Advice: Get a Rooster!

[agold08]

Our rooster used to have aggression issues with my husband and small dog, up until the day my husband saved one of his ladies! We heard loud squawking noises outside one afternoon and went out to find the rooster running frantically from the back porch to the side of our lawn shed. He led my husband straight to the problem! One of the hens had gotten herself wedged between the shed and the fence and couldn't get free, so my husband simply picked her up and blocked off the opening so they couldn't get back there again. We personally like knowing that he's incredibly protective of his flock, finds the hens food, and maintains overall order. We've noticed when he has contact with other people that he can definitely sense if they're afraid of him. As long as he stays non-aggressive, we personally think the pros outweigh the cons.

 

[LanceTN]

my young rooster was getting a little mean so I decided to bribe him. At least once a day I take a cup of sunflower seeds out to the run and toss them on the ground a little at a time. He now runs to me to get his seeds.

And I've had multiple people on here call me crazy for suggesting people offer their roosters food to calm aggression.

A rooster gets aggressive for one of two reasons, he thinks you're a rooster he needs to compete with or he thinks you're a threat. Offering him food takes him out of either mindset.

 

[chippysmom]

The rooster picture a few pages back looks like a Wheaten Bantam or Bantam. We have some that look just like that. I read somewhere that if you pick up the mean rooster, hold him under your arm with his head low, and butt high, and pet him and walk around, that might eventually tame him. There's a man called the Chicken Man on a forum (this one?) that advises this. This has helped a bit with our roosters.

We had a very mean Bantam that would attack and flog, especially me. Unfortunately he was the most beautiful blue-gray, with gray legs. I went out to out pen one day (24x36) to get the girls to go across the yard and into the coop for the night, and he wasn't there. Looking down into the woods, I saw him facing off against a hawk and jumping at the hawk in attack. I yelled, and they both looked at me, but by the time I ran up the hill to the door of the pen and around and down into the woods, I saw the hawk fly off and Mousey dead on the ground from a peck to the back of his neck. To this day I think if I wouldn't have yelled Mousey would have chased off the hawk. Now we have bird netting over the top of that pen. It was a pain putting it up but I'm glad to know my girls are safer.

Mousey was a very mean rooster. Flogging is more than painful. If they break the skin the dirt or germs on their claws or spurs can cause a really bad infection. I'll tell you a story about that some time.

 

[annesrockinhors]

We had a hawk attack last weekend and our roo (brown leghorn) ran & hid under our coop! Lot of help he was! Our former rooster "Big Red" (RI Red) would have defended his girls until the ends of the world. We didn't loose anyone this time around, but we were lucky it was a juvie hawk. Guess it depends on your rooster. I can understand the benefits if you can tolerate his attitude....

 

[Diannastarr]

Hello, everyone. I have some quick advice for all of you.

Get a rooster, it's as simple as that. I know you may be hesitant because roosters can be mean and noisy, but when I say they are worth it, I mean it. Hopefully after this story, I can sway your mind.



Last week, the morning started out as normal. I got up around 6:30, let the chickens out for the day, refilled their water, and checked their food. After that, I went upstairs as normal. Around 9:00 A.M., I was sitting on my computer chair, when I heard the rooster making some strange noises. He was making a 'ba-cock" noise, and I knew it sounded kind of off, so I let it go for about two minutes. After I kept hearing it, I eventually I gave in and looked out the window.

On the deck was sitting this bird, it was the same size as one of the hens. I looked a little closer, and realized in fact, this it was not a hen. It had sharp claws and yellow feet. Its head was partially white with a curved pointy beak. I was so shocked at that moment. It seemed so surreal, because I had read about hawks attacking chickens before, but I never thought in a million years that a hawk would be after my flock.

I bolted downstairs and ran onto the deck and the hawk took off. As he was taking off, I heard one of my hens let out the loudest screech in the world and I thought for sure she was gone. When I went over the fence to check on her, she was hiding by the basement window. She looked extremely scared and stressed out. I picked her up to find that there were no claw marks of any kind on her. I believe that the hawk scared her when it flew overhead, because she was trying to hide.

One last part I must add about the rooster. I found what looked to be hawk feathers spread all across the yard. There were probably 50 hawk feathers and about three rooster feathers. I didn't witness anything, but I think he attacked the hawk and scared it onto the deck railing.

Long story short: If it weren't for the rooster, I most likely would have been there too late, and the hens would have been killed.

wow i love it...!!! excellent story , and a good one for keeping a rooster...! we have a young rooster, 28 or so weeks old , he is big and beautiful ,perhaps even show quality..? and was a chick we got with our NHR he was a bit aggressive with his hens, he is in the lock out until he is nicer....lol... but he is fine and very respectful with us, so he might just stay...? we shall see...! if he can get the point...? to bad we dont have some older girls to teach him respect, but right now it is what it is ....lol.... : ) he is free to a good home who has older hens , what i feel he really needs to become a great rooster...!!

