I read this article without judgment last year since I felt fairly new to chicken keeping. I now have 6 roosters. 4 roosters that I raised from a straight run, 1 that moved in from the neighbors, and 1 little guy that hatched earlier this summer. The roosters that I raised have all been cuddled A LOT. They are the sweetest, most docile roosters you could ever hope for. They have NEVER been aggressive to any human.
I have learned that roosters are often misunderstood. For example, when they hit rooberty, they are on high alert and more anxious. They are trying to figure out how to do a very important job of keeping everyone safe, while at the same time being flooded with hormones, much like over-sexed teenage boys. Because of all this, they may also be more jumpy and bitey. They naturally test some of their new sexual impulses out on those they are closest to, like their favorite humans. If a cuddled rooster is biting you, it may in fact be a sign that he has a secure attachment to you and does not perceive you as a threat. To make another analogy, think of a young toddler who has more tantrums with mom.
Roosters do not have hands. When roosters mate hens, they latch onto her neck feathers with their beak. If they do this to a human, it can be very painful because we don't have any feathers. Moreover, roosters seem particularly stimulated by bare skin and may bite because they are excited. Just watch what a rooster does when he is especially happy to see a favorite hen in the distance, or someone who is normally not in his flock when he thinks no one is looking. It's a prize worth fighting for. He puffs up and does what I like to call the "cannonball" run towards the object of his affection at mad speed and mates more vigorously than usual. If you pet your rooster during rooberty, it's important to consider wearing gloves and avoiding rubbing against their bellies which may simulate the feeling of a hen underneath.
Again, because they have no hands, chickens use their beaks to express a multitude of emotions. In my experience, sometimes the most securely attached rooster may bite to convey irritation because you were not around after a long period of time, or when the waterer is empty. They are trying to tell you something in their own way.
As roosters grow more protective during rooberty, they may misinterpret colors, movements, even cell phones and go on attack in an instant. Remember they will die fighting to protect others. This is not being "mean," it's just in their nature. We know that dogs are protective, for example, and don't assume they are mean when they bark at others. We even love them for it, yet dogs are the #2 reason kids end up in the emergency room. I get that there are significant differences between dogs and roosters. For one, dogs mostly protect their humans, although some also protect livestock. Roosters mostly protect their hens, as far as I know, but they are possibly the most altruistic pet or livestock you will ever have. Not only are they friendly, curious and brave, roos are only animals I've ever had that ever shares food with others in any shape or form, aside from mothers with babies.
What roosters need is not dominance, but reassurance. Dominance may work eventually, but they will be more likely to see you as a threat and less calm when you are around which could eventually backfire. The only rooster that ever attacked me is my neighbor's rooster has never been handled. However, I still give this article some stars because at least the author is making an effort to highlight the importance of having roosters and trying to provide guidance. He also mentions rooster bachelor pads which many people find to be a great solution.
I have learned that roosters are often misunderstood. For example, when they hit rooberty, they are on high alert and more anxious. They are trying to figure out how to do a very important job of keeping everyone safe, while at the same time being flooded with hormones, much like over-sexed teenage boys. Because of all this, they may also be more jumpy and bitey. They naturally test some of their new sexual impulses out on those they are closest to, like their favorite humans. If a cuddled rooster is biting you, it may in fact be a sign that he has a secure attachment to you and does not perceive you as a threat. To make another analogy, think of a young toddler who has more tantrums with mom.
Roosters do not have hands. When roosters mate hens, they latch onto her neck feathers with their beak. If they do this to a human, it can be very painful because we don't have any feathers. Moreover, roosters seem particularly stimulated by bare skin and may bite because they are excited. Just watch what a rooster does when he is especially happy to see a favorite hen in the distance, or someone who is normally not in his flock when he thinks no one is looking. It's a prize worth fighting for. He puffs up and does what I like to call the "cannonball" run towards the object of his affection at mad speed and mates more vigorously than usual. If you pet your rooster during rooberty, it's important to consider wearing gloves and avoiding rubbing against their bellies which may simulate the feeling of a hen underneath.
Again, because they have no hands, chickens use their beaks to express a multitude of emotions. In my experience, sometimes the most securely attached rooster may bite to convey irritation because you were not around after a long period of time, or when the waterer is empty. They are trying to tell you something in their own way.
As roosters grow more protective during rooberty, they may misinterpret colors, movements, even cell phones and go on attack in an instant. Remember they will die fighting to protect others. This is not being "mean," it's just in their nature. We know that dogs are protective, for example, and don't assume they are mean when they bark at others. We even love them for it, yet dogs are the #2 reason kids end up in the emergency room. I get that there are significant differences between dogs and roosters. For one, dogs mostly protect their humans, although some also protect livestock. Roosters mostly protect their hens, as far as I know, but they are possibly the most altruistic pet or livestock you will ever have. Not only are they friendly, curious and brave, roos are only animals I've ever had that ever shares food with others in any shape or form, aside from mothers with babies.
What roosters need is not dominance, but reassurance. Dominance may work eventually, but they will be more likely to see you as a threat and less calm when you are around which could eventually backfire. The only rooster that ever attacked me is my neighbor's rooster has never been handled. However, I still give this article some stars because at least the author is making an effort to highlight the importance of having roosters and trying to provide guidance. He also mentions rooster bachelor pads which many people find to be a great solution.
