How to become best friends with your roo?

[Chicken.Lytle]

I had to cool down my rooster once. Once.

Stuck him in the tractor by himself, away from the flock, overnight. Next day he was as contrite as a nun.

He has gone on to become a great rooster .

 

[PepsNick]

 

[Rocky Top Chick]

I tried the best friend road and it did not work. 7 roosters later, I ignore my present rooster and he does not try and do anything to me. I will continue to ignore because it keeps him a little leary of me and I don't have to watch my back. This one is the only keeper I have had. I am best friends with all the girls,however.

 

[HeritageHens]

My rooster has always been very friendly towards me but he is only 22 weeks old. When I sit in the coop, he is one of the first to jump on my leg and start preening. Once he even flew up onto my shoulder when they were on a supervised outing. However, last week he came up to me and flapped his wings. Heeding all the advice on this forum, I quickly extended my arms and flapped back. I have NEVER seen such fear! I swore his eyes were going to bug out of his head! He quickly turned and ran away! I couldn't help but laugh at him.

I do have a healthy respect for those long claws though!

Heeding JoeBryant's advice, unless I can get all my close neighbors to say "no problem," he's going to be re-homed. Too bad too. He's been really good with the girls. He's been courting them (no one has been receptive yet), calls them to a yummy morsel, intervenes in hen disputes, and watches out for flying objects (gotta get him to realize that low flying planes are not a threat though). And he's gorgeous to boot.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:

My roosters are ignored. Hens are for loving on. Roosters are for protecting the flock. I will never try to make friends with a roo again. Been there, done that. Isn't worth it.

 

[M To The Maxx]

I have to agree with the above comments. If you are close to your rooster and cuddle with him and all that TOO MUCH you are digging yourself a bigger hole. If you do that stuff with your roo he will think you are not the dominate one of the roost. That is when he will strike and try to take control of the dominance. I'm not saying terrorize your roo or anything like that I am just saying you want your rooster to somewhat "fear" you.

 

[sourland]

The bigger the pet the more aggressive the rooster. Do not remove the barriers between you and roosters. They must know that you are dominant or they will constantly try you. It's just their nature.(Testosterone) Make pets of your hens and pullets. Treat your roosters like chickens.

 

[Tala]

The best way to raise roosters (in my experience) is as soon as you can determine boys from girls, to put them in a bachelor pen and ignore them. That's right. Feed them, water them, check for lice/mites/do any leg banding/doctoring from the roost at night, but DO NOT handle them or try to make them "pets" coz they just ain't.
If you totally free range them, do the same minus the pen, but if you have a lot of roos they will terrorize the pullets - hence the bachelor pad at my place.

They will be used to your coming and going, but somewhat "shy" of you. They will move out of your way when you walk through, but they aren't terrified. That's how I want them to be.

When you want to introduce one for breeding, put him in a tractor or similar pen with the girls for a couple of days before you put him in with them. They MAY try to kick his butt a little, but the pecking order will be established in short order. Unless someone is injured, I rarely intervene in their little spats.

 

[staplehead]

ha ha ha...thats funny...i have a old english game rooster...and boy is he cocky..but i like that about him..thats why his name is shady

 

[happyhens44]

Well I think you guys are right, I guess I just miss my old Best friend. And if this is whats going on maybe its for the best and beside me trying to be his friend isnt good, maybe I should stick up for myself and not let him do this. He usually runs away when I walk toward him because 1 week ago I went bolistic on him because he attacked me so I showed him whos boss. But you guys made me see, I dont want him as a best friend. All my pullets are friends with me, they love me

haha well thank you.