friendly cockerel

[AceOfSpadesJJ]

i have a 10-11 week old silver wyandotte cockerel so im wondering that because i raised him from 9 days he will be more friendly then if he was bought at say a year

 

[Den in Penn]

We will never know. You have him now and not at a year old. They are all individuals. Some are born to be aggressive, others nice. Handling helps some, but others it makes them worse.

 

[speckledhen]

i have a 10-11 week old silver wyandotte cockerel so im wondering that because i raised him from 9 days he will be more friendly then if he was bought at say a year

Handling won't change his inherent temperament, which was passed down, in part, from his sire.

If he thinks of you as his buddy, on his level, then if he is programmed to be human-aggressive, he will feel quite comfortable in challenging you when his hormones kick in.

If he is inherently easygoing, you handling or not handling won't change that, however, when he is of mating age, you should always allow him the space to be the flock leader and watch out for his hens, not be your full-time buddy. Here at my place, if he flogs, he goes, period.

You do not need to put up with a human-aggressive rooster for him to be a good flock leader/breeder for your hens.

 

[Mrsfoote]

I agree with SpeckledHen, but I also think having an established dominance over him helps as well. I've had 6 Roosters of different breeds. Believe it or not my meanest was my silkie Roo but he was a devoted leader sadly a hawk got him.

I've also had and do have Brahma roosters and they're my favorite, very good well mannered gentlemen even for their enormous size, never had an issue with them. I have small children and even as infants never had a problem with the roosters.

I have an olive egger roo who has horrible lady manners but yet again never had an issue with him.

My little D'anver roo however decided one day to get testy with him and I humiliated him before the flock, never an issue again.

None of my roo's follow me around like a puppy I can handle them, but they're there to protect the flock I respect them, they respect me.

 

[speckledhen]

Gosh, D'Anver roosters are known for being little pitbulls, they truly are! I still believe you can select for temperament if you wish to do so. I lost my only really friendly little D'Anver rooster, the alpha male, a couple of weeks ago to some internal issue, unfortunately, or I'd be breeding only him to test my theory on a breed known for especially fiesty males.

I'd never keep a large fowl rooster with a d'Anver temperament, you can take that to the bank! Why put up with a human-aggressive rooster when you can have one like my Isaac, who does his duty very well, and is completely easygoing and friendly? I don't expect this of every rooster, of course, but it's just the way he is-check out the video in this post for proof of what a rooster can be like:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/384349/sdwd/14610#post_8894682
Another video from photobucket: http://s673.photobucket.com/albums/vv95/Mtnviewpoultry/Video Clips/?action=view&current=DSCN5537.mp4

 

[Mrsfoote]

Ah hahahah I love the one in the Hammock that is priceless. For the most part Nacho our D'anver is quite well behaved now, didn't like being made the laughing stock by the girls. But our boys are good lovers too.