He's a good rooster, but.....

[Folly's place]

x2. He needs a dinner invitation ASAP. Mary

 

[bugglesmommy]

I have seen more then one post where a young child had serious scratches on the face from where a rooster tried to spur the child through the eye. Once someone's rooster shattered the lens of the child's glasses trying to do so. When the rooster attacks the small children there is the potential for serious harm besides cosmetic scratches. He may tend to the ladies, but is it worth a blinded child?

 

[ShadyHillFarm]

Thanks everyone for the comments. I should note, that my children were throwing nuts and chasing the chickens outside. My 5yo was jumped at/chased a while ago and learned his lesson. We have repeatedly gotten onto my 3yo for chasing, but it took the rooster jumping him for it to get through. The chickens normally run off, so I was surprised when he didn't. I am nervous that he will see my kids as easy targets now, as LeviS stated. They are NEVER left alone outside with the chickens at all and as of recently we've been putting them in the run when the kids go out. This has been a learning experience for us all, so that's why I even questioned whether his behavior was even worth noting, b/c I knew a rooster was bred to protect his flock.

 

[donrae]

Oohh, I know I'm gonna get in trouble for this...........

Your kids aren't left alone with the chickens, but they're able to chase them and throw things at them? I just can't reconcile those two things.

Sounds like the kids and the birds BOTH need protection from each other.

But roosters that attack still should go, IMO.

 

[bugglesmommy]

I am going to have to agree with donrae. I feel you should re-home the rooster (preferably to freezer camp to not breed the aggression any further) and work to teach the children appropriate behavior around animals before considering getting a replacement. This is a situation that sounds like things are on the brink of a more serious incident.

 

[ShadyHillFarm]

Oohh, I know I'm gonna get in trouble for this...........

Your kids aren't left alone with the chickens, but they're able to chase them and throw things at them? I just can't reconcile those two things.

Sounds like the kids and the birds BOTH need protection from each other.

But roosters that attack still should go, IMO.

We live on a large farm. I am always outside with the kids, but that doesn't mean that they are always underfoot. I may be in the garden, I may be in the garage, I may be on the porch where as they may be on the swing set, riding bikes, running in the pasture. They aren't left alone in an enclosed area with the chickens, but they do sometimes cross paths as they share the 5 acre yard. If I see them antagonizing a bird or running around where the birds are, it is addressed and they're asked to play elsewhere. Like I said, this has only happened once to each boy over a 7 month period and they are in contact with the chickens almost every day. That's why I wasn't sure whether this was probably just an isolated incident or something I should be concerned about. As for throwing things, we have 6 nut trees around the house and I have all boys. Things are going to get thrown.

 

[bobbi-j]

We live on a large farm. I am always outside with the kids, but that doesn't mean that they are always underfoot. I may be in the garden, I may be in the garage, I may be on the porch where as they may be on the swing set, riding bikes, running in the pasture. They aren't left alone in an enclosed area with the chickens, but they do sometimes cross paths as they share the 5 acre yard. If I see them antagonizing a bird or running around where the birds are, it is addressed and they're asked to play elsewhere. Like I said, this has only happened once to each boy over a 7 month period and they are in contact with the chickens almost every day. That's why I wasn't sure whether this was probably just an isolated incident or something I should be concerned about. As for throwing things, we have 6 nut trees around the house and I have all boys. Things are going to get thrown.

I think you're not going to want to hear this, but I do believe it's something to be concerned about. The rooster will quite likely attack again. Why? For the reasons previously mentioned. Kids are loud, move quickly, are easy targets and make roosters nervous. You said yourself that the kids aren't always underfoot. They go near the chickens at times. It happens. Even if the kids are on the other side of your 5 acre yard, that rooster can get across that space in no time. Even if the kids were glued to your side, a rooster could attack before you knew what was happening. There are good, protective roosters that will move their hens away from commotion instead of attacking people. I know you're probably attached to this one, which is why you are reluctant to get rid of him (at least that's how it seems), but if it were my situation, that's what I would do. I would then start looking for a rooster that would protect my flock (pretty much they all do) without attacking my kids. Of course, you are the only one who can make this decision. If you think it's worth the risk to your kids, then keep the bird. Oh, and I raised 3 boys - things got thrown here, too.

 

[cafarmgirl]

He will see the kids as a threat from now on and now that he knows he can run them off his behavior is very likely to escalate.

 

[ShadyHillFarm]

I think you're not going to want to hear this, but I do believe it's something to be concerned about. The rooster will quite likely attack again. Why? For the reasons previously mentioned. Kids are loud, move quickly, are easy targets and make roosters nervous. You said yourself that the kids aren't always underfoot. They go near the chickens at times. It happens. Even if the kids are on the other side of your 5 acre yard, that rooster can get across that space in no time. Even if the kids were glued to your side, a rooster could attack before you knew what was happening. There are good, protective roosters that will move their hens away from commotion instead of attacking people. I know you're probably attached to this one, which is why you are reluctant to get rid of him (at least that's how it seems), but if it were my situation, that's what I would do. I would then start looking for a rooster that would protect my flock (pretty much they all do) without attacking my kids. Of course, you are the only one who can make this decision. If you think it's worth the risk to your kids, then keep the bird. Oh, and I raised 3 boys - things got thrown here, too.

Thank you Bobbi. I do have another rooster, a Wheaten, who seems very docile. Right now he acts more like a hen, than a rooster. I guess, I'm concerned that once I get rid of the top rooster, that this one will take his place and behave similarly.

Nice to see you've survived raising three boys. Each day is it's own adventure to say the least.

 

[bobbi-j]

He may be docile because he's not the dominant rooster. If the dominant one disappeared, he would likely step up and take care of the hens. Whether or not he'd be human aggressive would remain to be seen. That is a problem - you never know until they start to show it. I have had less aggressive roosters than ones that are aggressive.