Bad experience for my child!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[chickenmomva]

Last night or evening we let the chickens out in the yard to just hang out for awhile before we put them to bed it was around 7 not dark at all........we have about 21 chickens total and 2 roos........the oldest is Demon he was chasing Rambo the youngest around not fighting just following........all chickens were grazing they were all fine no comotion at all and my 5 year old picked up his bike which he had been riding while the chickens were out and he stepped back and got close to Demon ( Barred Rock) and he attacked my child .................my son screamed and cried and my husband ran outside of course I was trying to get him away..my son got scratched alittle bit on his legs but Demon jumped up and hit him in his back with both feet and knocked him down and it was really scary---------needless to say NOW my child is scared and wont get the eggs and wont change the water and food........my husband said if he had gotten his hands on him we wouldnt worry about it anymore

Is this a common thing ?????

I wont be letting him out anymore!!!!!!!!

 

[silkhope]

We had one roo - Russell Crow - he would constantly go after/attack my daughter any time she went out there. He finally started attacking all of us so we got rid of him. So it does happen, but someone else may have another suggestion. I just couldn't take the "watching my back" feeling all the time.

 

[dragonlili]

I have 2 Barred Rock roos. One is very docile but the other is very protective. He attacks our yellow lab, and maybe by assocaition he has attacked my 2 little blond kids. My daughter (4) has been attacked by him when she rides her trike and he goes after my son (7) when he's on the bike or scooter. He got on Livi's head and back and started kicking. REALLY SCARY They are terrified of Muffin. My 2 older girls are 9 and 10, and he gets fresh with them, but he has never attacked them. Being an alpha rooster has certain pros, I'm sure he would fight a predator to it's death. He will come over to us if we take our bantam cochin rooster or his brother Coconut. He is all about his flock.

As for the kids, nobody wants to collect eggs if Muffin is around. I really wouldn't want the smaller kids around him anyway, obviously he can do some serious harm. You need to explain the instinctive drive of the rooster. And if he wants to play with the chickens, pen that bad boy up!

I have thought of getting rid of Muffin, but then who would protect the girls, and who would our other roo, Coconut, kick the soccer ball to?

 

[Frozen Feathers]

My daughter has been attacked by some EE roos I once had. They were taken care of, to put it nicely. Their attacks were vicious and they didn't let up. They had nasty attitudes. I think Alpha roos see small children as possibly a threat and an easy target. My Phoenix has got her once, she was running fell down and he ran over to her and bopped her on the back, the little jerk. He is small and his little attack hasn't deterred my daughter from wanting to get eggs (and promptly smash them..she's 2

) and she still "plays" with him. He lets her pet him and he'll "follow" (more like stalk) around the yard. He's not brave enough to bop her when I'm around, but he's also not scarred of her enough to run away.

I think the biggest thing is not letting them get away with it. After the Phoenix attack he was promptly chased off, by me, away from his flock. I think it's an ego buster to take away their flock. Of course like my hens care, I gave them treats and gave him the cold shoulder. Okay, I know chickens really don't think like that, but I felt better about ignoring him and spoiling the "good" chickens to a special treat. Then again maybe he does understand because he hasn't tried that stunt again, yet....

My Silkie and Jap roos are complete opposites from my Phoenix. She can pick either one up and carry them about. My Jap especially, he's a little darling and she cradles him in her arms like he's a baby doll.

 

[ivan3]

There are some roo's that are `docile', but it is their nature to want to be `top dog' and to protect the girls. We keep the roo and the turkey toms penned when the grandsons are here. I think one of the most enjoyable aspects of having chooks is the roo, but in some situations it's just not safe or practical. Please read Allen Wranch's thread on aggressive roos, if you haven't yet.

http://p072.ezboard.com/Dealing-wit...rdchickensfrm9.showMessage?topicID=2895.topic

I trust our roo to be a roo. That means I wear mudboots (no shin injuries) and would never put my face in range of his not so kind attentions. There was a thread on EZBYC about the most easy going breed of roo and, IIRC, Wes In Texas and some other members opined that Cochin roos were the least `rampant'.

Our grandsons have been instructed to never allow the beaks of the turkey/chook hens to get close to their faces (eyes can look tasty, expensive doctor bills).

For children, I'd suggest turkey hens (but I'm biased).

 

[Chelly]

WOW.
That "keeping your rooster sane" is the best thing I've read in a long time!
THANK YOU ivan3!

 

[Weewanona]

Absolutely loved "Keeping Your Roosters Sane". Petinent and funny at the same time.

 

[chickenmomva]

Thanks guys I am definatly going to try the top dog thing...........I had to go in the run this afternoon and he had a go at me I took a bucket with me and he jumped on it.......I think we are going to have a rough road here........our run is only shoulder high so you have to crouch down in their so I hope I dont have to go in there again for awhile........I took the rake with me when I collected eggs to keep him back he is really showing his domanice .......I guess I have to sit on this while to see what to do.........

 

[SpottedCrow]

Man that's frightening!!! My son who's now 13 going on 14 going on 30 never ever liked to go near Slifer. She didn't like anyone but me, especially not men...She'd stomp and hoo and flog and bite. She only tried spurring me once and I immediately took them off. She tried being dominant to me and I'd pick her up and put her on her back or press her to the ground until she stopped acting like a jerk. She eve beat the snot out of a pocketbook of my Aunt's that she took offence to.

 

[BeckyLa]

imho. I don't think it's a good idea to keep an aggressive roo, especially when children are involved. The longer he is there the more they will be afraid of all roos. Once he is gone and they realize it's not their fault he attacked them, it was nothing they did, that he was just a bad roo but he's gone and you still have a sweet roo they don't need to be afraid of, they can settle down and, hopefully, let go of their fear. You can try the dominance thing but, even if it works, I'm sure he will still attack anyone else, especially kids.