Keeping Roosters Gentle

[JohnTheChickenMan]

I've got my 7 year old granddaughter hooked on chickens. She found some eggs in the yard not from my mated pens and wanted to hatch them. I set her up with an incubator and she hatched and raised a rooster and 2 pullets. They have been her pets she handled them daily. Then one day she called and told me the rooster hit her. While visiting her i noticed she would always go in the pen and try to love on her favorite pullet. I had forgotten to warn her that it is a roosters job to protect his hens. Simple solution i had her first pick up the rooster and move him to another location b4 handling the hens. Now all is well. So for those of u that don't know always keep in mind that sometimes aggressive roosters are simply born and but many times they are created by failing to remember what their job in the flock is. I even had a gentle rooster hit me when he observed me "stealing eggs" so now i am careful to always steal their eggs in a more stealthy manner. Lol. So tips for beginners when dealing with roosters: don't chase or grab their hens or steal eggs in front of them. Always talk to a rooster and never rush him when trying to handle him. Hope this helps someone

 

[loyalcrowlist]

This is definitely helpful! We have a Serama rooster and he's my oldest daughter's favorite and I've been a little worried that he might get aggressive towards her even though currently he comes to her to be picked up and likes to perch on her shoulders.

 

[Folly's place]

Genetics! Also a big factor in these behaviors, and then management does matter. Here we don't have small children running around, at least not often, and we don't make pets out of our cockerels either. They are supposed to do 'chicken things', and stay out of the way of the giants who bring food. Right now four roosters and one cockerel, who are all polite towards humans, and each other.
Mary

 

[Tonyroo]

This is definitely helpful! We have a Serama rooster and he's my oldest daughter's favorite and I've been a little worried that he might get aggressive towards her even though currently he comes to her to be picked up and likes to perch on her shoulders.

I never had any bad aggression with my 3 Serama cockerels. One was a pet that stayed on my shoulder while I was doing chores outside and other 2 was afraid of me.

 

[JohnTheChickenMan]

Another tip to tame chickens is BREAD.
Chickens love it when u give them little pieces of bread and many times will eventually get to where they will take it very gentle from ur hands.

 

[Mrs. K]

Still, I would warn your child to beware, sometimes aggression is more like a wave, rises and recedes, but will rise again. I wish her the best, but I would not want her attacked, and at 7, it might knock her down, or scare her badly.

Mrs K

 

[JohnTheChickenMan]

Still, I would warn your child to beware, sometimes aggression is more like a wave, rises and recedes, but will rise again. I wish her the best, but I would not want her attacked, and at 7, it might knock her down, or scare her badly.

Mrs K

She's been warned, and learned first hand how mean they can be. She is far more determined than that little rooster. Since she learned how to handle him she hasn't been attacked anymore. Just yesterday while walking the chicken yard she said i would pick up that hen for u pawpa but those hens belong to that rooster. She always picks up the rooster off the yard first puts him in a pen then gently handles the hens to her hearts content.
I guess i should point out the rooster is very gentle but i started this thread to help people understand that even gentle roosters can get aggressive when wrangling their hens.

 

[JohnTheChickenMan]

 

[JohnTheChickenMan]

This video is of my granddaughter catching a hen. She is the 2 year old baby of my earlier picture of my daughter holding the rooster.

 

[JohnTheChickenMan]

my granbabies starting early taming chicks