Barred Rock Rooster Behavior

[snuffy47]

Hello All

We have 6 hens and 2 roosters all Barred Rock which we have raise from little guys and gals

They are about 1year old and laying nicely but we are starting to have some trouble with the rooster being aggressive.

Currently still trying to figure out if it is just one of both but my wife and kids have had a few run ins in the last month.

I thought that Rocks were normally good natured birds?

Any help with this would appreciated. Thinking if I can confirm the primary offender I may split them up and put one rooster in a separate house.

They do get to free range in the day time

 

[Fred's Hens]

As a keeper and breeder of Bared Rocks for half a century, the issues described on this thread fail to take into account that what 99.9 percent of the people speak about are hatchery birds.

Why does that matter? First, most of the hatchery stock is impure. They are smaller, much more Leghorn looking in appearance, with much messier barring then they should be and there's a reason for that. They are production birds. Just like the production reds versus the true bred Rhode Island Red, the poor Barred Rocks from most hatcheries lay upward of 280 eggs per year. How did that huge increase in laying come about when Barred Rocks from the early 1900's only laid 160 eggs per year? Since barring is dominant, these birds appear to look like Barred Rocks, but they have had things hidden in their mix to increase their laying and to provide feather sexing. This changes the personality of the original birds.

Second, hatcheries mass breed, for it is mass production rather then selective breeding. In a pen where there are 100 roosters and 1000 hens, the right to breed and re-produce will fall to the most aggressive and ornery cockbird. Breed like this, and they do, for generation upon generation and eventually the majority of the roosters can inherit this aggressive, ornery state of mind.

I am sorry that folks form such bad opinions of a Rhode Island Red or Barred Rock, when in truth, they've never really owned a true bred, bred to standard, heritage bird of either breed.

With hatchery stock, you've got to weed through them. You've got to find that one in 10 that is still natured as the creators of these wonderful breeds intended them be. Send the rest to freezer camp.

When people read on a chart somewhere about temperament, the description of a Barred Rock being docile is untrustworthy because that description only fits the original type.

 

[cluckiemama]

oh no! I love my barred rock- she's a real sweetheart and comes barrelling over to me whenever I go outside. We can't keep roosters, though, :-(
the neighbors don't approve!
Hope things work out!

 

[snuffy47]

Its very concerning the wife had a problem today involving a stick with one of them and is kinda upset

Went in the hen house to close them up for the night and no troubles with them on the roost. Pick each one off the roost and held tme under my arms and gave each a pet and no troubles

Cannt hide the fact that there are problems though.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Barred rocks are one of the most aggressive breeds in the world! Or at least, the roosters are.

 

[lemons]

I had a barred rock rooster and he alternated between being the hugest aggressive jerk ever, and being super docile and a total lump. he was aggressive MOST of the time though, much more so than my RIR rooster I had before him. it worked out well for us up until he got carried off by something big, cause we have a bunch of hawks around here and he would rough em up if they ever tried to dive at a hen. i found a stunned and beaten hawk IN the coop once. it was fine, but it got out as fast as it could once it realized it wasn't dead.

edit: my two barred rock hens are really sweet though. one is more social than the other but they're both pleasant and friendly birds. the fattest one is the most social of the whole flock.

 

[newraiser]

[/IMG] barred rock rooster and hen I tried to take the pic with them together but they wouldn't stop moving they are both about 4-5 months old the rooster is named battlefield destroyer and the hen is named is dinner

 

[newraiser]

[/IMG] barred rock rooster and hen I tried to take the pic with them together but they wouldn't stop moving they are both about 4-5 months old the rooster is named battlefield destroyer and the hen is named is dinner

 

[katyvart]

newraiser..
love the pics.
isn't it more traditional to name thee roosters dinner?
Although I love the roosters name.

 

[OLD ADOBE]

This is very interesting information. I thought the Barred Plymouth Rock Roosters were supposes to be way more docile than other Roosters...we shall see.

I currently have 17 chickens. We had 18 chickens a month ago but the oldest Rooster (I think he was a Amber Star) was very mean and agressive. Now I have 2 Plymouth Rock Roosters that are very friendly...they are only about 13 weeks old though. I plan to separate the two Rooster's soon because they are starting to fight each other a little now. They are really pretty Roosters, any thoughts from the Chicken veterans out there on how I should handle them? Are they destined for the dinner plate?