Are roos really "that" mean?

[Somechick]

I have noticed some breeds (and maybe specific bloodlines of it) can be really mean. I kind of intentionally picked a Barred Rock from a place I had gotten another meanish one from, thinking he might be protective. My grown children (remembering the roo of old) said "MOOOM what are you THINKING!!" when they heard I'd gotten a barred rock rooster chick a couple of years ago! When they were little the old one terrorized them. The new one is ten times meaner than the original. The first one was a coward, flopping against the back of your knees, it could drop you to the ground! Mostly from surprise! This new guy will fly right into your face. No amount of knocking him back phased him. If I grabbed and held him (works with most birds, especially geese, they hate to be held) he'd leave me alone for ONE day only. He'd be flying into my face the very next day. But he is not protective with dogs, they can walk all around him. I think the chicks you raise yourself of these breeds are worse cuz they think YOU are a chicken! You are a big rooster after his hens. I finally had to put this guy in his own pen with one hen that I don't have to go in every day and net him if I do go in. He almost put my eye out with his raggety wing shortly before the move! My Rhode Island Reds from the same hatchery came at me one time each and never again (I simply caught and held them, it was enough.)

 

[Kanchii]

All of my roosters have been absolute sweet hearts

 

[coopist]

I agree with Cuda and Somechick. It's in the blood. Specific lines selected for temperament usually breed pretty true.

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

My Lt. Brahma is a sweet heart. My white leghorn on the other hand can have quite a temperment.

 

[ChickNLittle]

I have a year old Barred Rock Roo. He has always been laid back. He tried to attack me once about a few weeks ago, and I screamed at him and stomped at him, and he has been a good boy ever since. He is huge and he is very beautifully marked.

 

[fullhouse]

I am only in the chick stage with boys, but so far the Black Australorp and the White Rock are the mellowest by far. The EE are mean little buggers and are making it easy for to want to have them to be BBQ. The barred rocks and RIR seem somewhere between.

 

[hensdeliverthegoods]

We have a member here called "Rooster Red" whose website has some great information on handling roosters. If you do a search on him you'll find the link. The man knows his roos!

 

[SueNH]

I used to have a black australorp roo that was the meanest thing I had ever run across in 40 years of keeping chickens. Nothing anybody did to him he was just miserable. He even kept the hens from going more than a few feet from his coop. His coop was a good 150 feet from my back door but the moment somebody came out he would start the crab walk challenge thing across the field. I had constant bruises across my butt and legs from him. He knocked my daughter to the ground once and my husband had to pull him off. Daughter was nearly as big as I was at the time.
The local beginner farmers group was giving a class on poultry processing. He volunteered.

I have/had some of his sons and grandsons and none were mean. One rooster that I'm keeping is his son from a wyandotte hen. He is the most laid back fellow and a rather doting husband. I have his brother whom I'm trying to give away rather than process who is equally as kind. I have one purebred australorp from the mean one and he is low man on the totem pole. The guineas have picked on him so bad that he is tailless. I have no idea why they hate him so. He won't even defend himself.

No idea why or how that mean one came about. He just was.

I've had feisty ones, opinionated ones and I've had a few attack when I've picked up a favored hen or baby. Doesn't bother me if they attack in what they think is the defense of their family but that one guy didn't want me even at my back door. It was more like he was criminally insane, a feathered psycho killer.

He made a tasty stew.

 

[sunbury chick]

My son-in-law has the worlds meanest rooster!He attacks me and the kids everytime we go near the coop.I have to carry the hoe with me whenever I collect eggs or clean the coop(aren't I a nice Mother-in-law?) anyway, Rooster Cogburn, sneaks up on me flapping his wings,and pecking (or clawing me with his spurs) till I bleed.I'm afraid for my grandkids to get near the coop.He doesn't attack men(my son-in-law kicked him once,and he knows whose boss now,but Cogburn and I actually duel it out everyday.Me with the hoe,poking at him and him trying to fly up in my face.I can't actually bring myself to hit him....Does anyone have the answer?He's protecting his harem ,and thats the only reason we keep him.He's the largest and most beautiful rooster I've ever seen.But then, looks aren't everything,right? Sunbury Chick

 

[pdsavage]

Rooster Cogburn ahahah that was the name of my last rooster.He was mean,never had a mean one till him.Now i have a 1 year old buff silkie rooster i bought about 3 weeks ago,he is very sweet.Rooster Cogburn was a mean old RIR.So ill never ever get a RIR rooster.