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Hi All,
A freind has bought a cockeral about a year old, he has been at the bottom of the pecking order where he was before and so is looking a bit sorry for himself. The plumage is growing back slowly and he is now very fond of his food but still sees himself as bottom of the pile. He's also very wary of the hens which was not the intention, and they are showing signs of being very fond of him.Do you think he will grow out of his negative psyche and be a real cockeral or is this imprinting and a new cockeral is needed?

We don't actually have a cockrel ourselves, but know a few people who have. I think he'll sort himself out, he'll be a bit shy for awhile, he just needs to realise that he's the boss now.

Fatima&Tim wrote:We don't actually have a cockrel ourselves, but know a few people who have. I think he'll sort himself out, he'll be a bit shy for awhile, he just needs to realise that he's the boss now.

My current one was a refugee from a battery farm - actually the male half of the pairing that goes to make ISA Brown hybrid layers. He got there by accident. Disguised himself as a girl or something.

Anyway, when I got him he was terrified of everything, didn't crow, was nearly bald and was picked on so badly by the hens near the top of the order that he roosted on top of the nest box rather than risk entering the hen house.

Now a year later he is in fine fettle - mounting anything with feathers and crowing as he should. The only problem is that he views humans as legitimate targets and has taken to attacking people. I am the only one prepared to collect eggs these days and I have to carry a child's plastic spade with me to beat him off if he takes it into his tiny mind to hurl himself at me.

I'm quite proud of him really.

Ahh thanks for that, just needs a little time bless him