TominWa
Songster
Some more than others ... Orpintons have a gentle reputation. Rhode Island Reds are notorious for aggression ... but they are all individuals and it is a crap shoot.
Basically, they are bird to be aggressive. They fight each other for dominance of a flock and they fight off predators. A very gently young rooster can turn aggressive once the testosterone starts running through them.
BUT IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT! They are wired that way by nature. The 'bad' rooster is the one that isn't watching over his flock or picking on the hens or chicks.
I' not plugging it or anything, but I've dedicated my blog to dealing with my rooster. He's a jerk ... but I love him and he's VERY good to the girls!
I have a surprise Buff O. Rooster that is completely henpecked. He tries to be a big bad rooster but the girls put him in his place. He isn't even the top of the pecking order on the roosting bars. I heard the Buffs are a little more gentle than most of the others....I hope it stays this way, he just might get to stay. Poor Maynard, he wants to be a big bad rooster....if the girls would just co operate.