A question about roosters

[Peppercorngal]

It really depends on the rooster. Some get mean and some are sweet. In the past year I've had 3. Two were friendly as could be and one, Cody was the meanest critter on the earth. You never know, they were all raised the same way. The photo is Cody's mean look, you knew you were in for trouble when he looked at you like this!

 

[bobbi-j]

If a rooster starts attacking people it generally will never go away. Raising respectful roosters is easier than trying to fix aggression. Aggression can start as soon as they sexually mature, or it can take until their first adult spring.

I find not handling your roosters except to move and check them out as they are growing, no petting and holding, and no hand feeding can help to develop a better respectful relationship with you. Roosters should keep their distance, and shouldn't come into your personal space. You should always be confident, and not be afraid to move into their space, they should move off.

I agree. I have been raising my cockerels this way for several years now, and have yet to have a human aggressive one. That being said, if I do get one he won't last long. I have no time for that.

Thanks everyone! I have a Black copper maran rooster who will be 4 months at the end of march. Do black copper marans tend to be a nastier breed?

I have never had marans, so I can't answer that question. But I would suggest you start training him now. I never make pets out of my roosters. I know that some do, and it works out, but there are so many more "My sweet rooster suddenly started attacking me for no reason!" posts out there, that I have come to the conclusion that it's just not a good idea. Instead, once I discover a certain bird is a cockerel, I stop handling it. I make it move out of my way whenever I'm with the chickens. I walk through them. If he's between where I am and where I want to be, I walk straight toward him and keep coming. He needs to either back up or get out of my way. If one looks me in the eye, I stare it down. Sometimes I move him away from the feed, just because I can. If one decides to challenge me if I'm handling a hen, I continue what I'm doing, while looking the rooster right in the eye until he backs off. Roosters are intact male animals who's instincts are pretty much to breed and protect. I know some people say not to let a rooster breed in your presence, but I choose not to let that bother me. I'm not trying to be a dominant rooster in my flock. My chickens are smart enough to know I'm not a chicken. They do need to understand, however, that I am the boss. I feed and water them, and will do as I please when I'm with them. If I ever end up with a rooster that doesn't understand that, he will go in my freezer.

 

[bobbi-j]

It really depends on the rooster. Some get mean and some are sweet. In the past year I've had 3. Two were friendly as could be and one, Cody was the meanest critter on the earth. You never know, they were all raised the same way. The photo is Cody's mean look, you knew you were in for trouble when he looked at you like this!
View attachment 1289118

He looked like he meant it!

 

[Peppercorngal]

He looked like he meant it!

He got me many times and I shed my blood because of him! He was serious as a heart attack!

 

[Alaskan]

Thanks everyone! I have a Black copper maran rooster who will be 4 months at the end of march. Do black copper marans tend to be a nastier breed?

mine all tended to be pretty nice.. a few bad ones... but it is a pretty good breed.

My problem with the roosters is that they are HEAVY, and so tend to muss up the girls more than a lighter rooster.

However because they are larger and not as spry, I simply put up high perches for the girls and a lower perch for the rooster... then the girls had an easy way to avoid his attentions.

 

[RWise]

I re-homed a RIR roo, I had not seen any issues with him, but they came back and told he constantly flogged the wife. I told her "chicken and dumplings" would fix him, next time he flogged her his head came off,,,,, never did it again.

 

[birdofhermes]

i think roosters will always get the hormones in them and they're bound to act up if you spend enough time around them. spending lots of time hugging them and letting them sleep on you is a good way to make sure they respect you enough to listen when you say "no". like a human, if you mistreat them as children they are more likely to grow up to be aggressive

 

[The Moonshiner]

i think roosters will always get the hormones in them and they're bound to act up if you spend enough time around them. spending lots of time hugging them and letting them sleep on you is a good way to make sure they respect you enough to listen when you say "no". like a human, if you mistreat them as children they are more likely to grow up to be aggressive

Funny because its so ridiculous.
Absolutely the wrong way to raise a cockerel if you want it to become a well adjusted nonaggresive rooster. IMHO.
Give a cockerel some space and if you need to hug something continously, hug a tree.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Funny because its so ridiculous.
Absolutely the wrong way to raise a cockerel if you want it to become a well adjusted nonaggresive rooster. IMHO.
Give a cockerel some space and if you need to hug something continously, hug a tree.

Exactly, chicks aren't children and chickens aren't people and never will be.

That doesn't mean you should mistreat them but you should treat them like chickens and breed for non-aggression.

 

[The Moonshiner]

A post from another thread from this member. Sound like someone you'd want to take advice from?

"Actually settled on this plush toy while searching for a chicken sex doll haha.
Had to strap some ankle weights around the legs to keep it from moving out from under him but it's definitely his favourite out of all his stuffed toys lol. i think there's definitely a market for chicken sex dolls as the popularity of pet roosters rises