Kitchen Garden Forum

I need some other opinions here, I just don't know what to do.

Most of you know my beautiful Rocky
and his background. He now has five ladies, but he's so horny all the time that two of them are bald and look really bad. The two of them are just too submissive; he indicates that he fancies a bit and they just sit down and wait while the others run for their lives. I'm getting quite worried about them as every day it's getting worse.

So, my options are as follows.

1) Get/make chicken saddles.

2) Get more chickens in the hope that he spreads his favours around rather more (and they can't run too fast).

3) Rehome Rocky. I do have a friend with a smallholding, loads of chickens and a promise that cooked chicken will NOT be the end result.

My neighbour who helps look after the chicks is devasted that I'll even consider rehoming Rocky, but poor Leia and Shelley are red raw and I have to think about them too. My feeling is that, much as I'll miss him, the girls will be much happier without being trodden 20 times a day, each


What do you all think?

Hi Chantal

I have been giving your problem some thought whilst plucking a young cockerel I killed this morning(sorry).

I'm sure you don't want to see Rocky go*, and I assume you can't temporarily separate the two hens who are suffering. If you could, that would be the answer; let them recover and refeather.

I would suggest a possible variation on your option 3: why not send him for a "holiday" with the possibility of taking him back when things are improved?

* I would not like to lose any of my "old boys" for all their faults.

Hi Alan

Rocky managed to defeather Leia within a week so even if he takes a holiday I think he'd be that excited to see his girls again upon return that we'd be back to square one within days.

I really don't want to lose him though, has anyone tried using chicken saddles? I could give them all different colours with their names on to help my neighbour tell them apart

Dear Chantal, i don't know if this would be another option, could you have Rocky castrated.

I won't joke about, as i know it must be very upsetting for you.

OH, if chickens had balls then yes, I damn well would

However, it's his claws that cause the problem, and I suspect that he'd still be as bad, balls or not!

Perhaps a regular manicure is called for, but then he wouldn't be able to scratch around

Dear Chantal, i thought a Capon was a Castrated Cockerel, i know these used to be pretty placid things on the farm.

You may well be right OH, although I can't image how you do it

Anyway, moving on, I've just ordered five chicken saddles, one for each of the girls with their names embroidered on the back. They are especially designed to prevent damage by amorous cockerels, across the shoulders as well as the back, should help their feathers to regrow and will also keep them warm in the winter. They can dust bathe in them, do the usual chicken things and they'll also look really posh.

If this doesn't work, Rocky is moving out.

The things you have to do

I thought it was a silly idea as i was writing it.

Hope the saddles work well though, it wouldn't be quite the same just visiting him.

I've just googled "castrating cockerels" and found this

http://debking.net/moah/moahmars.html

Ignore the strange background and it's interesting reading. It's also quite nasty and far too late, so it's just as well I've ordered their new outfits.

Dear Chantal, i must admit i never knew they kept them there.

On the farm they used to inject a sort of tablet under the skin on the back of the neck, and i think it used to shrivel the desired items.

Luckily it didn't seem to affect any of the local lads by eating the capons.

Hi Chantal,
I was under the impression that caponizing had been outlawed some years back. Sadly your thread will not come up on my computer.
Many years ago caponizing was popular but this was before the Turkey Industry was in being and Christmas Dinner was always a 10lb to 15lb Capon.
I was shown a very large capon a couple of years ago and the butcher involved was under the impression that he was dealing in something illegal.
I think that you could keep Rocky in a separate cage within your hen enclosure and as he is not needed for egg production he would be quite happy just so long as he was amongst his ladies.
JB.

Hi JB

Rocky and the girls spend most of their day running around my garden (and house if they get the chance) so keeping him in an enclosure in the run is not really an option. I don't want to limit their freedom if I can help it.

Many years ago I used to chemically caponise cockerels by inserting a small pellet in the loose neck skin, but I think it is not done any more, a pity, as that would take the sting out of him. I used to rear Cobb cocks to I think about 16-18 weeks & my record was 16 lbs dressed weight.

You could remove his spurs by using a jacket potatos more on the Poultry Keepers forum if you are interesed in this method I can find you the link

Jilly, am I hallucinating here. Have you said I can remove Rocky's spurs with a jacket potato More details please!

Chicken coats arriving tomorrow, which may solve the immediate problem of his very sharp toenails. I promise I will post a photo of them all