How to become best friends with your roo?

[Grenadianexpat]

Mine all treat me with caution, and will go out of their way to avoid close contact.

They are not afraid of me, as I have given them no reason to be, but they skirt around me much more than the hens do. Mind you, the Hens are cautious as well, but let the pull of the food controls their actions more.

The chickens I am referring to are "yardfowl" who run free all day. For the most part unless they are in the egg sitting stage they return dutifully to the coup with regular feed and rice on the floor of the coup at night. There is the occasional rebellion if I time the setting of the Sun / round-up process badly. but a fluorescen green yard broom usually guides them in the right direction.

The layers who do not get out generally get handled more and barely make a peep if they get stroked, patted or even pushed away... No Roo's in with the layers, so Roo behaviour is not an issue.

Apart from when they are little chicks which I have raised on my Computer (yes really) when they get held and petted cos they are cute, they are treated well but not petted.... they are food or food providers, not pets.

 

[pipthepeep]

On related lines, I have a question that maybe a little strange. I have a rooster that I hatched from an egg after a horse stepped on his mom and she wasn't able to finish the job

...the silly thing is now 9 months old and still follows me everywhere, makes the purring rooster noise, calls me over when he finds a goodie in the grass, and crows constantly when I am out of sight...Is it possible for a rooster to think a person is a hen?! His companion (also a roo) was not handled nearly as much (couldn't even catch the darn thing to pick him up and teach him who is boss) and recently started attacking me...I mean seriously attacking, not just a wing flap here and there ( thank goodness he is leaving)! I am going to be getting friendly rooster a hen or two of his own, but I am worried since he obviously has NO fear of people at all....Do you think there is a strong chance he will become aggressive towards me once I replace, uh, myself with a hen for him? Is he permanently screwed up? I have to admit, its still cute for now...but weird.