Done with Barred Rock Roosters

[Kev]

Thanks, yes, I really think a lot of aggression is genetic...plus, you can't always blame the owner for the cockerel's behavior! I've even had a hatchery hen randomly go people aggressive one day (a barred rock, believe it or not) and she just got worse and worse until she would walk around you pecking and making your feet and ankles bleed any time she saw flesh as she waited for you to bend over so she could jump and go for your eyes. She was given a few weeks of terrorizing people and then she was culled. OUCH. I'm less patient now. It hurts less.

Plus, if you're going to be bringing warm water to your birds several times a day in the winter they'd better at least be polite.

Haha yes, except for the winter part... southern Calif here...

When I had 100+ peafowl, I needed quite a lot of broody hens to hatch their eggs(notorious for being harder to hatch in incubators plus my dander allergies).. the hens needed to be mellow enough to let me handle the eggs and chicks under them. Nest warriors and screamers/runners were no good at all as they risk damage to the eggs and chicks during their fits. That was a big factor into my habit of testing every bird for aggression when handled and it really made a difference in 'developing' lines of very mellow and excellent setters. It was really nice to lift a hen and check on the eggs without getting pecked or even screeched at... especially with sometimes 50+ setting hens at once lol

 

[LRH97]

I should have added with aggression being genetic, it also is on a continuum/curve not an either/or thing and environment also plays a part.

For example a genetically mid range for aggression roo, if raised hands off or by experienced person probably will not show any aggression. However this very same bird, if raised hand tame/as a pet has a much higher chance of attacking. This is why so many swear by not making pets out of roosters.. they are actually talking about those mid range roosters.

Roosters with low/zero genetics for aggression are going to stay nice no matter how they are raised and handled. People with those gentle pet roosters sometimes speak up and disagree with bunch of others about roosters being mean. Not even children will incite them into attacking. They simply don't have the instincts to be triggered.

And then there are roosters with high genetics for aggression that are going to be mean no matter what. They continue to attack no matter how their attacks are handled.

As a result of this being a variable mix, all too often discussions about mean roosters end up talking over each other and every one with strong opinions when everyone all at once are wrong, right, partially wrong/right.

Couldn't agree with this more. I do believe having a nice, even tempered older roo in the flock also helps keep things a bit calmer, especially with dealing with over-zealous young cockerels. But as you said, a roo with over-aggression in his blood will be over aggressive no matter what. The dumpling pot just calls their name! And it is an extremely variable mix. Personally, I like a good mid-range roo. One that gives me my personal space, but still keeps an eye on things. Really, one just has to keep going until you find that nice, fairly easy going roo that respects the human as the "flock master", if you will, and one that will pass on favorable traits to his children, including his temperament.

 

[aart]

No doubt a propensity to violence in males can be genetic...but can also be environmental(ie:behavior of keepers).
'Terrible roosters' can be both born and made.
It's definitely not just a breed thing tho, as the thread title implies.

 

[waddles99]

If I may offer an alternate view, I don't think it was the breed so much as the individual personality. I know people with BR cock(erel)s who are respectful of humans and friendly. If you like barred rocks and want to get another one, go for it. You'll run just as much of a chance getting an aggressive one as you would with any other breed.

 

[Stephine]

Yes, I agree. A sample size of 2 has no significance whatsoever.

 

[bobbi-j]

Beautiful chickens is what they are!

They have the scaleless gene which makes them naked all over- no scales on the legs/toes either(hence the name).

Well - those would sure save time on butchering day! No picking!

 

[Navahogirl]

It's amazing to me how a person (meaning me) has to learn a lesson twice to really learn a lesson. Back in February, my flock of hens welcomed a 14 week old Barred Rock rooster that I had picked up a couple hours away. I wanted a Barred Rock because I had plans to change to Buff Orpingtons for meat production, wanted some variation, but did not want to bring the weight of offspring down.

And they sure did welcome him! The hens LOVED this rooster, and he protected them vigilantly. By the time he was 20 weeks, however, he was getting a little confused about what he was protecting these hens FROM. He chased my small children, attacked me when my back was turned and even went after my husband (who usually had nothing to do with the care of the flock). This wasn't just boundary testing or protecting his flock, he chased me all the way around the house, and the hens were not even in sight anymore! Three weeks later, he was in the crockpot. He was delicious!

Meanwhile, I had gotten another Barred Rock rooster chick from the hatchery. I was going to need two, since I had almost 40 hens, pullets and chicks by then. After the early demise of the first BR, my husband said about the chick, "I don't know, hon...what if he's like the last one?" But my philosophy was, why worry about it until it happens? I had to handle this chick for three weeks, due to pasty butt, and he did not appear to be scared of me like the other chicks (I don't keep chickens as pets, only livestock). I wasn't sure if this would turn out to be a bad thing or a good thing.

