Advice about rooster

[zenrobot]

I have several roosters in my flock, but the top roo has been showing aggression towards my almost 4 year old son. Granted, he's obsessed with the chickens so he's always around them but he's not particularly rough with them.
This head rooster has, on several occasions now, scratched my son. The rooster is great with his flock, always keeping a wary eye out and making sure to stay with them, but I'm worried the aggression is going to escalate.
Is this enough to cull the rooster and hope the other rooster steps up to the role? Any input would be wonderful, thank you.

 

[Pork Pie]

I would certainly either get rid of the rooster in question, and keep an eye on the others or create a bachelor pad for the roosters, so your grandson will be safe. The damage that a roo can do to a child can be horrific, and something you would never forgive yourself for.

 

[tmarsh83]

Human aggression has no place here.

Period.

You have to decide if you're willing to tolerate it. I will not.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!

You're in for some harsh advice....seriously, small children and male chickens are not a good mix.
Handling and keeping cock/erels can be tricky and there is much dissension on how to handle the situation.

I will advise you to get rid of that cockbird (rooster) ASAP before he blinds your son.

 

[bobbi-j]

Another vote for getting rid of the rooster. There is no rooster worth keeping around when it is a threat to a child.

 

[Beekissed]

What is generally happening when these event occur? Is he holding the rooster when it happens? Is he chasing a hen in order to hold her? Or is he just walking along around the flock and gets flogged?

Need more information.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Wish I could disagree for arguments sake.... but ALL have given VERY good advice! Protect your son before it gets serious.

Good luck!

 

[Folly's place]

There's no excuse for human aggression, and especially for ANY behaviors directed at a child!!! He'd be gone immediately here. This cock could decide to attack at any time regardless of what's going on at the time, and eyeballs aren't replacable. Mary

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Your rooster is doing what a rooster does. Many roosters never show aggression with adults, but child seem to bring out the worse in them. They move differently, and erratically and are prone to outbursts and screaming. I wouldn't allow any roosters to out when a young child is around, you just never know. I would keep them penned or not keep any roosters until your kids are older, it's too dangerous to risk it.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree. I've had very good and gentle roosters who have forgotten their place when a hen was being chased or held down or picked up and was making noise about it....I've even had hens that got froggy over such things. If they've had no training about what to do in that moment, they will react like a good rooster should react and try to protect what is theirs. How can he know what to do about it unless we show him?

I'd give him an opportunity to learn what you expect and then monitor further interaction between the boy and flock. If the rooster continues to react to the child in a negative way after being thoroughly schooled, it's safe to say you can write him off.

When my granddaughter started walking, going to the coop to help me gather eggs, moving through the free ranged flock and even helping me feed, I monitored my rooster's reaction to her...any gaze at her longer than a few seconds was met with a guarding behavior on my part...moving towards him, moving him away from her area. The response I was looking for was his learning to stay away from her like he stays away from me and he gave it. He avoids her when she approaches now, as do the other chickens. I trust him now...but only so far as I would trust any intact male animal that has the potential to harm a human.

Then I trained the child. No chasing the chickens or attempting to pick them up, move quietly and calmly through the flock and while in the coop. Never run from them, always walk through them, not around them, and always have your eye on the rooster. That's good advice for any human, no matter how gentle and trustworthy is the rooster or however how long you've had him, petted him or otherwise come to know him, an intact male animal is always a potential danger and is to be treated with a healthy respect.

Any kid growing up on a farm learns that one vital fact of life...animals will be animals at any given time and do not have the moral reasoning that a human has.