 2008, 22:42
Oh great - keep us posted - I just cant imagine keeping chickens with no boys. They are so beautiful and so full of character!
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: shamina on February 11, 2008, 09:17
yes they do squat down. I thought they were preparing themselves for being picked up. I'm offended by that and have gone right off them now :lol: . He is starting to show his character more now he definatley thinks he's the bees knees. H likes to wind down with a bit of nookie after every meal and the hens have become much more vocal. I'm really happy with all of them and wish I'd got them sooner.
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: Foxy on February 11, 2008, 21:13
he sounds gorgeous! Have you named him yet? and waiting for the photos! :lol:  :lol:
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: shamina on February 12, 2008, 20:13
Yes we've called him shaun! An odd name for a cockerel I know but there is a story behind it. It's also an odd story so I wont go into it. He was up at 5.30 this morning the noisy one. I'll post some photos if someone would be kind enough to sort them out fot me. WG kindly did it last time. :D
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: agapanthus on February 12, 2008, 20:46
Quote from: "shamina"
Wow I had no idea that they were quite that active! Does the age of the cockrel make a difference to it's sex drive? quote]



It's a bloke innit???? :roll:  :roll:  :roll:       Age matters not:(
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: muntjac on February 12, 2008, 21:03
pick on the guys again huh :lol:  :lol:
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: shamina on February 12, 2008, 21:50
Maybe I should start giving him beer then and hope for brewers droop :lol:
Title: Information on cockrels please
Post by: Foxy on February 12, 2008, 22:55
My youngsters hatched last year are very frisky at the moment and hellbent on anything with feathers :oops:  :oops: whereas my older pekin cockerel is much more of a gentleman :lol: If there not chasing the girls they are chasing each other. My pekin tried to have a scrap with Biggins my huge cochin it  was sooooo funny!!  :lol:  :lol: