What goes into raising a friendly roo?

[MeepBeep]

Personally I find it's all individual personality, at least once they get over their 'teenage' hormone phase and mature...

There are numerous roosters in my coop that my 6 year old will go bear hug and pick up with no problem, others will keep an arms length, while some will even challenge her, none of them challenge me though... Any rooster past puberty that shows aggression is re-homed or soup bowled unless it's breeding stock then it's isolated and caged... Beyond that all the mature roosters I keep in general population seem to get along fairly well, they do have their spats but nothing big... And between the mature roosters and the Guinea Fowl neither has much patience or tolerance for young hormone raging roosters... I can always tell when the hormone rage period is over as the Guineas stop plucking each and every tail feather from said rooster once he behaves, all the young roosters look like baboons...

And overall none of my roosters get any special treatment beyond being handled by the kids occasionally when they were young...

 

[Maddy757]

Your experience getting a good roo in that manner may have been pure coincidence. Far more people will tell of an opposite experience.

But the key is to watch for the first sign of hormones kicking in and then back off from any more contact with his unless it's absolutely necessary.

Thanks! I suppose it may have been pure luck.

 

[jmartin0411]

I'm 99% sure my 3 week old FBCM chick is a roo. We have never kept a roo before, but we're going to give it a shot with this guy. Of course, we'd like him to be friendly! Are there any tips beyond frequent handling that can help grow into a tame and friendly rooster?

Thank you!

I have a little boy who is very obviously one at 4ish weeks. He also has ended up being isolated to just us this past week as we lost his two pals to a predator. I've had him inside and I just cart his little butt everywhere. He supervised dishes from the counter with me last night. He's to the point that he tries to groom me, and snuggles to my cheek, and he runs to get on my hand. I'm getting him a few girlfriends this week but I intend to keep this up with him as he needs to be friendly with my son.

 

[azygous]

I have a little boy who is very obviously one at 4ish weeks. He also has ended up being isolated to just us this past week as we lost his two pals to a predator. I've had him inside and I just cart his little butt everywhere. He supervised dishes from the counter with me last night. He's to the point that he tries to groom me, and snuggles to my cheek, and he runs to get on my hand. I'm getting him a few girlfriends this week but I intend to keep this up with him as he needs to be friendly with my son.

Just be aware that around age four or five months, he may suddenly become stand-offish. Of course, there have been cases where such a cuddly little cockerel continues to be that way into and beyond the hormonal stage. But if he does suddenly show signs of not wanting to be touched, you need to respect that or you could face problems.

 

[jmartin0411]

Just be aware that around age four or five months, he may suddenly become stand-offish. Of course, there have been cases where such a cuddly little cockerel continues to be that way into and beyond the hormonal stage. But if he does suddenly show signs of not wanting to be touched, you need to respect that or you could face problems.

Yes, we're aware. I'm hoping that with exposure young maybe he will stay friendly. The good bit is that we can always just let our son visit the other flock which will be all girls until we find the right roo for the breeding job in there.

 

[mskursh]

we have game hens which are have very aggressive roosters. our first rooster the kids and everyone held until the fall. he started very much looking like a rooster and he would attack my little girls. i kicked him a day or 2 later when he went after my 5 yr old...it was just a gut reaction to it..i was standing right there. He then attacked my wife in the coop the next day and she had had enough.

SO i took him to where we got the chickens and being that they are game birds, he got walloped by his brothers. midway through winter, the guy we got them from said that one of my roosters (we took back all we thought were roosters earlier that year) is messing with the big rooster and will probably not make it past winter so i went and got him. He's been a great rooster. has never shown an ounce of aggression, and there are times we have lots of kids over and they'll chase the hens around. he's alert but he's not aggressive.

They guy said that you just have to completely ignore them.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

I've found it really really really depends on the breed and a lot on the genes of a rooster - I finally found myself a nice (not necessarily friendly, more like respecting) rooster, and both of his sons are are the same way. I've raised roosters with both the hands-off and hands-on approach, and I've found it doesn't matter a whole lot (some, but not a lot) if the breed or father is mean.

 

[stevie nicks]

I have a silkie rooster..1 yr old. Raised him since 2 days old. He takes days where he scoots the flock on around. Then he will take spells where he is intense on coming after me. He doesnt di it to my hubby. Ive always been the one talking to and caring for and feeding him. Is it the high hormone stage he is in or what. I want to let him and the other roosters..hens and chicks roam property..difficult to attempt that. Any suggesti I ns. I was told silkie roosters were easy going

 

[szczur]

I am curious, how do people train roosters to be handled at a show, since you are supposed to be so hands off to keep them from aggression? When mine matured he no longer wanted to be picked up and would run away, but if I do pick him up off the perch at night he snuggles right in and eats treats while I hold him (I check him for mites or wounds every so often as they are let out on pasture). I think part of it is genetics and you might end up with a nasty roo. I really tried to not act like a threat and not scare my birds...chickens are easy to scare with clanging feed buckets, etc. I also did not act anything like another chicken so hopefully they would not think of me as a rooster. My roo is polish, which is an ornamental breed bred more to be a pet which might be why he isn't so manly and not rapey to the hens, although I have heard some hatchery polish chicks have turned into ultra mean roosters.

 

[ChickenLover200]

Handle him as much as possible, don't over baby him, don't push your limits, etc.