Are orpington roosters friendlier?

[K0k0shka]

@chrissynemetz Thanks! It's not a matter of stress, I just don't want my kids to get attacked just because I chose to watch personalities Because, as much patience as I have with animals, if one of them so much as even attempts aggression against my kids, it will be served for dinner!

 

[chrissynemetz]

I got my first flock of chicks when I was 10... my uncle bought me 100 straight run white leghorn chicks for my birthday. I was clueless, but I learned through trial and error.

 

[K0k0shka]

@janiedoe Thanks! Yeah, I think I'll have to just observe them for a while and decide which one to keep, and hope I make a good choice. Even though I have higher expectations of the hens - they should ideally be pettable and more pet-like - I have much lower standards for the rooster. He'll be there to do a job (protect, sing and look pretty ) so all I want from him is to not attack anybody. Cuddling not necessary.

 

[Rammy]

Ive had two BO roosters since Ive been keeping chickens and both were meaner than snake snot. They both got a one way trip to freezer camp.

 

[K0k0shka]

Ive had two BO roosters since Ive been keeping chickens and both were meaner than snake snot. They both got a one way trip to freezer camp.

wow haha thanks for the input! Damn, sounds like anything is possible. I guess it's good that I'll be starting out with multiple roosters... and hopefully at least ONE of them won't be an asshole...

 

[janiedoe]

@janiedoe Thanks! Yeah, I think I'll have to just observe them for a while and decide which one to keep, and hope I make a good choice. Even though I have higher expectations of the hens - they should ideally be pettable and more pet-like - I have much lower standards for the rooster. He'll be there to do a job (protect, sing and look pretty ) so all I want from him is to not attack anybody. Cuddling not necessary.

There is a whole different dynamic when you have hens And roosters. Hens are much more interested in you if roosters are housed separately. I am very pro rooster. I would have dozen of roosters but I'm too old to get a divorce and the old man needs me around.
Also, I have never let my grandkids near roosters unsupervised. I don't know if I would be more trusting of the situation if they were here regularly or not. I don't let them near my hens or chicks unsupervised either, but that's for the chickens benefit not the kids.
Good luck to you. I hope you find the perfect rooster.

 

[K0k0shka]

@janiedoe Thanks! I won't be having the kids in with the chickens unsupervised either way, so that's fine. I just don't want to turn my back for a second while we're all in there and have a rooster take somebody's eye out...

As for the hens, so, you're saying that the hens will be more interested in people if there are no roosters around? Can you elaborate? Will they be less friendly/cuddly if we have a rooster? I don't quite get that part. If it will make the hens less sociable with people then that's a serious point against roosters for me... as the point here is pet chickens...

 

[Quackter]

It's so easy to get confused!! Just keep doing research, and when the time comes, take it one day at a time and do what feels right. I like the idea of watching your cockerels for a while to judge their personality. Don't stress, and don't be too nervous. You can do it... be confident

@Quackter how old are they? Have they gone through "puberty" yet? I hear that that's when they lose their minds and get mean. Mine will be pets, so at least one of them HAS to stay nice, but I wouldn't mind eating the rest of them

They were late February , so 5-1/2 months. They're acting like roosters now. I am doing the same thing, I am actually eating the less robust of the two, not really going personality, just genes. Main thing with most roosters, just don't give any ground, if they are coming at you, you need to be going at them. If one gets overly aggressive, catch it, tuck it to your chest, poop aimed away from you of course. Spin in a tight circle until you get dizzy. The rooster will be worse, as soon as you can do it again. When the rooster tries to get up just push it over a couple times. It will walk like it's been drinking for a few minutes. It will think it got the whoopin' of it's life, without actually being hurt. It's funny, but it works. Don't do it in front of kids or they will do it for the laughs.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

If the goal is pettable pets I would suggest not having a rooster. Even my friendliest of hens was a little more aloof with a rooster. Not that I pet my chickens much.

I find a rooster brings harmony to the inner workings of a flock and is an effect guard against day predators like hawks as they're more likely to spot them first. Where the rooster goes, the hens go. What the rooster finds to eat, he invites the hens to eat. Where the rooster is, the hens feel safer. The rooster brings the flock together. It's amazing to watch how a good rooster treats his hens. He'll dance for them before mating, he'll sometimes break up fights, he'll call them for food, he'll watch the skies when they're eating, he'll lead them to cover when he's nervous, he'll sing with them when an egg is layed, and he'll run to them when they scream or are alone.
Without a rooster... YOU are the rooster. YOU bring the flock together. YOU provide the food and shelter. And the hens know that, so of course they will follow you around more and hang closer without a rooster because of that. And that closeness will allow the hens to generally be more hand friendly from sheer exposure and desire for food. Of course hens with no rooster are a delight of their own, but it's a different sort of joy. Less reverent, more goofy and personal as the hens individual personalities come out the most around food and safety and if you're that food and safety it's easier to see.

Having said that, plenty of chickens will never allow themselves to be pet or handled. A few won't let you get too close no matter what. Most don't like to be touched anyhow. It's very individual but they're much more wild on average than a dog or cat.

If I were designing a plan for you, I would first raise a group of hens with no roosters at all. Sexed chicks, or straight run with plans to eat/rehome every rooster. Handle them a ton, get cozy, hand feed them, etc. Keep the ladies. Then get a rooster or a small group of rooster chicks you can raise hands-off from somewhere else after the hens are already very friendly to you. You can even raise both batches of chicks at the same time. One batch sexed hens one batch sexed roos, two brooders.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Cockerel's from hatcheries are hit or miss as to aggression. If you are experienced with raising cock birds then maybe 50/50 chance you'll get a decent one. If you don't have experience the odds are worse than that. Breed has little to do with it. Hatcheries don't breed for temperament.

Breeds from breeders on the other hand have been bred for good temper. In all my years of raising breeder stock birds I've only had one that was a jerk. He'd go out of his way to run across the lawn and flog a kid. To be fair, it wasn't much of a breeder-yellow legged Blue Orpington.