Breeds and Gentleness in Roosters?

[Alexandra33]

Roosters that have been hand-fed and cuddled tend to have less respect for humans and to be more aggressive.

So many make this statement.....but why? What specifically about forming close ties from a young age automatically increases chances of future aggression? Is there significant proof beyond individual experience? Just curious.

~Alex

 

[-Kayla]

My black cochin rooster has been awesome as has his offspring. I culled the white rocks, silver polish, spangled hamburg, whatever the mystery rooster was, and a few mixed ones from hatching. We will see if this years mystery chicks will have the same fate.

 

[sylviethecochin]

So many make this statement.....but why? What specifically about forming close ties from a young age automatically increases chances of future aggression? Is there significant proof beyond individual experience? Just curious.

~Alex

Beyond the fact that about half of the "aggressive rooster" posts on here start, "my rooster was so friendly, until he wasn't..."

Not much. But my experience with male goats, male cattle, and male pigs is that once they know you're not a threat, they begin to feel they can muscle in. Redneck (the aggressive OEGB) was someone's baby before we got him. He liked to be petted and held. And then, one day, he drew blood on me. Kiko (his name was Bison, on his papers, but we all called him Kiko) was a friendly buck, right up until the day he tried to put my father through the wall. Never had that problem with any bucks that weren't tamed. if we cleaned out their pens, they kept to their side of the pen. My parents' current bull is a moron, but he's nervous of people, so he stays away. Their last "friendly" bull liked to sneak up behind me in the pasture and shove me with his head. Henry (little Hereford bull) was never friendly, but he'd allow a head-scratching when he was shedding. He was easy to manage, because he'd walk away if you walked towards him. He never even considered challenging people. The day we sold him, I walked around behind him and pushed him out of the trailer.

 

[CannedMonster]

Roosters that have been hand-fed and cuddled tend to have less respect for humans and to be more aggressive. I'll take a skittish cockerel over a friendly one any day.

This!
I have raised multiple cockerels and the ones I have had the least trouble with were pretty skittish as chicks and teenagers and adults.
I have an 8 month old Australorp cockerel that wants nothing to do with us and never has and he doesn’t have an aggressive bone in his body.

I have a 3 week old buff Orpington chick that I’m positive is a cockerel.
It’s been fearless from day 1 and very “friendly” and bold.
It just stares at my hand when I go to pick it up and doesn’t run or move away.
It has started to bite me occasionally.
I already have two roosters so this guy will either go live with my friend or go to freezer camp.

I have had very good luck with bantam roosters.
THE best rooster I’ve ever known so far was my bantam dark Brahma, Hector.
So gentle and watchful and he never tore up the girls feathers or backs.
I also had a Silkie and a bantam Cochin but unfortunately they didn’t make it to a year old.
So now I have five straight run bantams in the brooder: 2 buff Cochins, 2 red Cochins and 1 porcelain D’Uccle.
I’m actually hoping for a couple of cockerels with this group.

 

[Alexandra33]

Beyond the fact that about half of the "aggressive rooster" posts on here start, "my rooster was so friendly, until he wasn't..."

Not much. But my experience with male goats, male cattle, and male pigs is that once they know you're not a threat, they begin to feel they can muscle in. Redneck (the aggressive OEGB) was someone's baby before we got him. He liked to be petted and held. And then, one day, he drew blood on me. Kiko (his name was Bison, on his papers, but we all called him Kiko) was a friendly buck, right up until the day he tried to put my father through the wall. Never had that problem with any bucks that weren't tamed. if we cleaned out their pens, they kept to their side of the pen. My parents' current bull is a moron, but he's nervous of people, so he stays away. Their last "friendly" bull liked to sneak up behind me in the pasture and shove me with his head. Henry (little Hereford bull) was never friendly, but he'd allow a head-scratching when he was shedding. He was easy to manage, because he'd walk away if you walked towards him. He never even considered challenging people. The day we sold him, I walked around behind him and pushed him out of the trailer.

Completely understand your point, and all the examples. Thanks for taking time to respond!

I can't help but think one of the most prominent factors here is hormonal surges, along with genes. The overwhelming majority of my cockerels have been skittish, enough to lose count (.....a mere 4 made the cut. Out of only 6 affectionate cockerels total, 3 became aggressive. Handling may play a small part in it (ESPECIALLY if done incorrectly), but sure seems as though many will become hostile no matter what.

My thoughts are, quite a few of these "pet" cockerels were bound to show aggression regardless of how they were raised. I'm a huge advocate for loving boys if desired (the opposite is also perfectly fine), since I was instructed to avoid cuddling at all costs initially, and ended up regretting it. Some enjoy nuturing relationships with their roos, and since all this is more of a theory, I prefer to leave it to newcomers to decide after a little experience. Just me. I've become rather scarred after all the information I was indundated with when first delving into poultry.....therefore, I'm skeptical of everything. Made some serious mistakes in the beginning.

