Do the hens determine rooster aggressiveness?

[Year of the Rooster]

Kind of an awkward way to ask that, but this is something I thought of:

If a rooster is raised with his hens from day olds, does this give him more reason to protect his ladies than if a full grown rooster was introduced to hens he's never met?

 

[speckledhen]

Hmm, never heard that asked before. I don't know the answer to that one.

 

[call ducks]

i need to know this . as i am just piking my frist full size chickens up tomrow wich include white laced red cronish. are roo's mean with that breed

 

[Southernbelle]

I think the urge to protect the girls is hard wired into their DNA from the get-go and is triggered when they get to puberty, so I don't think he would be more protective of girls he was raised with.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

My roo came with a second set of EE's that were about 10 weeks old. My first set of chickens were a quad of buff orpingtons around 14 weeks old that we put the EE's in with. We thought that all of the EE's were pullets, but one turned out (or always was) a roo. The roo ignores the EE's that he was raised with and prefers the buff orpingtons. He bosses them around mercilessly and considers them his. The EE's can do whatever they want for all he cares, but those buffs have to answer to him.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Interesting... I figured it was just an instinct thing but now Chicky Tocks's situation is making me wonder even more..

 

[rooster-red]

In my experience it doesn't matter if he was raised with the hens or not, and I have roosters that have and have not been raised with hens, so I get to see both sides.

 

[rooster-red]

Quote:
That situation certainly blows the old saying "birds of a feather flock together" doesn't it?

 

[speckledhen]

The more I think on this question and remember roosters I've had, I think that in this regard, a rooster is a rooster is a rooster. They are genetically programmed to protect hens, whoever those hens are, so I'd say, as Lee said, it probably makes no difference if he is raised with them or not.

 

[Lollipop]

Just gotta throw my 2 cents in here. I think you`re right Cynthia. Roosters, as well as men are programed to protect their mates. It`s how God intended it. A rooster or a man that won`t do that isn`t worth his salt. Having been around gamefowl almost all my life, I might be comparing apples to oranges, though. I`m also of the opinion, after reading all the hype about hand raising a rooster, trying to be his friend, etc, that folks would be better off just treating the rooster like a peice of furniture and not being extra nice to them. Handling them often is good, but make sure he knows you`re the boss and no sweetness. I feel like they perceive this as a sign of weakness and in his mind, weakness is to be dominated. I`ve raised gamefowl for years and have only experienced 2 manfighters in all that time. I can tell you that anytime a rooster shows aggression in a cockers yard, he loses his head. The last thing anyone needs is an athlete with the determination of a gamecock getting the idea he`s superior to the owner. Seems to me that passing aggression along to offspring is a definate taboo and every mean roo needs a swim in the stew pot.........Pop