Does anyone have a NICE adult rooster?

[lovinlife]

To me, a nice rooster is one who respects me and stays away from me and my family. I've had quite a few horrible mean roosters that attacked me and my kids, drawing blood. The rooster I have now is respectful and stays away from us. I make sure he knows I'm the boss, I won't let him come near me, I won't let him eat scratch when I feed the hen treats, and if he's in my way when I'm walking, I chase him away. He's my idea of a nice rooster, one that respects me.

I tried picking up one of my roos and carried him all over the place. Didn't do a bit of good. With my current roos, I wait until they're roosting and then I pick them up by the legs and swing them around a bit until they are still (nothing severe, just enough to make them dizzy - and not after they've been eating, I do it at dusk when they're roosting). Then I lay them on the ground and hold them there. When I let them up, they know I'm the head roo and they respect that.

The three bantam roos I have also stay away, which is what I want.

 

[Lbrad7]

Quote:
I got some of those "packing peanuts" from my one and ONLY order from Ideal myself and it turned out to be 12 White Leghorn Roos...the were beautiful but I could have freaking strangled the jerk who put them in my order.

Had it been hens I would have sent them a thank you card but we don't eat our birds so I ended up having to find them homes.

I love Roosters and always add one or two of MY CHOICE to my orders and with McMurray they throw that extra in as a "gift" and I actually appreciate that and have enjoyed each and every one but now to find out that Ideal did it too you and now knowing that they did it on purpose, ticks me off even more. Good luck with your extra birds..I hope they turn out to be hens.

 

[backwoodsman4life]

My wife has our chicks to the point they push each other out of the way trying to get picked up first.

 

[NYRIR]

Quote:

The truth comes out! I like that...honesty! No,of course I have never teased them...(I'm a bit older than 12

) I would never run from them because I am a dominant type person. I have never had any issues with dogs etc. listening to me. I know I am in control ( or so THEY think

) So...maybe I should hold them a bit more? My daughter picks them up most nights after they go into the coop so she can check their feet. ( A friend of hers has one with the foot half gone from foot mites...freaked her out) so now she checks them individually almost every night. My son likes to catch the roos and put them on the gate and handfeed them. And one roo likes to roost on the stairs and "visit" with us on the porch.They all (roos and hens)follow me around the yard...when I am weeding they like to take the weeds from my hand instead of having to pick them themselves!
So don't get me wrong...I am CONSTANTLY talking to,giving treats,fresh water,etc.When they were small I picked them up CONSTANTLY (probably too much)!They ALL beg for treats and can be pet...with a little persistence.They also come to say hello when I come home from somewhere.

I hope you are all right and I get at LEAST one nice Roo!!!

 

[artsyrobin]

the general rule is minimal handling when they are young, so they will look at you as alpha- my first roo ended in freezer camp- the roo i have now is a brahma, couldn't ask for a better roo- he's about a year now, i got him at about 4 months and made sure not to make a pet of him, he has never been agressive, treats the girls right, and i can walk around the yard and not get attacked- my advice to anyone is consider the breed personality- top choices i would go for is brahma, favorolle or cochin...

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

All of them.

I've found that my "meanest" ones are my cochin bantam roos. Those little buggers think they are so tough! LOL But eventually with lots of handling, they learn they're submissive and at least tolerate me.

I don't keep any mean ones...not only because i don't want to get flogged or have my jugular pierced by ninja roos but I don't want to reproduce nasty behavior.

Even my Sumatra is kind. Not all of them are cuddly, in your lap but not one is mean or challenges me. I have some standoffish ones but all will eat treats from my hand.

 

[NYRIR]

Quote:
Very encouraging!Thank you....I hope mine will at least be like that. I don't care if they don't want to be picked up but need them to not "pierce anyone's jugular" as well! I'm with ya on that one

 

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

We hug them and hold them and tease them that we're going to call them George...

Seriously, we have held our roosters since the day they hatched. Now they are over a year old. Out of the blue "Dirty Red" came at me across the yard. I did my best "rooster kick" and he decided he actually had business on the other side of the yard. Middle child (girl, age 12) picked him up and gave him a talking to. ("You don't want Mom to chop you, do you? Better be nicer to her...") It must have worked.

"Blackie" drops a wing for me on a regular basis. I think it's his way of saying he loves me. I don't get the side-stepping or anything else. He just drops a wing and looks at me. (The hens get the full treatment: little song, little dance, little romance...)

The boys were hatched May 13, 2009. I can count on my fingers all the times I've had "altercations" with them. We did have three, but "Mr. Fluffy Butt" was too harsh with the hens and the other boys were picking on him. I'd let him out to wander free away from the others and he'd go straight to my garden and start snacking. He was delicious.

 

[Olive Hill]

We've had many nice roosters. One would go sledding with the kids in the winter, hop right up on their lap and go for a ride down the hill.

Not one of those have been RIRs, though. Every RIR I've had has been a ... well you can fill in the blank with the 4 letter word of your choosing.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Very encouraging!Thank you....I hope mine will at least be like that. I don't care if they don't want to be picked up but need them to not "pierce anyone's jugular" as well! I'm with ya on that one

Yeah....my six adult roosters are: Golden Laced Cochin, Lemon Blue Cochin, Crevecoeur, Sumatra, Light Sussex, bantam Mottled Houdan. Oh and my mille Fleur cochins...the others are still coming up in age...they do struggle a little bit when picked up but do calm down. I have to trim their spurs frequently to keep the ladies safe so it's important that I can handle them, too.


Light Sussex

Light Brahma: