Agressive Roosters and Free ranging

[jerrimr85]

Please be aware of your roosters during free range time. Yesterday my 2 year old was attacked by a very large rooster and ended up in the emergency room. The neighbors had warned us of the rooster because it is aggressive. The coop is near the driveway where she was playing with her wagon.
Yes the rooster was just being awesome and protecting its hens. Thats what roosters do. It was not supposed to be free ranging during the kids play time. ( they have kids too). It only takes a small min for a very large rooster to peck and sctrach many holes in a small baby...not quite 2. Although this was a larger breed it could have been worse. She didn't even need liquid stitch
We all love our chickens. I have roosters too. But just like dog owners we need to watch and be mindful of the little ones.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That's awful. I hope she's OK. Good advice. Roosters often seem to go for kids. They probably mistake them for predators.

 

[bobbi-j]

And this is why it's repeated over and over that roosters and small children are a bad combination. Glad your little one wasn't seriously injured. If it were my rooster, it would be dead.

I have to ask: why are people so OK with an aggressive rooster ("He's just protecting his hens"), but not OK with an aggressive dog? After all, he's also "just protecting his territory". I'm not saying it's OK for the dog to be aggressive, I'm saying it's not OK for the rooster. But so many people think it is. Just like dogs, some roosters are very good hen protectors without attacking people. Just like a dog will try to protect its yard without attacking everyone who walks by.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Aggressive roosters should be the 1st thing culled from any flock. My young children mix with my flock, free range and never have issues. Only 1 or 2 times has a Hen pecked at a little one if they are going after eggs. Roosters are always watched for over aggressiveness. Its a trait that will be passed to progeny so I cull it out as soon as its witnessed. My best (What I think look and act like.) roosters have been to the stew pot because they appeared over aggressive with each other. I see it in the birds and I believe its only a matter of time before they turn aggressive to other species.
Hate to ask but did the police get involved? If it were a dog (Yes I know rabies etc) it would be quarantined and possibly put down if it attacked a child unprovoked.

 

[bobbi-j]

 Aggressive roosters should be the 1st thing culled from any flock. My young children mix with my flock, free range and never have issues. Only 1 or 2 times has a Hen pecked at a little one if they are going after eggs. Roosters are always watched for over aggressiveness. Its a trait that will be passed to progeny so I cull it out as soon as its witnessed. My best (What I think look and act like.) roosters have been to the stew pot because they appeared over aggressive with each other. I see it in the birds and I believe its only a matter of time before they turn aggressive to other species.
  Hate to ask but did the police get involved? If it were a dog (Yes I know rabies etc) it would be quarantined and possibly put down if it attacked a child unprovoked.

5 Acre, you've said in the past that your roosters and little ones get along, but you've also explained why. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to cull their birds if necessary, so they excuse the behavior instead.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Well in my eyes that's not responsible. People vs. birds People win every time. Especially when my kids are involved. Someone that chooses birds over kids needs 1 to be taken out of the equation.

 

[donrae]

And this is why it's repeated over and over that roosters and small children are a bad combination. Glad your little one wasn't seriously injured. If it were my rooster, it would be dead.

I have to ask: why are people so OK with an aggressive rooster ("He's just protecting his hens"), but not OK with an aggressive dog? After all, he's also "just protecting his territory". I'm not saying it's OK for the dog to be aggressive, I'm saying it's not OK for the rooster. But so many people think it is. Just like dogs, some roosters are very good hen protectors without attacking people. Just like a dog will try to protect its yard without attacking everyone who walks by.

But I have run into this, over and over as a home health nurse. Little yapper lap dog who for some reason can't be put in another room during my visits and wants to bite when I approach the patient. "Oh, he's just so protective of me" is the explanation I get over and over. And this by folks old enough to know better, that's for sure! It's a behavior that's tolerated and even encouraged more than you'd ever imagine if you don't go into a lot of different homes. I think the human gets a little kick out of it, myself.."I'm so special my dog will protect me against someone so much bigger than it is". sigh. Okay, rant over, rabbit chased, soapbox stowed away.

Wondering if the attacking rooster is still alive? If so, why?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

But I have run into this, over and over as a home health nurse. Little yapper lap dog who for some reason can't be put in another room during my visits and wants to bite when I approach the patient. "Oh, he's just so protective of me" is the explanation I get over and over. And this by folks old enough to know better, that's for sure! It's a behavior that's tolerated and even encouraged more than you'd ever imagine if you don't go into a lot of different homes. I think the human gets a little kick out of it, myself.."I'm so special my dog will protect me against someone so much bigger than it is". sigh. Okay, rant over, rabbit chased, soapbox stowed away.

...

Oh rant accepted and so true.

 

[Folly's place]

Donrae, you're so right!!! Mary

 

[bobbi-j]

But I have run into this, over and over as a home health nurse. Little yapper lap dog who for some reason can't be put in another room during my visits and wants to bite when I approach the patient. "Oh, he's just so protective of me" is the explanation I get over and over. And this by folks old enough to know better, that's for sure! It's a behavior that's tolerated and even encouraged more than you'd ever imagine if you don't go into a lot of different homes. I think the human gets a little kick out of it, myself.."I'm so special my dog will protect me against someone so much bigger than it is". sigh. Okay, rant over, rabbit chased, soapbox stowed away.

Wondering if the attacking rooster is still alive? If so, why?

I'll have to admit, I kinda forgot about the rats on a rope (small dog owners, please forgive me - it's just what we call 'em around here). I was thinking more about big dogs - dogs larger than a housecat. As an EMT, we've run into the same situation with little yappers. Fortunately, law enforcement accompanies us on most runs and can usually make sure the, uh, dog is contained. Small dogs seem much more prone to that behavior than large ones.

Also wondering about the fate of the rooster.