Cockerel advice please

[its hilly]

So wheres your problem G4?
With 40 odd hens 3 or four cockerals wouldn't be too many, and would probably be too busy with the hens and watching each other to even THINK about being nasty.
And think of the variety of chicks you could get

By the way before anyone gets any ideas Festher is not going anywhere..Bephlam gave him to me and he's gawjus (and LOUD) and staying..but when his girlies come into lay you could have some eggs

And Andi, can we have an up to date pici of Boo...pretty please

[di]

And Andi, can we have an up to date pici of Boo...pretty please

Only if you call me Di!

I was thinking earlier that I really need to take the camera to the lottie again soon.They've all grown so much.

[its hilly]

I'll call you whatever you like if you'll post us a pici

Oh ok Di
Pretty pretty please

[Glutton4...]

So wheres your problem G4?
With 40 odd hens 3 or four cockerals wouldn't be too many, and would probably be too busy with the hens and watching each other to even THINK about being nasty...

By the way before anyone gets any ideas Festher is not going anywhere...

Well, Mr. G can't understand why I want one (actually neither can I LOL), but he fully expects me to go ahead anyway! My Mum is against it, based on the following;

1. They make loads of noise (we can barely hear the one across the field out the front, and there is a building between my run and her garden, so she'll barely hear one here either).
2. They're vicious (her's was, so they must all be ) hence my asking the 'How many Ladies is sufficient' question.

My Dad has been asking me when I'm getting one since I got the first Hens, and fully expects me to get one despite me having always said no.

As for Fester, can you breed me one that looks just like him please? I just love his colours!

[RedThorn]

But you still haven't definitively answered if you're going to get some!

[Birdie Wife]

They're not all vicious - and there's ways of handling them if they are - in fact my Croad Langshan boy was a total softie! My cuckoo Maran boy would run from anything. My Minorca boy would fly up onto my shoulder.

I think if you want to hatch any eggs, you'd be better off with more than one cockeral, as you'd be sure the girls were all getting fertilised - 43 is too many for one chap to handle (though I'm sure there's those who'd disagree... ). They do make more noise if there's more than one though, as they'll set each other off in crowing contests, but I quite like the noise (sounds like a proper farm to me ) though you'd have to check with your closest neighbours about what they can hear and if it bothers them.
If you get more than one

[HayleyB]

Jerry is luverly Aunty Mo, I've told CB she can have a JG hen probably for her birthday, We have a breeder near here where I am going to get some more Marans in a few weeks.... shhh you didn't hear that

[Hilary B]

Like I said earlier, when I had 4 assorted cockerels the only aggressive one was the Bantam (named partly for his behaviour and partly for his very mixed ancestry.........)
For the most part, as with so many kinds of domestic animals that come in assorted sizes, the bigger breeds tend to be more placid (but no guarantees, it's just an 'average').

[Glutton4...]

But you still haven't definitively answered if you're going to get some!

Weeeeeeeellll - as I really am a 'Glutton for Punishment' by nature...

Aaaaaaannnd - the person with the Cockerel has offered to have him back if it doesn't work out...

It looks like I may be saying 'YES' then dunnit?

Just got to get everything sorted at this end!

...and now I want one that looks like Fester too!

[vicky]

So it's gone from 'should I get a cockerel' to 'how many can I get'.......

[Glutton4...]

So it's gone from 'should I get a cockerel' to 'how many can I get'.......

Not exactly... but I guess I am easily led - after all, 18 months ago I wanted a 'few' Chooks, now I have 42...

[RedThorn]

sooooooo.... how many you looking at getting then? 5??? 6???

[its hilly]

Well you may have a wait, but I promise I'll pm you when I've got some likely eggs! Although if you want a boy it would be the one time they all hatched female

[mr darcy]

My cockerels individually and when they were together!(Just to show you CAN keep them together)From left to right Silver Sussex (the baddy, but my favourite), Salmon Faverolle and Light Sussex.

These birds all eat from my hand!

for Mr Darcy it could have been 'this bird EATS my hand'!! but I know what you mean about having a liking for the baddie (your silver sussex) that's why I kept my lad so long even when I knew he was a bit dodgy...oh well it's done now and he's gone and at least I don't have to worry about the kids now, BUT I do miss him and i've thought about him today (saddo) wondering if he's ok, quite miss him crowing as my car arrived, but you have to be sensible and it wasn't meant to be for us

[di]

Boo

Just putting a little additional temptation your way....here's the handsome Fella.
Please excuse the run,we've not had a chance to clean it since the snow!
He's actually calmed down loads and I think has grown into a rather gorgeous looking chap!