Pointing It Out To You!! Bull Stags - To Be or Not To Be
Here we are in the start of the summer, and we have about a month or two before the harshness of the molt comes along to take our birds from the beautiful cocks they are to the equivalent of a mangy looking dog. Right now, is a great time to fight bull stags, you know the ones that were late hatches last summer or early hatches during the fall and will not be going through the molt this year.
Before I get into all this, let me say that I have always based the maturity of a cock by his month of age as an indicator of maturity. I make this indication based on the maturity of a man at a relative age, so my math works like this…a month of age in a rooster is equal to a year of life in a man. For example, a 10-month-old stag has the maturity of a 10-year-old boy, he knows he wants to, but not really sure how to... An 18-month-old stag has the maturity of an 18-year-old boy/man. You get the picture. I determine the maturity of a rooster based on one factor when introduced to a pullet or hen is his first response to fight her or mate with her. If his first response is to fight, he isn’t ready. He doesn’t really know what he’s fighting for. As he matures, he will surely figure that out, so leave him for another day. Some breeds reach sexual maturity earlier than others; you have to go through them to make this determination. Do not assume that just because you have 5 of these bad boys, they are all at the same maturity level, even if they are full brothers.
As the birds get ready for the molt their body goes through many changes, and the process is slower and more time consuming than you may think. Bull stags can whip a full cock this time of year. They are stronger and their body isn’t going through the same changes that a full cock is starting to go through.
The conditioning of a bull stag is determined to be much the same as a full cock, but we need to remember that stags are full of natural hormones, and most are as nasty as your worst nightmare of a teenage boy. Not necessarily mean, just do the stupidest stuff you could ever imagine in a serious competition match. These are not things you can prepare for because the list is varied and as difficult to predict as most young men out on the town with a pocket full of money, fire in their eyes, and an aching in their groins. The ones that have reached sexual maturity seem to be less crazy, but I’ve still seen them do some downright insane things in competition. Showing these birds is not for the faint of heart.
I do not use nor recommend any stimulation for stags in the keep, because like I said before these birds are not mentally ready for all that. You can condition them, but they don’t need a lot of hormones as their bodies are producing those by the score. They need to be matured, I do this by throwing a hen in with them, just long enough for him to top her and then pull her out of the stall immediately. This builds natural hormones. I spar frequently but do not allow them to wallow, release from the long line once, and then more to the short line and bump them there. I use vitamins and point as normal, with one exception…I use nothing on competition day. That is when I see what I’ve raised in all his natural glory. Thank me later. Use them for the tool they are. They are a way to determine if your matings over the past year were successful and how to plan for next season, and don’t rush to judgement if your 12-month-old stag acts out and does some weird-assed stuff. Imagine your 12-year-old son meeting into a 24 or 36-year-old man and see how it goes. I hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The raw power is at its peak in these stags, but its nerve-wracking at best.
Keep em Crowing…
