A short, but cautionary tale...

[CentralOregon]

A friend of mine was over recently and wanted to be in with the chickens. No big deal. The aviary is about 5,000 square feet and 14' high, so there's plenty of room to feel as "one" with the birds without crowding or scaring them. In fact, they love when people come in because we usually have something to eat. I pet them here and there and, while I only rarely pick them up, they are very docile and quite friendly. Anyway... the rooster was making a chuckling-type sound and it was kind of funny, so my friend decided she would try to emulate the sound. She did it perfectly! And then the moment she turned her back, the rooster jumped her. Zip, bam, boom and it was all up her front and halfway down her back. So, yea.

Moral of the story: if you hear a rooster making noises and think it would be cute to emulate those same noises...you'd probably be better served to just put a sock in it.

PS. If you choose the last answer in the poll above, the rooster wasn't "attacking" you, as it were.

 

[BantamLover55]

Oh yes! I actually have two of them. One is a crossbreed (I still don't know what he is, but he's big!). The other is a crazy Sumatra bantam who has not been informed that he is, in fact, a bantam!

- BantamLover55

 

[ShockValue]

Ever since we learned that one of our baby girls was actually a boy, we've been in the "kind but firm" camp. So far he's a good boy around me and the family. He gets treats with the rest of the girls (he won't hop on our lap like they do though.)

Occasionally I get the stink-eye from him and he gets reminded who is boss (gently pinned to the ground until he's calm and then walked around the yard for a while like a football.) I involve my daughter in this procedure.

So far, no issues. We've all agreed in our house the first time he gets aggressive with a human, he'll be finding a new home and/or be sent to freezer camp.

 

[CentralOregon]

Ever since we learned that one of our baby girls was actually a boy, we've been in the "kind but firm" camp. So far he's a good boy around me and the family. He gets treats with the rest of the girls (he won't hop on our lap like they do though.)

Occasionally I get the stink-eye from him and he gets reminded who is boss (gently pinned to the ground until he's calm and then walked around the yard for a while like a football.) I involve my daughter in this procedure.

So far, no issues. We've all agreed in our house the first time he gets aggressive with a human, he'll be finding a new home and/or be sent to freezer camp.

I should add that the rooster is at that age (5 months) when the hormones really start to kick in, so it probably wasn't a great idea to bring strangers in. I'd try to catch him, but since none of my flock are handled (unless they truly require it) it would be quite a job to catch him.

He attempted to flog me twice after that day, probably feeling glorified, but I put a stop to that by herding him with a long stick away from the treats (and scratch) while I let the hens begin eating. He was never contacted with the stick, it was held in his path so he couldn't run around me. It worked after 2 lessons...he did not like being prevented from eating the snacks and he realized that it was entirely up to me if he got any at all. I hate to ascribe human emotions to animals, but I'd have to say he's feeling a bit deflated; he's even crowing a whole lot less now. Thankfully. But of course, I'll still never take my eye off him, just in case.

 

[tntchix]

Any time I squat down near Loudmouth he is like, "who do you think you are?"

and he attacks my hip. I've since learned to bend from the waist around him if I am his size he takes me on.