Camp Rooster?

[nycampchickens]

Hello! We are a camp in NY state. We have 12 chickens, including one Australorp rooster. He's very handsome and he's good with our hens. This is my first time with a rooster. About a month ago, he became ~mature~, and attacked me one day all of the sudden. After I got over my fear of him, I started asserting my dominance and he is now ok with me again. He even ate from my hand today!

My question is about the kids at our camp. One of their favorite activities is spending time with the chickens. Come springtime, when it's nice enough to stay outside, will the rooster start attacking our campers? If so, is there any way to combat this? Does anyone have experience with this? Thanks in advance!

 

[sourland]

He is a liability. Even the outside chance that he might injure a kid should not be taken. You can very likely modify his behavior towards you, but that will not carry over to children.

 

[Flockincrazy]

Im a babysitting chicken owner I have a rooster coop with some pretty prominent and big roosters in it what I did was held those roosters down chest to the ground then let all my kids come in and walk around and pet the others and have never had a problem but that is up to you

 

[3KillerBs]

As a parent I would hold you absolutely responsible if my child were injured by a rooster, all the moreso because he'd had a history of attacking someone. Kids can easily be blinded or permanently disfigured when a rooster leaps spurs-first at their faces.

It would be much safer if you either kept hens only during the camping season or kept the rooster confined and only allowed the hens out to interact with the campers.

 

[Sally PB]

It would be much safer if you either kept hens only during the camping season or kept the rooster confined and only allowed the hens out to interact with the campers.

Ditto. You can't be sure what the rooster will do. You can't be sure what the kids will do, either. All it takes is one problem one time, and you could have a major disaster.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you can securely lock him up somewhere when the campers are around (and we're talking padlocked, don't assume kids won't try to open a closed cage), then that should be safe enough to have around.

 

[aart]

If so, is there any way to combat this?

Yep. Get rid of him.

 

[Kirkwooder]

Chicken soup is the only safe way to keep this rooster at camp. Do not take the chance. It's just a rooster. The kids are our future.