Do all roosters attack kids?

[Hope119]

I mean those roosters who were not held and babied every day. Would all of them eventually start attacking kids?

Last year we had to send the roo we planned to keep to the freezer camp, because he started attacking my son (almost 2yo at that point, I think). The roo we kept was very nice, but this spring he also started attacking my son (a bit over 2.5 now) and even my 6yo daughter. Today he went way too far - my son has a wound on his cheek, behind his ear, on his arm and a scrape above the eye - meaning he was not far from having his eye damaged. So the question is, if we send this one to roo-heaven, would the next one do the same? I don't think we'll be holding the new one everyday - they are hard to catch and we don't have time for it and for feeding from hand every time. Dh thinks they all will attack eventually. We have many chicks now who are not related to those two who were attacking - we could keep one of those.

Thank you for any advice!

 

[N&MSchroeder]

I think you should be able to find a rooster that doesn't attack your children. My vote is to definitely send this guy to freezer camp! What breed(s) do you have?

 

[kinsey228]

I don't hold mine every day either. He hasn't attacked either of my kids, he actually just tries to avoid them. I don't think all roosters attack people, maybe it was the breed ? Good luck.

 

[For The Love of Peeps]

Hi There,

My rooster... Banty/Silkie cross was the "sweetest" guy & we did not "hold" him. He never attacked anything but squirrels who were trying to steal their food. I think it possibly has to do with the breed, and sometimes...just their personalities!

 

[bburn]

READ on here about roosters. Do a search.

I believe it is their nature to protect their hens from anything....including the people who own them and feed them and hold them and cuddle them or not. At a stage where they feel they have a flock to protect and breed they are doing what comes natural.

Back to say.....I have the sweetest ever rooster....a LF Cochin rooster. Until I gave him his flock....not just one or two hens cause he was still sweet then....but a flock....he never was aggressive. Still he is not aggressive unless he thinks there is a threat. A threat to him is someone running by his run, going into the coop if a hen is in there laying....things like that.

I stopped letting my grandkids go into the runs when the roosters and hens reached breeding age.....because that is when it starts. My goal is one more coop and run with only hens and two small coops and runs with a rooster each. THOSE hens will be put in with the roosters in small groups at some point to get fertile eggs when I want them.

It took me a year but now I know I cannot count on having a rooster that is 'sweet and nice'. I just do not believe it is their nature. I can however have rooster that I can live with. I just make sure I understand what might be a threat to them. I KNOW if hens are laying the rooster is protective. So if I am going in the coop in the middle of the day when they are laying I close the pop door. Then I am able to fill water and feeders and collect eggs. I usually throw treats when I plan to go in there. I do not free range either so maybe that is part of the reason I feel this way and have the behaviors with my roos that I have.

I have read everything on this site by doing searching about roosters that I can find. I want roosters. I want fertile eggs so that when I want to fill an incubator I can. But I also look forward to the day when I can pull the roosters and have flocks of just hens that I can enjoy interacting with. And do I think there is a day when there is a rooster that I own that I can turn my back on? Yes, but I still won't turn my back or let my grandkids in there with them. It just is not worth it!!!

 

[stonykill]

I have 12 Sumatra Roosters. 8 of which were adults, running ferrel, never held by people when I got them. They are gentle boys towards humans. They have never attacked me, or my son, or anyone for that matter. They are good boys, and GREAT roosters for their hens.

Yet I know of a NH Red Roo that has been held EVERY DAY by it's owner, and is currently going to a new home, because it attacks her and her son. It is 1 year old, and held EVERY DAY since birth.

I truely beleive the smaller breeds of roosters are the way to go.

 

[klf73]

my free range flock roo didn't get babied as a chick and he NEVER has attacked anyone and my kids range from 1-15 . I have an ameraucana, but our first roo was awful, he attacked anyone that came by the property. we tried everything but he only got worse

I think some breeds are just more passive...

 

[bburn]

Quote:
That may be true. I have all LF.

 

[klf73]

Quote:
That may be true. I have all LF.

mine are all LF too, I have an oegb and he is as mean as all get out, but he is penned so he doesn't bother anyone....

 

[dsqard]

I think it is just their personalities. I have an Ameraucana roo that has never shown any aggression towards people. Even if they go near "his" hens. He is not a "cuddly" roo but that doesn't mean that he is bad. He is a very good roo. I hatched out two sons of his and I had to cull both of them. They were getting aggressive. They never got to the point of flogging but probably only because they went to freezer camp first.

I have a lav Orp cockerel who is also very well behaved. So far he gets along with my Am roo so he gets to stay for now. I have three young brahma roos that I am waiting to see how they will behave. Right now they are just hitting the "hormones" stage and if any of them get aggressive and don't want to settle down, they will go to freezer camp as well. I don't think it is a breed thing as I have seen posts on good and bad roos from all kinds of different breeds. If you want to keep a roo around, I would look around for one that is past the hormonal stage that is well behaved. You could probably get one off CL for free. Lots of good roos out there needing homes. If you get one and it turns mean, freezer camp again and start looking again. IMO
ETA - I got the AM roo as an adult so I am not sure if he was handled a lot when he was a chick. The lav Orp cock was not handled much as a chick. Again, I just think it is their individual personalities.