My first accidental rooster was mean and very aggressive. I had to separate him from the hens and from humans especially. I swore I’d never again have a rooster. He passed away peacefully in his sleep. Then as a favor for a friend I fostered 2 young cockerels. After quarantine I introduced them to my ladies. I was immediately enamored of both boys! The older hens taught them manners quickly. Seeing them learn to dance was something I never saw in the mean rooster. The new boys both show me respect and seem to trust me with their ladies. I have reached overtop of the alpha to grab a hen hiding behind him so I could treat a bumblefoot. He let me know with concerned clucking and standing up for a second that he saw and was watching. Then he ignored me.
This article has verified for me the actions that I’ve done properly. It’s also pointed to actions I may need to be aware of in the future. Understanding the natural reactions and lifestyles of chickens helps us know how to be respectful of them. This article has been very helpful in this. Thank you for writing this.
This article has verified for me the actions that I’ve done properly. It’s also pointed to actions I may need to be aware of in the future. Understanding the natural reactions and lifestyles of chickens helps us know how to be respectful of them. This article has been very helpful in this. Thank you for writing this.
You did a great job! Thank you so much but for the information! I've definitely learned I need to stop holding my roosters so much!
On your point of domestication vs tameness, Making the animal more docile and compliant is a part of the domestication process, as a calm animal is more easily handled than one that's cautious and afraid. To what degree this part of the domestication has been prioritized depends on what the species is meant to be used as. Dogs for example, are bred to be companions to humans, whereas chickens are bred for food purposes. It's only in recent years that they're considered to be pets. Therefore, chickens aren't domesticated to be tame, per definition. In any case, tameness even for animals bred to be friendly, like dogs, involves them having to spend time with humans. A puppy that grows up to never see a human, won't automatically become a house pet when it sees one.
Natural rooster behavior doesn't require human interaction. (In fact, the way some people treat roosters by chasing them, throwing them off hens and trying to "dominate" them, many of them would be better off without...)