[kentishlad]

Hi all,
After some advice please on my now thirteen week old cockerel I hatched.
It's a light sussex, unfortunately it hatched on it's own so it's been alone and kept separate from our flock.
At about 8 weeks we started letting him outside separated by a wire fence from our flock, what I'm wondering is, he still seems very scared and frightened of just about everything though he is getting more inquisitive and generally eating his way around the flower border! Is it normal for cockerels (and hens) to be so frightened at an early age?
He's put on some weight and is about as big as the hens if not a bit bigger and we'd like to introduce them but don't want to frighten him to death so is there a benefit in waiting till he's say about 18 - 20 weeks, is it likely he'll get braver, or do we have a chicken chicken?

Thanks,
Wayne.

[Roughlee Handled]

I have just received three 16 week old chickens and the are petrified of the out side.  When I went to pick them up the chicken sheds where full of 16 weekers the pop holes where open but because they had been barn grown they would not leave the shed!! Day four now and this morning they where out of the coop and eating.  They are acting as a flock and sticking together.  I think if I had one on its own it would be allot more timid.

[kentishlad]

Sounds like it might be normal behaviour then, does anyone else have any experience with young chickens being really frightened?

Thanks,
Wayne.

[too many girls]

My Elwood is petrified of the girls, there are 2 or 3 he rapes if he can catch them unawares but he spends much of his day running away from them.

[kentishlad]

My Elwood is petrified of the girls, there are 2 or 3 he rapes if he can catch them unawares but he spends much of his day running away from them.

how old is your Elwood?

Wayne.

[too many girls]

about 6 months i think, not entirely sure, i've had him since may 30th and he was only a young bird then, he still hasn't crowed tho.

[kentishlad]

about 6 months i think, not entirely sure, i've had him since may 30th and he was only a young bird then, he still hasn't crowed tho.

mmm wonder when he'll start to crow, I can't wait for mine to get going. Seems his voice maybe starting to break as the 'cheep cheeps' are becoming a bit deeper and gravely; maybe he'll be a barotone!

[too many girls]

loads of people on here would love a crowless cockerel, i've been waiting for Elwood to crow for ages as some crow as early as 8 weeks, he did try once but it came out as more of a honk, i think embarassment has stopped him from trying again, now he just clucks like a hen.

[Vember]

Gotta feel sorry for Elwood, all those girls laughin at him  

Don't blame him for not trying again