Barred Rocks!!

[Mezzer]

It's likely that the people that bred him, did not select for temperament. Temperament is usually inherited. Mean roosters tend to pass that behavior on.

I suppose so. :/

 

[DesertChic]

Is it a part of the breed that made my rooster so very aggresive? I can't seem to get passed the fact that somehow I failed him. Nothing worked, not keeping him in his own pen, not a broom, throwing water at him did not work, I could not pick him up to carry him around because he would bite to draw blood. I tried a tennis racket, I tried the old you run at me and I'll kick you, I tried treats, I tried ignoring his behavior. Nothing worked. He learned a few days back that he could scale a fence to attack me. That was it. I called my spouse at work and told him he goes tonight. Are Barred rocks normally aggresive? Was it something I did or did not do? The worst part is I do miss seeing him in my yard, I don't miss being attacked, but I do miss seeing and hearing him.

It's likely that the people that bred him, did not select for temperament. Temperament is usually inherited. Mean roosters tend to pass that behavior on.

I second this! I had a gorgeous BR rooster...really stunning...and the meanest bird I've ever encountered. He had a good crow and took amazing care of his girls, but when he attacked my face I'd finally had enough and decided it was time to invite him to dinner, but not before I had bred him to the very sweet BR hens in the flock. Out of that mating I got two wonderful BR pullets and an even MORE gorgeous BR cockerel...with his daddy's bad temper. He was invited to dinner to. Now I pay careful attention to breeding for temperament.

 

[Mezzer]

I second this! I had a gorgeous BR rooster...really stunning...and the meanest bird I've ever encountered. He had a good crow and took amazing care of his girls, but when he attacked my face I'd finally had enough and decided it was time to invite him to dinner, but not before I had bred him to the very sweet BR hens in the flock. Out of that mating I got two wonderful BR pullets and an even MORE gorgeous BR cockerel...with his daddy's bad temper. He was invited to dinner to. Now I pay careful attention to breeding for temperament.

I guess it's good that he never produced chicks for me then. In the end all I needed to do to set him off was to walk by his pen, that was enough to make him wanna kill me. I think I'll avoid the barred rock breed when selecting my next rooster just in case. He was quoted as being a "gentle boy" when I bought him. O_0

 

[junebuggena]

I guess it's good that he never produced chicks for me then. In the end all I needed to do to set him off was to walk by his pen, that was enough to make him wanna kill me. I think I'll avoid the barred rock breed when selecting my next rooster just in case. He was quoted as being a "gentle boy" when I bought him. O_0

Most boys are gentle, right up until those hormones start raging. Personally, I want a rooster that gets out of my way and stays out of my way. Those are the kind of boys that never even consider attacking a human.
Also, cockerels that are brought up with some mature dominant hens around are much better behaved than those that grow up with 'their' girls. Those older girls really beat some sense into those teenage boys.

 

[DesertChic]

I guess it's good that he never produced chicks for me then. In the end all I needed to do to set him off was to walk by his pen, that was enough to make him wanna kill me. I think I'll avoid the barred rock breed when selecting my next rooster just in case. He was quoted as being a "gentle boy" when I bought him. O_0

I actually had a buff Naked Neck rooster that was so aggressive towards my husband and son that he would throw himself against the walls of the pen and make the entire 8'x24' powder coated steel structure vibrate. With me he'd come running but as I soon as I looked at him he'd skid to a stop, turn around and walk away as if to say, "What? Me? I wasn't charging you. Really." But he HATED my guys. Ironically, he bred with my sweetest Australorp and wound up siring a fantastic cockerel that I named Pepper. Pepper is still a little high strung and bit me a couple times, but now that he's calming down he even picks grass and drops it at my feet as if he thinks I'm one of his hens, LOL.


This is Pepper.

By far my favorite roosters continue to be my Bielefelders, with my NNs coming in a close second. Both breeds are just naturally friendly by nature with very few temperament issues. I've hatched well over a dozen NN cockerels and half a dozen Biel cockerels and I've only had one bad NN and no bad Biels so far. In fact, I have "lap roosters" in both groups, and my best lap chicken is my Biel rooster, Bosch, who will snuggle in and fall asleep on my lap while I pet him.


My beloved Bosch.

If you're looking for a friendly rooster I would definitely recommend these two breeds.

 

[slordaz]

One of my poor Barred rocks is finally setting, others contributed to the count but she's got 30 eggs under her. She went broody at a year old but had raised other chicks for us that we brought into the flock since she was little.

 

[kekstrom]

Hi! New to BYC!

This is my sweet little Barred Rock pullet, her name is Ethel.



She is one of my first chicks (1 of 5 total)... and she always has her eye on me. Always. Just when I think I can sneak up and catch her sleeping... nope, she is watching me.

 

[Mezzer]

I actually had a buff Naked Neck rooster that was so aggressive towards my husband and son that he would throw himself against the walls of the pen and make the entire 8'x24' powder coated steel structure vibrate. With me he'd come running but as I soon as I looked at him he'd skid to a stop, turn around and walk away as if to say, "What? Me? I wasn't charging you. Really." But he HATED my guys. Ironically, he bred with my sweetest Australorp and wound up siring a fantastic cockerel that I named Pepper. Pepper is still a little high strung and bit me a couple times, but now that he's calming down he even picks grass and drops it at my feet as if he thinks I'm one of his hens, LOL. This is Pepper. By far my favorite roosters continue to be my Bielefelders, with my NNs coming in a close second. Both breeds are just naturally friendly by nature with very few temperament issues. I've hatched well over a dozen NN cockerels and half a dozen Biel cockerels and I've only had one bad NN and no bad Biels so far. In fact, I have "lap roosters" in both groups, and my best lap chicken is my Biel rooster, Bosch, who will snuggle in and fall asleep on my lap while I pet him. My beloved Bosch. If you're looking for a friendly rooster I would definitely recommend these two breeds.

He's a looker! Pretty boy... I hope I have much more luck with my next rooster! They can't all hate me! Lol!

 

[Mezzer]

Yes, he was good (most of the time) all winter but spring combined with hormones created a monster. 0_o

 

[Mezzer]

Most boys are gentle, right up until those hormones start raging. Personally, I want a rooster that gets out of my way and stays out of my way. Those are the kind of boys that never even consider attacking a human.
Also, cockerels that are brought up with some mature dominant hens around are much better behaved than those that grow up with 'their' girls. Those older girls really beat some sense into those teenage boys.

Yes, he was good all winter (mostly) but spring plus hormones created a feathered monster. O_0