~Alex

 

[3LittleBirdies]

I have to agree, in my experience, uncastrated male stock (bulls, rams, stallions, Roos) that are “very” comfortable with human handlers tend to go from “my sweet baby boy” to potentially dangerous grown adults with much more regularity than stock that is not raised as a pet. I believe that it is just “the nature of the beast” no pun intended. Most intact male animals want to obtain the highest position (in their animal minds) in the social hierarchy possible. When we do inject our human selves into their world their is a greater chance that they will view us as one of them, or vice versa, and the time will come when their instincts will compel them to test where they stand compared to us. And most of the time they will generalize that because one human has related to them on a pet level, all humans should be seen in a similar fashion. Does that mean every little girl who brings up a foal as a best friend will end up with a dangerous stallion in 1-2 years? No, but the likelihood is greater,. And that stallion is also more likely to see its trainer and future owners in the same light. And I don’t think it’s always possible to just “raise them with love and respect” and assume the animal will fall in line. It’s just the way nature designed most animals and when they experience that surge of testosterone they are behaving as nature designed, compete with most anything to ensure only the very strongest are able to contribute to the gene pool. It’s almost intrinsic to all domestic animals to see humans as “a species to be respected” until we the humans decide to blur that line and become something else to the animal. Does that mean that I never raise a rooster as “too much” of a pet? Not at all. I blur those lines all the time. I just try to keep this in mind and not become too surprised when my “favorite roo” decides to challenge me.

 

[Little Jerry Seinfeld]

I have to agree, in my experience, uncastrated male stock (bulls, rams, stallions, Roos) that are “very” comfortable with human handlers tend to go from “my sweet baby boy” to potentially dangerous grown adults with much more regularity than stock that is not raised as a pet. I believe that it is just “the nature of the beast” no pun intended. Most intact male animals want to obtain the highest position (in their animal minds) in the social hierarchy possible. When we do inject our human selves into their world their is a greater chance that they will view us as one of them, or vice versa, and the time will come when their instincts will compel them to test where they stand compared to us. And most of the time they will generalize that because one human has related to them on a pet level, all humans should be seen in a similar fashion. Does that mean every little girl who brings up a foal as a best friend will end up with a dangerous stallion in 1-2 years? No, but the likelihood is greater,. And that stallion is also more likely to see its trainer and future owners in the same light. And I don’t think it’s always possible to just “raise them with love and respect” and assume the animal will fall in line. It’s just the way nature designed most animals and when they experience that surge of testosterone they are behaving as nature designed, compete with most anything to ensure only the very strongest are able to contribute to the gene pool. It’s almost intrinsic to all domestic animals to see humans as “a species to be respected” until we the humans decide to blur that line and become something else to the animal. Does that mean that I never raise a rooster as “too much” of a pet? Not at all. I blur those lines all the time. I just try to keep this in mind and not become too surprised when my “favorite roo” decides to challenge me.

Well said, i agree completely!
and with my chickens I've seen firsthand how the roos that i handled the most as babies grow up to be the meanest. I think they do see you as part of the flock if they are over handled and so they want to make you submit to the pecking order with them as the head roo.

To the op:
I have had 5 brahma bantams that i over handled, they are all a year old this march, 2 i sent to freezer camp months ago because they were so aggressive and just sold one today who is not aggressive at all, even though he was raised in the same group of brahmas that i cuddled and spoiled... sold another before who was mild too. and there's 1 more who is mildly aggressive but when you threaten him with the "pinchers" i use to collect eggs, he remembers he is not the boss and ignores us.

So don't play with your baby roos so when they grow up they won't want to keep you in your pecking order place!

I raised a delaware bantam in the same group as those brahmas and some cochins, all together and all cuddled and handled alot when they were young, for about 2 months ti they moved outside, the delaware bantam grew up to be such a sweet boy, i sold him to a family who has young 5 year old or so grandaughter, she will go up and grab him and cuddle him and he just loves it!
The cochins all grew up non aggressive but not sweet either, well balanced roos actually.
My buff orp is a very gentle roo, my easter egger is aggresive and has to be held at bay with the pinchers ,
my "ameracauna" is gentle,
My silkies are well balanced,
My favorelles are evil to each other amd destined to be butchered, but very non aggressive with humans.

Like everyone has said, it really just depends on each birds personality.

 

[Pekin747]

Anyone can get a birds to b tame if u get them when they are really small and give them lots of attention but yes bramhas are typically quite docile and are a lovely birds to have and the hens if u get any are very good mothers aswell

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I've never had a standard bred bird from a reputable breeder show any sign of human aggression. That says a lot about breeding for mild temper. Hatcheries don't do this resulting in high percentage of human aggressive cockerels.

I stopped coddling birds and treated them like chickens long ago. The hatchery cockerels were managed by me with ease but if I let birds out for a little free range now and then a cock would go out of way across yard to flog one of my step daughters. That's simply not tolerable. Once I went to standard bred birds never had an issue. My son was a terror that deserved a good flogging! When he was three I told him to not run and to keep his distance from the cock. He tore off running between the cock and his harem attempting to pick up a hen. I said close your eyes when he attacks you son. Bird never did, he ruffled hackles some and looked at me for assistance. My birds are extremely docile, I'd never keep hatchery stock again.