He's still the boss.

[Redhead Rae]

I have a very stringent list for what I want in a rooster.

1. Must conform to SOP
2. Must be respectful of humans
3. Must be nice to hens
4. Must be nice to chicks
5. Must tolerate other roosters: There will always be squabbling between roosters but I put down a rooster that met numbers 2-4 because he was a mutt, so I didn't want to keep him around for breeding, and he tried flogging any other rooster to death. I would have kept him longer if he could have gotten along with my breeding roosters because he was SO good with people, hens and chicks.

Just as point of interest, I have a 2 year old and plan on having more kids. All my roosters must be child/human safe.

 

[Shadrach]

Penedesencas originated in Penedes and Empordanesas are from Emporda.
They are the only breeds in the world with a white earlobe, yet lay an extremely dark egg (intense reddish maroon).
Are you familiar with Fira del Gall? It is an old foodie festival that got its resurgence when the famous Black Penedesenca was brought back from extinction. The Penedesenca rooster is the star of the show.
It happens the weekend before Christmas in Vilafranca del Penedès.
http://www.turismevilafranca.com/en/agenda/fira-del-gall-rooster-fair

I worked at the animal rescue center at Emporda National Park; I didn't make the connection...
Indeed I am. I've not been. I didn't make the connection here either...
I'll be preparing for a local festival here next month, Mostra de Art.

 

[Shadrach]

I have a very stringent list for what I want in a rooster.

1. Must conform to SOP
2. Must be respectful of humans
3. Must be nice to hens
4. Must be nice to chicks
5. Must tolerate other roosters: There will always be squabbling between roosters but I put down a rooster that met numbers 2-4 because he was a mutt, so I didn't want to keep him around for breeding, and he tried flogging any other rooster to death. I would have kept him longer if he could have gotten along with my breeding roosters because he was SO good with people, hens and chicks.

Just as point of interest, I have a 2 year old and plan on having more kids. All my roosters must be child/human safe.

I don't care much if a rooster respects me, or not.
I recently had a rather warm debate here about child friendly chickens (its a long story)
If people are trying to keep chickens as pets, then of course, human friendliness is an issue.
The chickens here are not pets.
Just because the chickens here accept me and what I do doesn't mean they will for anyone else; in fact they wont. I get badly behaved cockerels and hens, but between me and other chickens we usually get them sorted out.

 

[Hyper_Chicken05]

“There is no such thing as a bad dog, Just a bad owner” ~John Grogan

 

[aart]

The chickens here are not pets.

You have a pretty unique situation, hard to compare it to most here,
so you have different criteria that won't be met by all.
My birds are not pets either, they are raised/kept for food,
but they would not be kept if they attacked any human, especially me.

 

[Shadrach]

“There is no such thing as a bad dog, Just a bad owner” ~John Grogan

That is pretty much my philosophy.
I do accept that every now and then you get a rooster that is just too much work.
I'll probably get bricks thrown at me but I think many people don't really understand roosters. They're just an awkward reality if you want to breed and have some flock protection.

 

[Shadrach]

You have a pretty unique situation, hard to compare it to most here,
so you have different criteria that won't be met by all.
My birds are not pets either, they are raised/kept for food,
but they would not be kept if they attacked any human, especially me.

I do yes.
I wrote the post regarding uncooped and multi cooped hoping there might be others here that have a similar system.
There are other people using this system that I'm in contact with who are also interested in chicken behaviour.
I eat the eggs and I occasionally eat chicken.

 

[igorsMistress]

It's a bit off topic...
I decided that I would sit and edit chapters of my book in August; it's too hot to do much outside. I was looking for some information on the web and after looking at the various chicken sites I decided I would join this one. Then I thought while I'm here I'll post a couple of stories that will be in the book. Next thing I know I'm posting badly edited bits of the book....I'm not getting a lot of editing done.

In my role as emergency and social services rolled into one as mentioned above my current case load looks like this:
One baby killer who sits on any pile of eggs she can find
One single mum with status problems
One potential rapist; so far the hens just whack him and his elder brother does as well.
One lovely hen with mobility problems; she has tendon strain from sitting
There's the usual morning punch up over the fallen grapes that needs policing.
Two lots of escort duties for laying hens with a lazy cock who can't be bothered to go and escort them back to the tribe some days.
Meals on wheels for a nine year old Maran hen who finds the walk from the sheep field to my house tiring.
Nursery care for a hen with a week old chick.
Daytime security patrols.
The list goes on......

That case load sounds more like you're a probation officer than anything else

 

[llombardo]

The most I have had to do with mine is stand up and in a stearn voice say back off. That has only happened if he thought I was killing one of the girls because they were screaming--drama queens I swear.

I'm in that enclosure multiple times a day. When I'm working around the outside of the enclosure he walks with me and watches me. He sits there tilting his head at me. I can just see him thinking. He comes running for treats with the girls. He waits for me at the gate. Teaching him leave it was easier then teaching a dog. The best part is on multiple occasions he has alerted me and his girls to possible danger.

They are my pets. I originalky got them for eggs but I don't even care about the eggs anymore, I just enjoy having them, watching them and learning about them. Observing a rooster has been one of the most fascinating things.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

The most I have had to do with mine is stand up and in a stearn voice say back off. That has only happened if he thought I was killing one of the girls because they were screaming--drama queens I swear.

I'm in that enclosure multiple times a day. When I'm working around the outside of the enclosure he walks with me and watches me. He sits there tilting his head at me. I can just see him thinking. He comes running for treats with the girls. He waits for me at the gate. Teaching him leave it was easier then teaching a dog. The best part is on multiple occasions he has alerted me and his girls to possible danger.

They are my pets. I originalky got them for eggs but I don't even care about the eggs anymore, I just enjoy having them, watching them and learning about them. Observing a rooster has been one of the most fascinating things.

How old is your rooster and what breed? Looks like maybe a Wyandotte?