Friendly Rooster?

[Jenace]

Can anyone tell me what are the best breeds to get a DOCILE and FRIENDLY rooster? I just want to get one rooster for a SMALL flock. Any ideas?

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Go with docile breeds: Orpingtons, Cochins, Silkies.

 

[CrazyTalk]

Get a cockerel from someone who has a well tempered rooster - temperament is largely genetic. Parentage is more important than breed here. There are some really nasty silky roosters out there, and some really good RIRs.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Get a cockerel from someone who has a well tempered rooster - temperament is largely genetic. Parentage is more important than breed here. There are some really nasty silky roosters out there, and some really good RIRs.

True. Goodness knows there are always TONS of ppl trying to rehome good roosters here on BYC.

 

[Jenace]

I'm getting chicksfrom some chicken place. Ha ha... Sorry, haven't worked out the details, but anyway -- I have to pick a breed. I am just trying to find the none-for-being-docile birds and get a rooster in that breed. I'll be hand-caring for them and trying to socialize with them a lot. But there can always be a bad rooster.

 

[Jenace]

Do you think a speckled sussex rooster would be a fine choice?

 

[Folly's place]

I love my SS hens, but two of three cockrels I raised turned into human aggressive jerks. The birds were from two different hatcheries, not show breeder flocks, so maybe SS cockrels from a breeder who culls for temperament would work out better. Or get an older cockrel or cock with known behavior. The SS are wonderful birds, IMO, and beautiful! As other posters mentioned, individual temperament, more than breed type matters. Mary

 

[Jenace]

I love my SS hens, but two of three cockrels I raised turned into human aggressive jerks. The birds were from two different hatcheries, not show breeder flocks, so maybe SS cockrels from a breeder who culls for temperament would work out better. Or get an older cockrel or cock with known behavior. The SS are wonderful birds, IMO, and beautiful! As other posters mentioned, individual temperament, more than breed type matters. Mary

So I might just have to pick what I want and hope for the best? (Also, the more you handle them as chicks, the better they are when they grow up, right?)

 

[HighStreetCoop]

So I might just have to pick what I want and hope for the best? (Also, the more you handle them as chicks, the better they are when they grow up, right?)

Ehhhh ... it's a crap shoot. Sometimes over-taming just makes the roosters think you're below them in the pecking order, which leads to aggression down the road. Pick what you want, hope for the best, if it doesn't work out, send that nasty roo to freezer camp and find a nice one here on the forum.

 

[Glenmar]

I have had some bad ones. Right now I have a few very good ones. Never even looked at me funny. I rally think its genetic. I have raised some Marans from a rooster that I know was friendly and all his offspring that I have kept have been friendly.
Find out what their fathers were like.