Advice: Get a Rooster!

[speckledhen]

The bar is set VERY high for roosters around here. I keep only completely non-human aggressive roosters and if they become a problem for either me or my DH, they are gone. This video is of my best friend's teenage daughter the first weekend she met my Delaware rooster, Isaac. He is an awesome rooster, but I never, ever have to worry about him in any way, never watch my back. You can see for yourself-this was two years ago. His sons are most always as easygoing as he is.

 

[Toddrick]

My RIR is super aggressivo. He has been kicked numerous times, by everyone in the family, and beaten off once by me with a broom. But, he takes care of the ladies like no other, and won't even eat until they've had their fill, so I've learned to admire him. Frankly, I wanted to kill him when we first took over the flock, but my wife wouldn't let me. I'm glad he's there to notify me of predators or tresspassers, because he is much more vocal than the hens, who rarely project any loud sounds except when laying.

The worst thing though, is that he won't let me handle the girls. He'll have none of it. I can handle him fairly easily (he becomes docile in hand), but he totally freaks if a hen calls out for help. The result is that I don't get to handle my chickens enough, and I think this has affected their overall health, or at least my ability to monitor their health. If he dies, I wouldn't be upset. Unfortunately, my two favorite hens were the ones that passed recently instead!

 

[gsim]

I have heard that a one way to 'Camp Freezer' works wonders for problem roos.

 

[speckledhen]

My RIR is super aggressivo. He has been kicked numerous times, by everyone in the family, and beaten off once by me with a broom. But, he takes care of the ladies like no other, and won't even eat until they've had their fill, so I've learned to admire him. Frankly, I wanted to kill him when we first took over the flock, but my wife wouldn't let me. I'm glad he's there to notify me of predators or tresspassers, because he is much more vocal than the hens, who rarely project any loud sounds except when laying.

The worst thing though, is that he won't let me handle the girls. He'll have none of it. I can handle him fairly easily (he becomes docile in hand), but he totally freaks if a hen calls out for help. The result is that I don't get to handle my chickens enough, and I think this has affected their overall health, or at least my ability to monitor their health. If he dies, I wouldn't be upset. Unfortunately, my two favorite hens were the ones that passed recently instead!

Todd, this is completely unacceptable! What I bolded is one of the MAIN reasons I do not tolerate human aggressive roosters. They must allow us to handle the hens specifically to monitor their health. You know what I'm going to say about that, don't you?

 

[davemonkey]

From the above picture can you tell me what kind of rooster he is? I know nothing about him? Age?

Looks like a mix breed, possibly a year old. Honestly, it won't matter what breed/age he is. If he's agressive, he's going to be agressive. The only way to curb it is to be agressive back, and that seldom works in my experience. Eat him, and het a better Roo.

 

[CrazyTalk]

Todd, this is completely unacceptable! What I bolded is one of the MAIN reasons I do not tolerate human aggressive roosters. They must allow us to handle the hens specifically to monitor their health. You know what I'm going to say about that, don't you?

Agree - I've never met a rooster that doesn't take care of his girls, etc - if they don't, they don't get to breed. Watching out and taking care of the girls is standard rooster behavior.


Aggression and keeping you from getting near the hens though, is something else - there's no reason to keep roosters like that. There's too many good ones being put down to keep bad ones.

 

[LanceTN]

My RIR is super aggressivo. He has been kicked numerous times, by everyone in the family, and beaten off once by me with a broom. But, he takes care of the ladies like no other, and won't even eat until they've had their fill, so I've learned to admire him. Frankly, I wanted to kill him when we first took over the flock, but my wife wouldn't let me. I'm glad he's there to notify me of predators or tresspassers, because he is much more vocal than the hens, who rarely project any loud sounds except when laying.

The worst thing though, is that he won't let me handle the girls. He'll have none of it. I can handle him fairly easily (he becomes docile in hand), but he totally freaks if a hen calls out for help. The result is that I don't get to handle my chickens enough, and I think this has affected their overall health, or at least my ability to monitor their health. If he dies, I wouldn't be upset. Unfortunately, my two favorite hens were the ones that passed recently instead!

He thinks you are either a predator or another rooster.

So to break him of this mindset the next time he attacks you do the one thing a predator or rooster would never do, offer him food.

 

[Colleen M]

I have a rooster - His name is "Roo" - He's a Barred Rock Rooster weighing in at 14 lbs. He's a big boy and he does take care of his hens. He finds them food and crows loudly when we bring the treats out alerting all the hens to come and get it.

He was a little aggressive at first but we had to give him some shoves with our feet in order for him to accept our leadership. Now he doesn't bother us at all. The final way my husband got him to understand our authority was when he was breeding a hen and oblivious to us; my husband reached down and picked him up.

It gave him the shock of his life. He never has bothered us again and always keeps a wary eye on my husband when he's in the pen. Also, he rarely breeds a hen around us anymore either!

Cody's Hen House

 

[jeffs1979]

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.

 

[Louisezak]

Roosters do protect their flocks...good ones, that is. I've had two that gave their lives doing so, both Welshemers. I've also had some dud roosters. If you get a hen-raised rooster you will avoid having an attack rooster because the rooster imprinted to a hen mother. A rooster imprinted to us humans 'sees' us as either another rooster, or ahem, a hen. A hen-raised rooster usually is a better flock master too. Attack roosters can be great against unwanted visitors to the house though. I had someone who wanted that! ~Louise