I researched why BR were mean (in my very limited experience). I read that handling could make them nice, or mean (well, that helps). I got lots of pointers off BYC about what to do if my rooster turned mean. I was ready. And, sure enough, it happened. At about 15 weeks, the rooster chased the kids. So I read some more. I told them, "Go after him, let him know you are above him in the pecking order, and he won't do it again". I couldn't just keep killing roosters because my kids couldn't handle teaching them a lesson! It took weeks, but they finally learned to carry sticks with them to the coop and around the yard. If he made them nervous, they shooed him with the sticks. He settled down a little. Then he chased me. I kicked him, ran after him, and yelled at him. And kept food away from him, allowing the rest of my flock to eat while keeping him away, then finally allowing him to come eat with us. He left me alone after that.

A week ago, my 8 yr old comes in the house. "Mom, you need to check on the rooster!" Why, I said. "Because I beat him with a stick, and he's lying on the ground! I think he's dead!" A look out the window told me he was back on his feet, but pretty much still in shock. He had jumped up on my 8 yr old and scratched his cheek. My son did exactly what I had told him to do, and hit him over the head with the stick several times, then ran away. He hates it when the animals are hurt, so it was not what he wanted to do, but he knew he had to. Okay, I thought. The rooster has surely learned his lesson with that son, hopefully he will realize both kids aren't to be messed with.

Nope. A few days later, my 8 yr old went into the front yard, and the rooster immediately chased him. This will be his last week as a "free bird". He will be in the crockpot by the end of the weekend. I will never buy another Barred Rock rooster.

These are just ramblings. I know every chicken is different, even within the same breed. But I am looking at a 100% failure rate on using BR roosters. I can't ignore that. Lesson learned. Thanks for listening.

 

[Timothy Spaghetti]

Thanks to all for the replies! Luckily, my 2nd in command rooster is a buff Orpington. He is HUGE, but has never even ran at us. And the one I am getting from my sister is also a BO and also nice. We shall see how that goes!

Hello,I adopted a flock that is in need of more hens but I am waiting until spring for fear of introducing diseases..
Two Barred Rock Roosters,both same size and a few hens,but the aggressive one terrorized my neighbors family and children,only the little girl loves them because of raising them from chicks and visits..
I was caught off guard,flapped slapped him from getting inside on me with my hat,got to be about two minutes where he was whimpering he could not get inside on me but kept trying.
I felt so bad as there are predators here.
I pump flashed a umbrella like those dinosaurs with a collar,they do not like it but if I leave it open as a barrier he tries to get inside on me..lol..(open close open close)
I thought I had him learned,but tonight when I went to secure henhouse door,he exited for some action.
I held my arm out flapping my hat back and forth with my wrist,and again he was purr whimpering he could not get inside on me,I feel so bad after because he behaved all day.
Even my elderly mother was near him.I am buying enough fencing for a half acre and leave them all within and get more hens..Bear, Bobcats, coyotes,fox,racoons,and all huge specimens here..They say must pin them.
I actually like him,he wants to be top dog and cannot blame him.
I talk to him and he just looks at me..
I cannot be mean,just defend myself.
The lord made them like that for a reason,sad are children around.
They are relentless..
Once children are old enough, could be a great experience to exercise patience and not cruelty.
Every youth I know who overcame,ended up a great human being and more advanced having dealt with such situation..
High Quality human beings figure a solution aside taking the little stinkers heart.
Great for a youth to learn,but not little youngster's who cannot handle defence.
What Amazing heart they display,I cannot understand what made him all of a sudden want to battle.
All day long,he answered me when I called him,led them all back to me.Is a field between his original home and my orchard.The little girl fed them cheese puffs through the window..Larger hen yard going in tomorrow,tired of watching for predators.
My friend told me Barred Rocks were docile normally.
The other one is nice as pie.
If you lived closer I'd swap you the nice one for your kids and I'd work with the troubled one.Think I need tough ones here as many predators at dusk.Scranton,Penna...
Regards...

Thanks to all for the replies! Luckily, my 2nd in command rooster is a buff Orpington. He is HUGE, but has never even ran at us. And the one I am getting from my sister is also a BO and also nice. We shall see how that goes!

 

[BantammChick]

Sorry about your roosters. It really is different with every chicken, I have had 2 barred rock roosters, 1 from Cackle hatchery and the other was a BR cross I hatched in 2017, and they were both great roosters, the first one I got in 2015 and he was really sweet and docile, he didn't fight with the other roosters, and the hens loved him, RIP Roosty. The BR cross is also a good rooster, he's really protective of his hens, he's a little aggressive toward the other roosters, but not humans.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think space also has a great deal to do with the behavior of a rooster. Not always, but often times. When we come here to give our opinion, we do so based on our own flocks and their set ups.

If you notice, long time posters, with a great deal of experience over a large amount of birds and time, seldom have a lot of trouble with roosters. Why?

• They have bigger flocks
• Because they have bigger flocks, they have a great deal of space
• And they tend to have multi-generational flocks.
• They tend to solve for peace in the flock, verses individual birds.

The original poster, has a great deal of chickens. So like any advice given on here, really does not fit the above situation, but I do wonder what her/his run looks like.

I think you get better birds, more peaceful flocks with

• A great deal of space
• Clutter in that space where as birds can get away from each other and out of sight
• multiple feed stations
• multi-generational flocks
• minimum amount of roosters
• Sharp knife - to remove any birds that do not work out, not every bird works out

Mrs K