Did I Ruin My Rooster?

[Pretend_Farmer]

I was able to catch the guy for a photo shoot. He took it well.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I spoil my roosters, and don't have a problem with aggressive roosters. I don't encourage their aggressiveness just carry them about. Soon they will leave me alone or want to be carried about. But I don't have a problem either way. I never let them have a foot to fight or a broom- whatever, just go pick them up every time. I am not mean.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I baby my roosters/cockerels from day 1. I have 15 friendly roosters, & only 1 that hates my guts.

From my experience aggression is hereditary, & a mean rooster will produce mean offspring(Goes for hens too). Not all will inherit human aggressive traits though. Usually I cull any that are human aggressive, or they're just a type I don't need for breeding.

 

[MysteryChicken]

My two biggest baby roosters. They beg for attention.

 

[microchick]

Raising roosters is a crap shoot. I've had Buff O roosters that were as mean as sin and Game Bird crosses that are the sweetest birds to deal.

Is aggression genetic? I think it is. Does the way you handle them help? IMHO yes. I won't have a rooster in my flock that won't let me pick it up to treat it if needed nor will I have one that I can't turn my back on.

I also know when to handle them and when to leave them alone to be roosters which comes with knowing your birds and their temperaments.

Did you ruin your rooster? Nope can't make me believe that. If a rooster is going to get mean, it'll happen when they reach sexual maturity. They can be 'onery and not be mean and I haven't owned one that hasn't pushed the limits to see how much nonsense I will tolerate from them.

Pretty much like every teenage boy that's ever lived.

If you ruined your rooster by handling him, then I should have about 25 unbearably violent roosters out in my coops right now and I don't. I do have roosters that will eat out of my hand, allow me to handle them and even pick them up if needed. I have bantams that ride on my shoulders and follow me around and each and every one of them are wonderful with my hens.

One thing I have learned with my 7 years worth of experience keeping birds is that if you can get through the first year with them without plucking them bald and strangling them to death they do mellow out.

A sweet, gentle natured rooster is worth his weight in feed. A mean one is delicious!

 

[Folly's place]

Many of us have started with a nasty rooster, and put up with him way too long. Our first was a rotten little bantam SOB, and we learned! Genetics matter a lot, and then it really helps to have cockerels in a multigenerational flock, as people have already mentioned. Rarely an adult rooster will decide to attack humans; we've had two like that in about thirty years. Otherwise, we learned to see early signs of bad social skills in individual cockerels, rather than figuring it out when attacks are happening. And those bad boys do taste good!
Also, we've had hens who seem overly 'pushy', not the sort who should produce cockerels; anyone have experience with male offspring from such hens?
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Sorry, shouldn't highjack this thread!
To the OP; you didn't make him nasty, he just was a jerk.
Mary

 

[jBabychickn]

I recently just sent my 7 month old Buff Orpington Rooster to a new home. He was attacking my kids, wife, even me. The funny thing is A.) Buff Orpingtons are supposed to be docile B.) I raised this rooster up from the day he hatched C.) He was very friendly right up until he got mean. This rooster loved to jump on my lap, eat out of my hand, and be carried around/petted. I’ve had some people tell me that I made him mean by babying him too much. I guess they’re trying to say he learned to not respect me because he didn’t fear me. Did I mess up? I have a new rooster now that is the same age and very timid. He’s terrified of me. I want to try and help him warm up to us, but I don’t want to create another monster. Should I just leave the new roo alone and keep things the way they are, or should I try and befriend him? Thanks for any info!

I’m very new and learning immensely about young Roos right now. I wanted to share a bit of my most recent personal experience.

Flock consisted of —
1 jubilee Orpington cockerel and 1 salmon Faverolle cockerel along with 8 pullets, all grew up together

The SF guy was purchased​

The JO guy was a freebie surprise​

—I waited to see which one I liked the most, or keep them both, if they chose to really get along (I heard in some occasions, it can happen!)​

—They were both great little lovable guys until around 6/7 months when the hormones kicked in and the domination started​

PERSONALITY
- The JO was human aggressive, very hen aggressive and cockerel aggressive (he ended up tearing a point off of my SF’s comb)
- The SF is “on & off” mildly human aggressive, not hen aggressive and wasn’t cockerel aggressive (He only acted on the defensive)
- The JO also crowed first (very young) and began practice mating/mating first at around 6mos.
- The SF didn’t crow at all until he was 7mos old; he didn’t try to mate with the girls until 7mos.
- The JO would just take the girls and they would cry out in protest.
- The SF didn’t just hop on the girls or make them cry out; He would wing dance or chest bump them to get them to squat

NATURE vs NURTURE ???
*** We “babied” and “loved-on” both these birds the same way; but we definitely got TWO very different outcomes!!!

*** We re-homed the JO to a farm down the road, to a neighbor/friend that’s very experienced with chickens/roosters; He has plans to separate him, to let him mature, and will use him breeding when the time comes…

 

[jBabychickn]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I’ve gotten varying advice as expected but I’ve tried to balance it out and apply everything I’ve been told. Things are going great!

Our SF didn’t crow until he was just over 7mos!

 

[Pretend_Farmer]

A

My two biggest baby roosters. They beg for attention.View attachment 3000100View attachment 3000101

haha that’s awesome! Mine is still terrified of everyone. He’s too scared to even come eat from my hand. I’m really not sure how to change that.