 

[laughingdog]

I keep bantam americana (most show quality, but some not kept as broodies), and used to do "gaming cock" rescue.. well the game cocks were the best of either of these best two n all others I've had (hens not always so much)! Otherwise with other roos, just make a hook on end of coat hanger, n get roo around leg/s, scoop up on back or roll over n pin down on back, hold down gently but firmly till it goes limp (not unconscious or actually hurt as then they react by fighting more), playfully lightly poking inspecting n playing with feathers n body parts till your bored. do this when it head bobs head shakes kicks shuffles wing fans etc at you. unless youv beaten retarded it should respect made being submissive , same as dogs. repeated everysix months to year when they may seasonally challenge you.

 

[vpatt]

I have been wanting to get a rooster....now I'm not so sure.

 

[Diannastarr]

exactly.... right ...!!!! and use your own instincts...! when it comes to your animals...!!!! my feelings about our NHRyoung rooster was to toss him out into the open yard, he got banned from the hens for being a bit mean at times ..! but the hens were young & he grew really big...? .....lol.... but he can still go to see the hens, he sleeps next to their run, I leave food & water out for him, i feel that a hungry animal is a mean animal, so he seems to be getting the point that he needs to be nicer to the hens , and he talks with the hens through the fence, and he is showing the hens food he finds....lol... so thats good.....lol...he is trying to feed them , so maybe when he is a bit older ..??? he will act nicer ...? but he has instantly defended the hens when birds go after the food in their yard, he was right after them in a flash , so we shall see

how it goes, I would do some thing like this with any young mastiff dog that was a bit unruly, and i would just toss them into a large pen with their mother & older sisters and aunts and they were just fine in a week....lol....and they are very respectful after that.....lol....

but if we ever had a really bad rooster & it ever tried to tangle with me or mine he would be in the stew pot within the hour.....lol...

even thou we have always been a no kill farm , i wont put up with a really bad rooster ever...!!!!

to many good roosters out there that need a good home...!!!!

.....lol........lol.... have a good one take care

 

[MollyDog01]

We have a Pekin Bantam rooster which we have hand raised since 4 days old. He is definitely in control of the whole flock, including the other roosters he has sired. He does his job marvelously, finding food for the hens, watching over the flock while they are free ranging and even getting in the nest, fluffing them up and calling the hens in to nest. If there is a predator around he certainly sounds the alarm quickly and they all rush to safety. He's such a funny boy. He did go through stages trying to show us he was the boss. He would do the "rooster shuffle" in the morning and feel he had to peck our boot. Never hard at all, just an instinct thing we believe. We soon learnt that if he did that we immediately picked him up and gave him a cuddle. You could see his resolve melt when we did that. We put him down and off he would go for the day. I think the more interaction we have had with him the more he has allowed integration. He now gets picked up by my 10 year old and allows her to roll him on his back, legs in the air, and be carried around the yard like a baby doll. He will also lay on his side on my daughter while she is in a hammock and stay there for well over half an hour having a gentle swing. She does not have to hold him, he does this of his own free will. All his offspring (roosters and hens) seem to have his temperament and we make sure we handle them all daily. BUT the minute we put him back into the flock he is all business,,,and he is in charge!

I think it is very hard to acquire an adult rooster because there is the question of WHY they are aggressive. Who knows what treatment they have been shown and what has been inbred into them. I'll stick with only roosters whom I know the breeders OR I have raised myself from a chick.

 

[Tenneesse]

you can't train them for the most part but you can alter their behavior. Mr. Buster showed aggressive behavior and had my wife pretty intimidated so I had a talk with him well actually he had a conversation with the side of my boot. When they come at you let them get close enough to take your foot then fling him about 20 feet for so. You don't need to kick him its just a lifting motion. He'll try again and just repeat it until he calms down then when he walks up talk gently to him usually 2 or 3 sessions and he sees your the boss they will most often cool their jets. It depends on the breed to. Many breeds are gentle natured and other can be butt heads but they seem to calm down when they realize your also protecting the hens. I'm retired and in the yard all day and the birds become accustomed to seeing me as part of things, food water conversation and a firm hand. like kids. Mr Buster was one of my favorite guys (just recently killed by a Bobcat believe me it broke my heart but I got the bobcat about 2 weeks later as he was killing another bird) and we would "talk" sometimes but soon he saw me as his companion to. How much time you are in their presence really makes a big big difference. I wouldnt probably have chickens if I couldnt give them the time they need, usually more than they get when we only get to enjoy them on the weekends and after we get home from work. I have the time and I know its hard for most folks still having to deal with raising kids going to work normal stuff us retired folks have an advantage to focus on a little different kind of childern but they are just as easy to spoil just be patient.