handling roosters?

I have a question. My young rooster comes running when he sees me and lets me pet him. A friend of mine who has raised many chickens over the years cautioned me against that. He said that if I'm too friendly to him he will turn on me wanting to show his dominance. My older rooster is a good rooster to the hens but is not at all friendly towards me. He has wanted to come after me so I always carry a big stick when I'm around him. I'm trying to tame my younger rooster to be sweet so I won't have to worry about him like the older one. I'd like to replace the mean one eventually with his son who is nicer. Is that a bad idea to try to tame him? Another friend's son has a pet banty rooster and her son and his wife have great affection for him and hold him a lot. He's very sweet. This first friend acted like it's just a matter of time until the banty will turn mean to them if they continue making a pet of him. What do you think?

Honestly, it depends on each and every bird. I have had mean roosters and nice roosters. I decided to just keep the nice ones and let the others go with random assortments of chickens that I sell at times. I have two roos right now that don't like me to pick them up, but they will allow it and definitely don't try to attack me. Just like people have different personalities, so do chickens. You can never tell if he is going to be mean or not until his hormones kick in... Even then, they can change over the years. I'd say keep him used to you. Then, if he does get mean, thump him back (nothing to harm him, just to let him know that you don't take that kind of treatment). Good luck and hope he does well!

Thanks for your reply, Tdhenson. My friend assumes that all roosters want to be apha males and will act mean eventually. I don't plan to carry mine around or anything, I just don't want to do anything that would make it more likely for him to turn mean.

I'm all for trying to tame roosters. But a lot depends on each rooster's temperament. It sounds as if you may have good material to work with.

Two years ago, when I found myself with two cockerels, I started on a program of teaching them who was boss. I followed the recipe for establishing dominance over them using discipline, and quickly turned two little roos into basket cases.

Luckily, I figured out quicky my rough treatment was doing more harm than good, and I stopped it. One roo was so scared of me he'd have a meltdown if I tried to touch him, while the other was so skittish, he'd bite me.

Over time, with a program of gentleness and affection, both boys came to trust me. Neither roo has ever flogged me. All it took was daily handling, holding them close, talking to them quietly, and not making sudden movements that would frighten them.

So ignore your neighbor. Follow your instincts. You can establish dominance just as easily with affection as with discipline.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience and for the reassurance, Azygous!

I think it varies. One of my little bantam cockerel was very friendly,he would run up to you and wait to be picked up - then he would sit on your shoulder etc..... and then one day he became a little aggressive to my mum (but not me)... we found it funny because he was so small and fluffy and could barely reach the top of a welly. On the other hand my main roster is shy of people but he is not nasty at all and can be handled etc...

I once had the most evil roster ever, he would stalk you as you walked past then would try to attack you - if you kept an eye on him he would walk off and wait until your back was turned - and then would attack you! Needless to say he was rehomed (and probably put on the guys dinner plate).

All my roos are different, so I don't think one rule can suit all birds. If you make him tame and it doesn't work out then you'll have the option
of trying again and changing your handling method etc...no harm in trying.

iFairy x

How old is your young rooster?

After having a mean rooster that attacked me, I wanted to make sure my new roosters were less aggressive (although I agree with others that it is very individual). People told me that they might get feisty when the hens are at point of lay, and that I should start picking them up and carrying them around for a minute each day.

I did that, but the dominant rooster (I'm trying to keep two), would still dance around me when I set him down. I read somewhere on here to pick him up in a football hold, and gently hold his head down. If you let go of his head and he picks his head back up, push it down again. Eventually, when you let go, he will just sit there on your hip with his head down. Once he is submissive, set him on the ground. Sometimes I had to do this more than once, but it seems to have worked for me. I don't bother to pick them up now unless they challenge me, and they have totally left me alone.

Sorry I cannot give credit to whoever wrote about this method. I doubt it works with every rooster, but it definitely worked with mine. Good luck with yours. Hopefully he will never challenge you.

We have two bantam roosters that are very friendly. (One is more dominant in the flock) Both roos were raised together and get along fine with one another - and our family. My daughter totes both of them around. One will sit on her lap and fall asleep (always thinks he is "off duty" for a bit). Both will come to us and eat from our hands. We have treated them as pets from the point of purchase as chicks. No flogging or aggressive behavior has transpired thus far. They are quite protective of their ladies, however, and will squeal and squawk their alarms the second they catch a glimpse of ANYTHING flying overhead. I, too, think it just depends upon the temperament of the individual birds. Some are docile and some are not. -not sure that petting, holding, or carrying them around affects their ability to do their jobs as roosters. Mine are aggressive towards predators but not our family. Our little yorkie slipped out the back door once, and my roos were quick on the scene placing themselves between our pup and the hens. They raised quite a raucous until I retrieved the dog...

I have a cockerel that I hatched that I want to keep. Yup, sure enough he has tried attacking me & bit me once. I've been trying different methods to show him that I'm the boss. My problem is I don't have the time & way to many chickens to keep messing with this guy. I also noticed he doesn't help the pullets he's mean to them. Just yesterday I noticed my head cockerel kicking his butt because he was being an idiot. I'm gonna get rid of three cocks because I need to get down to only keeping three I need two in this coop & one in another. Guess, pretty boy is going bye bye. I feel its the right decision because you just gotta make sure you have the right roo for a flock if not you could be in for one heck of a ride there just not worth the trouble they can cause to you, others that come on your land, plus your children & the flock. You might think I'll give him one more chance & sure enough he goes south on you just when you think you have fixed him. I'm going with my experience here & saying 99% of the time you can't fixs them. Thats just what I've experienced. Good luck to anyone that can fixs the problem. I can't afford a lawsuit because my roo hurts someone on my farm especially my grandkids. I can't take the odds.

I have the same probably that you do as well. We actually just had to put down our oldest rooster, he had attacked my husband. He had come after me a couple times and I started to carry a stick with me as well. Our younger rooster, that we got on accident, is very tame, it follows me everywhere and it makes me nervous. I don't know what to do with him. I don't want him to end up attacking anyone either.